Food is half the reason to go to Italy. On our Italy Fantasia tour, five of the best tastes of the trip are already in the price, from a Bologna food tasting to a glass of local wine in the Tuscan hills. Here's what you'll eat along the way.
1. Lunch in Assisi
Your first stop out of Rome is Assisi, the hill town of St. Francis. After exploring the medieval streets, sit down to a traditional lunch of Umbrian cooking. Umbria is known for simple, hearty food: think local olive oil, cured meats and pasta with seasonal sauces.
2. Lunch in a traditional Florentine restaurant
After your guided tour of Renaissance Florence, lunch is in a traditional Tuscan restaurant. Tuscan cooking is all about good ingredients done simply: bread, beans, grilled meats and the region's olive oil. It's the perfect break before an afternoon of your own in the city.
3. A food tasting in Bologna
Bologna is often called Italy's food capital, and it's the home of the sauce the world knows as "bolognese." On the way from Florence to Venice, you'll stop for a gastronomic tasting with a drink included: a chance to try the flavours of Emilia-Romagna, the region that also gives the world Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto.
4. Spritz and cicchetti in Venice
Venetians have their own way of doing aperitivo: a spritz and a few cicchetti, small bites eaten standing at a bar or a canal-side counter. Your spritz and cicchetti experience lets you join the ritual the way locals do, at the end of a day exploring the city.
5. A wine lunch in Montepulciano
On the drive back to Rome, the tour stops in Montepulciano, a medieval hill town famous for its Vino Nobile wine. Lunch is a traditional Tuscan meal with a glass of the local wine included, with views over the vineyards of the Val di Chiana.
Taste it all on our spring group
Our Spring in Italy 2027 group departs on May 2, 2027 for eight days through Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Venice and Tuscany. It's from $2,639 per person (double occupancy, land only), with flights available from your US city. All five food experiences, guided tours in Florence and Venice, and skip-the-line Vatican Museums are included. See the itinerary and reserve your spot →
First time in Italy? Read our guide Italy in May: Why Spring Is the Best Time to Go.
