Luxury Northwest Italy: Alps, Cinque Terre, Riviera, Lake Maggiore & More - 14 Day

Day 1: Arrive in Milan, Transfer to Portofino

Welcome to Italy! Arrive in Milan, where your private driver will be waiting to transfer you to Portofino, a delightful former fishing village nestled on the shores of the Italian Riviera. With its arch of colorful houses tumbling down to a historic port, the village is the epitome of laid-back Italian charm and style. Boutiques, galleries, and enticing cafés and restaurants line the narrow cobbled streets from the harbor. After a refresh at your hotel, head out to explore under your own steam.

The city's top sights include the Statue of Christ of the Abyss, a memorial to Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use diving gear. Lying 56 feet (17 m) beneath the waves on the sea floor, you'll need to swim or snorkel to see it. If you'd prefer to stay on land, other notable sights include the 16th-century castle Castello Brown, which towers above the port, and the 12th-century Church of Saint Martin. When you've finished sightseeing, head to one of the town's impeccable restaurants and dine on exceptional Ligurian cuisine, washed down with a glass of the local white. 

Day 2: Morning at Leisure, Afternoon Boat Tour to San Fruttuoso Abbey

It's a relaxed start to your Italy vacation this morning, and you'll have plenty of time to take in the sounds of the sea and church bells while enjoying a leisurely breakfast on your hotel's terrace. When you're ready, head out to see some more of Portofino. The town's seafront location and laid-back Mediterranean vibe have long made it a beloved destination for artists, writers, and lovers of the arts. The centrally-located Piazzetta, a meeting point for locals and visitors in the heart of the historic city, is great for a mid-morning espresso and people-watching.

Stroll down to the port, enjoying the brightly colored houses and the refreshing sea breeze that passes through the town's shaded alleyways. The streets around the Borgo are filled with artisan workshops and hum with the handiwork of artists creating elegant patterns of bobbin lace—the perfect spot to pick up a few souvenirs or gifts for back home. When hunger strikes, settle in at one of the elegant restaurants that dot the harbor and serve excellent fresh seafood alongside the day's catch. 

In the afternoon, you'll take to the water for a private boat trip along the coast. Your destination is the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, and your journey starts as soon as you step onboard your gozzo, a traditional small wooden boat. In 30 minutes, you'll arrive at the medieval abbey; tucked into a cove and surrounded by lush vegetation, it's remote location, only accessible by boat, has made it a favorite hideout for pirate ships in centuries past. After a tour of the abbey, take in the views from San Fruttuoso Beach before returning to Portofino for a relaxed evening along the waterfront.

Day 3: Day Trip to Cinque Terre, Winery Visit & Ligurian Cooking Lesson

No trip to the Ligurian coast is complete without a trip to Cinque Terra, a famous section of the Riviera coastline renowned for its pastel-colored medieval villages that dot the dramatic cliffs, incredible sunsets, and beautiful hiking trails that link the five famous villages. The best way to discover Cinque Terra is by train, and after breakfast, you'll meet your private guide and head to the station.

Your first stop is the town of Monterosso al Mare. The city's medieval center remains nearly perfectly preserved, with its ancient tower houses and network of carrugi (narrow alleyways that lead from the sea to the cliffs above the town). Monterosso is also renowned for having the best granita—a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water, and local lemons—the perfect refreshing treat on a sunny day. 

Your next destination is Manarola, a picture-perfect village famous for its plentiful grapevines and sweet Sciacchetrà wine. This time, you'll swap the train for a 30-minute private boat trip to the town. Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to a traditional winery where you'll sip a special selection of wines and hear about Liguria's wine production history. Cap off your day with a private cooking lesson, where you'll learn the secrets behind the region's legendary homemade pasta and pesto. You'll return to Portofino in time for aperitivo as the sun starts to dip. 

Day 4: Visit Genoa, Transfer to the Langhe Wine Region 

Wave goodbye to Portofino this morning and meet your driver for a one-hour transfer to Genoa. The birthplace of Christopher Columbus, this bustling, wealthy city has a rich seafaring history. You'll have several hours to explore the town's medieval center before reuniting with your driver, and the best place to start is Le Strade Nuove, a series of streets built by the Genoese aristocracy during the height of the city's financial power. Don't miss the Palazzi dei Rolli, a group of elegant Renaissance and Baroque palaces from the 16th and 18th centuries.

Grab lunch at one of the many international restaurants in the alleys near the harbor, then hit the road for your transfer to the Langhe Wine Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This part of Piedmont is characterized by rolling hills, endless vineyards, medieval hill towns, and ancient castles.

Day 5: Truffle Hunting & Wine Tasting, Michelin-Starred Dinner Reservation

Start your morning with a drive to Benevello to spend the day exploring the region's farming heritage. First up is a guided tour into the local woods in search of one of Piedmont's most famous natural resources, tartufi (truffles). You'll be accompanied by an expert truffle hunter (known as a Trifulau in local dialect) and his trusty four-legged companion, the Tabui truffle dog. After the hunt (and a chance to taste your freshly foraged truffles), you're off to visit a local cheesemaking farm that specializes in toma, a DOP Piedmontese aged cheese made using only raw milk from Langhe sheep.

After a tour of the farm, you'll sit down with your hosts for a light lunch featuring plenty of farm-fresh cheese and an excellent glass or two of the local red wine. Speaking of wine, your day concludes with a visit to a historic wine cellar in the center of Barolo to learn about (and taste) its namesake red wine. You'll sip several different vintages amid idyllic scenery and relaxing views of the rolling hills before returning to your hotel with your driver.

Your day sampling Piedmont's gastronomy isn't quite over yet, as this evening you'll sit down to dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant known to hold one of Italy's most complete wine lists. Settle in for a memorable dining experience that's sure to be one of the highlights of your trip. 

Day 6: Tour Alba, Slow Food Experience in Bra

Enjoy a leisurely morning, relaxing poolside or indulging in a pampering massage at your hotel's spa. If you're an early riser, a private sunrise balloon flight over the Langhe countryside is a wonderful way to experience the region's lush valleys, tiny hilltop villages, ancient castles, and endless vineyards. Meanwhile, cycling enthusiasts could book a guided bike ride starting and ending in Cortemilia, a town notable for its many shady hazelnut groves.

Your plans for the afternoon are set. Make the most of northern Italy's impeccable foodie reputation with a private guided tour of Alba, a once-powerful city-state famous worldwide for its red wine, white truffles, and fabulous gastronomy. During Roman times, the city was known as Alba Pompeia, and over time, the city's buildings, from Roman origins to modern construction, have been built on top of each other. You'll head underground to see Alba's architectural Roman formations and still have plenty of time to sample a glass of the region's famed Barolo red wine. 

Afterward, you'll transfer to nearby Bra, a city famous as the birthplace of Italy's Slow Food Movement. Started by Carlo Petrini in the 1980s, the movement aimed to defend local culinary traditions and a slower pace of life. Your destination is the restaurant where it all started. Over the next few hours, you'll feast on local specialties such as agnolotti (egg pasta stuffed with roast meat) and tajarin (homemade pasta noodles), followed by a hearty risotto and brasato al Barolo (a rich beef dish). Finish with the region's famous gianduiotto (hazelnut chocolate) before returning to your hotel.

Day 7: Transfer to Turin, City Tour & Exclusive Library Visit

You'll continue your tour of Italy's elegant north this morning with a private transfer to Turin. Known for its historic architecture, wide boulevards, and notable libraries, museums, and theaters, this captivating city has a wonderful café culture and rich history steeped in music and art. Check in to your hotel, and after a refresh, meet your guide for a private tour. You'll start in the Piazza Castello, where one of the buildings hides an architectural treasure: the San Lorenzo Church, a Baroque octagonal building with beautiful inner chapels and a soaring cupola with eight windows that allow sunlight to pour in.

Enjoy lunch at a historic café nearby and rub shoulders with the locals. Turin's cafés are legendary, with a long history of serving as the meeting place for artists, writers, and political refugees. When Turin found itself in the center of the struggle against Austria, several of the cafés became the headquarters of Risorgimento, Italy, where political theory and strategy were discussed over coffee. Speaking of which, you won't want to miss the famous local bicerin, an indulgent mix of chocolate, coffee, and cream. 

Re-fuelled, you're all ready for this afternoon's highlight—a private tour of the Library of the Academy of Sciences. The library is typically closed to the public, but you'll get to visit the massive collection in the company of its creator. Founded in the 1700s, the library houses a vast array of literature: more than 250,000 books, 70,000 letters, 5,000 periodicals, 2,000 manuscript documents on the history of science, and a hundred drawings of industrial patents and maps. 

Day 8: Morning Tour of Sacra di San Michele, Home-Hosted Dinner

Spend your final day in the Langhe, exploring one of the most recognizable symbols of the Piedmont region, the Sacra di San Michele. Considered one of Europe's leading examples of Romanesque architecture, the ancient monastery is strategically located amid snowcapped peaks on a pilgrimage route that runs from Saint-Michel in France to Monte Sant'Angelo in Puglia. Meet your driver at your hotel for the 45-minute drive to the monastery and begin your tour via the 243 steps that lead to the Doorway of the Zodiac, where you'll be met with panoramic views of the snowy Alps.

After several hours exploring the abbey, return to Turin, where the rest of the afternoon is yours to spend as you wish. History buffs should head to the Egyptian Museum, one of the city's main attractions and one of the largest Egyptian museums in the world, second only to Cairo's. Alternatively, visit the National Museum of Cinema, one of the city's architectural landmarks with a rooftop terrace perfect for sipping coffee and admiring the sweeping views of Turin against the imposing backdrop of the Alps. 

There's one last treat in store this evening as you'll round out your vacation with dinner hosted by a local family in their private home. After a warm greeting from your hosts, you'll be treated to an authentic Italian dinner consisting of a primo (starter), secondo (main course), and dolce (dessert). The conversation is guaranteed to be as good as the food as you share a delicious meal together and exchange insights into each other's cultures and lives. Buon appetito!

Day 9: Afternoon Tour of Aosta, Transfer to La Thuile

This morning, you'll have time for a leisurely breakfast and stroll around Turin before checking out and meeting your driver for a transfer to your next destination, the Aosta Valley in the heart of the Alps. After a 1.5-hour journey, your first stop is the valley's namesake town, Aosta, a historic city with a fascinating Roman past that's also renowned for its excellent French-influenced cuisine. Settle in at one of the local trattorias and feast on specialties, including puff pastry filled with Valdostan fondue, venison with polenta, and rich beef stews braised in the local wine.

In the afternoon, you'll meet a local archaeologist to tour the city's Roman ruins. Key sights you'll see include the perfectly intact Porta Prateoria, which dates back to 25 BCE, the Roman Theater, with its impressive southern facade, and the Forensic Cryptoporticus, which dates back to the Augustan era. Part ways with your guide, and if you have time, squeeze in a visit to the Cathedral and the Collegiate Church of Saint Orso, both home to masterpieces of medieval art, with Ottonian frescoes, beautiful floor mosaics, and medieval cloisters. 

Back in the car, it's a short 45-minute drive west to your final destination, the ski town of La Thuile. Sitting below the Little Saint Bernard Pass at an elevation of 4,728 feet (1,441 m), the city is backed by dense forests, snowcapped mountains, and vast glaciers. Check into your luxury mountain resort, and the evening is yours to explore the charming town at leisure and soak up the Alpine views.

Day 10: Cableway to Mount Blanc, Alpine Life Tour

In the morning, meet up with a tour guide and head to see Mont Blanc on the spectacular Skyway Monte Bianco cableway. The cableway consists of three ascending stations, the last of which, Punta Helbronner, sits at an altitude of 11,370 feet (3,365 m). You'll disembark at this final stop to marvel at the unparalleled 360-degree views from the circular terrace. After a look inside the Crystal Hall to see the jewels and gems of the Aosta Valley mountains, head to Bistro Panoramic for a memorable Alpine lunch and admire the sweeping vistas from the floor-to-ceiling windows. 

You'll spend your last afternoon in the Aosta Valley touring the nearby mountain villages. Stop at Introd, a peaceful farming village in a scenic location between the Savara and Dora di Rhêmes Rivers. The town was once a fief of the Barons of Sarroid, whose polygonal 13th-century castle and lookout towers still stand. Your guide will introduce you to several members of the local community members where, over a coffee or glass of wine, you'll get a glimpse into rural Italian Alpine life. Return to La Thuile in the afternoon, where the rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish. 

Day 11: Hot Springs, Hiking & Fontina Cheese

It's your last day in La Thuile, and this morning, you have a choice of classic Alpine activities. Make the most of the area's natural hot springs and spend a blissful few hours unwinding in the natural spring at Pré-Saint-Didier, an international destination since Roman times. Here you'll find three open-air thermal pools where you can spend the morning re-charging while you enjoy a gentle hydro-massage in the healing waters, surrounded by views of the Alps. 

Alternatively, explore the trails of the Grand Paradiso National Park in the company of a hiking guide. Italy's oldest national park, the reserve, was created in 1922 when King Victor Emmanuel III of Savoy donated his legendary game reserve to the nation. It's now home to hundreds of protected animal species, rare plants, and flowers. You'll get to see all this and more on a choice of trails that range from leisurely strolls to hour-long excursions through mountain pastures and ancient hunting paths. 

In the afternoon, you'll learn all about and taste the area's renowned fontina cheese, produced exclusively in the Valle d'Aosta region, with a private visit to an Alpine cheese farm. On a tour of the processing facility you'll observe the exacting shaping and curing process through to the careful storing of fontina wheels on spruce platforms in caves dug out from the mountainside, which allow for optimal temperature control and flavor creation. And don't worry, there'll be ample opportunity afterward to taste this soft, sweet cheese, accompanied by a class of two of local wine. 

Day 12: Transfer to Lake Maggiore, Visit the Rocco di Angera Medieval Fortress

After one last leisurely breakfast, transfer to your luxury relais on Lake Maggiore. Your destination for the next couple of days is the lakeshore village of Stresa; this one-time peasant settlement began its ascendancy to an exclusive holiday resort for Italy's aristocracy and bourgeois in 1748, when Stresa came under Savoy rule and entered a long period of prosperity.

Arrive at your hotel, and after settling in, the rest of the day is yours to explore. 


Spend a relaxing afternoon exploring the streets of Stresa. Hike up to Angera and visit the imposing medieval Rocca di Angera fortress that perches on a limestone outcrop high above the lake. The castle was an important strategic point for both military and trade and the castle's five main buildings were built in stages between the 12th and 14th centuries.

The Main Tower or Castellana was built on a square plan and offers a sweeping view of the mountains and the shores of the lake. Adjacent to the main tower is the Ala Viscontea (Wing of Viscontis), and on the opposite side sits Ala die Borromei, named after the Borromeo family who were responsible for most of the alterations after the 15th century. The small 13th-century palazzo, Alla Scaligera, sits between the outer walls and the remains of an older tower. The fifth part of the castle is the 14th century Tower of Giovanni Visconti, near the southern end of the Ala Viscontea.

One of the Rocca's treasures is the Hall of Justice, decorated with a cycle of 12th-century frescoes painted by the anonymous "Master of Angera" that depict events from the life of Archbishop Ottone Visconti. The Rocca di Angera also houses a spectacular museum collection, called the Museo della Bambola, which displays the Borromeo family's priceless collection of dolls, toys, books, doll's house furniture, and board games from the 18th century. 

Pick from one of the lake's many fine-dining establishments for a meal on the water.

Day 13: The Borromean Islands

Spend the day exploring Lake Maggiore's prettiest corner: the Borromean Islands. A favorite with diplomats, intellectuals, and royalty, the archipelago is renowned for its landscaped gardens and magnificent palaces. Beautiful Isola Bella with its 17th-century Palazzo Borromeo, picturesque Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen's Island), and Isola Madre—famous for its botanical garden, filled with exotic plants. 

Board a private Venetian-style motorboat to reach your first stop of the day, the beautiful Isola Bella. Originally a barren rock, the island is now a floating paradise of architectural and botanical treasures. It took four hundred years and the work of hundreds of people to transform Isola Bella from a small fishing community into its current state. In possession of the Borromeo family since 1501, the island and its baroque palazzo feature hundreds of years of sustained landscaping effort.

You'll be joined by a local guide to tour the beautifully furnished halls and see the palace's paintings, precious furniture, marble decorations, neo-classical stuccos, shining armor, and Flemish tapestries made of silk and gold. Outside, the garden is a bright paradise of flowers and exotic plants that flourish thanks to the lake's mild climate. At one edge of the garden, a series of sculpted terraces tower over the lawn, culminating with a statue of a unicorn—the symbol of the Borromean family. White peacocks wander through the gardens, little ponds dot the landscape, and 17th-century statues stand guard over the shaded walkways. 

From here continue to the Isola dei Pescatori (Fisherman's Island), the only permanently inhabited Borromean island. Wooden two-story houses cluster together on narrow lanes, long balconies used for drying fish are a feature on every home, and the town's only church serves the island's 50 residents. Stop here to shop at the little boutiques and grab a bite to eat at one of the renowned restaurants, where locals and visitors feast on fresh-caught fish. 

In the afternoon head to Isola Madre, the biggest of the Verbano islands. Unlike Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori, it looks secluded from the water. The island's first resident was Earl Lancillotto Borromeo, who chose to settle there for the mild weather. Today the island is a green Eden, renowned throughout the world for its elaborate botanical gardens.

Tour the palace to see liveries, family portraits, tapestries, furniture, and rich brocades that decorate the walls. Stop in the marionette theater, then head back outside to the English-style garden to marvel at the azaleas, flowering camellias, and ancient wisteria. The largest Kashmir Cypress in Europe, an incredible display of hibiscus, and a Gingko Biloba also grow here. 

Return to Stresa for the evening to enjoy a dinner of Mediterranean seafood and pizza, accompanied as always by a glass of local wine. Afterward, grab a cocktail at a downtown bar.

Day 14: Transfer to Milan, Depart

It's time to say goodbye to Italy. After one last cappuccino over breakfast, transfer to Milan from Stresa for your connecting flight home.

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