Highlights
- Savor Lugano's cuisine and wines on a culinary tour
- Learn winemaking at 15th-century Morcote Castle
- Explore Maggia Delta's lush food-growing landscape
- Sample regional delights on a bike tour of Vall da Mücc
- Soar over southern Ticino and Italy in a hot-air balloon
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Lugano, Old Town Food & Wine Tour | Lugano |
| Day 2 | Vineyard & Castle Tour, Explore Morcote | Lugano |
| Day 3 | Maggia River Delta Tour, Explore Locarno | Lugano |
| Day 4 | Cycle & Wine Taste in Vall da Mücc, Bruzella Mill | Lugano |
| Day 5 | Hot-Air Balloon Over Ticino & Italy, Depart |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Lugano, Old Town Food & Wine Tour
Welcome to Lugano in Switzerland's southern canton, Ticino. This Italian-speaking city is renowned for its wine and gastronomy, offering the best Swiss, Italian, and uniquely Ticinese fare. Settle into your hotel and unpack. You're about to begin a foodie adventure!
Meet your guide in the city center for a three-hour culinary walking tour of the Old Town. Immerse yourself in the flavors of Lugano and learn about the locals, their food, and traditions as you savor Ticino's specialties, accompanied by fine local wines, at various stops along the way. Explore the highlights, including the elegant porticoed shopping street, Via Nassa, and the Piazza della Riforma, then cap off the tour with gelato and some delicious local nocino (walnut liqueur). You'll be tasting and sipping all the way, so there's no need for lunch or dinner afterward.
Day 2: Vineyard & Castle Tour, Explore Morcote
Ride the 45-minute ferry to Morcote today for a two-hour guided tour of Tenuta Castello di Morcote, a family-owned wine estate. Explore the 15th-century castle, terraced vineyards, and wine cellar, gaining insights into organic and biodynamic vineyard management. Journey through the winemaking process, from grape cultivation to bottling, with an expert guide, then finish with a tasting of six exceptional estate wines paired with local cured meats, Alpine cheeses, and fresh artisanal bread.
Afterward, take a stroll along Morcote's lakeside promenade. Admire the views of Lake Lugano and surrounding mountains, visit the Parco Scherrer botanic gardens, and sample Swiss chocolate at a chocolaterie (chocolate shop). For dinner, choose a lakeside restaurant for Swiss-Italian cuisine and delight in the reflection of lights on the lake before returning to your hotel in Lugano by a 30-minute train or bus ride.
Day 3: Maggia River Delta Tour, Explore Locarno
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Walk amid lush merlot vineyards, beneath the shade of ancient walnut trees, past thriving hop fields, and into fragrant apple orchards on today's one-hour guided tour through the agricultural landscape of the Maggia Delta, a 55-minute train trip away in Ascona. You'll encounter diverse grape varieties like chardonnay, bondola, and kerner, then finish with an expertly curated tasting experience.
Afterward, take a four-minute taxi ride across the River Maggia to explore Locarno. Wander through Locarno's 12th-century Old Town, where Castello Visconteo houses an archaeological museum with Roman antiquities. Admire the colorful facades of the Piazza Grande and hop on the charming funicular railway up to the 15th-century Santuario della Madonna del Sasso before catching a 30-minute train back to Lugano.
Day 4: Cycle & Wine Taste in Vall da Mücc, Bruzella Mill
Grab sun protection and your camera for a full-day guided cycling tour through Vall da Mücc (Muggio Valley), Switzerland's southernmost valley renowned for its Zincarlin cheese made with raw milk. Catch a 15-minute bus to Balerna to meet the Mendrisiotto Terroir team for a brief minibus ride to the village of Scudellate, where you'll learn about the innovative Albergo Diffuso village housing rehabilitation project.
From there, cycle through idyllic landscapes to the medieval village of Bruzella, whose historic mill transforms Ticino's native red corn into polenta flour. Indulge in local delicacies, hear tales of village life, and uncover the region's age-old traditions. Round off your bike tour at the cozy cellar restaurant Grotto Del Tiro, featuring a lunch of traditional Ticinese cuisine. Taste six regional Mendrisiotto wines and an aperitif before returning to Balerna and catching the bus back to Lugano.
Day 5: Hot-Air Balloon Over Ticino & Italy, Depart
Pack your bags and grab an early breakfast before leaving your hotel and taking to the skies near Lugano today on a 90-minute hot-air balloon flight over southern Ticino and Italy's beautiful pre-Alpine region. Experience every stage, from filling the hot-air balloon to takeoff, landing, and folding. Float through clouds, glimpse the Alps, and be amazed as you soar above awe-inspiring vistas of villages, lakes, and farmlands from this extraordinary perspective.
Afterward, it's time to say goodbye! You can catch a 10-minute taxi ride to the airport for your onward flight. Safe travels!
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