Veneto & Alto Adige Private Wine Tour

Day 01: Venice Arrival | Welcome to Italy! Upon your arrival at Venice Airport, our local English speaking representative will be waiting to welcome you. You will be transferred first by private limo and then by private motor launch to your hotel in San Marco Area. The balance of this first day is at leisure. Overnight in Venice.

Day 02: Venice | This morning after breakfast meet in your Personal Guide at the Hotel lobby for an enchanting panoramic tour over the history of St. Mark’s Square and its main monuments: You will visit the Cathedral of Venice, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s palace, fourteenth-century building from where the ancient Venetian republic exerted the control over the city. Passing through the famous Bridge of Sighs you will reach the Prison Palace. Proper attire is required while visiting the Basilica. For security reasons bags, back-packs, etc. cannot be taken into the Basilica. Lunch at leisure. In the afternoon meeting with our expert guide-sommelier for a ” Bacari Tour “, she will introduce you to the hidden Venice by this food & wine experience. The Bacari, the local down-to-earth version of wine bars, serve tapas like “cicheti”, traditionally washed down with a glass of wine, and Venetians stop to snack and socialize before and after meals. They are called “Bacari” in honor of Bacchus, the God of Wine… We’ll drink wine and eat “cicheti”, cheese, seafood or cold cut appetizers freshly made during the day. Wandering from place to place we shall learn more about the people of the old Venice and the lifestyle of a community of pedestrians! Overnight in Venice.

Day 03: Fish cooking demonstration and Venetian Masks Atelier | Breakfast at the Hotel. Meet with your guide-sommelier at the hotel lobby for a fish cooking demonstration and lunch in a restaurant in Laguna. The tour lasts 3 hours, you will start with the visit at the Rialto area, the Fruit and Vegetable Market, and the Fish one, definitely the best in terms of variety and freshness. Then your guide will take you across the Grand Canal by a gondola ferry and reach the Cannaregio district, walk to the restaurant where the chef will show you the fish of the day, according to the season, freshness and availability at the market. You will interact with him and see how fish is cleaned, which are the features of the Lagoon or Mediterranean seafood, the best way to enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients. In order to fully appreciate his unique style, after the tour, you will have the chance to taste a menu based on a selection of the best dishes. The menu especially created for you, to be enjoyed after the tour: as a starter you will taste a Mixed Adriatic Seafood dish including Lagoon crab, Baby octopus, Whipped Venetian cod and Shrimps”, to continue with “Homemade egg Noodles with Scampi and Peas or Asparagus sauce” and as the main course “Fresh Sea bass fillet with Vegetable Ratatouille”… In the afternoon you will have the extraordinary opportunity to visit with your guide a Gondola yard and an Atelier of Venetian Masks. The Tramontin gondola yard dates from the XIXth cent. when Venice joined the Reign of Italy. The master in charge, Roberto Tramontin, will explain the history and the features of such a special boat, designed and meant exclusively for the Venice canals. In the eighteenth century, Venice was renowned for the most famous Carnival in the world. Any social class joined and experienced Carnival, a time of amusement, transgression, astonishment, creativity, and liveliness. The mask maker of the Tragicomic Atelier will tell you the history of the Venetian masks through the centuries, the different reasons why people loved disguising themselves, and show you the most common Venetian masks which are still produced according to the traditional processes. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Venice.

Day 04: Venice – Euganean Hills Wine Tour – Verona | Breakfast at the Hotel. On route to your Hotel in Verona, travel through Padova province Euganean Hills. The day’s excursion starts with a visit to a typical cantina in the Veneto region. Arrive in the medieval town of Arqua Petrarca where weather permitting, you will tour the vineyards with the owners. Learn about the area’s grape growing techniques from the vintners themselves and, after a short description of the winemaking process, enjoy a wine tasting in the wine bar in the center of Arqua Petrarca. Your wine tasting will be led by the vineyard owner along with your guide, who is a sommelier and cheese expert. Next, take a scenic drive to a local restaurant and enjoy a light lunch featuring traditional dishes and excellent wine. After lunch, visit another cantina with the owner, who will explain the local production technique before leading you through a second wine tasting with more of the famous regional varieties. Together with your guide, discuss the differences and similarities of the wines from these 2 respected local producers. Late afternoon transfer to your hotel in Verona.

Day 05: Verona | After breakfast at the hotel, meet your driver in the lobby for a morning Private Guided Tour of Verona. Visit Verona main sights: the Arena (Roman amphitheater), Juliet’s house, Romeo’s house, the Roman bridge, the Roman theater, the Scala family tombs (considered one of the most representative examples of Gothic architecture), Signori square, Erbe square, Castelvecchio, and much more. After the Tour return to your Hotel or decide to spend time in the historic center for a Lunch and afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Verona.

Day 06: Lake Garda Wine Tour | Breakfast at the Hotel. The southern part of the Lake is the birthplace of the Custoza white wine. Though not so well known abroad, the mild climate of the Lake renders these wines very pleasant to drink. You will follow the wine road between the enchanting fishing villages of Lazise, Garda, Bardolino and the romantic Punta San Vigilio offering stunning views of the Lake. You will visit one of the most famous wine cellars, owned by the Zeni family. Here you will have the opportunity not only to taste all the wines of the Verona region but also to learn about the process of winemaking in their interesting wine museum. The Lake Garda is also known for its olive oil, and a visit to the olive oil museum in Bardolino is part of the program. Late afternoon return to your Hotel in Verona.

Day 07: Verona – Alto Adige Wines and Castles | Today we will drive by private car and our expert driver-guide to the Alto Adige/Sud Tyrol region, home of super wines such as Lagrein, Gewurztraminer, and Muller Thurgau and we will visit the award-winning century years old Wineries. We will travel through an enchanting landscape pointed by vineyards and ancient Castles at the top of the hills, this is the famous Weine Strasse. Our first visit will be a flagship organic winery: for over one hundred and fifty years winemaking has been a part of the family’s history, and the current leader of the company, representing the fourth generation. The total vineyard area farmed by the company includes some 60 hectares. The company’s particular attention goes towards the best possible utilization of terroir. Respect for the environment has priority based on the principles of holistic thinking and acting. Completed in 1996, the newly constructed winemaking facilities at the historic estate in Magra unite the highest ecological and technological standards. Overnight in WeineStrasse.

Day 08: Alto Adige Wines and Castles | Breakfast at the Hotel. Today we will drive by private car and our expert driver-guide, through the WeineStrasse area, home of superb wineries. Our first stop will be in Termeno, home of Gewurtztraminer wine, where we will visit a flagship Wine Estate producing stunning Gewurtztraminer and Lagrein wines, which belongs to the oldest established wine families at Tramin/Termeno. The Wines of this Winery have been rewarded with Italy’s most highly awarded, the ‘Three Glasses’ of the Gambero Rosso wine guide for several years in a row, to mention the most important only. Lunch will be at the local Gourmet restaurant located in a true ancient Castle overlooking the vineyards. Then onto Caldaro an enchanting small village located just in the center of the WeineStrasse which host also the Wine Academy and Wine Museum. Time at leisure in Caldaro, then we will visit another superb, award-winning winery and its Wine Garden where you will learn about the winemaking. The headquarters and winery are accommodated in a grand 16th-century edifice, originally built for the Austrian Imperial post coaches. The garden provides the opportunity for interested visitors to become acquainted with the art of winegrowing. Using the native Gewarztraminer as an example, the display vineyard shows the conditions under which vines thrive especially well and reveals how the grower can act supportively. On the way back to your hotel you will stop for the visit of the enchanting, untouched San Paolo village, in the heart of the WeineStrasse, along the Castle route. Overnight in WeineStrasse.

Day 09: WeineStrasse at Leisure or *Optional Tour: Glurns – Neustift  | Traditional breakfast and transfer to Glurns (Glorenza) in Val Venosta for a visit to the fortified village. Tour of Castel Coira, the heart of the Tyrolese aristocracy. Ascend to Castel Juval for lunch at leisure at a traditional maso, sampling traditional products. Tour of Merano and return to your hotel. Overnight in WeineStrasse.

Day 10: WeineStrasse – Verona Airport | After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a Private Transfer from your Hotel in Alto Adige to Verona Airport.

• 3 Nights Venice
• 3 Nights Verona
• 3 Nights Alto Adige
• Private Transportation by Mercedes E or V Class with English Speaking Driver
• Private Guided Tours with Professional Local Guides | Door to Door Service
• Entrances to Museums, Galleries, Archeological Parks and other Venues
• Breakfast at Hotels, All Food & Wine Tours/Enogastronomic and Most Lunches.
• 24/7 Assistance and Support from our Ground Operational Office in Italy