Milano (MXP) – Cinque Terre:  Morning arrival into Milano airport. We are met by our driver and tour escort and we will be transferred to our hotel in Liguria Region, a crescent- shaped region in northwest Italy. (Approximately ( 3 hours by motor coach)    Its Mediterranean coastline is known as the Italian Riviera. The 5 colorful fishing villages of the Cinque Terre, as well as stylish Portofino, Rapallo, and Santa Margherita Ligure, are on the eastern coast or Riviera di Levante.  Welcome dinner (hotel or restaurant walking distance)– Overnight

Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore: five small villages surrounded by a unique landscape that UNESCO has named a World Heritage site.  Gorgeous beaches, crystal-clear water, steep trails winding through lush vineyards and olive groves, lemon trees and pine woods: a perfect spot, whether you enjoy swimming, boating, walking through the historic town, or exploring the pristine nature all around you.  After breakfast, depart for Cinque Terre and enjoy an unforgettable day dedicated to the discovery of one of the most amazing and enchanting landscape in the World. You will travel though the little   villages by  boat (weather permitting) and train. The five villages, “Cinque Terre” is an area suspended between sea and land, hanging from sheer cliffs surrounded by hills and vineyards. You will enter a little piece of heaven. This spectacular coastline was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and it is one of the best preserved natural and semi-natural  parts of the Mediterranean.

Learn to make Pesto the Italian way!

This is one of the popular thing to do while you are in Italian Riviera. Let’s share our experience, listen your story and talk about Italy. It's not a normal class, it's a good opportunity to enjoy your life.   Discover all THE essential products, the Italian origins and the story of the habitants that create the famous Ligurian sauce.  During the pesto-making class discover all the secrets of the authentic recipe by using the original ingredients: basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and cheese, marble mortar, pestle and your muscles!  At the end compare the pesto that you made with an industrial one………no contest!!!  To enhance the experience, we will also be preparing either fresh pasta or fresh gnocchi in the authentic way by hand, and the dough is also cut and shaped by hand. During the cooking lesson will be served a selection of Ligurian wines, including the sweet wine Sciacchetrà, typical wine of “5 terre”. This class lasts approximately 2-3 hours, After the class you can eat the food which you prepared during the lesson.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning enjoy a walking tour of Santa Margherita Ligure, then depart for a short boat ride to Portofino, a picturesque seaside village with brightly colored houses lining the shore. Portofino is also known as the resort of the rich and famous. Designer boutiques and dozens of cafes and restaurants line the main square, giving guests the chance to experience the real Italian “bella vita”. You will have free time to visit the main square, the church of San Giorgio, which is said to have relics of St. George. You can also visit the Brown Castle, built in the 15th century, and used for harbor defense over the centuries. You will have some free time to sightsee, have a gelato or just sit and people watch. Later in the afternoon, make your way by boat back to Rapallo where your evening is free. (B)

After breakfast, depart Liguria Region and make your way towards Lake Como. Once you reach Como. Enjoy some free time to explore. The city offers many historical and cultural gems, which you can discover by taking a walk in the pedestrian historical center. We recommend you do not miss the Como Cathedral and the Basilica of St Abbondio, but also the city's medieval town hall (Broletto). Overnight in Lake Como.

Enjoy breakfast followed by a full-day excursion. Meet your step-on guide and start discovering Como Lake from the waters, then stop to enjoy the wonderful villages Bellagio and Tremezzo. During the boat trip, you will admire the villages, the Mediaeval hamlets, the Romanesque churches, the views of the flora and, of course, a long series of villas with their luxuriant gardens. In Tremezzo stop to admire Villa Carlotta with its magnificent botanic garden and art masterpieces in over 70.000 square meters of gardens and museum. The beautiful villa, built at the end of XVII century in a natural basin between lake and mountains, faces the dolomite Grignas and the peninsula of Bellagio, The Pearl of Lake Como:  Few places are as romantic as Lake Como, and even fewer resorts as beautiful as Bellagio. Called the “Pearl of the Lake”, Bellagio's world class hotels and restaurants provide the perfect place to soak up the lake's famous panorama. The village is characterized by century-old buildings, stone lanes and picturesque cobbled stairways filled with shops showcasing the finest Italian wares. Later, return to Como. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner.

Arrivederci!

After breakfast, we will take our private transfer to Milan airport for our return flight to the USA, arriving home the same day.