Discovery Italy

Day 1: THE OLD MILAN
Arrival to Milan and transfer to 3* - 4*Hotel or B & B in air-conditioned buses. Refreshing welcome drink and free time to begin to immerse yourself in fascinating atmosphere of Milan.
Late afternoon: You start exploring the historical Milan: a tour of the Piazza del Duomo, the magnificent Gothic-Lombard Cathedral with its beautiful terraces, the Baptistery of San Giovanni alla Fonti and the Archaeological site of the Dome Cathedral.
You continue visiting Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, built in an eclectic style typical of the second half of nineteenth century, a dear place to local Italians and where can be found designer shops, bars and restaurants. A typical macchiato coffee, a delicious cappuccino and a typical Milanese cake must definitely be tasted during a stop in the Gallery.
You also visit the charming old Piazza Mercanti, symbol of the city, created in medieval times, recalling the past.

Evening: Dinner at one of the oldest and charming trattoria in the suggestive atmosphere of the ancient vicolo dei Lavandai along Naviglio Grande. You immerse yourself in the enchanting atmosphere of the old canals in Milan and the wide variety of ancient lombard cuisine: you can choose among many delicious dishes such as “risotto alla Milanese”, cottoletta, mozzarella, tomato and basil with a glass of Barbera , Garda Cabernet or Franciacorta.

Day 2: MILAN, SFORZESCO CASTLE, SEMPIONE PARK, BRERA QUARTER, RENAISSANCE MILAN
Traditional ice cream tasting
The day begins with Sforzesco Castle, a place of great culture that preserves many testimonies of lombard art. The castle is built by Galeazzo II Visconti’s wish to build a fort and then restored from 1450 by Francesco Sforza. Visit the castle and its museum and immerse yourself in history.You can afterwards take a stroll in Sempione Park that extends from the shoulders of the Castle to Milan’s Arena..
You head afterwards towards the old district of Brera, populated by artists and celebrities. Jamaica is a historical bar of Brera, where you can take an aperitif and a drink and for lunch can be found numerous restaurants and typical trattorias. The milanese cutlet with small tomatoes and lettuce is a “must-try” as well as the traditional Margherita pizza or spaghetti with tomato sauce or clams
You can also have an ice cream tasting in a famous old gelateria in Milan.
The afternoon continues in the sign of Renaissance Milan visiting the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you visit the famous Cenacolo Vinciano and admire the famous painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
The tour continues then towards District Magenta with wonderful buildings and villas, examples from nineteenth-century and early twentieth century liberty style buildings…and many nice shops.
You continue then towards the ancient Basilica of Sant Ambrogio, queen and mother of all Lombard churches with its interior that includes works of art of 1600 years of history
During the late afetrnoon we also recommend you to visit the Gardens of Villa Reale and Corso Venezia and then the bustling Corso Buenos Aires and the Fashion Quadriletto with famous upscale shopping streets: Via Montenapoleone, Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga and Corso Venezia .

Evening: Aperitif at Victoria bar, right behind Piazza Duomo and dinner by candlelight at Old America, the elegant Via Vincenzo Monti or at Acero Rosso in Conciliazione area, a pizza restaurant where you can choose to eat at moderate prices first meat or fish courses, main courses, pizzas and typical milanese desserts.
You absolutely have to taste Millefoglie or Meringata desserts as well as a limoncello, a drink by strong flavor made by lemons

Day 3: MILANO - FRANCIACORTA: to explore the wine roads
You leave by train towards Franciacorta, the hilly area located between Brescia and the southern part of Lake Iseo, a renowned area for the softness and beauty of the landscape and for the production of wines. Its name comes from "francae curtes", a small community of benedictine monks that obtained in the middle ages the piece of land against the commitment to reclaim and cultivate it in exchange for exemption from taxes.
ROVATO-ERBUSCO 4.5 km of trekking or bus (according to your preferences)
Wine tasting and local food
Once in Rovato you visit the Cathedral of Rovato, the ancient noble buildings and the center of the village, then you can walk through rolling hills, vineyards and green fields to Erbusco.
Here you can have lunch at the charming Restaurant La Mongolfiera dei Sodi, in the halls of an old country house and then stop at the old winery cellar, Le Cantine Bellavista for tasting a glass of sparkling Franciacorta immersed in green romantic vineyards.
ERBUSCO - ADRO, 3 km trek or bus
The journey then continues in your own pace toward Adro, a beautiful small old town with charming narrow streets.
From the village's tower can be admired the beautiful vineyards of Franciacorta.
You can also visit Madonna della Neve shrine and Museum of silk, hemp and flax, formerly widespread activity in the area.
ADRO – CAPRIOLO 3 km di trekking o in autobus
You walk through vineyards and arrive at the village of Capriolo, collected on top of a hill. You visit the Castle with its ancient walls and discover ancient noble villas such as Villa Evelina with the nineteenth-century ethnographic museum displaying tools and evidences of wine making tradition in the area.

Evening: Accommodation in Agriturismo/Farm where you can dine and taste local specialties. Absolutely to be tasted are “polenta” dishes and local fish from the lake accompanied by a glass of Franciacorta wine. Even the cheeses produced in this area are excellent: taleggio, formagelle and robiole.

Day 4:
You can decide your daily itinerary