Come discover Piedmont and The Italian Lakes Region of Italy on our newest addition to our “Exclusive Tour” series offered only by Adventure Travel. We have combined two of the most scenic areas in all of Italy to bring yet another unforgettable experience.

Piedmont rises up to the Alps and over the border to France and Switzerland. The name “Pied Monte” literally means “at the foot of the mountains”. This area offers opportunities that are perfect for everyone, with amazing gastronomy – from its famed wines…Barolo, Barbaresco, Asti…to delicious regional cuisine including its acclaimed white truffles, hazelnuts, chocolate, cheeses and more. All of your included dinners and lunches are at local restaurants so you can experience the true regional foods and wine.

Your journey also takes you to the Italian Lakes Region, one of the most beautiful areas in all of Italy and maybe the world. This is an area that is graced with shocking beauty and incredible diversity. Each lake has its own charm and holds treasures to discover for everyone. Once you’ve visited the area, this wonderland will lure you back again and again. We welcome you to come and discover for yourself the magic of Italy and its people.

Your Itinerary:

Day 1 – Depart USA: Depart Newark Airport for your overnight flight to Milan

Day 2 - Biella: Arrive Milan’s Malpensa Airport and transfer to the town of Biella aboard your private deluxe motor coach. Biella is located in northern Piedmont and lies in the foothills of the Alps. Upon arrival check into you home for the next four nights, the Agora Palace Hotel. Be sure to take the balance of your day to explore this wonderful city and its many sights. Tonight join your traveling companions for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (D)

Day 3 – Oropa - Candelo: After breakfast you depart for a tour to Oropa, a UNESCO World Heritage site to visit the Sanctuary. Historical lore states that the Sanctuary was founded in the 4th century AD by St. Eusebio, the first bishop of Vercelli. Among its many treasures, there is the statue of the Black Madonna, which belongs to the iconography of the so-called Black Virgins, traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Your journey continues on to Candelo for a tour of the Ricetto. The Ricetto of Candelo is a fortified structure, which dates back to the Middle Ages and built by the local peasants. It was used as a safe warehouse-deposit for agricultural products such as corn and wine. Enjoy lunch at La Taverna del Ricetto before returning to Biella. Tonight enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Alba - Barolo: Today’s excursion takes us to the city of Alba. A culinary epicenter on a global level, Alba is home to the white truffle and noble wines made with the Nebbiolo grape. Alba is located in the rolling countryside of the Piedmont region in Northern Italy. The hillsides that surround it are covered with grape vines. In the fall, the famous White Truffle Festival fills the town with thousands of gourmets looking to sample and procure the exotic truffle. No visit would be complete without a visit to the village of Borolo world famous for its wine. Barolo is referred to as the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings. Made with the Nebbiolo grape, Barolo is considered to be one of the finest types of wine in the world. Here you will visit the wine museum and visit a local winery for a tasting and lunch. (B & L)

Day 5 – Lange Region – Asti – Cherasco: Our excursion today will takes us for a visit of Asti and some of the Langhe Region. Gentle hills alternate with valleys to create landscapes of unique beauty, vines stretching as far as the eye can see, providing a kaleidoscope of shades and tones. The Asti area is a wine producer par excellence and the home of Asti Spumante (sparkling wine), renowned and exported all around the world. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Biella. Tonight enjoy a Gala dinner at Ristorante Marachella located in Cherasco, a small commune located in the Piedmont region in. (B, L, D)

Day 6 - Stresa: This morning depart for the Italian Lakes region to the town of Stresa, upon arrival your tour escort will take you on an orientation walking tour. Later check into your home for the next four nights, the Hotel Regina Palace, set on the shores of beautiful Lago Maggiore facing the famous Borromean Islands. Lago Maggiore is a lake basin of northeastern Piedmont, on the border of Lombardy and Switzerland and is the second largest Italian lake. Stresa offers a breathless sight to the person arriving for the first time. The beginning of the lake front is delineated with lines of palm trees, flourishing gardens and majestic hotels facing the famous Borromean Islands. Spend the rest of the day exploring Stresa on your own. This evening enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B & D)

Day 7 – Centovalli Express - Lucarno: After breakfast board your motor coach for a scenic drive to Domodossola located at the foot of the Simplon Pass. Here you begin your rail journey onboard the Centovalli Express with historical coaches, dating to the beginning of the twentieth century. This is an original and fascinating itinerary and runs through the magical "Hundred Valleys" introducing travelers to a backdrop of deep gorges, ravines, flowery meadows and picturesque villages. After passing the Swiss border you arrive in Lucarno. This character full old town enjoys the most glorious of locations, on a broad sweeping curve of a bay in the lake, and also clocks up the most sunshine hours of anywhere in Switzerland. The arcades and piazzas of the town center are overlooked by subtropical gardens of palms, camellias, bougainvillea, cypress, oleanders and magnolias, which flourish on the lakeside promenades and cover the wooded slopes which crowd in above the town center. (B, L)

Day 8 – Lake Como: Today enjoy a day excursion to Lake Como. Lake Como, also called Lario, is the third largest Italian lake after Garda and Maggiore. It is one of the most picturesque of the pre-alpine lakes and the only one of the three large northern lakes to be situated entirely in Lombardy. Lake Como has a captivating landscape with villa gardens, which inspired many 19th century romantic poets and artists and is a jewel-like oasis of tranquility, and a magical combination of lush Mediterranean foliage and snowy alpine peaks. Enjoy a light lunch while on tour. (B, L)

Day 9 - Borromean Islands: This morning enjoy a guided cruise tour of the Borromean Islands: Isola Bella (Beautiful Island), Isola Madre (Mother Island) and Isola del Pescatori (Fisherman’s Island). Isola Bella, built in 1632, is a small rocky island in Lake Maggiore, and is wholly occupied by the Borromeo Villa and its garden extravaganza. Designed of Lombard Baroque style, by placing a villa at the centre of a layout and allowing avenues to draw the scenery into a garden, it holds priceless masterpieces and ten terraced Italian Gardens. The stepped terraces remind one of painters’ interpretations of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Tonight is a Farewell Dinner at local restaurant. (B, D)

Day 10 – Depart Stresa: After breakfast this morning it’s time to say “Arrivederci” to Italy and transfer to the Milan Airport for your return flight home filled with memories that will last a lifetime. (B)

Please note that an early morning departure may be necessary due to flight schedules.

*price is per person, based on double occupancy. Tour operation is based on a minimum of 20 passengers. Air taxes are an additional $127.00 and subject to change prior to final payment. A non-refundable deposit of $300 per person is required to hold your reservation and final payment is due on June 28, 2012. All payments are by check only. Single Supplement $599. Itinerary and hotels are subject to change. Trip cancellation insurance is available and is strongly recommended.