Best Northern Italy Tour
Northern Italy's Highlights & Cinque Terre
Parmesan and prosciutto. Ferraris and Fiats. Ruins and the Riviera. Some of Italy’s greatest indulgences can be found up north. Italy’s “Fabulous Five,” the pastel-hued cliffside fishing villages along the Mediterranean, start the count of the numerous joys you’ll experience on this Undiscovered Tour of Northern Italy. In addition to finding the freshest seafood along the coast, you’ll relish a balsamic vinegar tasting in the epicurean city of Modena, a parmesan cheese tasting near Verdi’s hometown of Busseto, a risotto lunch at a Vercelli rice factory, and a wine tasting in vineyard-dotted Gabiano. To spice things up, you’ll speed over to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello and strut your stuff down the streets of Milan. Leading you to the fabulous, the famous, and the fashionable, this tour is the way to see Northern Italy in style.
PLUS, your tour includes your choice of excursions in Genoa so you can plan your day your way.
Group Size Options
Northern Italy's Highlights & Cinque Terre
You Dream. We Plan.
Pegasus Global takes you beyond the guidebooks with more ways to discover each destination.
Local Favorite
Pegasus Global helps you get out there and really experience your destination! We take you behind the scenes to spotlight what makes this exciting destination unique – and to introduce you to its local flavors.
Tour Highlights
Discover something unexpected and unforgettable in the special way only Pegasus Global can share—with sightseeing highlights to off-the-beaten-path surprises to out-of-this world moments you’ll remember for a lifetime!
Enhanced Free Time
Explore or relax as you please, or choose exciting options available at My Pegasus Global. Get local maps and free time tips on your Pegasus Global GO mobile app. Your Tour Director can suggest the perfect way to design your day!
DAY BY DAY
Itinerary
Welcome to Milan!
At 5 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel.
Dinner
Style & Taste in Northern Italy
Your guided walking tour in Milan includes sights of the Sforzesco Castle, the Galleria, La Scala Opera House, and the Duomo, followed by free time. Continue to the village of Busseto, birthplace of the composer Giuseppe Verdi for a stroll in Piazza Verdi to see the impressive municipal fortress Rocca dei Marchesi Pallavicino, location of the Giuseppe Verdi Theater. Try some local dishes for lunch before 
visiting a local caseificio (cheese making factory) for a Parmesan cheese tasting.
90 mi / 145 km
Breakfast
LOCAL TASTES Bite into 1,000 years of Italian tradition with a Parmesan cheese tasting in Busseto. Learn about the rich history that has passed the test of time with authentic ingredients of passion and perfected recipes in local caseifici (cheese making factories) of the Italian pastoral landscapes.
Cathedrals & Classic Cars
Discover more of Emilia Romagna and its rich culture. Start the day with a guided sightseeing of Parma that includes sights of the Cathedral, bell tower and octagonal baptistry. Free time to visit the Cathedral and see the celebrated frescoes. Continue to Modena to visit the renowned Acetaia Leonardi. Learn about the meticulous process behind balsamic vinegar production and enjoy a tasting. A short drive to Maranello, headquarters of the Ferrari car manufacture, for a visit of the Ferrari Museum. Enjoy free time this evening.
99 mi / 160 km
Breakfast
CULTURE & TRADITION Creating classic Balsamic Vinegar requires the patience learned through four generations of devotion and respect for the 18th-century traditions at Acetaia Leonardi farm. The farm sits on 27 acres of vineyards where Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes are grown to produce this delicate balance of sweet and sour Modena specialty.
While we include select excursions and must-see sights on your trip, you may wish to explore other options to enhance your free time. Below is a selection of excursions that may be available for purchase on your tour. Optional excursions are available for purchase on our My Pegasus Global site 90 days prior to the tour start date.
Treasured Time in Tuscany
Drive into one of Italy’s most celebrated regions, Tuscany and arrive in the beautiful walled town of Lucca. Enjoy an orientation walk of the delightful historic center, followed by free time this afternoon and evening to explore more.
124 mi / 2000 km
Breakfast
CULTURAL GEMS Within the walls surrounding the medieval city of Lucca, the modern world fades away. Whilst you walk, see the Piazza Anfiteatro, San Michele Square, the Roman Amphitheatre, the soaring clock tower, and the Guinigi Tower topped with a hanging garden roof – just to name a few of the impressive sights you’ll find in this historic city in Tuscany.
While we include select excursions and must-see sights on your trip, you may wish to explore other options to enhance your free time. Below is a selection of excursions that may be available for purchase on your tour. Optional excursions are available for purchase on our My Pegasus Global site 90 days prior to the tour start date.
Sights to Sea
This morning drive to La Spezia, the starting point of your Cinque Terre adventure. Join a guided boat ride (weather permitting) to admire the dramatic scenery along the Cinque Terre coast. Arrive in Monterosso, one of the 5 villages, and enjoy some free time before continuing your journey by train. This evening, in Genoa, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
112 mi / 180 km
Breakfast
Dinner
EPIC RIDE Take a stunning cruise on the coast of Cinque Terre and take in fascinating views of the sea, sky, and centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline.
Spend your day your way in Genoa
Follow your Local Guide to discover the highlights of the Old Town, one of the largest medieval centers in Europe, including sights of San Lorenzo Cathedral, the Ducal Palace and Christopher Columbus’ childhood home. Explore more of Genoa with your choice of included Globus Choice excursions.
Carafes at the Castle
Scenic drive to the historic Gabbiano Castle, surrounded by greenery and vineyards. Visit the wine cellars and enjoy a wine tasting followed by lunch. Arrive in the city of Turin mid-afternoon, free time to get acquainted with the first capital city of Italy.
124 mi / 200 km
Breakfast
Lunch
CULTURE & TRADITION Gracing the hills above the Po Valley, the Castello di Gabiano has made history as early as the 8th century. Once the site of sieges and wars, the castle has passed through noble families through time to become one of the oldest and largest manors in Monferrato. Today, its tradition of winemaking is shared with tastings of vintages aged in its cellar barrels in the tradition passed down since the 12th century.
While we include select excursions and must-see sights on your trip, you may wish to explore other options to enhance your free time. Below is a selection of excursions that may be available for purchase on your tour. Optional excursions are available for purchase on our My Pegasus Global site 90 days prior to the tour start date.
Monumental Mysteries
This morning join your Local Guide for a sightseeing tour in the elegant city of Turin, with its grand piazzas, palaces and churches. See the city’s landmark Mole Antonelliana, and visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, home to the “Shroud of Turin”. Enjoy some leisure time this afternoon and evening.
Breakfast
ART & ARCHITECTURE Turin abounds of a wealth of Baroque, Rococo, Neo-classical, and Art Nouveau treasures. Stroll the elegant squares to see the monument of Mole Antonelliana – a former synagogue with its 87-meter-high panorama deck. Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which houses the most holy relic in the Catholic Church – the Shroud of Turin.
The Dish on Risotto
Stop in Vercelli the “European rice capital.” Visit a rice factory and learn about the local rice cultivation before sitting down to savor a risotto lunch. This evening, back in Milan, join your travel companions for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
130 mi / 210 km
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
LOCAL TASTES Visit Vercelli, the heart of Europe’s rice production, where the tradition of delicious risotto is born. It’s here that the round rice grain called japonica is grown. This round grain keeps its shape during the cooking process to release that beautifully creamy texture of risotto that we all know and love. The fine art of rice farming in Italy now combines tradition with technology to tend these fields with loving care.
Safe travels until we meet again!
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Breakfast
