Great Hikes & Chefs of Northern Italy’s Gourmet Trail

Northern Italy is renowned for exquisite scenery and culinary delights. It’s the perfect place for our unique journey combining delightful day hikes and elegant meals created by some of Italy’s most legendary chefs, including Gualtiero Marchesi, the father of modern Italian cuisine. With veteran Trip Leader and dedicated “foodie” Gianluca Canalicchio, we enjoy hikes in the most beautiful settings in the Piemonte, Lombardy, and Veneto regions along with an array of unforgettable meals, including several at distinguished Michelin-starred restaurants, complemented by wines specially chosen to pair with our meals. Overnights are in hotels of charm, concluding at the 5-star Villa del Quar, a Relais & Chateaux property in the rolling vineyards of Valpolicella just outside Verona. Buon appetito!

Itinerary at a Glance

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Days 1-3
Turin / Ivrea / Orta San Giulio

After dining at the Michelin-starred restaurant of chef Alfredo Russo in Turin, we head to the Italian Lakes District for a hike from the hilltop sanctuary of Sacro Monte d’Orta into enchanting Orta San Giulio on Lake Orta. With Piemonte on one side and the mountains of Switzerland on the other, our next hike offers marvelous panoramas and ends with a descent to Lake Maggiore and lunch at the Luigi Guffanti cheese grottos, family-run since 1876.

Days 4-5
Franciacorta / Lake Iseo

In Lombardy, we hike among the woodlands of Franciacorta, ferry out to Monte Isola, a serene island in Lake Iseo, to follow meandering paths to a chapel crowning the island’s peak, and dine at Ristoranti de L’Albereta, where Gualtiero Marchesi, the first Italian chef to win three Michelin stars, serves his masterpieces.

Days 6-8
Lake Garda / Valpolicella

Our walks in the Veneto bring us along Lake Garda to a Roman villa and through vineyards that produce prized Amarone della Valpolicella. At our hotel, Villa del Quar, we feast at its Michelin-starred Ristorante Arquade and depart on Day 8 from Verona, fabled home of Romeo and Juliet.

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

What the Trip is Like

This trip is rated Level 2+, Moderate. Besides our culinary forays, we enjoy day walks and hikes of 2-4 hours over variable hill and mountain trails, with occasional short, steep sections. We will carry just a daypack with trailside essentials such as jacket, water bottle, and camera. Sturdy, well broken-in hiking boots are a good choice for the rural trails of this area.

All meals are included on this trip, as well as wine at meals, and will be taken at the hotels where we are staying or at restaurants in nearby towns. Our comfortable hotels are in exquisite settings. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 PM.

Explanation of Trip Levels