 
|
 This dictionary definition of the word "Gusto" means hearty or keen enjoyment, as in eating or drinking. Synonyms include "enthusiasm, delight, relish, zest, spirit, fervor." All of these describe Toto Tours' new culinary and cultural gay group tour to Northern Italy and the regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont. The tour begins in Milan and ventures to Mantua, Bologna, Parma and Alba before concluding in Turin. In addition to the historical treasures on view, some of the world's best wines are produced here, and our delectable meals at specially chosen restaurants will become highlights of your trip. The tour also coincides with Italy's annual Verdi Festival in Parma, where you will have three free evenings to indulge in glorious music. Food, wine, music, history, and the breathtaking vistas of the Italian Alps this tour has it all.
• Venice, its Canals and Lagoon *
• Milan
• Santa Maria delle Grazie Church with da Vinci's "The Last Supper" *
• Old Town of Mantua *
• Verdi's House in Roncole
• Verdi Festival in Parma
• Bologna, City of Music *
• Modena's Cathedral, Bell Tower, and Piazza Grande *
• Alba
• Vineyard Landscape of Langhe and Monferrato *
• Susa Valley
• Avigliana Lakes National Park
• Sacra San Michele
• Truffles Festival in Alba
• Cissone
• Turin
* UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Day 0 - Friday, October 14, 2016
This is a travel day, with tour services beginning tomorrow in Milan, Italy. Book a flight from your home city to the Milan-Malpensa International Airport. Use the airport code MXP when searching for flights online. You will be returning from Turnin (TRN). Please time your arrival no later than 4:00 pm so that you may participate in our Welcome Dinner. If you are not able to arrive by that time, we suggest you plan to depart a day early, on Thursday, October 13th, and arrive on October 14. For those who wish to arrive a day early, please indicate this on your reservation form so that we can hold a room for you at our Milan hotel.
Day 1 - Saturday, October 15, 2016
 After arriving in Milan, make your way to our centrally located hotel. Transportation options will be provided prior to departure. You will have the afternoon free to relax or do some exploring on your own.
This evening Toto Tours hosts a reception in our hotel's bar/lounge for introductions before we head to our Welcome Dinner. Overnight in Milan.
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Hotel: Starhotels Rosa Grand Hotel, Milan, 4*
Day 2 - Sunday, October 16, 2016
 Milan is the second largest city in Italy (after Rome), and it is the country's main industrial, commercial, and financial center. This morning enjoy a highlights tour of the remarkable sights of Milan. We visit the famous Duomo (fifth largest cathedral in the world), and the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses The Last Supper painted by Leonardo da Vinci. This late 15th century mural is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We take time for lunch (on your own) before we board our motorcoach for the drive to Mantua, Italy's Capital of Culture for the year 2016. We walk in the "centro storico" (old town), which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. Visit Palazzo Ducale and Castello di San Giorgio.
Continue on to Parma, where we check into our hotel. Our dinner this evening is at Trattoria del Grillo, a great family style restaurant. Overnight in Parma.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Grand Hotel de la Ville, Parma, 5*
Day 3 - Monday, October 17, 2016
 This morning visit the Parma Cheese Factory and then drive to Roncole to visit composer Giuseppe Verdi's house. Next we tour and sample the wares at the local Ham (prosciutto) Factory. Lunch is at Osteria Vecchio Molino in Roncole before driving back to Parma. In the afternoon, take a walking tour of Parma to see some of its many churches, palaces, theatres, museums, and fortress, followed by free time for personal exploration. This evening we dine at Ristorante Corale Verdi. Overnight in Parma.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Grand Hotel de la Ville, Parma, 5*
Day 4 - Tuesday, October 18, 2016
 With its first settlements dating back to l,000 BC, Bologna has always been one of Italy's main cities (in fact, it is the wealthiest). In 2006, UNESCO named this cultural and artistic center a World Heritage City of Music. We take a walking tour of the historic city center to see its medieval towers, antique buildings, churches, and charming piazzas.
After free time for lunch (on your own) we drive on to the ancient town of Modena to see its Cathedral, Torre della Ghirlandina (bell tower), and Piazza Grande shared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Return to Parma in the late afternoon to enjoy a free evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Grand Hotel de la Ville, Parma, 5*
Day 5 - Wednesday, October 19, 2016
 This morning drive to the medieval center of Asti to tour the city, and visit the Barbero Torrone Factory, known for its nougat candy and fine chocolates. After lunch in Asti (on your own), we make the short drive to Castiglione Tinella to visit the Saracco Winery, which is famous for sparkling white Moscato D'Asti wine.
Continue to the village of Barbaresco to visit the Wine Museum housed in an old church. Barbaresco is one the most famous and best red wines from Italy. Finally, we continue to Alba, arriving in the late afternoon. The evening is free. Overnight in Alba.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Calissano Hotel , Alba, 4*
Day 6 - Thursday, October 20, 2016
 This morning take a walking tour of Alba, a city known for its truffles, peaches, wines, and confectionary products (Ferrero candies are made here).
Drive to Barolo for lunch (on your own) and a visit to the Museo del Vino. This area of Italy is known for its great wines, and the Vineyard Landscape of Langhe and Monferrato is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We will have the chance to do a Wine Tasting of Monforte d'Alba at the winery of Silvano Bolmida. Tours of his small winery are fun and end with a very generous tasting. This evening we enjoy dinner at Trattoria della Posta in Monforte. Return to Alba for another overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Calissano Hotel , Alba, 4*
Day 7 - Friday, October 21, 2016
 Take a day trip to the Susa Valley, the longest valley in Italy extending over 31 miles in an east-to-west direction. We visit the 16th century Castello di Villadora and the forbidding Forte di Exilles, perched on a rocky outcrop high above the valley.
Next we enter into the Avigliana Lakes National Park, a highly scenic area nestled in the valley beneath the Italian Alps. Our final stop is the Sacra San Michele, a mountaintop monastery that served as the setting for the movie "The Name of the Rose" in 1986. We return to Alba late in the day for a free evening. Overnight in Alba.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Calissano Hotel , Alba, 4*
Day 8 - Saturday, October 22, 2016
 This morning experience the Truffle Festival in Alba, followed by a drive to the tiny town of Cissone, whose population is just 82 people. Here we will have a lunch that will be one of the highlights of the tour. The Restaurant Il Monarca serves an epic 10-course meal family style.
Afterwards we drive to the city of Turin, well known for its renaissance, baroque, rococo, neo-classical, and art nouveau architecture. The evening is free to do some exploration on your own. Overnight in Turin.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: Grand Hotel Sitea , Turin, 4*
Day 9 - Sunday, October 23, 2016
 This morning, take a half day sightseeing tour of Turin to appreciate all the marvelous architecture and many historical buildings. Take an elevator to the top of Mole Antonelliana, the city's most famous landmark of dome and spire which dominates the skyline. The afternoon is free.
This evening, our group gathers in the hotel lobby for cocktail hour and farewell festivities, followed by a Farewell Dinner you will long remember. Overnight in Turin.
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Hotel: Grand Hotel Sitea , Turin, 4*
Day 10 - Monday, October 24, 2016
Tour services conclude this morning. Breakfast is provided at the hotel and you may book your return flights home for any convenient time today. The airport code for the Turin-Caselle Airport is TRN. Your tour manager will help arrange airport transfers for group members leaving for flights today. Let us know if you would like to extend your stay in Turin.
Meals: Breakfast
|
|
• 9 nights hotel accommodations:
1 night at Starhotels Rosa Grand Hotel in Milan, Italy;
3 nights at Grand Hotel de la Ville in Parma, Italy
3 nights at Calissano Hotel in Alba, Italy
2 nights at Grand Hotel Sitea in Turin, Italy
• Motorcoach transportation while sightseeing within Italy;
• Meals and activities as described in the itinerary,
• Fully guided and escorted tour with services beginning in Milan and ending in Turin
• Round trip airfare to Milan (MXP) and returning from Turin (TRN);
• Airport transfers;
• Transportation for sightseeing on your own (taxis, local guides, etc.);
• Meals and optional activities not specifically listed in the itinerary;
• Camera fees; alcoholic beverages; laundry, telephone calls, faxes, or any other expenses of a personal nature.
• Travel insurance;
• Tips to drivers and guides and other conveyance attendants are not included; tipping guidelines for our group tips will be provided prior to departure.
Starhotels Rosa Grand Hotel, Milan, Italy
Stay in the heart of Milan. Overlooking Piazza Fontana in central Milan, Starhotels Rosa Grand is a 2-minute walk from Milan Cathedral. It offers 3 elegant restaurants, a modern wellness centre, free WiFi, and stylish rooms.
All rooms at the Rosa Grand feature a Starhotels' Starbed, pillow selection, and some free beauty products. A flat-screen satellite TV, minibar and work desk complete the offer.
 Including state-of-the-art equipment, the Rosa Grand's wellness centre comes with a fitness area, relaxation area, Turkish bath and solarium. A personal trainer is available, if booked in advance.
The property's restaurants, named Roses, Sfizio and Grand Lounge & Bar, all offer products by Eataly and serve a mix of Milanese specialities and international dishes.
The hotel is a 5-minute walk from La Scala Theatre and Via Montenapoleone shopping street. Duomo Metro is 500 m away, giving you quick and easy access to the rest of Milan. The property is a 15-minute walk from the Expo 2015 Gate.
Grand Hotel de la Ville, Parma, Italy
 Located in the Barilla Center shopping complex, Grand Hotel De La Ville is a 5-star hotel in Parma. It offers a restaurant, 2 elegant bars, and luxury rooms with free Wi-Fi and an LCD satellite TV.
With iconic designer lamps, sofas and armchairs dating back to the 1920s, the Grand Hotel is set in a converted pasta factory. A 10-minute walk from the historic centre, the hotel offers a fitness room with sauna and Turkish bath.
 All air-conditioned rooms include a minibar and private bathroom with slippers. Some rooms feature a spa bath and fluffy bathrobes. All rooms are soundproofed and allergy-free.
Gourmet Italian meals are served at the hotel's Parmigianino restaurant. You can enjoy a traditional aperitif in the Colibrμ Bar or a glass of fine wine in the Bar dell'Albergo. A generous buffet breakfast is available every morning.
Calissano Hotel, Alba, Italy
 The 4-star Calissano Hotel offers free parking in Alba's centre, a 10-minute walk from Alba Station. It features a fitness centre and elegant rooms with an LCD TV and free Wi-Fi.
All decorated with refined wood floors, rooms at Hotel Calissano are soundproofed and come with antique furniture, rugs and a private marble bathroom. Facilities also include satellite and pay-per-view TV channels.
 The hotel's restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner and serves Piedmont specialities and Italian favourites. Meals can be served outdoors during summer.
Located in an area famous for truffles and wines, Calissano Hotel is 800 m from the city's cathedral.
Grand Hotel Sitea , Turin, Italy
 Stay in the heart of Turin. Grand Hotel Sitea is located in the centre of Turin, right behind Piazza San Carlo and a 10-minute walk from Piazza Castello. Guests have free access to the gym.
Rooms at the Grand Hotel are elegantly furnished and come with parquet or carpeted floors, and a TV with satellite channels and free internet access. All rooms offer a marble bathroom, some with spa bath.
 The restaurant specialises in classic Italian cuisine. Breakfast is a varied and abundant buffet, and it is served in the hotel's garden during the warm months.
The Egyptian Museum and the Royal Palace are both nearby. Shops and restaurants surround the Sitea.
Entry Requirements
EU, U.S. and Canadian citizens do not need visas for entry into Italy, or any other country in the European Union. A valid passport is all that is required.
Immunizations
No immunizations are currently required for travel to the areas visited on this tour, but it is wise to have your inoculations up-to-date. Is your tetanus booster current?
Exit Requirements
There is no departure tax currently required other than what is included with the cost of your airline ticket.
What to Bring
Temperatures in the areas visited during mid-October could range between mid-40s (F) during the night to daytime highs in the mid-60s. Pack light and try to limit yourself to one suitcase and a carry-on bag. Pack medications in your carry-on just in case your suitcase doesn't arrive when you do. We suggest leaving expensive jewelry at home!
Money Matters
Italy uses the standardized European currency, the Euro (EUR). Notes are issued in the following denominations: 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5. There are 2 and 1 coins, plus fractions (there are 100 cents in one Euro). As of April 14, 2015, the interbank exchange rate was about 1.39 to U.S. $1. Bank debit cards, Visa & Mastercard work for Euro cash withdrawals in most ATMs, which are widely available throughout the country. It is wise to carry some cash with you, however, in case you get caught in a situation where an ATM is not available.
Tipping in Italy: We will give group tips at appropriate times throughout the tour, and guidelines concerning this will be sent to you prior to departure.
Liabilities/Disclaimers
Making a reservation with a deposit shall be deemed to be consent to these conditions: Toto Tours does not accept responsibility in whole or in part for any delay, loss, accidents, personal injury, sickness, medical expenses, or property damage occasioned by fault of any person from whatever cause. All tour participants are required to sign a standard liability form.
The tour operators reserve the right to accept or decline any person as a member of the tour at any time and to make whatever changes become necessary with or without notice. Guaranteed departure with a minimum of ten participants. Toto Tours is not responsible for airline cancellation or change penalties incurred by individual tour participants for air tickets purchased prior to notification that the tour is a confirmed departure.
We strongly encourage you purchase Travel Insurance to cover all aspects of your travel in Europe.
|
|
