Italy with Wendy Wu

When you tour Italy with Wendy Wu, you can be assured that you will be seeing the very best that Italy offers. A tour packed with the culture, history, breath-taking scenery, stunning architecture and gastronomic delights. In fact, everything that makes  Italy special and unique.

When you travel to Italy with Wendy Wu you will lose yourself to the richness and beauty of the country, finding your very own ‘belle vita’. In fact, Wendy Wu encourage it and will help you do just that!

10 Unmissable Italian Experiences

Here is Wendy Wu’s top 10 unmissable Italian experiences.

1. Go Hunting for Truffles

Among the hills of Piedmont, a rare and delicious morsel hides in the rich soils of the woodlands. The fableed  Alba white truffle. Also known as the tuber magnatum pico. In the town of Alba, you can visit a showroom and taste them. However,  it is much more fun to search for them yourself! Head out into the countryside with a truffle hunter, a trifalau, and his truffle-nosing dog. This truffle is one of the rarest and most expensive foods in the world. Well worth a career change if tempted!

2. Taste fine wine

In recent years, Italy has been the world’s largest producers of wine. When visiting Italy with Wendy Wu, it only seems right that they include several wine tastings. The varieties produced by the different regions are diverse. Your taste buds are going to be in for a treat! Firstly there are juicy reds of Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont. Secondly, the delights of Tuscany’s Chianti vineyards. Finally, there is also an exciting reinvigoration of Puglia’s millennia-old wine culture. This should not be missed.

3. Celebrate Capri & Amalfi Coast

Many odes have been written about Capri. Firstly about its beauty. Secondly,  the coastline. Finally, the paradise island. In fact, not even the literary greats and the jet set can’t really do the area justice. You just have to go and see it for yourself! Embrace the dolce vita. Feel the sun on your skin. The gentle sea breeze on your face. As well as enjoying the views of dramatic cliff lines. Feeling in awe of the villa or village clinging to it, as the cliff plunges into the sparkling azure of the see. Bellissima!

4. Sleep in a Trulli Roundhouse

The trulli of Alberobello. The unique and traditional dry-stone dwellings of the Valle d’Itria in Puglia. People believe they have existed here since the 4^th century. Mystery surrounds their origin. Their round, limestone walls painted white. A conical roof crowns them. Subsequently, seeing a cluster them is like a timeless fairy-tale. Above all, staying in a trullo is a fun and rustic experience. Plus you are able to explore Alberobello’s atmospheric streets without the crowds.

5. Eat Emilia-Romagna

Italy is a country of culinary hotspots. Emilia-Romagna is considered to be the hottest of the lot! There are so many unmissable culinary delights here. Firstly, Bologna, the regional capital is home to a gelato university. Also, it is home to the famous Majani Chocolate Boutique founded in 1796. Secondly, balsamic vinegar is produced in the town of Moderna. You can tour and taste at a producer. Finally, Parma lends its name to two greats. Parma ham and parmesan cheese. Factories that produce that produce both offer tours, tastings and shopping. Just remember the weight limit for your flight home!

6. Uncover Ancient History

Italy’s ancient history has been well preserved. Therefore, enabling us all to step back in time over 2,000 years. Furthermore, we can also get a glimpse of times gone by. Wandering the Roman Forum in Rome gives an idea of the powerful aesthetic of the centre of a vast empire. Pompeii and Herculaneum are far more relatable in their showcase of day-to-day life. Meanwhile, in Sicily, the Valley of the Temples are majestic artefacts of ancient Greece.

7. Fly high on the Monte Bianco Skyway

From the ski resort of Courmayeur, this cable car glides over dramatic Alpine valleys. Continuing up into the peaks of the Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) massif. Consequently, the view at Punta Helbronner are out of this world. This is Italy’s highest point. View the snowy mountain peaks and green valleys of both the French and Italian Alps. Enjoy a coffee at the panoramic restaurant.

8. Sip on Marsala Wine

Since Roman times, the town of Marsala on Sicily’s west coast has been famous for its fortified wine. Visit a cellar to learn all about its history. See how it is produced.  Finally, sip on a sample or three. You know,  just to get an idea of all the different varieties……

9. Explore cultural Milan

Milan is a city of several different faces. As well as plenty of industry, Milan is home to high fashion. High design and high art also lie in the shadow of a skyscraper or two. Moreover, it has deep and rich cultural legacy. The iconic sights should not be missed. The extravagant Gothic Duomo. Constructed in pink marble in true Milanese style. The Teatro Alla Scala. One of the world’s most famous opera houses. This was where the world first heard the music of Verdi and Puccini.

10. Explore the treasures of Sicily

Sicily, packed with roguish charm, is Italy at its most seductive. Vastly different from the mainland, the island has long been the crossroad of the Mediterranean and has soaked up influences from both east and west. Across the island, you’ll find foods that are a Sicilian twist on the flavours of Greece, Italy and the Middle East. Moreover, you can stumble on ancient Byzantium, Rome and Greece all in one day. Capital Palermo showcases this best with numerous architectural treasures, like the Norman Cathedral and Palatine Chapel.

Finally, Wendy Wu have two fabulous Italy tours to choose from:
Flavours of Northern Italy, which is a delightful 13 day itinerary that explores Milan, Turin, Monte Bianca, Lake Como, Verona, Venice, Bologna and Florence.
And…
Secrets of Southern Italy, a fabulous 14 day itinerary that explores Rome, Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Matera, Alberobello before popping over to Sicily to visit Palermo and Catania.

Contact Eton Travel for bookings and details.

Adapted from a blog on the Wendy Wu Website. Thank you to BDM Joe Lavers for allowing us to  use.