AAA Membership grants you access to your own travel team! Let a AAA Travel advisor personalize your vacation from start to finish. Wherever you want to go, our travel team has likely been there, so ask questions and gain insider information.

What You May Experience:

Your taste buds will also appreciate the flavors of the land as you visit an organic lemon house on Lake Garda, enjoy a meal at Cascina le Volpe, and taste biodynamic Modena vinegar and the famous Piedmont truffle. A visit to Alpinia Botanic Garden on Lake Maggiore and a celebration meal at Villa Toscannini ensure you’ve experienced the best of this beautiful country.

Here is a look at the details of this trip:

At A Glance: Impactful Travel: Flavors of Northern Italy AAA Exclusive Itinerary ~ 7 nights ~ Milan, Italy Roundtrip ~

Day 1: Welcome to Milan

Ah, Milan. From Leonardo Da Vinci’s legacy to its new claim to fame as a hub of sustainable fashion and architecture, Milan is a destination not to be missed. After your airport transfer at 9:30, 13:00 or 15:30 (conditions apply), settle into your hotel before your first taste of Italy with dinner at a local restaurant to begin your tour.

Meal(s): Welcome Dinner 
Hotel: Starhotels Business Palace

Day 2: Milan By Bike & onto Verona 

What better way to explore this cosmopolitan city rich in history than by bike? Get active in northern Italy while discovering the must-sees over a leisurely guided bike tour with a Local Specialist. Pedal up to the main square, Piazza del Duomo, greeted by the iconic Gothic Cathedral. Make your way to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a magnificent nineteenth-century shopping arcade that’s an architectural treasure in and of itself. Treat yourself at one of its high-end boutiques before this afternoon’s journey to Verona, Shakespeare’s setting for Romeo and Juliet. More guided sightseeing with a Local Expert awaits, showing off the arena, grand piazzas, the statue of Dante and the Gothic tombs of the Scala family.

Meal(s): Breakfast
Hotel: Hotel Leopardi Verona or similar

Day 3: Lemons of Lake Garda

Begin a day of culinary adventures on your north Italy tour with a scenic drive along the banks of Lake Garda. Then unlock the secrets of Italy’s fragrant lemons used in its famous limoncello over a visit to an organic lemon house. Limone sul Garda greenhouse – an open-air-like museum perched on a hilltop - fosters the growth of delicate lemons. Learn from the Segala family how the fixed and removable sections of the greenhouse allow for light to enter and protect the plants in the winter. This evening, enjoy a Be My Guest experience featuring local fare with the Serenelli family at Cascina le Volpe. Along with a delicious meal, you’ll learn about their local history and their connection to the formation of the Red Cross as you explore their farm.

Meal(s): Breakfast
Hotel: Hotel Leopardi Verona or similar

Be My Guest: Dine with the Serenelli Family: Join the Serenelli family for a Be My Guest dinner in the countryside soaking up simple farm life at their organic agriturismo in Solferino. Anna Serenilli gives you a warm welcome, leading you on a guided walk of the family’s farmstead run solely on thermal and renewable energy. Learn what life is like on the farm and meet some of its friendly free-roaming residents as you gaze out across pastures with grazing donkeys and ponies. Anna will also share the farm’s role in the Battle of Solferino, the aftermath of which inspired the establishment of the International Red Cross. Savor a farm-to-table feast of culinary classics Lombardy is famous for. Please note: November departure will visit Limonaia La Malora in Gargnano

Day 4: Modena and La Spezia

Sparkling Lambrusco, salty prosciutto and the intense aromas of parmigiano await in the gastronomic hub of Modena, which we explore with a Local Specialist. Wander past pastel-hued façades in the heart of the city that was the birthplace of Ferrari, Pavarotti and tortellini. Modena’s Old Town and the magnificent Piazza Grande with its 12th-century cathedral and Torre Civica has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join a WE MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^® experience tasting the delicious sweet and sour flavors of some of the world’s best balsamic vinegar as you uncover the talents of local artisans. Learn how they cultivate the grapes in smaller quantities through biodynamic processes used for wine. Your visit helps to advance Responsible Production and Consumption by using sustainable farming methods for the grapes used to produce vinegar

Meal(s): Breakfast
Hotel: Locanda dell’Angelo Hotel

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^®: Discover Modena’s celebrated balsamic vinegar: Gain a deep appreciation for Modena’s celebrated balsamic vinegar, learning how they make the perfect combination of sweet and sour. This experience supports SDG Goal 12 Responsible Production and Consumption.

Day 5: The Highlights on Cinque Terre

You’ll get all the best views of Manarola on a hike with a Local Specialist. Hike around the cliff edge to savor the quintessential Cinque Terre view of colorful houses stacked upon a cliff. Continue down to the pier where you’ll catch a boat for a relaxing cruise past fishing villages. Arrive in the town of Monterosso to discover its unique treasure of the Gothic Parrocchia di S. Giovanni Battista church decorated in striking black and white stripes and a large rose window from the 14th century. Take in more scenery of northern Italy on the train back to La Spezia where you’ll conclude your day with a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^® experience farm-to-table seafood dinner.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Farm-to-table Dinner
Hotel: Locanda dell’Angelo Hotel

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^®: Farm-to-table seafood dinner: Enjoy the bounty of the sea during a farm-to-table meal at a local restaurant in La Spezia. This experience supports SDG 12 Responsible Production and Consumption.

Day 6: Lake Maggiore

Baveno beckons today journeying through the pastoral countryside past Genoa. From the colorful houses and terraced hills of the Cinque Terre, your northern Italy scenery shifts to the green rolling hills of Piedmont. Arrive in Lake Maggiore where, greeted by the deep blue of the lake, you’ll be ready to taste the fruits of the land. Visit an agriturismo for a tasting of the Piedmont region’s legendary white truffle, or “diamond of the kitchen.” Learn how truffle dogs accompany local hunters in search of this rare delicacy and how truffles are then used in dishes from Arancini to risotto.

Meal(s): Breakfast
Hotel: Hotel Simplon/Zacchera Hotels

Be My Guest: Dine with the Serenelli Family: Join the Serenelli family for a Be My Guest dinner in the countryside soaking up simple farm life at their organic agriturismo in Solferino. Anna Serenilli gives you a warm welcome, leading you on a guided walk of the family’s farmstead run solely on thermal and renewable energy. Learn what life is like on the farm and meet some of its friendly free-roaming residents as you gaze out across pastures with grazing donkeys and ponies. Anna will also share the farm’s role in the Battle of Solferino, the aftermath of which inspired the establishment of the International Red Cross. Savor a farm-to-table feast of culinary classics Lombardy is famous for. Please note: November departure will visit Limonaia La Malora in Gargnano

Day 7: Majestic Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore: The beauty of Italy springs to life visiting Alpinia botanic garden, a natural balcony where you can admire a breathtaking panorama 800 meters above sea level. On your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience with a naturalist guide and conservation expert, take in Lake Maggiore and the peaks of Valgrande National Park. This evening, cross Lake Maggiore to secluded Isola dei Pescatori for a WE MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^® experience dinner of farm-to-table fish from lake and regional products. Join the Cinque family and hear all about the intriguing history of Villa Toscanini situated on a tiny romantic island which was the hideaway of the great Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, one of the most influential musicians of the 19th century.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Hotel: Hotel Simplon/Zacchera Hotels

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^®: Visit hilltop Alpinia botanic garden. In addition to stunning views of Lake Maggiore, soak in the beauty of some of the 700 diverse local and rare alpine plants including flowers from China and Japan. Your visit helps to advance UN Goal 14 Life on Land by protecting rare and endangered plant species from the Alpine region as an important hub of research.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER^®: Villa Toscanini: Join the Cinque family and enjoy a delicious Be My Guest dinner. On arrival by private boat, you’ll be welcomed by Fabio, Alexia and the family who’ll share their life on the island. Toast with wine before a meal of locally sourced ingredients enjoyed with the family. Receive a small souvenir to remember your evening before bidding farewell to the Cinques and returning by boat. This experience supports UN Goal 12, Responsible production and consumption.

Day 8: Depart Milan

You’ve enjoyed the best of the region and surely collected many memories on your north Italy tour. Bid farewell to your traveling companions before your transfers at 7:30 and 10:30 (conditions apply).

Meal(s): Breakfast