Florence, Montalcino, Bologna & Venice
with private boat tour of Cinque Terre
July 4 – 12, 2008 › Reserve Today

From stilletos and sports cars to art and opera, in Italy everything is created with two key ingredients: beauty and passion. Food and wine take this philosophy to the highest level, and every true immersion in Italian culture passes through the kitchen. Our Italy Sun, Wine & Cuisine adventure takes Maverick guests to four premier food and wine destinations of northern Italy: Florence, Montalcino (in the Tuscany countryside), Bologna and Venice — a great mix of urban and village Italy. While the itinerary emphasizes wine and cuisine, we have allowed for plenty of time for active pursuits: swimming, shopping, hiking, village exploration, boat rides and nightlife. Of course, a spirit of flexibility and spontaneity plays an essential part.

DAYS 1-3: FLORENCE (Tuscany region)
Located in the northern part of the Tuscany region, Florence is famous for the wealth of its artistic and cultural heritage — a living museum holding the world's greatest Renaissance treasures. Beyond Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello, and Brunelleschi, Florence is also renowned for leather and fashion goods (home to Salvatore Ferragamo and Roberto Cavalli, among others), Renaissance gardens and exquisite cuisine.

The Florence itinerary will feature numerous options for museum visits, an architectural walking tour, music concerts, shopping (we know the top-notch boutiques), exploring il mercato centrale, and even dancing — the difficult part will be deciding how you want to spend your time. You will not want to miss our special Tuscan wine-tasting at Maverick's favorite enoteca, led by one of Florence's top wine gurus.




On Day 3 of our Florence leg, the group will enjoy an incredible full-day excursion to explore the Cinque Terre by private boat. The Cinque Terre, literally "five lands," are a series of five colorful villages built along the steep seaside cliffs of Italy's Liguria region. We begin in the fishing village of Vernazza for lunch. We will make sure to stop by a traditional foccaceria to pick up some gourmet provisions for the boat ride — fresh-baked foccacia covered with the three key ingredients of Ligurian cuisine: olive oil, pine nuts and basil. From Vernazza, we will cruise along the coastline to see the other villages from the water, anchoring in Riomaggiore, a medieval village as well as Monterosso, en route anchoring for a refreshing swim in a secluded, crystalline cove.




On Day 4, en route from Florence to the second leg of our adventure in Montalcino, the group will stop for the afternoon in Siena, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Italy. TimeOut describes Siena as "a strange mixture of the sedate and the manic." The city is red and dense, with tiny, curvy streets full of artisan bottegehe and vintage boutiques. Your Maverick Black Book will steer you to some wonderfully authentic lunch options, and we hope you will join us in climbing the 100-meter high Torre del Mangia for unforgettable views of the city and unique horse-shoe shaped Piazza di Campo.

DAYS 5-6: MONTALCINO (Tuscany region)
Cypress trees, olive groves, medieval villages and winding roads have created the evocative, world famous landscape of Tuscany. In the heart of the countryside, about 40 kilometers south of Siena, lies Montalcino, a world class wine growing region producing the spectacular Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines. The cuisine of this area is hearty, simple and supremely satisfying: aromatic extra virgin olive oils, wild mushrooms, truffles, pecorino cheese, cured meats, honey, and, most importantly, game ranging from venison to wild boar.

In Montalcino, we will emphasize exploration of boutique, superpremium wine producers that will include tastings and a walk through of a vineyard with the winemaker himself. The highlight of our Montalcino leg is a private dinner at a wine estate featuring a traditional, rustic Tuscan meal (featuring organic, fresh-off-the-farm ingredients) with superb wine pairings.

DAYS 7-8: BOLOGNA (Emilia-Romagna region)
Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, situated between Tuscany and Veneto. A jewel of northern Italy, Bologna is an elegant and sophisticated town, home to Europe's oldest university — the alma mater of Dante and Petrarch. Bologna is a well-preserved medieval city rich with old towers and charming narrow streets. Dominated by gorgeous deep red, ochre and orange colors, the city is commonly called La Rossa, meaning The Red. Most importantly, Bologna is widely considered to be the gastronomic capital of Italy — earning a second nickname La Grassa, meaning The Fat. This city is a must stop for the truly savvy connoisseur of Italian cuisine.

In Bologna, the group will participate in a seriously fun culinary workshop. The protagonists are the famous components of the Emilia-Romagna kitchen: fresh filled pastas such as tortellini, parmigiano reggiano, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di parma and mortadella, among others. Of course, you will have plenty of opportunity to explore the enchanting medieval atmosphere of Bologna itself, venturing towards the luxury boutiques, designer lounges, vibrant piazzas as well as the lesser known corners that fill in the evening hours with Bologna's beautiful crowd — university students and professors, Ferrari engineers, and Gucci and La Perla designers.

DAYS 9-10: VENICE (Veneto region)
Venice is perhaps one of the most unique and still intriguing cities in the world — no small feat for a city that has architecturally remained unchanged for more than 200 years. Maverick will take you away from the millions of tourists to experience the rich history, high style and sophisticated food and wine of this magical city. The Venice itinerary includes a special tour of the city by private boat and an after-hours private tour of the Basilica di San Marco.

Florence
Hotel Continentale, an ultra-chic 4.5-star property run by the Ferragamo family-owned Lungarno Hotel Group, welcomes our group for our 3-night stay in Florence. This superb boutique hotel is designed with a "vivacious 1950's Italy" theme. Designer Michele Bonan created a predominantly crisp white palette with subtle accents of colors like pink and black to conjure images of the glamorous Italian New Wave period immortalized by icons such as Marcello Mastroianni in Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Make no mistake, however, this gorgeous hotel still values high service over high style.




Montalcino
For our Tuscan countryside experience, the gorgeous Castello di Velona, a hill-top 11th-century castle (once belonging to noble Sienese families) that has been spectacularly converted into a luxury boutique hotel, will be a perfect vantage point to soak in the landscape and visit local vineyards and farms. Did we mention the swimming pool with panoramic views of Mt. Amiata and the vineyards of Montalcino?



Bologna
The Grand Hotel Baglioni is a luxury 5-star hotel that welcomes our group to Bologna. In a city of high sophistication, the Baglioni raises the bar on opulence: old-world lounges, marble bathrooms and a 16th-century frescoed ceiling by the Carraci brothers.



Venice
Our tour ends on a high note in Venice, with deluxe rooms at the Hotel Palace Bonvecchiati, a new modern design concept hotel, centrally located and featuring contemporary luxury decor, a chic bar and lounge, fitness center with city views, Turkish sauna, spa and massage services.

Italy Sun, Wine & Cuisine Trip
This tour is designed for anyone who loves great food and wine, yet wants to go beyond the typical culinary tour. We will have guests who are enogastronomic enthusiasts and others who simply know what tastes good.



Typical Maverick Guests
We design our trips and events for adults 25 to 55, and our groups are a great mix of singles, couples, solo travelers and friends — our active, social and adventure travel itineraries are designed for today's urban professionals who want it all.



Our Style of Travel
What is most important is that each traveler embrace the Maverick style of travel — we may have later mornings and definitely later nights than a typical tour, we choose stylish boutique hotels over the Four Seasons, we emphasize more active pursuits over cheesy walking tours, and we embrace authentic, local traditions over run-of-the-mill tourist experiences.

While we plan for a lot of "activity" on our itineraries, we strive for a constant element of flexibility and spontaneity. In other words, you have a lot of choice. Prefer to soak in the hotel's Turkish sauna over a museum visit? Fine. Prefer to spend the entire afternoon relaxing on a local beach? Fine as well (some of us may join you). With smaller groups, Maverick trips aim to give you the sense you are simply traveling with a group of friends.

The cost for Italy Sun, Wine & Cuisine is:

• $6,975 per person, double occupany
  
• +$1,450 per person, single occupancy
• 9 nights
• Meet: Florence, Italy
• Depart: Venice, Italy

• Premier 4-star and 5-star accommodations for the duration of the trip
• Taxes and gratuities for accommodations
• All arrival and departure transfers, as specified on the Trip Itinerary & Planner
• All transportation that is part of the group itinerary, including boats, private cars, charter shuttle buses and trains
• All breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, wine tastings and other culinary experiences as specified on the program's Trip Itinerary & Planner
• All pre-planned group excursions, activities and events, including tickets, guides, classes, equipment, meals and transport

Availability:
There is currently availability for this adventure.

How to Reserve:
If you are ready to reserve your spot today, simply go to Reserve Now to complete the easy and secure online reservations process.

If you need to speak with a Maverick travel consultant, please contact us via phone (888-628-2386) or email info@maverickadventures.com.

Please enjoy the following articles:

› Day Out - Bologna Italy: Finding New Life in the Arts
– The New York Times (February 24, 2008)

› Brunello de-con-struct-ed
– The Wine News (October 2007)
Mention of the hotel Castello di Velona at end of article

› 100 Hours of Solitude in Venice
– Food & Wine (September 2007)

› News on the Rialto Is About Seafood as Good as Ever
– The New York Times (July 1, 2007)

› Royal Treatment
– Celebrated Living (Summer 2007)

› The Best Wine in the World?
– Travel+Leisure (May 2007)

› 36 Hours in Venice
– The New York Times (December 3, 2006)

› Full of Bologna
– Travel+Leisure (May 2005)