Great white and red wines (Verdicchio, Rosso Piceno, Rosso Conero, Vernaccia), fresh fish and shellfish, very good extra virgin olive oil and truffle are some of the wonderful products of the region, situated along the Adriatic coast. You will spend a week staying at a beautiful seaside hotel, typical Italian and surrounded by a gorgeous panorama.

Everyday we will explore a new territory, visiting wineries, olive oil producers, making bread at the cereal mill, going to the port and buying the fish directly from the fishermen in their boats, then cooking it in the restaurant kitchen with the chef!

Itinerary

Sunday – Get settled, enjoy a welcome dinner, and get familiar with regional Italian cuisine

We'll meet you at the Senigallia train station or Ancona airport and provide private transport to our four-star hotel where you can settle into your room. At the hotel, you'll be able to admire stunning views of the Adriatic Sea and of the town center with a fortress, arched walkways, and river promenade. For dinner, you'll enjoy fresh fish at a beach-side restaurant that is uniquely matched with seasonal vegetables, delicious side dishes, and indigenous wines. Welcome to Le Marche!

Monday - Visit a cheese agings cellar in Mondavio, wine tasting, lunch, Corinaldo visit and a cooking lesson in family

Le Marche is a region filled with gentle hills, mountains, and the sea. You will experience its territorial complexity in the cuisine you enjoy throughout the week. Breakfast will be served at the hotel and includes an early morning buffet with a generous selection of regional delights. After breakfast, we will venture to the medieval village of Mondavio. Close to the beautiful castle we will visit a place where cheeses are aged underground in special cellars that date back to 1500! so the cheese takes special flavors/aromas.

After this visit we drive nearby to a winery for a wine tasting. Lunch in the area. Then we drive to Corinaldo—a charming borgo in the hills of Le Marche. You'll take a trip to the past as you admire its gates, 14th-century defensive walls and surrounding towers. We'll soak in the warm atmosphere of this hidden jewel that is considered one of the most beautiful and well-preserved towns in all of Italy. In the afternoon, cooking class with Simonetta, an Italian mother and chef, and we will enjoy dinner at her private home. She will give us an entertaining history of Le Marche along with traditional regional recipes as we prepare these dishes together in the kitchen. We'll enjoy the results of our kitchen duties at the dinner table as we listen to short stories, anecdotes, and old legends.

Tuesday - Visit to Ancona, a wine tasting, Portonovo and fish dinner

We'll begin the day with a drive along with Adriatic coast towards the capital of Le Marche, Ancona. We will take a guided tour of the historic town center (with a minimum of four people) and learn about its churches, fortresses, and old port hidden by steep roads that climb up the steep hills. From Ancona, we will visit an outstanding winery in the Monte Conero area that is set amongst white cliffs and ample wildlife. We'll enjoy extraordinary views of the neighboring coast line as we taste Rosso Conero wine and enjoy a delicious lunch.

After lunch, we will drive to the ancient fishing village of Portonovo. This village is one of the most beautiful spots of Monte Conero with gentle hills, luscious greenery, orchards, and wildflowers that reflect in the pristine waters of the sea. We will enjoy a great dinner at a fantastic restaurant accompanied by Verdicchio, one of the most famous indigenous white wines of the region.

Wednesday - Truffle hunting with a scent dog, Verdicchio wine and olive oil tasting, dinner at off-the -beaten-path osteria

Wednesday will begin with a drive to the Acqualagna area for a truffle hunting adventure. An experienced truffle hunter and his trained scent dog will lead us through parks and forests as we search for truffles. After our hunt, we'll visit a truffle products factory that produces truffle sauces, pasta, and other delicious cuisine. We will enjoy lunch together with our experienced truffle hunters at a simple trattoria with traditional food and special pastas. Back to our hotel for a rest. In the afternoon, we will visit a Verdicchio winery located in the hills of Senigallia. The lady owner produces also high-quality extra virgin olive oil. The area is known for the very high quality of the extra virgin olive oil. We will learn from her how to recognize excellent extra virgin olive oil, which is no easy task. We will taste the olive oil as we delight little tasting of cheeses, salumi and other local products, as we converse about the history of extra virgin olive oil. The vineyards are set next to an ancient 10th-century castle in tiny town with just 10 inhabitants. After our tasting, we will stop in at a tiny borough at a small and cozy trattoria for dinner.

Thursday - A trip to the fresh fish market and a fish cooking lesson

Our morning will begin early with a walk to one of the highest quality markets at the port that is brimming with fresh fish. We'll purchase fish caught earlier that morning to use for our afternoon cooking lesson. Following our visit to the market, we'll stroll through the center of Senigallia and the weekly open air market held each Thursday. We'll enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of this typical Italian market as we shop and enjoy a lunch of typical street food: porchetta. In the afternoon, an Italian chef will teach us recipes for an amazing dinner that you can also use to surprise your future guests upon your return home. We will use the fish we purchased earlier that day at the market and learn how to clean, marinate, and cook an unforgettable fish dinner. Buon appetito!

Friday - Departure day

Departure from Ancona airport or Senigallia train station after breakfast at the hotel

Included in the price

• 5 nights in lovely 4 star hotel (breakfast included)

• 2 Italian cooking lessons with English assistance

• 2 dinners after the cooking lesson with selected regional wines included

• 6 meals with selected regional wines, mineral water and coffee • 1 porchetta tasting

• 1 extra virgin olive oil tasting • Ancona guided visit with an English-speaking guide (for minimum 4 people)

• Truffle hunting experience with the truffle dog • Walk in the port to buy fresh fish

• Private transfers and assistance on arrival and at departure (from and to Senigallia train station or Ancona airport)

• Tour director English speaking throughout

Not included in the price

• Flight ticket

• Personal expenses

• Everything not written in the program

• Cancellation insurance

• Local taxes (city taxes)