WORLDWIDE CULTURAL AND CULINARY VACATIONS
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La Dolce Vita Culinary Adventure

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Priced From
$4,798 USD *
(For One Person, Double Occupancy)
* Plus taxes. Tours sold on an availability basis.
7 days | 6 nights

Visit Medieval Villages, Discover Old World
Cultures and Immerse Yourself in Regional Cooking!

Live la dolce vita (the sweet life) with this one-of-a-kind culinary experience set in the heart of an exquisite medieval Italian village. From the moment you arrive in Castro dei Volsci, your hosts will immerse you in culture and cuisine you're sure to remember for a lifetime. In addition to delicious tours and tastings throughout the Ciociaria (pronounced Cho-cha-REE-a) region, you'll have the opportunity to further your gourmet skills with four intensive cooking classes. During each hands-on cooking class, you will master a full four-course meal before sitting down to enjoy it with the best local wines. Your culinary experience doesn't end there, however, as you'll venture out for meals in the local area to further immerse you into this unparalleled cuisine. Add in some free time for shopping and exploration and you'll certainly be living la dolce vita!
Itinerary Accommodations Map FAQ Testimonials
VACATION HIGHLIGHTS
Please note: Tour inclusions can change depending upon seasonality and weather conditions.
6 Nights' Lodging
Round-trip Rome Airport Transfers
All Meals and Wine Each Day
Four Hands-on Cooking Classes
Welcome Dinner – Guided Village Tour
Mozzarella Making Tour
Arpino Olive Oil Tour
Traditional Italian Farmhouse Dinner
Abbey of Fossanova
Seaside Town Visit and Dinner
Prosciuttificio Visit - Alatri
Coffee Tasting Experience
Authentic Cucina Italiana Dinner
Shopping in Frosinone
Winery Visit & Tasting
Old Cantina Visocchi Dinner
Multi-Course Farewell Dinner
While our tours are designed as soft adventure experiences, walking, climbing stairs, and in rare cases mild hiking may be required. If you have mobility issues, you should speak with one of our culinary travel specialists to determine if this tour is appropriate for your situation.
AVAILABLE DATES
April through October. (This tour starts on Monday and ends on Sunday)
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Please note: Actual itineraries are subject to change due to seasonality.
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Day 1
Round Trip Transfers | Guided Village Tour | “Benvenuti” Welcome Dinner
Your much-anticipated culinary experience begins with transfers from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Villa Marcello. Benvenuti and check-in at the Villa is followed by an aperitivo and light lunch. You will then set off for a guided walk acquainting you with the medieval historic village of Castro dei Volsci. After taking some time to relax, unwind, and unpack, "La Dolce Vita" begins with a special welcome dinner served at the Palazzo's Taverna !
Day 2
Gourmet Breakfast Buffet
Each morning brings the opportunity for you to dive into an area rich in culinary tradition. Your decadent breakfast buffet is extremely eclectic, featuring fresh fruit, tomatoes, mozzarella, and exquisite pastries. A vast array of the area’s highly acclaimed cheeses and cold meats is a treat for both the eyes and the palette.
Mozzarella Making | Cooking Class | Lunch | Abbey of Fossanova | Seaside Town Visit with Dinner
Today begins with a perfect Italian coffee and breakfast in the newly renovated bar in the Palazzo. A cooking class will follow, where you'll meet the chef and together you will create a perfect antipasto, a sumptuous primo piatto, a delicious secondo with the proper contorni and a fabulous dessert. You will enjoy the food prepared with the chef at one of the Palazzo's dining facilities with some of the best local wines selected to enhance and highlight the quality of the food. After a perfect espresso or cappuccino to close your lunch, the afternoon continues with a visit to the "Abbey of Fossanova" on your journey to the Tyrrhenian seaside. Then dine by the beach at the local Trattoria Centosedici, located in the seaside town of Terracina.
Day 3
Gourmet Breakfast Buffet
Each morning brings the opportunity for you to dive into an area rich in culinary tradition. Your decadent breakfast buffet is extremely eclectic, featuring fresh fruit, tomatoes, mozzarella, and exquisite pastries. A vast array of the area’s highly acclaimed cheeses and cold meats is a treat for both the eyes and the palette.
Second Cooking Class | Lunch | Prosciuttificio | Coffee Tasting Experience | Alatri Ristorante Dinner
La Dolce Vita continues with a traditional Italian breakfast served at the breakfast bar.After breakfast, the second cooking class begins, prepared together with the Chef and enjoyed with a special selection of wines in one of the charming dining rooms. The afternoon begins with a stop to Nero Caffè for a coffee bean and tasting experience, followed by a visit at Prosciuttificio (Prosciutto Factory) Erzinio in the town of Guarcino, "The Parma of Ciociaria", and have a sample of authentic Amaretti cookies. After a walking tour of the historical town of Alatri, a special dinner is waiting for you at the local "ristorante" to introduce you to an authentic "cucina italiana" and the wines that compliment.
Day 4
Gourmet Breakfast Buffet
Each morning brings the opportunity for you to dive into an area rich in culinary tradition. Your decadent breakfast buffet is extremely eclectic, featuring fresh fruit, tomatoes, mozzarella, and exquisite pastries. A vast array of the area’s highly acclaimed cheeses and cold meats is a treat for both the eyes and the palette.
Third Cooking Class | Lunch in the Olive Mill | Winery Tour & Tasting | Cantina Visocchi Dinner
Today after breakfast,, you have a free morning to enjoy a walk in the hills around or just relax.You'll continue your Dolce Vita experience in the Palazzo's kitchen where with the chef you will prepare a 4-course meal and enjoy the dining ambiance of a 16th century Frantoio, savoring your culinary delights accompanied by yet another selection of local wines. In the afternoon, the toasting & tasting continues, visiting one of the best wineries of Ciociaria, "Villa La Ferriera" in Atina. Here you'll visit the cantina as the host introduces you to the procedure of making and testing wine. Dinner tonight is at the "Old Cantina Visocchi" completely restored with antique winery relics into a sophisticated restaurant called Le Cannardizie. Our host Patrizia Patini, a sommelier, will give you a taste and sampling of some fantastic wine from the region, followed by dinner.
Day 5
Gourmet Breakfast Buffet
Each morning brings the opportunity for you to dive into an area rich in culinary tradition. Your decadent breakfast buffet is extremely eclectic, featuring fresh fruit, tomatoes, mozzarella, and exquisite pastries. A vast array of the area’s highly acclaimed cheeses and cold meats is a treat for both the eyes and the palette.
Brunch | Pizza Making Class | Shopping | Dinner
Enjoy an delicious brunch this morning followed by a lesson on how to make the perfect pizza dough! While the dough is rising, stroll the cobblestone streets of Castro Dei Volsci and visit the Artisan shops where you can participate with the artisans in learning the traditional art that has been passed down generation to generation. This is a great time to find that treasured memento to remember your visit with us. In the early afternoon, Chef Valerio walks you through making the pizza making process and followed by a "pizza party". This evening you'll enjoy a night of entertainment in the tavern.
Day 6
Gourmet Breakfast Buffet
Each morning brings the opportunity for you to dive into an area rich in culinary tradition. Your decadent breakfast buffet is extremely eclectic, featuring fresh fruit, tomatoes, mozzarella, and exquisite pastries. A vast array of the area’s highly acclaimed cheeses and cold meats is a treat for both the eyes and the palette.
Olive Oil Tour & Tasting | Lunch | Farewell Dinner
After breakfast, the day continues with an olive oil tour in the town of Arpino, birthplace of Cicero and land of the Olives. Here, you'll visit a traditional olive oil mill where you'll learn the process of how to make extra virgin olive oil. You'll then proceed to a local estate and taste the fresh olive oil. A light lunch with flavors of the oil and a sample of some of the owner's organic wine to accompany our visit. After lunch you'll head back to Castro dei Volsci for some time to relax. Your final night's Farewell Dinner is held at a local restaurant, Il Ditirambo. A special menu has been created by its chef that mixes up local traditions and new suggestions, to conclude your La Dolce Vita culinary experience, and to extend to you a warm "Arrivederci!"
Day 7
Gourmet Breakfast Buffet
Each morning brings the opportunity for you to dive into an area rich in culinary tradition. Your decadent breakfast buffet is extremely eclectic, featuring fresh fruit, tomatoes, mozzarella, and exquisite pastries. A vast array of the area’s highly acclaimed cheeses and cold meats is a treat for both the eyes and the palette.
Check-Out and Departure
Time flies when you’re having so much fun, but alas…it is time to check out and depart this delicious, “Edible Destination.” Your tour includes luxury transfers back to the Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO). Arrivederci!
Castro dei Volsci, ItalyArpino, ItalySperlonga, ItalyGuarcino, ItalyBoville Ernica, ItalyAtina, Italy
To all of you at Villa Marcello, Grazie!! Thank you for all you have done to make this a week I will never forget!
JoAnn S. - October 2023
Thank you to the hardworking staff at Villa Marcello. We appreciate the professional service and all of the effort that each person makes to support and enhance the guest experience, which adds to an enjoyable vacation time. Thank you for your kind and gracious hospitality. May God bless you all.
Daniella and Victoria - October 2023
Grazie to the whole team! My compliments to the authentic warmth and family atmosphere shared by all. I was touched by the constant kindness to accommodate my allergies, and the gluten-free food was fantastic. I greatly enjoyed the conversations while driving, the father/son songs, the kitchen lessons, and Luca’s jokes. The Olive Mill tour especially!
Laura B. - September 2023
Winner
OUTSTANDING
CULINARY TRAVEL
Category
Member of ASTA Member of ATTA Member of GSTC