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A Culinary & Cultural Retreat to Switzerland's Italian Riviera

(A Tasty Adventure along Lake Lugano and the Locarno Region of Switzerland)

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$4,198 USD *
regular price: $6,998
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7 days | 6 nights

Fall in Love with Ticino and Locarno...
Where the Swiss Alps meet La Dolce Vita

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Ticino, Switzerland, showcases a delightful fusion of Italian and Swiss traditions, offering a tantalizing array of dishes that highlight fresh local produce, artisanal cheeses, and hearty mountain fare infused with Mediterranean flavors. In Locarno, the colorful and lively Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, you'll discover a delicious blend of Italian and Swiss flavors—influenced by local ingredients and a blend of culinary traditions. You'll see the similarities with the culinary legacy of Lombardy coupled with earthy authenticity of the alpine lifestyle. Fresh is the key word—freshly caught lake fish, freshly picked produce, and freshly harvested fruits. Home-grown ingredients cooked with a Ticino touch make the local dishes unforgettable. Add to these, a fabulous array of spicy sausages, smoked meats, and tangy cheeses—some only made in these valleys—and dishes take on a distinct regional flair. Ticinese cuisine is aromatic, earthy, and authentic. The breads, pastas, soups, sauces, and pastries from Ticino reveal the influence of centuries of invasion by neighbors as well as frequent visits from foreigners traveling on this busy trade route. Both flamboyant and refined—the Ticinese table deserves to be tasted and savored.
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Itinerary Accommodations Map FAQ Testimonials
VACATION HIGHLIGHTS
Please note: Tour inclusions can change depending upon seasonality and weather conditions.
6 Nights Deluxe Accommodations
Round-Trip Train Transfers from Airport
6 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 4 Dinners
Ancient Corn Mill Tour & Demonstration
Cheese Making Demonstration
Gelato Demonstration
Guided Chocolate Tour
Lugano Guided Tour & Lake Cruise
Hands-On Risotto Class
Cruise to Lago Maggiore
Lago Maggiore Market Visit
Ticino Winery Tour & Wine Tasting
Locarno Arcade Visit
Cooking Class in Ascona
Bellinzona Castlgrande Tour
Tibetan Bridge Hike
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
This tour runs Sunday through Saturday throughout the season. Please click on the orange "Check Pricing & Dates" button above to view available departures.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Please note: Actual itineraries are subject to change due to seasonality.
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Day 1
Benvenuto | Transfer to Locarno | Welcome Dinner
On arrival in Milan, you'll take a train under the alps and the new Gotthard Base Tunnel—the longest in the world—to arrive in Minusio. Your hotel is situated on the shores of Lake Maggiore with gorgeous views in the heart of the Ticino region. Your welcome dinner and evening will be in Minusio-Locarno this evening. (Train ticket provided to you prior to your departure).
Day 2
Swiss Riviera Breakfast Buffet
Fresh fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and sweet treats, homemade jams, Ticino cheese and cold cuts, yogurt from the region, muesli with nourishing nuts and grains, are only some of the delicacies that you will find in your morning breakfast buffet. Seasonal products are sourced directly from local producers whenever possible, with a desire to satisfy everyone’s morning energy boost to start the day.
Traditional Corn Mill of Bruzella | Artisan Cheesemaking of Zincarlin | Gelato Demonstration
Depart after breakfast for an ancient mill still powered by water for grinding mais to make polenta. Then it's off to the dairy of an artisan cheesemaker that produces tangy and golden Zincarlin. Taste the amazing and distinctive local cheese. Next is lunch at a grotto near Mendrisio (Riva San Vitale), to experience polenta along with a sampling of seasonal specialty meats and vegetables. The afternoon will take you to a gelato demonstration at one of the best ice cream makers in the region, followed by a big tasting of the gelato just made! Transfer back to the hotel. Evening and dinner on your own to explore the area. From the hotel, you can enjoy a wonderful walk along the lake for a dinner in Locarno or – our suggestion, on the other side – Ristorante l'Approdo in Tenero. Please note, lunch experience provided in lieu of dinner this evening.
Day 3
Swiss Riviera Breakfast Buffet
Fresh fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and sweet treats, homemade jams, Ticino cheese and cold cuts, yogurt from the region, muesli with nourishing nuts and grains, are only some of the delicacies that you will find in your morning breakfast buffet. Seasonal products are sourced directly from local producers whenever possible, with a desire to satisfy everyone’s morning energy boost to start the day.
Chocolate Maker | Lugano | Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli | Lake Lugano Cruise | Cooking Class and Grotto Dinner
After breakfast, we head out on an excursion and visit to Ticino's best-known chocolate maker, where you'll have a chance to make your own chocolate bar. Then head off to the lakeside resort of Lugano. A guided tour through town introduces you to some of the most important monuments, the colors and tastes of the market district. You'll be treated to taste of typical amaretti of Ticino along the way as you learn of traditional foods available only in Ticino. We visit a 500-year-old church with ancient frescoes and a remarkable story. The afternoon takes you for a cruise on Lake Lugano and arriving at a traditional grotto. Our host will share the history of the grotto while we prepare dinner from the terrace of his secluded restaurant. Enjoy a lovely lakeside dinner including your freshly-made creation.
Day 4
Swiss Riviera Breakfast Buffet
Fresh fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and sweet treats, homemade jams, Ticino cheese and cold cuts, yogurt from the region, muesli with nourishing nuts and grains, are only some of the delicacies that you will find in your morning breakfast buffet. Seasonal products are sourced directly from local producers whenever possible, with a desire to satisfy everyone’s morning energy boost to start the day.
Cruise to Lago Maggiore | Market Visit | Wine Tasting
After breakfast, we head to the Locarno Pier and board the ship to Luino (in Italy – please remember to take your passport with you). This is the nicest and biggest Italian Market at Lago Maggiore. There are loads of goods of all kinds on offer, and you can drift from food stalls to clothing, from flowers to accessories, from kitchen utensils to beauty products. You can also find the best local handicraft products and various folklore items – since 1535! Next, head back to Locarno and continue to Losone, where you'll visit the most famous winery in Ticino - I Vini Delea. Visit their wine cellar, the barrique cellar, the museum, the vinegar cellar for the production of balsamic vinegar and the brand new distillery. The tasting will be followed by an opportunity to discover the specialties of their wines, from sparkling wines to whites and reds, accompanied by a Ticino plate of coppa, salami, lardo, parmigiano and bread.
Day 5
Swiss Riviera Breakfast Buffet
Fresh fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and sweet treats, homemade jams, Ticino cheese and cold cuts, yogurt from the region, muesli with nourishing nuts and grains, are only some of the delicacies that you will find in your morning breakfast buffet. Seasonal products are sourced directly from local producers whenever possible, with a desire to satisfy everyone’s morning energy boost to start the day.
Locarno | Explore the Locarno Arcade | Cooking Class | Wine Tasting
After breakfast, we head for Locarno, a lakeside resort famous for its sunshine and palm-lined lakeshore. Strolling and browsing in the Arcades surrounding Locarno's Piazza Grande will allow you to find sought after local treasures. Head back to the hotel in the early afternoon and have some time to relax at the pool before the rest of the days events. In the afternoon you'll head for Ascona, a favorite at Lago Maggiore! Ascona is known for its Mediterranean architecture and the café-lined promenade on Lake Maggiore. After a stroll through this gem, join Chef Daniel Heiserer & wine icon Nicola Hohler at the Hotel Castello Seeschlösschen on the Lake to explain all the secrets of the seasonal Ticino-kitchen.
Day 6
Swiss Riviera Breakfast Buffet
Fresh fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and sweet treats, homemade jams, Ticino cheese and cold cuts, yogurt from the region, muesli with nourishing nuts and grains, are only some of the delicacies that you will find in your morning breakfast buffet. Seasonal products are sourced directly from local producers whenever possible, with a desire to satisfy everyone’s morning energy boost to start the day.
Bellinzona Castlgrande | Hiking the Tibetan Bridge | Farewell Dinner
Join your local guide in Bellinzona to go up to the iconic castle of Bellinzona which comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site. After this historical tour, you have the opportunity to experience the Tibetan bridge "Carasc": The 270 m long Tibetan bridge built by the Foundation Curzútt-S. Barnard allows the passage of the rugged valley that separates the communities of Sementina and Monte Carasso, two towns located in front of Bellinzona. The bridge joins the stone made village of Curzútt to the hiking path of "Via delle Vigne", allowing you to make excursions in an area characterized by a landscape rich in cultural heritages. If you don't feel like hiking, just take the train back and enjoy a more time on Lake Maggiore before meeting the group for the transfer to apéro and a farewell dinner which will be held at Restaurant Casa Berno above Ascona – with the most wonderful view over Lago Maggiore.
Day 7
Swiss Riviera Breakfast Buffet
Fresh fruits, freshly baked bread, croissants and sweet treats, homemade jams, Ticino cheese and cold cuts, yogurt from the region, muesli with nourishing nuts and grains, are only some of the delicacies that you will find in your morning breakfast buffet. Seasonal products are sourced directly from local producers whenever possible, with a desire to satisfy everyone’s morning energy boost to start the day.
Check-Out and Departure | Transfers
Time flies when you're having so much fun, but alas…it is time to check out and depart this delicious, "Edible Destination." After a bounteous breakfast at the hotel, you'll depart Minusio-Locarno for your return to Milan or onward destinations (via train ticket provided to you prior to your departure). May your future travels come from sweet dreams and create tasty memories!
Locarno, SwitzerlandLugano, SwitzerlandBellinzona, SwitzerlandLago Maggiore, Italy
Although it is nice to be back home, I already yearn to go back to Switzerland! Your tour and the three days after were amazing!! Cinzia (tour host) was fantastic and as you can see from these photos- we all hit it off incredibly well! They treated us like family at Hotel La Tureta and bent over backwards to make our trip special. I highly recommend this hotel! Loved the cooking classes and the gelato experience, each was different and special. We had just enough free time combined with fun experiences to make the tour full, lively, new and special, but not exhausting. I will definitely be investigating more of your tours!
Charlotte and Maitlyn - June 2022
Winner
OUTSTANDING
CULINARY TRAVEL
Category
Member of ASTA Member of ATTA Member of GSTC