turin, genoa & the french riviera

• Appreciate the diverse heritage of north-western Italy, from the Romans in Turin to medieval frescoes in extraordinary castles

• Survey superlative collections of art and antiquities in Turin, including the Egyptian Museum and the Savoy dynasty’s encyclopedic collections

• Explore beautiful landscapes, from wine tastings in Piedmont’s hills to the colourful villages of the Riviera

• Discover Genoa, a less-visited and vibrant city, with its well-preserved medieval and baroque districts

• Enjoy the light of the French Riviera, the landscape of mountains and sea that inspired Matisse, Chagall and other modern masters

THURSDAY 03 JUNE 2027 – ARRIVE MILAN (L)

Our tour commences at 10.00am this morning, at a meeting point in Terminal 1, Malpensa airport, Milan. We meet our coach and travel to Lake Orta. Just west of better-known Lake Maggiore, Orta is placid, picturesque and crowd-free, with the basilica of local saint Julius occupying almost all of the small island of San Giulio in the lake’s centre. After a lakeside lunch, we travel by boat to Isola San Giulio to admire the ancient church and its Romanesque pulpit, an inventive reminder of the aesthetic cross-currents encouraged by alpine trade. We continue in the afternoon to Turin, where we enjoy drinks and snacks in the hotel. Overnight Turin.

FRIDAY 04 JUNE 2027 – FROM THE EGYPTIANS TO THE SHROUD (B)

We begin the day with an orientation walk in central Turin, admiring the remnants of ancient Julia Augusta Taurinorum and the baroque redesign of the elegant Savoy capital at San Lorenzo and the cathedral, which houses the precious Shroud. After our walk and lunch at leisure, we take a guided tour of the Museo Egizio, which houses the second most important collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world, the result of eighteenth and nineteenth-century excavation and connoisseurship. The entire museum was redesigned in 2015 and, after our tour, there is time at leisure to explore its collections independently. After a talk by Sarah in the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Turin.

SATURDAY 05 JUNE 2027 – SAVOY ROYAL COLLECTIONS (B)

We meet our local guide this morning and make the short walk to Piazza Castello, the centre of royal power in Savoy Turin. From the seventeenth century, generations of this Franco-Italian house called upon architects such as Filippo Juvarra to showcase their wealth and culture in a stunning display of baroque architecture. Within this expansive and elegant series of squares and palaces, we take a survey of Royal Staterooms and encounter the extraordinary Chapel of the Shroud. After time for lunch at leisure in the museum café, we tour the highlights of the Galleria Sabauda with Sarah. This gallery is often overlooked in the circuit of great Italian art museums, but it has a fine collection of paintings that demonstrates the cosmopolitan heritage of the Savoy – related by marriage to all the great European royal houses – and its generations of connoisseurship. We admire works by Flemish artists Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and Hans Memling, Italian Renaissance masterworks by Filippino Lippi and Andrea Mantegna, and an excellent international collection including Rubens, Rembrandt and van Dyck. Schedules permitting, we plan to attend an opera at the Teatro Regio this evening. Overnight Turin.

SUNDAY 06 JUNE 2027 – FINE ART & FIAT (B)

This morning is at leisure, although there is the option to join Sarah for a visit to the excellent art gallery of the Museo Civico inside the Palazzo Madama. After lunch at leisure, we meet to discover the nineteenth-century transformation of Turin by rapid industrialisation. One of the most significant dynasties to drive this change was the Agnelli’s of FIAT, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Turin today would not be the same without them. In the former industrial quarter of Lingotto, we visit the site of FIAT’s cutting-edge twentieth-century factory. It has been transformed into a commercial centre, with a bijoux Renzo Piano-designed art gallery for legendary “Swan” Marella Caracciolo Agnelli’s favourite artworks. We have a guided tour of the Pinacoteca Agnelli, which includes works from Canaletto to Renoir, Modigliani and Matisse, before taking a stroll on the panoramic rooftop racetrack. FIAT vehicles underwent their test drives up here, before descending a series of dramatic helicoidal ramps to the streets of Lingotto below. Returning to central Turin, the afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Turin.

MONDAY 07 JUNE 2027 – THE VAL DI SUSA (B, L, D)

As the flow of pilgrims on the Via Francigena to Rome grew from the tenth century, religious communities established themselves on alpine roads to minister to practical needs. The Val di Susa, to the north-west of Turin, with its high mountains and narrow river valley, is still dotted with such institutions. Today we make an excursion into the valley, checking out of our hotel and travelling to one of the most extraordinary medieval complexes in all of Italy, the Sacra di San Michele. Probably founded in the tenth century, it is a sprawling compound sited dramatically on top of a rocky outcrop, perfectly placed to survey the entire valley, and the inspiration for Umberto Eco’s Name of the Rose. Following our guided tour, we enjoy a country lunch together before continuing to the Barolo region to check into our hotel. Dinner this evening is in our hotel. Overnight Benevello (Barolo).

Please note: the 800m ascent to the Sacra di San Michele is made on foot. It takes approx. 15 minutes to walk from the coach to the monastery and the final section, while short, is steep and made by stairs. At this final point, there is elevator access strictly for those who need it.

TUESDAY 08 JUNE 2027 – TRUFFLES & TASTINGS (B, D)

Of course, Barolo country is known for more than its medieval art and architecture, and is one of Italy’s most prestigious gastronomic regions. Today we travel to Alba, a town of 30,000 inhabitants that is the centre of the white truffle trade in the UNESCO-listed Langhe area. We learn about the precise conditions required for the production and gathering of Alba’s white gold, which can cost upward of 300 Euros for every 50 grams! Lunch is at leisure, with the option to visit the new Museum of the Truffle. Afterwards, we travel to San Fiorenzo church, where a staggering collection of fifteenth-century frescoes awaits us – more than 320 square metres. Dinner tonight is in the excellent restaurant of our hotel. Overnight Benevello (Barolo).

WEDNESDAY 09 JUNE 2027 – CUNEO & THE ALPS (B, D)

From the Middle Ages, the Savoy dynasty, and the local counts with whom they were allied, took a keen interest in controlling and taxing traffic back and forth across the Alps. At the base of the so-called Cottian Alps, not far from the present-day border between France and Italy, the Marquises of Saluzzo enriched their castles not only with impressive fortifications, but also with the kind of courtly decorations that exemplified the aristocratic culture to which they belonged. Today we travel to their chief town, Saluzzo, for a visit with a local guide. After our walking tour of Saluzzo, lunch is at leisure. At nearby Castello della Manta, a perfectly preserved and lavishly decorated Renaissance castle, we then tour a spectacular reception hall featuring gorgeously dressed famous men and women who serve as courtly exemplars. Transformed by bathing in the Fountain of Youth, they disport exuberantly and formerly grizzled elders eagerly make the most of their rejuvenation.Returning to our hotel, there is dinner together. Overnight Benevello (Barolo).

THURSDAY 10 JUNE 2027 – TO GENOA (B, L)

We check out of our hotel this morning and travel to Genoa, stopping in the area of Asti to visit the World Heritage-listed cellars of a sparkling wine producer. Asti’s spumante has an excellent name, made from a Moscato white grape and with the highest appellation that Italy awards: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). After lunch together, we continue to Genoa where we check into our hotel. There is the option of a light aperitivo in our hotel this evening. Overnight Genoa.

FRIDAY 11 JUNE 2027 – A MEDIEVAL MARITIME REPUBLIC (B)

Despite the inhospitable mountainous terrain, the city of Genoa was blessed with a deep harbour and a strategic Mediterranean location, and from ancient times it was a centre for trade and cultural exchange. In the Middle Ages, Genoa’s fortunes changed for good as it refined its maritime technologies and maximised its shipping reach, just like Italy’s other powerful maritime republics of Venice and Pisa. We begin today by exploring this proud heritage with a local guide, taking a walking tour of the lanes (or caruggi) of the medieval Castello district. From the traditional house of Christopher Columbus to the church of Santa Maria di Castello and the Banco di San Giorgio, medieval Genoa was poised to exploit its relationship with the sea and the diverse architectural and artistic influences that this allowed. After time for lunch at leisure on the waterfront, there is the option to continue to the World Heritage-listed Strada Nuova, or Strada Maggiore (“new” or “main” street, now Via Garibaldi). A superb example of Renaissance city planning, this broad, straight avenue was created in the mid-sixteenth century and quickly became the most fashionable district in town, where aristocrats built a series of magnificent palaces. Several are now art museums. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Genoa.

SATURDAY 12 JUNE 2027 – THE LIGURIAN SEA (B, L)

The Ligurian coast is dotted with small bays and inlets, its dramatic scenery formed by craggy mountains that stretch in many places right down to the shore. Today we enjoy a landscape that has inspired countless generations of artists, writers and travellers, and which remains a popular holiday destination with the rich and famous. Travelling by private coach to the colourful fishing village of Camogli, we have time for a coffee in its picturesque lanes before embarking for the Abbey of San Fruttuoso. Accessible only by sea or a mountain path, this monastery was founded by Benedictines in the tenth century and later became an important possession of Genoa’s powerful Doria dynasty. It perches, surrounded by mountains and crystal-clear water, in an unbelievably panoramic location, as we discover on a tour of the complex. After lunch together, and weather permitting, we continue by boat to Portofino, a small Ligurian harbour that was the setting for Elizabeth von Armin’s delightful Enchanted April and is now a jet-set haunt. Returning to Genoa, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Genoa.

Please note: a coaching alternative will be substituted for the boat in case of inclement weather.

SUNDAY 13 JUNE 2027 – “LA SUPERBA” (B)

Unlike that other great medieval maritime republic, Venice, known as La Serenissima or the Most Serene, Genoa is known in Italy as La Superba, the Proud. As we discover on a guided tour of Galata Museo del Mare this morning, Genoa had much to be proud of in its domination of maritime equipment, technology, trade routes and – later – international banking. The great historian of the Mediterranean, Fernand Braudel, called the seventeenth century “The Age of Genoa”, and it is easy to see why as we survey the portolan maps, massive galleys and commercial know-how that guided Genoa’s expansion. After our tour, there is time to continue our visit of the maritime museum – generally considered one of Europe’s best – at leisure; the section tracing nineteenth-century emigration of Italians to the “New World” of Canada, the USA and Australia is particularly poignant. The afternoon is at leisure, before we meet for a talk by Sarah in our hotel. Overnight Genoa.

MONDAY 14 JUNE 2027 – INTO FRANCE (B, D)

Travelling into France, we stop just before the border for a guided tour of theHanbury Botanic Gardens. Established by an English businessman in 1867 to preserve Mediterranean species, these are now regularly listed among Italy’s most beautiful gardens. We then make the short journey to Menton, a border town associated with modernists such as Katherine Mansfield and Jean Cocteau. The latter was called upon in the late 1950s to decorate a civil hall with murals in his exuberant, gestural style. Continuing to Nice, we have dinner near our hotel. Overnight Nice.

TUESDAY 15 JUNE 2027 – NICE & ITS VILLAS (B, L)

We begin the day with a walking tour of Old Nice together with Sarah, exploring the pleasant Flower Market and seeing where Henri Matisse lived and worked for a number of years. We then travel to nearby Cap Ferrat, a scenic peninsula to the east of Nice. Today it is one of the most expensive residential locations in the world, and its golden reputation was created by aristocrats of the Belle Époque. Beginning at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, we enjoy a high tea lunch in the residence, built by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild to showcase her antique French furniture, Old Masters and rare porcelain collections in a pink neo-classical building with manicured gardens. To this day, the gardens are rated as one of the Most Remarkable Gardens of France. We then visit Villa Kerylos in nearby Beaulieu-sur-Mer, the Ancient Greek Revivalist mansion of archaeologist Théodore Reinach. In 1902, he sought to recreate the world that his career had been dedicated to uncovering – with all mod cons, such as plumbing and underfloor heating! Returning to the hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Nice.

WEDNESDAY 16 JUNE 2027 – MODERN MASTERS (B)

The light and rich colours of the Riviera drew generations of artists. Perhaps none left as joyous and bright a legacy as Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse. We start the day at the Musée Matisse, a museum dedicated to the artist’s work and located on the prominent hill of Cimiez; he lived here for many years, when recovering from illness. Alongside the museum is the Cimiez Cemetery, where Matisse and painter Raoul Dufy rest in peace. Lunch is at leisure in the pretty park of the Roman amphitheatre, before we continue to the National Museum Marc Chagall of the Biblical Message.Working with André Malraux, the influential Minister of Culture, Chagall and his family gave the city of Nice an extraordinary gift in 1973. A recognition of the formative impact of the region on his work, the museum is a testament to Chagall’s peaceful desire to bring together the People of the Book. Working in painting, sculpture, mosaic and stained glass, he created a cycle of enduring religious and historic significance, and artistic experimentation. Overnight Nice.

THURSDAY 17 MAY – IN THE HILLS OUTSIDE NICE (B, L)

We travel today into the hills to the west of Nice, associated with artists such as Matisse, Picasso and Chagall. At the Fondation Maeght, we encounter dealers and publishers Marguerite and Aimé Maeght. Through their sponsorship of Bonnard, Matisse, Calder, Braque, Chagall, Giacometti, Miró and Léger, this couple transformed modern art – and sited a number of important pieces in this hillside villa. There is a farewell lunch together in the tiny walled village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, irrevocably transformed by the residence of artists and intellects such as Sartre, Picasso and Chagall, before we make the journey to Vence to visit the tiny, bright and exquisite jewel box that is Matisse’s moving Chapel of the Rosary. Returning to the hotel, there are farewell drinks and snacks in the hotel. Overnight Nice.

FRIDAY 18 MAY – DEPARTURE (B)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast in the hotel. The hotel staff or your tour manager will be happy to help organise taxis to the train station or to Nice international airport, both easily reached from our hotel.

Hotel Victoria 4* Turin, 4 nights

https://www.hotelvictoria-torino.com/en/

A family-owned boutique hotel in a quiet, central zone of Turin. Rooms are well-sized with elegant decorations and the breakfast is excellent.

Relais Villa d'Amelia 4* Benevello (Barolo), 3 nights

https://www.villadamelia.com/en/index

A small luxury hotel set amongst the vineyards and hills of Alta Langa, with a restaurant specialising in Piedmontese cuisine and an outdoor swimming pool.

Grand Hotel Savoia 5* Genoa, 4 nights

https://www.grandhotelsavoiagenova.it/en/

A welcoming boutique hotel in a renovated nineteenth-century building, the Savoia offers generously-sized and sound-proofed rooms in a central location.

Hotel Apollinaire 4* Nice, 4 nights

https://www.apollinaire-nice.com/en/

A recently renovated hotel in a quiet neighbourhood, a short walk from both the Old Town and the Promenade des Anglais.

NB: hotels of a similar standard may be substituted.

• 15 nights’ accommodation at 4* hotels

• All breakfasts and 10 lunches or dinners, with drinks

• All ground transport, guided tours and entrance fees to sites as mentioned in the itinerary, and tipping

• The tour begins with a group transfer at Milan Malpensa airport, Terminal 1; no departure transfer is included in the tour price

• Talks by and expertise of an expert tour leader throughout

• Practical assistance of a tour manager throughout

A $1,500pp deposit is required at the time of booking to hold your place on tour.

A second deposit of $2,000pp is due on 03 February 2027.

We will invoice you for final payment for the tour, due on 20 March 2027.

When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions. You can read our terms and conditions here.