Perillo Tours

Known as the “Green Heart of Italy,” Umbria rivals only Tuscany for the beauty of its gently rolling hills. Happily, we’ll also spend time in Tuscany herself.

And if you like Italian food, this is your trip. We’ll even let you learn with the master chefs at the Academia Barilla, if you promise to invite the Perillo staff to Sunday dinner sometime soon!

• Great Hotels. Centrally-located, Deluxe & Superior First Class hotels, exclusively.
• Smaller Groups. 20 to 40 guests per tour.
• More Legroom. Deluxe, state-of-the-art motorcoaches with EXTRA legroom.
• Airport Transfers. Arrival and departure transfers in Italy.
• Buffet Breakfast Daily. A very hearty start to each day!
• 7 Dinners & 1 Lunch. Including pasta or soup, choice of entrees, vegetable, salad, dessert, coffee, wine, mineral water, beer or soft drink.
• 2 Wine Tastings in Torgiano & Montalcino.
• Balsamic Vinegar Tasting in Modena
• Cooking Class at the professional Academia Barilla
• Wireless Headsets to hear your guide clearly and distinctly in public places.
• 1 Tote Bag Per Person, baggage tags and travel documents included.
• Baggage Handling. Never touch your bag!(except at airports)
• Hotel Taxes, Hotel Service Charges and All Tips for hotel and restaurant personnel
• Professional Tour Directors and licensed local guides

At a Glance: 

• DAY 1 (Wednesday) - Depart USA
• DAY 2 (Thursday) - Arrive in Bologna, Afternoon at Leisure, Dinner in Hotel
• DAY 3 (Friday) - Bologna, Modena, Parma, Bologna, Dinner at Barilla Academy
• DAY 4 (Saturday) - Bologna City Tour, Siena, Dinner in Hotel
• DAY 5 (Sunday) - Siena City Tour , Afternoon Free
• DAY 6 (Monday) - Siena, Pienza, Montalcino , Wine Tasting with Lunch
• DAY 7 (Tuesday) - Siena, Cortona, Torgiano, Dinner & Wine Tasting in Hotel
• DAY 8 (Wednesday) - Torgiano, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Dinner Out Tonight
• DAY 9 (Thursday) - Torgiano, Rome City Sightseeing, Rome, Dinner in Hotel
• DAY 10 (Friday) - Rome, Imperial Rome Sightseeing, Vatican Museum, St Peter’s Basilica
• DAY 11 (Saturday) - Rome, Morning at Leisure, Roman Hill Towns, Rome, Dinner Out
• DAY 12 (Sunday) - Depart Rome to USA

Full Itinerary:

DAY 1 (Wednesday) - Depart USA

We board our overnight flight. Next stop? La Bella Italia!

DAY 2 (Thursday) - Arrive in Bologna, Afternoon at Leisure , Dinner in Hotel

Benvenuti a Bologna! Your Perillo representative will be at the airport to greet you. You will then be taken to your hotel in Bologna.

There will be time to relax this afternoon before our dinner with fine local wines at our hotel. BB, D

DAY 3 (Friday) - Bologna, Modena, Parma, Bologna, Dinner at Barilla Academy

After a hearty breakfast, we head to Modena, an ancient town famous for its Balsamic Vinegar. The traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is unique in the world. It’s made by essentially cooking grape juice which is then matured through natural fermentation.

You’ll learn the process first-hand at an old, family run, Acetaia in Modena. For many of you, this is sure to be your first “vinegar tasting” but a very tasty culinary experience.

Next, we go to Parma which is world famous for its incredibly edible contributions to world cuisine such as Parmigiano cheese and Parma ham.

Barilla pasta products, also from Parma, have become ubiquitous in American grocery stores. The company also runs a renowned cooking school in downtown Parma called, Academia Barilla.

This afternoon, Barilla’s prestigious chefs will teach you how to prepare an authentic Italian meal including time-tested techniques and special secrets your Italian grandmother might not even know! After class, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor for dinner, washed down with the great local wines of the region.

Back to hotel in Bologna. BB, D

DAY 4 (Saturday) - Bologna City Tour, Siena, Dinner in Hotel

This morning we will have a city sightseeing of Bologna, one of the most attractive and characteristic cities in all of Italy. We visit the city’s 2 main squares: Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno. We will have a chance to see the two leaning towers - the main symbols of the city, which almost seem to defy gravity. The Piazza Maggiore marks the oldest part of the city and this huge pedestrian square is surrounded by some impressive medieval and Renaissance buildings. Nearby, the Piazza del Nettuno boasts a well-known fountain, the Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune). Bologna’s Basilica di San Petronio is the city’s largest church and the fifth largest of its kind in the entire world. In fact, the original plans had to be redone after the Vatican declared that this church must not be larger than St. Peter’s in Rome.

We will stroll through the medieval market of Bologna and explore the art, history and traditions of the city and its world famous food. We will then depart for Siena.

Tonight we enjoy dinner in our hotel. BB, D

DAY 5 (Sunday) -  Siena City Tour, Afternoon Free

This morning we will have a guided city sightseeing of Siena. One of Italy’s most enchanting cities, Siena’s medieval center is filled with majestic buildings and is also a Unesco world heritage site. We’ll see the Town Hall and the enchanting Duomo featuring the most ornate mosaic floors in all of Italy. It took 200 years and 40 artisans to complete! The rest of the day is yours to relax, shop, wander or ask your tour leader about a multitude of other interesting activities. Dinner is on your own. BB

DAY 6 (Monday) -  Siena, Pienza, Montalcino, Wine Tasting with Lunch

Today we visit Pienza, a town which was also declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, and we see the Duomo and the town hall. Next we go to Montalcino, a beautiful hilltop town where some of Tuscany’s most esteemed red wines are produced, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. Here we enjoy a wine tasting and lunch.

Dinner is on your own tonight. BB, L

DAY 7 (Tuesday) -  Siena, Cortona, Torgiano, Dinner & Wine Tasting in Hotel

This morning we head for Torgiano in Umbria, the “Green Heart of Italy.” Enroute to Torgiano, we will stop in Cortona, a very interesting Tuscan Medieval town which was made famous by Frances Mayes’ book: Under the Tuscan Sun. Cortona was an Etruscan town that today offers many important remains: the bronze lamp from the 5th century BC, the outer walls and the majestic tombs of noble families.

Next, we proceed to Torgiano, a quaint village surrounded by vineyards, where time seems to stand still. Our home will be the charming 5-Star Deluxe, Le Tre Vaselle, with the feel of a fine country manor.

Tonight we enjoy a wine tasting and dinner in the hotel. BB, D

DAY 8 (Wednesday) -  Torgiano, Assisi , Perugia, Siena, Dinner Out Tonight

This morning we’ll visit the home of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy. Here we visit the massive Basilica of San Francesco, rising majestically on gracefully arched supports. While the Basilica was partially damaged by the earthquake of 1997, its restoration is complete and the result – stunning!

Next, we go to Perugia, the capital of Umbria. Perugia is one of Italy’s best-preserved hill towns with many museums and churches, and is also home to the famous Perugina chocolates.

Tonight we’ll enjoy a great local dining experience in a local restaurant. BB, D

DAY 9 (Thursday) -  Torgiano, Rome City Sightseeing, Rome, Dinner in Hotel

Today, we head south to Rome. We will enjoy a panoramic city tour viewing Largo Argentina - where Julius Caesar met his fate at the hands of Brutus. See the most important of the Seven Hills of Rome, the Capitoline - home of Jupiter, Marcello’s theatre and the Jewish Ghetto. We are awed by the view of the ancient Imperial Palaces atop the Palatine Hill overlooking the Circus Maximus where the rape of the Sabines occurred. We’re back on foot to view the Arch of Titus and one of the best preserved Roman structures - the Arch of Constantine. You’ll almost hear the roar of the lions as we enter the Coliseum and imagine the brutal entertainment of the Romans. Next we view the Roman Forum, Trajan’s Column and the astonishing “Wedding Cake,” monument to Victor Emmanuel in Piazza Venezia.

Tonight, we relax and enjoy a delicious dinner in the hotel. BB, D

DAY 10 (Friday) -  Rome, Imperial Rome Sightseeing, Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica

This morning, after breakfast, we visit the Vatican Museums, a group of impressive edifices with hundreds of rooms, halls, galleries, libraries and chapels overflowing with art treasures; the most beautiful of which is the overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s masterpiece. Next we enter the largest church in Christendom – St. Peter’s Basilica. We marvel at Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s amazing bronze canopy. View Castel St. Angelo and the Court of Justice.

After lunch on your own, you have time to yourself to do some last minute shopping for souvenirs!

Tonight dinner on your own. BB

DAY 11 (Saturday) -  Rome, Morning at Leisure, Roman Hill Towns, Rome, Dinner Out

This afternoon, we venture out to the Castelli Romani, the wine-producing hill-towns to the southeast of Rome. Here, we visit Castel Gandolfo, the historical summer residence of the Pope that has stunning views on the Albano Lake. We will tour the splendid vineyards of the ancient Romans and will enjoy a wine tasting and dinner in a local restaurant. BB, D

DAY 12 (Sunday) -  Depart Rome to USA

This morning we board our flight home, but we realize we’re taking a little piece of Italy back with us. Thanks for traveling with the Perillo family, and please return soon. BB

Note: Please be advised that circumstances may change the day and/or sequence of scheduled activities, as well as the substitution of hotels, events, shows, sightseeing, itinerary, restaurants, hosts, etc. 

B=Breakfast D=Dinner

Why book your flights with Perillo Tours?

1. For a seamless travel experience from start to finish.
2. Big savings in both Coach and Business Class.
3. Reserve your flights now but pay later with your final payment.
4. No fees for air ticket change or cancellation until ticketing at 60 days prior to your departure.
5. Earn Frequent Flyer mileage.

Step 1: Choose the zone of your departing city.

Step 2: Match your zone to find the sample airfare which depends on your exact departure date.

Choose the zone of your departure city and match it with the tour departure date to find airfare examples.

SAMPLE AIRFARES

Sample Airfares

Since airfares are unpredictable the above ‘sample airfares’ are shown in order for you to estimate the complete cost of your tour. You must add estimated departure tax and a fuel surcharge of $450 per person to the above ‘sample airfares’ to estimate your full airfare. Your exact airfare will be advised within 2 business days of booking your tour.

Airfares DO include your roundtrip airport transfers in Italy at scheduled times, provided you arrive and depart on scheduled tour dates. If you wish to arrive earlier or extend you stay, airport transfers are not included.

Book Early!

We strongly recommend you BOOK EARLY as lowest airfares are on a first-come first-serve basis. Plus more availability on most convenient flights and best seats.

Air Upgrade At Affordable Prices

When you purchase your coach ticket through Perillo Tours, you can upgrade to Business/First Class for a surcharge of as little as $2799 per person. Live it up a little!

Want to start your vacation early or extend your stay in Italy?  A Perillo Tour’s representative will be happy to help with the arrangements.  Along with extra night hotel accommodations, your air tickets may be booked to arrive before your tour begins or remain after your tour ends.  

Many customers prefer to arrive early to unwind and relax prior to the tour’s start date. Others like to extend their stay to visit with friends or relatives or explore on their own.

Whatever you desire Perillo’s team will help you plan and coordinate your entire journey.

Memories are the most magical part of any Perillo experience. Here are a few memorable moments from our clients.

Have an interesting or inspiring story of your own? Tell us your story and it may be published on our website for others to enjoy!