Italy Family Vacation for First Timers

After a restorative night’s rest, you will wake to the smell of freshly roasted espresso beans and freshly baked pastries. For those with a sweet tooth, you will find so much to like in the typical Roman breakfast of sweetbread and frothy cappuccinos. After a leisurely morning, you can take advantage of your extra sugar-fueled energy and depart Rome for the countryside. Today you will be privately escorted to an agriturismo, which is a typical Italian farm-stay in the heart of the region of Umbria, the neighbor of Tuscany.

Today will be the perfect day to relax in the countryside at your private estate after traversing the cobblestone streets of Rome yesterday. The Umbria region is known for its hilltop villages, rolling hills with dense forest, and marvelous cuisine and wines. Your agriturismo hosts will be at your beck and call in addition to being ready to guide you through their home region’s highlights and delights.

You can take a dip in the private pool, lounge in the sun, or get your kids involved in some of the day-to-day farm activities that happen at the agriturismo. Children and animal lovers of all ages will enjoy feeding the farm animals, and young helpers can also pick produce for dinner this evening. The nearby, winding country roads are perfect for an afternoon stroll or cycle, and upon your return, your host will have set up a wine tasting with regional wines from Umbria. You will be able to smell, sip, and savor the crystalline liquid, and Umbria is best known for its crisp, refreshing whites that are perfect if you are trying to cool off on a warm, summer afternoon. Your hosts will have also arranged for an evening snack, which will be your own personal aperitivo, of crusty Italian breads, Pecorino cheese, cured meats, and with local truffle and olive oils to try.

A private chef will visit your countryside estate to prepare a fantastic dinner that will be customized to your family’s tastes and to the region’s specialties. Adventurous eaters will surely want to try the local specialty of cinghiale, which is wild boar. This can be made into a meat sauce and enjoyed over fresh hand-made pasta. Truffle sauce pastas are another local specialty, and hearty stews are a regional favorite. With fresh, local produce that is grown outside your front door, you can expect your meal to be fresh, organic, and flavorful.

After another stunning breakfast with seasonal fruits and freshly brewed coffee, you will join your driver and venture to the region’s capital of Perugia. A beautiful university town, Perugia will be everything that you picture when you imagine Italy. You can visit the cobblestoned town squares, hear the bells in the church towers as they ring, and peruse the shops and local outdoor markets. You will easily lose track of time in this quaint, hilltop city with spectacular views over Umbria.

Perugia, which is one of Italy’s chocolate capitals, is famous for its Perugina brand chocolate, which is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Maybe you have noticed their trademark Baci or kisses, which are foil-covered, dark chocolate balls with crunchy hazelnut cores. These tend to line the shop shelves all over the country. If you are visiting Perugia in October, then you will be able to take part in Eurochocolate, which is the city’s annual chocolate festival. For visitors year-round, however, the Perugina factory just outside the city opens its doors to you. Casa del Cioccolato immerses visitors in a whimsical chocolate experience, beginning with the scent of chocolate as it wafts out of the factory doors. You will get your whole family involved in a hands-on, private chocolate making workshop before inventing and enjoying your own chocolate creations. You can have this opportunity to indulge in as many sweet treats and chocolates as you want.

Afterward, if you still have an appetite, you will delight in a nice meal in Perugia, which will be located in the main square next to the cathedral that towers above the neighboring rooftops. Local pizzerias are plentiful here, and with endless toppings and a quick, 3-minute baking process, your palate is sure to be pleased. After a post-dinner stroll and a creamy gelato to end your night, your driver will escort you back to your peaceful getaway in the countryside.

After a relaxing stay at your countryside retreat, it will be time to transfer into the heart of Tuscany. Florence is the capital of the region but differs from Rome in its compact size and colorful buildings. Once you arrive, you can bask in the Tuscan sunshine as it enhances Florence’s skyline of orange-tiled rooftops and the candy-colored pink, green, and white striped cathedral.

Youthful adventurers will delight in the opportunity to climb to the top of the cathedral’s dome, which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The breathtaking views of the whole city will be framed by the green hills of Tuscany and are sure to impress every member of your group. You can take some time to also explore the cool and calm interior of the cathedral away from the crowds.

In a nearby neighboring square, you will find the Palazzo Vecchio, which is the current town hall of Florence that was used to house city government officials and offices. The replica of Michelangelo’s David will guide you to the entrance of this stunning building, and inside this towering palace are ornately frescoed rooms, hidden courtyards, and decadent apartments. With your private guide, you will have the chance to go through hidden passageways in addition to being able to try on the traditional clothes of the era. Your expert guide will answer any questions that you have, leading you on an exciting and immersive experience.

After a full day of enthralling excursions, you will take a moment to slow down on a leisurely sunset boat ride on the Arno River. During the golden hour, the sun will shine off the glass windows of the building-lined river, and the sunset hues will be reflected in the calm, still waters below you. You will then delight in seeing Florence from this new perspective: on its uncrowded waterway from a Florentine gondola.

Even in the middle of downtown Florence, you can find a landscaped garden that is hidden behind a luxurious palace. After a leisurely breakfast in your luxurious accommodation, you will stretch your legs with a morning stroll through the famous Boboli Gardens. You can cross the Arno River on the famous Ponte Vecchio, which is packed with jewelry-filled windows in the shops that call the bridge home. The Boboli Gardens are located behind the Pitti Palace, which was once home to the Medici family and a Renaissance palace that you can also explore. Your children will enjoy the large maze of garden areas to run around in, and after a race to the top hill, you will be rewarded with beautiful views all over the city. You can then wander down the wide avenues and make a game out of spotting the statues, grottoes, and fountains that are hidden in the greenery.

After strolling around the vast gardens, you will have worked up an appetite, so it will be the perfect afternoon to spend in with a pizzaiolo to learn the art of pizza making. Your private chef will instruct you all on how to make the perfect pizza, suggesting fresh topping combinations that everyone will enjoy. Every member of your family will enjoy this hands-on experience from shaping the dough into the perfect size to spreading the freshly crushed tomatoes and mozzarella on it. Pizza Margherita is a national favorite, and the colors of the Italian flag are reflected in the red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil leaves. You can smell the crust as it crisps in the oven, beckoning you to indulge in your own personal creation. After you have treated yourself to pizza, a gelato lesson will be included next. You will be given the chance to learn about the history of gelato, including the ingredients that make this characteristically creamy style so popular. Of course, there will be plenty of opportunities to sample many different and unique flavors during the lesson.

Today, you and your family will venture to Turin, which is the capital of the Piedmont region, with a private driver. You will leave Tuscany behind and now enter into Northern Italy, replacing green hills with snowcapped peaks. You may recognize Turin as the location of the 2006 Winter Olympics, but this city is still not as frequented by tourists as Rome or Florence are, so you can enjoy an authentic and serene Italian city experience here. The famous architect, Le Corbusier, described Turin as "the city with the most beautiful natural location in the world.”  As you move closer to international borders, you may notice the feel that this Italian city is more influenced by its French neighbors than the ones you have encountered thus far. Turin, like Florence and Rome, is filled with churches and palaces to explore, and the trademark Mole Antonelliana spire is visible from wherever you are in the city.

You will begin your tour of Turin at the Mole Antonelliana. Inside this landmark is an interactive, hands-on museum, the National Museum of Cinema, which allows visitors of all ages to explore movie sets, to learn about the history of film, to marvel at old movie posters, and to lounge in a recliner in the rotunda as large-scale film projections dance across the walls. If you want to visit the top of the Mole Antonelliana, there is a glass elevator that runs through the center of the museum, which will take you up for sweeping views of the city.

After working up an appetite in the museum, your next stop will be Eataly, which will be sure to please everyone. Eataly is now a recognizable, worldwide chain that is famous for exporting authentic Italian cuisine and products all over the world. Eataly is a part upscale grocery store and part restaurant, housing the finest Italian products with both sit down dining and informal counters that allow you to try many Italian specialties. While Eataly locations can be found throughout Italy, the Lingotto location is the company’s flagship, is impressive in size, and is set in a converted factory. You can smell the tomatoes as they roast and are prepared for fresh bruschetta before watching fresh pasta as it is made in front of you. All the Italian foods that you have been wanting to try and more are here in Eataly.

Next door to Eataly is a shopping center that is housed in the former Fiat car factory. The Fiat automobile brand was born in Turin, and while the old factory is no longer in use, the original test track, which is located on top of the shopping center, remains intact and ready for you to visit. There are no cars up here anymore, but your whole family will enjoy imagining the Fiat vehicles as they race along the track. After you have gotten your fill of the track, you will be returned to your luxurious accommodation, where you will have the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Turin is the heart of the Italian automotive industry, so car buffs will be in their element here. The National Car Museum is perfect for your whole family because it is filled with interactive exhibitions. A private guide will lead you through the museum, which showcases the history of the automobile, including almost 200 vehicles from different decades. You will begin with carriages, which was the precursor to modern cars, before you are led through the present. The local Fiat brand cars can be found in this museum as well. With a whole floor that is dedicated to interactive exhibits, this museum aims to engage visitors of all ages and is a family favorite.

After an exciting day of learning all about cars, your family will be ready to hop in your private vehicle for a relaxing ride to your final destination of Milan.

By culminating your trip in Northern Italy’s biggest city, you will visit stunning Milan. Milan is a modern hub in old-world Italy but it is still imbued with the utmost charm.

Milan is known to be a bustling business center, but the hum will disappear as you slip into the cool, calm, and quiet marble interior of the Duomo. Shafts of light will shine through the stained-glass windows that line the nave. You will also have a hard time deciding whether to look up to the intricate ceilings, over to the colorful, stained-glass windows, or down below your feet to the patterned marble floors. This oasis of peace is the perfect place to indulge a breath of fresh air in the bustling center of Milan. You can stretch your legs and climb to the top of the roof before wandering among the cathedral’s spires to enjoy the view of Milan.

As you walk outside the Duomo, you can admire it from the main square. You will be able to notice how it differs in style from other cathedrals because this one was built in the Gothic style. It is also the largest cathedral in Italy and one of the biggest in the world.

After your cathedral visit, you can decide if you want to stroll down one of the adjoining main avenues that are filled with designer boutiques and flagship shops. Milan is the fashion capital of Italy and has no shortage of exclusive stores to explore. Glittering jewels and shiny patent pumps may catch your eye from the fashionable window displays, and the smell of roasting espresso beans will waft out of the many sidewalk cafes, where you can stop for a break before your next stop.

Sports enthusiasts will delight in the next stop: San Siro Stadium. Here, you can join your private guide, and together you will explore Italy’s largest stadium, which is the home to AC Milan. Even those who do not follow soccer will delight in this architectural masterpiece, which will make you feel small among the many seats and stands in the empty stadium. You will be able to imagine the roar of the crowd in addition to picturing the boisterous and devout Italian soccer fans as they cheer on their home teams. Your guide will be happy to give your sports fans all the facts and stats. You will then be able to imagine yourselves as all-star athletes playing on this famous field.

After a full day of exploring in Milan, it will be time for a final Italian dinner. You can try the local Risotto alla Milanese or homemade pasta with mushroom sauce. To complement your meal, you can indulge in a delicious glass of wine while the younger members of the family savor a creamy gelato.

This morning, you can enjoy a freshly brewed espresso at your luxurious accommodation. After breakfast, you will be escorted by your private transfer to one of Milan’s international airports, where you will have to say goodbye to a perfect adventure in Italy.