We fly to Milan airport and after meeting our tour manager, transfer to our hotel, the 4-star Miramonti Resort & Spa, in Rota d’Imagna – our base for six nights. On the way, we stop for a fantastic lunch at a local trattoria. Once at our hotel, we enjoy a prosecco or non-alcoholic drink as a welcome followed by dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Today we set our sights on Lombardy’s Imagna Valley, an oasis of green in the Alpine foothills which is rich in history, art, culture, and culinary tradition. We visit the Arnosto Museum to trace the story of the ‘roof of the Imagna’ and call at the Cornabusa Sanctuary, a spiritual refuge inside a mountain cave. A highlight is a fabulous, authentic lunch at Antica Locanda Roncaglia, a historic eatery in the lovely village of Roncaglia, which specialises in using local ingredients to recreate ancient regional recipes. This evening we will enjoy a light dinner in the hotel restaurant.

A visit to Brescia awaits today. This underrated city bristles with artistic and archaeological treasures, including elegant piazzas, Venetian villas, Roman ruins, an 8th century monastery, two cathedrals, an astronomical clock and captivating museums. We discover the main sights and learn how this lovely place was recently honoured as a European Region of Gastronomy – a sure sign of quality of its cuisine. We then continue to the Redaelli de Zinis, a farm-winery in the Valtenesi hills, where we enjoy a wine-tasting accompanied by local delicacies and explanations of local history and prosecco-making. This evening we enjoy dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Today is spent at leisure, perhaps relaxing at your hotel, enjoying the spa and swimming pool or sampling the sights of pretty Rota d’Imagna independently. During the day, we attend a cooking demonstration by our hotel owner Giampiero and his Mama, who shows us the techniques behind the region’s beloved casoncelli – a generations-old sweet and savoury stuffed pasta redolent of Imagna’s earthy home-cooking. We also experience a cheese-tasting, savouring some of the valley’s unique cheeses, such as soft and creamy stracchino, which reflect the area’s Alpine location and abundant dairy farms. A selection of local wines adds to our enjoyment! This evening we enjoy dinner in the hotel restaurant with our very own handmade casoncelli on the menu!

We travel to Bergamo for another day of discovery. This bustling city has a historic hilltop core divided from its lower city by Venetian walls that command spectacular views, and was named Italy’s cultural capital in 2023. A guided walking tour of this Città Alta sees us wind through the cobblestoned streets to view its medieval houses, atmospheric churches, and picturesque piazzas, together with its fine museums and galleries. This afternoon, we delve deeper into the heart of Lombardy by tasting a selection of the region’s most distinctive wines. This evening we enjoy dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Lake Iseo, north Italy’s fourth-biggest lake and one of Lombardy’s hidden gems is our focus today. Often overlooked by tourists, this idyllic, mountain-ringed lake is hemmed with medieval villages. After strolling the pretty alleyways of Lovere, we ride a boat along the lake to Iseo where there is time to experience its harbourfront, historic centre and perhaps browse its market. On our way back to Rota d’Imagna, we visit the Cascina Carretto, an agritourism estate run by the Lamberti family. Sample some of the wines produced here alongside platters of tasty bruschetta, tomatoes and aromatic cheese. This evening we enjoy a light dinner in the hotel restaurant.

After breakfast, we begin our journey back to Milan airport, stopping en route for a superb farewell lunch at a traditional restaurant. After this final opportunity to relish Lombardy’s rich and hearty cuisine, we catch our return flight to the UK.