Arrive in Bologna. Transfer to your centrally located hotel and check in. This evening, dine in the woodlands outside Bologna at Trattoria Da Amerigo, a one-star Michelin restaurant with a retro feel. Over a glass of prosecco, your hosts, Nancy, Ruth and Laurie, will share the food highlights that await you this week. You’ll meet with chef Alberto Bettini, tasting regional classics such as lasagne all while Chef Bettini shares recipes passed down to him from the original restaurant owners, his grandparents. (R, D)

On a walking tour through a Bologna market, discover why the region has such a long tradition of cold cuts. At a local salumeria, sample a selection of cured meats: culatello, prosciutto, mortadella and salame rosa. Continue to a private cooking class with Maestra Alessandra Spinsi in her Vecchia Scuola Bolognese and discover the art of Italian pasta-making. Each region of Italy is renowned for its different pasta shapes and sauces, but it is the Emilia-Romagna region that reigns supreme with fresh egg-based pasta, either long, short, or stuffed. Learn about the different ravioli and tortellini that are so prized in the region, how to cook the perfect “al dente” pasta, and how to pair shape and sauce. Roll up your sleeves and learn the delicate art of making tortellini before sitting down for a warm broth, filled with these parcels of delight. Enjoy some time at leisure this afternoon in Bologna. This evening, choose to join locals in a passeggiata, a stroll through town for an aperitivo. Plans are underway for an optional dinner at the Casa Maria Luigia with Michelin-starred chef, Massimo Bottura. The full details of the meal as well as information about the additional charge will be provided later in the year. (B, L)

Head north to Modena, a city in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region. Visit Acetaia Giusti to taste the highly prized balsamic vinegar recently featured in the Stanley Tucci series, “Searching for Italy.” Continue to Osteria di Rubbiara, a family-run tavern that is surrounded by Lambrusco vineyards and has earned its spot as one of the finest producers of balsamic vinegar in the area. Learn about the production and aging process of the vinegar before enjoying a lunch that includes the family’s spectacular tortellini, as well as several dishes featuring balsamic vinegar. After lunch, learn about the aging process of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at an organic farm, and sample different varieties of the King of Cheese. Return to Bologna for a leisurely evening. (B, L)

This morning discover FICO Eataly World, Italy’s largest “field-to-fork” experience, located just outside Bologna. Try your hand at making focaccia and pizza before sitting down to a light lunch. There will be time to explore the park and shop for some of your favorite Italian food items. For those who prefer to discover the cultural highlights of Bologna, there will be a walking tour in the city center instead of a visit to FICO and a lunch at leisure. This afternoon, continue your journey through the center of Italy, over the Apennines mountains, through the picturesque rolling hills of the Mugello wine region, landing in Florence. Sit down this evening for a menu featuring the fruits of the season: porcini mushrooms and truffles. (B, D)

This morning, visit the Castello di Verazzano winery in the heart of the Chianti classico wine-producing region. Discover some of the key factors that help produce the prized wine—altitude, clay soil, and micro-climate—and conclude the visit with a tasting of wine and delicately delicious olive oil. Afterwards, visit Dario Cecchini, an award-winning butcher who seeks to source the best local meats and offer his customers the best cuts. Sit down for a convivial meal and savor the succulent bistecca alla fiorentina. Return to Florence. Late this afternoon on a passeggiata, visit several renowned gelato producers, and learn about the process of making gelato. Sample a variety of flavors from the classic rich and creamy nocciola to pistachio or limone. (B, L)

Discuss seasonal foods and produce with your hosts as you drive out into the Tuscan countryside to Da Delfina. The menu at this family-run restaurant is a celebration of Tuscan food, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. Meet with the original owner’s son and current chef and tour the garden before joining chef Carlo in the kitchen to create his hearty ribollita soup. Return to Florence in the afternoon. As the sun goes down, sip an aperitivo of your choice at a local enoteca. (B, L)

Set off from the hotel on foot with a local guide. Take in the key sites from the Ponte Vecchio to the iconic duomo and pass some of the historic wine holes on your way to the bustling central market. Pause for coffee at a local bar and join a Food Culture expert prior to viewing the seasonal produce on sale at the market stalls. Continue to one of Nancy’s favorite sandwich joints in the city, L’Antico Vinaio, nominated “the world’s best panino” by Saveur magazine. On a narrow cobble-stoned side street, bite into schiacciata bread filled with some sbriciolona meat, or select the sharp, local pecorino cheese or the tender lampredotto. After an afternoon at leisure, gather for a memorable final dinner at Ora D’Aria where Michelin-starred chef Marco Stabile creates Tuscan dishes that blend traditional skill with contemporary style. (B, L, D)

Depart Florence on individual flights home. (B)