The Italian Riviera

Day 1: Arrival Milan 

Your Italian Riviera trip will begin in Milan. As with all our Italy tours, you’ll be warmly welcomed with a smile and a wave by both your private driver and Alma Italia tour host. Trips to Italy can be complicated but with Alma Italia private guided tours of Italy, you can relax knowing your Alma Italia host will take care of every little detail for you during your Liguria tour, ensuring you experience the very best of the soul of Italy and her beautiful Riviera coast.

The Alma Italia philosophy is that our guided tours of Italy should be for rest, fun and adventure, to inspire and restore you. The day of your arrival then is meant to be for you to recharge after your long flight. Your private driver will take you straight to your stylish boutique hotel in the heart of Milan where you can relax and get refreshed before a stroll through the centre of Milan to soak up the vibrant atmosphere and dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants in all of Italy. That’s quite a statement considering we are food fanatics here at Alma Italia but the chef Alessandro never lets us or his regular Milanese clientele down!

Day 2: Lake Como day trip

This is of course an Italian Riviera tour  but it would be remiss to come all the way to Milan and not take a side trip to experience the splendour and beauty of Lake Como, only 45 mins drive from Milan. It will immediately become obvious why Lake Como has become a hideout for Hollywood stars. After a slow start and delicious breakfast of fresh coffee and Italian pastries, your private driver and tour guide will bring you to the lakeside village of Como. We’ll stroll around the ancient pretty streets of Como village while your guide recounts some of the amazing stories of Como’s past. Today the village is a hub for artisans and fashionable boutiques so for those of your group who love window shopping, this will be an ideal morning, while those not so keen can relax with a lakeside walk or at our favorite rooftop cafe bar for a delicious mid morning cappuccino.

After a lunch of fish caught in the fresh waters of the lake at a lakeside restaurant, we will take a private boat tour to marvel at the historic villas on the shores of Como. Perhaps we`ll even get a wave from George and Amal who are often at home.

Day 3 Florence

The day begins with a private transfer from your Milan hotel to the train station, the city slowly waking around you as you glide through its wide boulevards. At the station, you step aboard a first-class high-speed train, settling into plush seats as the landscape transforms outside the window. Milan’s sleek skyline fades, replaced by fields of golden wheat, vineyards, and rolling hills dotted with charming farmhouses. The rhythm of the train hums beneath you, the gentle motion paired with the ever-changing scenery creating a calm, reflective start to the journey.

Arriving in Florence, the city’s Renaissance heartbeat is immediately palpable. Your private driver whisks you to your hotel in the historic center, where you have a moment to refresh before stepping out for the afternoon’s exploration. Guided by an expert, you wander the narrow cobbled streets, where sunlight glints off terracotta rooftops and the soft murmur of locals drifts from cafés and piazzas.

You pause before the Duomo, its iconic dome rising majestically above the city, while the Piazza della Signoria reveals the grandeur of Florence’s public life through centuries of art and architecture. Crossing the Ponte Vecchio, you glimpse the glittering Arno below and the small artisan shops that line its span. Hidden alleys and quiet corners offer intimate moments to admire ornate doors, carved stone details, or the soft interplay of light and shadow on the buildings.

The city unfolds like a living museum, each street, church, and square telling stories of artists, merchants, and visionaries who shaped Florence. The combination of speed and ease in travel, followed by the gentle immersion into the city’s history and atmosphere, makes the day a seamless introduction to the Renaissance city, leaving you with a sense of wonder and anticipation for the days ahead.

Day 4 Cooking class in Tuscan Villa

The private transfer from Florence winds through the sun-kissed Tuscan countryside, where rolling hills stretch endlessly, dotted with olive groves, vineyards, and golden fields that shimmer in the morning light. The air carries the faint scent of wild herbs and freshly turned earth, hinting at the flavors awaiting you.

Arriving at Villa Monte Oriolo, the villa rises gracefully among cypress-lined terraces, its warm stone walls bathed in soft light. Gardens spill with color and fragrance, and the distant hills roll like a living painting, inviting you to pause and breathe in the serene beauty of Tuscany.

Inside the villa’s kitchen, the private cooking class begins. Sunlight streams through the windows, catching the glint of copper pots and the vibrant colors of fresh vegetables, herbs, and local ingredients laid out before you. The chef guides you with gentle expertise, showing how to roll delicate pasta, craft rich sauces, and season each dish with precision and care. The air fills with intoxicating aromas—garlic sizzling, herbs releasing their perfume, olive oil glistening in the pan—each scent layering into a sensory tapestry that is both comforting and inspiring.

When the meal is ready, you sit to enjoy it in the villa’s dining room or on a terrace overlooking the rolling hills. Each bite is alive with the richness of Tuscany: creamy cheeses, sun-ripened vegetables, and hand-crafted pasta paired with local wines that glint like liquid amber in the afternoon light. Laughter, conversation, and the quiet murmur of the countryside complete the moment, making it feel timeless.

As the day winds down, your private transfer carries you back to Florence, the road framed by golden light and cypress shadows. You return not just with a meal prepared, but with the memory of flavors, scents, and the gentle rhythm of Tuscany lingering long after the last bite

Day 5 Pisa on the way to Porto Venere

Leaving Florence, your private transfer winds through the rolling Tuscan hills, where cypress-lined roads, vineyards, and olive groves stretch beneath the soft light of the morning. The landscape unfolds like a painting, golden fields and gentle valleys leading you toward the coast, the rhythm of the journey calm and unhurried, giving time to feel the quiet poetry of the Tuscan countryside.

A stop in Pisa offers a pause in this journey through beauty and history. You have time at leisure to wander the famed piazza, gaze up at the Leaning Tower, and marvel at the grandeur of the cathedral and baptistery. Sunlight glimmers on the marble, casting a glow over the intricate details and softly illuminating the surrounding cloisters. Here, history and artistry mingle with the bustle of visitors, yet the magic of the place invites you to slow down, to linger, and to absorb the timeless charm.

Resuming your journey, the road begins to curve toward the Ligurian coast, the hills giving way to cliffs and the sparkling sea stretching toward the horizon. Porto Venere emerges as a jewel of the coast, its pastel houses clinging to rocky promontories above the turquoise water. Upon arrival, the rest of the day is yours to explore at leisure. Wander the narrow streets, where the scent of salt and citrus fills the air, pause at a café to watch the sun play on the harbor, or trace the pathways to the castle and church perched above the town.

Porto Venere feels like a living poem—stone walls kissed by sunlight, waves whispering against the shore, and the soft hum of life in the piazzas below. Every corner invites discovery, every view captures the imagination, leaving you suspended between land, sea, and sky, immersed in the quiet, eternal rhythm of the Ligurian coast.

Day 6 Cinque Terre by Private Boat

The boat rocks gently as it leaves the harbor of Porto Venere, the pastel houses and rocky promontory fading behind you as the Ligurian Sea stretches ahead, sparkling in shades of turquoise and sapphire. The coastline of the Cinque Terre begins to unfold like a living painting, cliffs rising dramatically from the water, dotted with colorful villages clinging precariously to the rocks, vineyards terraced along the hillsides, and hidden coves waiting to be discovered.

The boat glides past Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, each village revealing its unique charm from the sea. The façades glow under the sun, the waves gently lapping against the cliffs, while the scent of salt, sea breeze, and wild herbs carries across the deck. You can pause for a swim in a secluded bay, letting the crystalline water envelope you, or simply relax on board, soaking in the panoramic vistas, the colors, and the rhythm of the Ligurian coast.

Light refreshments or a picnic on board—fresh local focaccia, cheeses, cured meats, and chilled wine—enhance the sensory experience, combining the flavors of Liguria with the spectacular scenery. Every turn of the boat presents a new perspective: the villages shrinking into tiny clusters of color, the cliffs revealing hidden caves and grottoes, and the horizon stretching endlessly between sky and sea.

As the tour loops back toward Porto Venere, the coastline glimmers in the late afternoon light, waves sparkling, cliffs softening, and the villages glowing warmly in the sun. The return journey feels leisurely and reflective, a moment to let the beauty of the Cinque Terre linger before docking. By the end of the day, the memory of sea, cliffs, and villages suspended between earth and sky remains vivid, an unforgettable immersion in one of Italy’s most iconic coastal landscapes.

Day 7 Portofino on the way to Genoa

The drive from Porto Venere to Genoa winds along the Ligurian coastline, where dramatic cliffs rise from the turquoise sea and sun-drenched hills are dotted with olive groves and pastel-colored villages. Each turn of the road reveals sparkling stretches of water, quiet coves, and the subtle scents of salt and wild herbs carried on the breeze, creating a sense of calm and anticipation as the journey unfolds.

A stop in Portofino offers time to explore this legendary fishing village at leisure. The harbor glimmers with yachts and traditional boats, while the colorful façades of the buildings cascade down the hillside toward the water. Narrow streets, boutique shops, and small piazzas invite wandering and quiet pauses, and from the surrounding promontory, sweeping views show the lush hills meeting the sparkling sea, a perfect snapshot of Mediterranean charm.

After the visit, the coastal road continues north, alternating between rugged cliffs and stretches of beach, the shimmering water always present beside you. By the afternoon or early evening, Genoa appears, its historic streets, bustling piazzas, and vibrant port ready to welcome you. The day blends picturesque villages, dramatic coastline, and the timeless elegance of the Italian Riviera, leaving a lingering sense of the beauty and rhythm of this remarkable stretch of Liguria

Day 8 Departure from Genoa

The final chapter of your Italian journey begins with a private transfer from your hotel in the heart of Genoa to the airport, ensuring a seamless and relaxed start to your departure. As the city streets pass by, the rhythm of Genoa—its historic palazzi, bustling piazzas, and glimpses of the sparkling Ligurian Sea—offers one last window onto its vibrant character.

The transfer is smooth and unhurried, allowing time to reflect on the journey: sunlit Tuscan hills, medieval villages, Renaissance streets, sparkling coastlines, and serene beaches—all woven together into memories of a rich and varied adventure. The sights, scents, and flavors of Italy linger as the van glides toward the airport, providing a quiet, contemplative close to the tour.

Unlock the beauty of the real Italy with authentic experiences and local expertise. Step out of the ordinary. Travel deeply.