Grand Tour of Emilia Romagna & San Marino - The 5 Senses 2026-27

Day-by-day itinerary

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1. 1Day 1Rome – Gradara, “the fortress of Paolo and Francesca” – San Marino…

   410 km. Departure from your chosen meeting point – in the afternoon, a visit of Gradara (a medieval village that stands today as one of the finest and best-preserved medieval centres anywhere; much of its fame rests on the magnificent, imposing Malatesta fortress, one of the most intact and most significant strongholds in Italy) – lunch at leisure – tasting of local specialities – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in San Marino – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, San Marino by night: a walking tour of the historic centre with the tour leader – overnight stay.

2. 2Day 2San Marino, “the ancient land of liberty, a UNESCO World Heritage…

   Site” – San Leo, “a timeless village” – Verucchio, “the cradle of the Malatesta family”, 6 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – a visit of San Marino (its distinctive UNESCO-listed historic centre with the Three Towers, Piazza della Libertà, palaces and churches, including an interior visit of the first and second towers), of San Leo (a beautifully preserved village with the atmosphere of another age, celebrated for its spectacular setting, the Renaissance fortress – interior visit – the cathedral and the bell tower on Monte della Guardia) and of Verucchio (the historic centre with the Malatesta fortress) – traditional lunch at a local restaurant – tasting of local specialities – return to the hotel in San Marino in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Rimini by night: an evening stroll by private coach with the tour leader – overnight stay.

3. 3Day 3Rimini, “far more than the seaside”, and Forlì, “Rationalist…

   architecture” – Ravenna, 100 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – a visit of Rimini (the ancient Tiberius Bridge, built in Roman times at the will of Augustus and linking the city with San Giuliano; the old fishermen’s quarter; Corso d’Augusto; Piazza Tre Martiri with its archaeological remains; Piazza Cavour, which in medieval times held the fish and vegetable market; the Palazzo dell’Arengo, the Palazzo del Podestà, the Palazzo Garampi and the Teatro Galli; the Arch of Augustus, emblem of Rimini; the Roman amphitheatre, which once staged gladiatorial games and was only slightly smaller than the Colosseum; the Malatesta Temple; and Rimini Cathedral, the unfinished masterpiece of Leon Battista Alberti, which holds Giotto’s splendid crucifix in the apse) and of Forlì (broad squares and elegant palaces, with a centre defined by arcades, statues and buildings that form the finest example of Rationalist architecture in Italy, among them the main square, Piazza Saffi, famous for its remarkable scale and for its imposing historic buildings of many periods, such as the medieval Basilica of San Mercuriale and the fifteenth-century Palazzo Albertini and Palazzo del Podestà) – traditional lunch at a local restaurant – DOC wine tasting – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Ravenna – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Ravenna by night: an evening stroll by private coach with the tour leader – overnight stay.

4. 4Day 4The Valli di Comacchio and Ravenna, “Byzantine mosaics, a UNESCO World…

   Heritage Site” – 50 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, a motorboat excursion through the Valli di Comacchio (the visit includes a stop at the old fishing huts, restored and turned into genuine museums displaying the furnishings and tools of the fishing tradition) – traditional fish and eel lunch at a local restaurant – in the afternoon, a guided tour of Ravenna and its UNESCO-listed early Christian monuments (the Neonian Baptistery, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia with its dome painted like a starry sky, and the Basilica of San Vitale, renowned for the beautiful mosaics of its vaults and chapels, as well as the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo) – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Ravenna – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Ravenna by night: a panoramic tour by private coach and a walking tour of the historic centre with the tour leader – overnight stay.

5. 5Day 5Ravenna – Modena, “a UNESCO World Heritage Site and fine food” and…

   Reggio Emilia, “the Italian flag”, 200 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, a guided tour of Modena (Piazza Grande with the cathedral and the Ghirlandina tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Corso Duomo, Via Emilia, the historic halls of Modena Town Hall, and the historic Albinelli market) – visit to a balsamic vinegar producer – tasting lunch – in the afternoon, a guided tour of Reggio Emilia (the Town Hall, Piazza Prampolini, Vicolo Broletto, the Basilica of San Prospero, the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Ghiara, Piazza della Vittoria) – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Parma – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Parma by night: a walking tour of the historic centre with the tour leader and private coach – overnight stay.

6. 6Day 6Sabbioneta, “the Gonzaga ideal city”, and Mantua, “Virgil’s city, a…

   UNESCO World Heritage Site”, 150 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, a guided tour of Sabbioneta (an intact star-shaped town with six bastions at its points: such is the striking plan of UNESCO-listed Sabbioneta; the citadel has two main gates, Porta Vittoria to the west, the older of the two, and Porta Imperiale to the east, opened in 1579 and faced in marble; the Palazzo Ducale, the Palazzo Giardino with the Galleria degli Antichi, and the Teatro all’Antica) – a visit to a rice estate with a walk through the paddy fields and an account of how rice is grown, followed by a visit to the historic rice mill, where the original water wheel still turns, and an explanation of how the grain is processed – tasting lunch – in the afternoon, a guided tour of Mantua (a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Palazzo Te by Giulio Romano – interior visit – and the Palazzo Ducale, or Gonzaga Palace – seen from the outside) – return to the hotel in Parma in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, a walking tour with the tour leader – overnight stay.

7. 7Day 7Parma, “Italian Capital of Culture 2021” – Langhirano, “Parma ham”…

   Fontanellato, “the Labirinto della Masone”, 100 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, a guided tour of Parma (the historic centre, the monumental Pilotta complex with the Farnese Theatre, the National Gallery, the cathedral and the baptistery) – a visit in Langhirano to a Parma ham producer – tasting lunch – in the afternoon, a visit to Fontanellato and the largest labyrinth in the world, created by the Franco Maria Ricci Foundation – return to the hotel in Parma in the evening – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure – the tour leader is at guests’ disposal – overnight stay.

8. 8Day 8Parmigiano Reggiano – Soragna – Castell’Arquato, “where time has…

   stood still”, 120 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, a visit to a producer of the famous Parmigiano Reggiano, followed by a tasting – afterwards, a guided tour of Soragna (the Rocca Meli Lupi di Soragna and the Parmigiano Reggiano Museum) and of Castell’Arquato (a beautiful medieval village with the Palazzo del Podestà, the Visconti fortress and the collegiate church) – traditional lunch at a local restaurant – DOC wine tasting – return to the hotel in Parma in the evening – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure – the tour leader is at guests’ disposal – overnight stay.

9. 9Day 9Parma – Bologna – Rome, 500 km

   Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, a guided tour of Bologna (Piazza Maggiore with the Neptune Fountain, the Basilica of San Petronio, the Two Towers, the Basilica of Santo Stefano, also known as the Seven Churches, and the UNESCO-listed porticoes) – lunch at leisure – departure for the return journey – arrival in the evening. Please note: the order of visits may be changed between days according to museum opening times or operational requirements, but the programme itself remains unchanged.