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, km 410.

   Departure from the meeting point of your choice – in the afternoon, visit of Gradara (a medieval village that still stands as one of the finest and best-preserved medieval town centers anywhere; much of its fame rests on the magnificent, imposing Malatesta Fortress, one of the most intact and significant strongholds in Italy) – lunch on your own – tasting of local specialties – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in San Marino – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, San Marino by night: walking tour of the historic center with your tour leader – overnight stay.

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

   Site” – San Leo “a timeless village” – Verucchio “cradle of the Malatesta family”, 6 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit of San Marino (its remarkable UNESCO-listed historic center 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, renowned for its spectacular setting, its Renaissance fortress – interior visit – the cathedral and the bell tower on Monte della Guardia) and of Verucchio (historic center with the Malatesta Fortress) – traditional lunch at a local restaurant – tasting of local specialties – return to the hotel in San Marino in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Rimini by night: evening stroll by private coach with your tour leader – overnight stay.

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

   architecture” – Ravenna, 100 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – 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, home in medieval times to the fish and vegetable market; the Palazzo dell’Arengo, the Palazzo del Podestà, the Palazzo Garampi and the Teatro Galli; the Arch of Augustus, symbol of Rimini; the Roman amphitheater, which once hosted gladiators and was only slightly smaller than the Colosseum; the Malatesta Temple; and Rimini Cathedral, the unfinished masterpiece of Leon Battista Alberti, whose apse holds Giotto’s splendid crucifix) and of Forlì (broad squares and elegant palaces, a center defined by arcades, statues and buildings that together form the finest example of Rationalist architecture in Italy, among them the main square, Piazza Saffi, famous for its extraordinary size and for the imposing historic buildings of different eras around it, such as the medieval Basilica of San Mercuriale and the 15th-century Palazzo Albertini and Palazzo del Podestà) – traditional lunch at a local restaurant – tasting of DOC wines – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Ravenna – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Ravenna by night: evening stroll by private coach with your tour leader – overnight stay.

4. 4Day 4The Comacchio Valleys & Ravenna “Byzantine mosaics, a UNESCO World…

   Heritage Site”, 50 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, motorboat excursion through the Comacchio Valleys (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 lunch of fish and eel at a local restaurant – in the afternoon, 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, the Basilica of San Vitale, renowned for the beautiful mosaics of its vaults and chapels, and 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: panoramic tour by private coach and walking tour of the historic center with your tour leader – overnight stay.

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

   Reggio Emilia “the Italian flag”, 200 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided tour of Modena (Piazza Grande with the cathedral and the Ghirlandina Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Corso Duomo, the Via Emilia, the historic halls of the Town Hall and the historic Albinelli Market) – visit to a balsamic vinegar producer – tasting lunch – in the afternoon, 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: walking tour of the historic center with your tour leader, with private coach – overnight stay.

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

   UNESCO World Heritage Site”, 150 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided tour of Sabbioneta (an intact star-shaped town with six bastions at its points: this is the striking urban 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 clad in marble; the Palazzo Ducale, the Palazzo Giardino with the Galleria degli Antichi, and the Teatro all’Antica) – visit to a rice farm, with a walk through the paddies and an explanation 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 rice is processed – tasting lunch – in the afternoon, guided tour of Mantua (a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Palazzo Te by Giulio Romano – interior visit – and the Palazzo Ducale, or Gonzaga Palace – exterior visit) – return to the hotel in Parma in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, walking tour with your 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, guided tour of Parma (the historic center, the monumental Pilotta complex with the Farnese Theater, the National Gallery, the cathedral and the baptistery) – visit in Langhirano to a producer of Prosciutto di Parma – tasting lunch – in the afternoon, 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 – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

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

   stood still”, 120 km. Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, visit to a producer of the famous Parmigiano Reggiano, followed by a tasting – afterward, 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 – tasting of DOC wines – return to the hotel in Parma in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

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

   Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, 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 on your own – departure for the return journey – arrival in the evening. Please note: the order of the visits may be changed among the various days depending on museum opening hours or operational requirements, but the program itself remains unchanged.