Day 1 | June 24
Day 1 | June 24
Arriving in Milan | Farm-to-Table Dinner
Bon Giorno, Milano! Make your way to our first farm stay to meet your fellow travelers. Located about 30 minutes outside of central Milan is Argiturismo Dolce Luna. This lush property includes a magnificent garden of olive groves, palm trees and fruit trees with free-roaming animals such as horses, geese, donkeys, goats, ostriches, cows and birds. Bring your swimwear! If you arrive early you can relax by the pool with a refreshing beverage! Dinner will be a farm-to-table dinner on the property at 8 pm.
Sleep: Agriturismo Dolce Luna, Milan
(D)
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Day 2 | June 25
Day 2 | June 25
Exploring Milan Like a Local
After a farm breakfast, and perhaps a little time meeting the resident animals, we drive into Milan to meet our local guide to take us for a local biking adventure. For participants who do not wish to bike, we will have another guide doing a walking tour of a few of Milan's neighborhoods. In the afternoon we will visit Leonardo’s Vineyard (La Vigna di Leonardo) which lies tucked within the lush gardens of the Casa degli Atellani, an elegant private residence. This will provide us with a unique opportunity to experience the Milanese Renaissance. We will have dinner together at a traditional Milanese restaurant in the city center.

Sleep: Agriturismo Dolce Luna, Milan
(B/D)
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Day 3 | June 26
Day 3 | June 26
Piemonte | Barolo, Barbera d'Alba, Barbaresco
Early departure for Piemonte. We will meet our local guide in Alba for a walking tour. Wine tasting & lunch at a local winery. Evening to explore Alba after checking in at your hotel. Dinner on your own.

Sleep: Hotel I Castelli, Alba
(B, L)

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Day 4 | June 27
Day 4 | June 27
Genoa | Food Feast on the Italian Riviera
After breakfast, we depart for Genoa. We will meet our local foodie guide in the beautiful Piazza S. Matteo and stop at one of the best bakeries in town. We'll explore the labyrinth of narrow streets and discover some charming spots such as Piazza delle Vigne and Piazza Banchi. We'll stop at the old port and by Sottoripa, a very old street that represented one of the first markets in town, where we can try some seafood. We will visit a wine cellar located in the oldest part of the city for a tasting. The tour will end with handcrafted dessert.

After our tour, we will make our way to Reggio Emilia for a wonderful agriturismo stay at a former dairy farm. Dinner on your own.

Sleep: Agriturismo La Razza, Reggio Emilia
(B, L)
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Day 5 | June 28
Day 5 | June 28
Specialties of Emilia-Romagna
After breakfast at the agriturismo, we will meet our guide and begin our explorations of Emilia-Romagna. We will start with a visit to 4 Madonne Casery, a Parmesano Reggiano factory. Next stop will be Acetaia La Tradizione, where we will learn about the art of making balsamic vinegar. Lunch at Locanda Smeraldi is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience. Dinner at our beautiful agriturismo!

Sleep: Agriturismo La Razza, Reggio Emilia
(B, D)
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Day 6 | June 29
Day 6 | June 29
Emilia-Romagna >> Florence
Today we explore continue to explore Reggio Emilia! After breakfast we will once again meet up with our local guide for a visit to an organic winery. A wonderful lunch will follow. Afternoon departure for Florence. After checking in at our hotel in the heart of the city, we will join our Florence guide for a welcome drink. Then take an opportunity to experience Firenze at night with dinner on your own.
Sleep: Le Stanze del Duomo, Florence
(B)
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Day 7 | June 30
Day 7 | June 30
Exploring Firenze
Experience all that the "Jewel of the Renaissance" has to offer! A full day guided walking tour of Florence's beauty and history! This will include visits to the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery. Early evening wine tasting in the heart of the Florentine old town. For dinner you'll get an unforgettable panoramic view of the city in a welcoming and peaceful environment up in the hills.

Sleep: Le Stanze del Duomo, Florence
(B, D)
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Day 8 | July 1
Day 8 | July 1
Day trip to Siena
Today we set out early for a day trip under the Tuscan sun to Siena. We will have a wine tasting and a leisurely farewell lunch at a winery in San Gimignano...followed by a stop for gelato! Return to Florence and (if you're still hungry) enjoy dinner on your own. Pack and prepare for your journey back home.

Sleep: Le Stanze del Duomo, Florence

(B, L)
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Day 9 | July 2
Day 9 | July 2
Florence >> Home
Today, for those not extending their tour, we say arrivederci to Italy for now, and catch our flights back home.
(B)

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Day 1 | June 24

Arriving in Milan | Farm-to-Table Dinner

The food was amazing! Very healthy and I loved having a chef make us meals each day. The retreat center was serene and the massages were wonderful. I loved the herbalogy and the tinctures made on site. Where else could you have ripe mangos falling from trees?! Kat and Cila were the best! They took care of our every need. The yoga with Kat was superb. She modified each class according to the group's needs. Very restorative and an opportunity to go within while basking in paradise. The family constellations session lead by Cila was amazing. Very healing and an interesting concept. The excursions were great. We saw the rain forests, mountains, beaches and lots of animals. Ziplining was a once in a lifetime experience. The people that attended were lovely as well. Lots of great stories were told and lots of laughter. Overall, it was a great week. Thanks so much Kat and Cila! I thoroughly enjoyed this experience! Carol Huie

By carol h for Finding Pura Vida: Costa Rica Wellness Retreat on Apr 30, 2025

Beautiful retreat center with incredible food and a totally welcoming atmosphere. Be forewarned of many stairs to different levels of the facility. Good variety of outings and more quiet moments at the retreat center itself. Excellent yoga sessions. Good health and well being services such as health counseling, and massage. I found Costa Rica to b hot and humid, but could be comfortable with shade, room fans, and a swimming pool. My retreat was coordinated through Cultural Journeys and held at Amatierra.

By Elena B for Finding Pura Vida: Costa Rica Wellness Retreat on Apr 28, 2025

The experience in Tikal where we actually visited the ruins was wonderful. However, the experience working with Cross Cultural Journeys (who organized this trip) was very frustrating. Logistics and communication were challenging - we had to ask for a detailed itinerary (e.g. times, dates, names, transit info, contact info, etc.). Additionally, we were told upon payment that we would have individual rooms only to find out later that we we sharing rooms (at the same cost...). I would recommend people organize this kind of trip themselves in the future.

By Joshua K for UW Foster School of Business | Tikal Extension on Apr 06, 2025

Joshua, thank you for your constructive feedback. While we are so happy you enjoyed the visit itself, we sincerely apologize for the communication challenges leading up to the trip. We learned a valuable lesson that sending emails and updates through our travel portal sometimes prevents valuable information from being seen. We have emailed you directly so please feel free to reply so we can discuss your concerns further.

By Cross Cultural Journeys on Apr 10, 2025

I enjoyed this trip very much. It was very well organized with timely communication and updates. The hotels were very clean and the meals provided offered great variety & were delicious.

By Catherine A for Momentum Music School on Jul 17, 2024

We loved our trip! Our tour guide Kat was amazing, she was so personable and on top of everything (and special bonus, she offered yoga on the beach at sunrise - one of my trip highlights). We also loved the Spanish tour guides! I would definitely use Kat and Cross Cultural Journeys for future travel plans!