Roman Cuisine with Valentina Harris

Itinerary

• Day 1 - arrival

  Our hotel for the duration is the 4* Kolbe, perfectly located close to the Colosseum. This evening we will cross the Tiber to the vibrant Trastevere district where we have dinner at one of Valentina’s favourite restaurants - in Piazza Santa Maria - the perfect introduction to Roman cuisine.

• Day 2 - Pantheon and the Villa Borghese

  We start our day in Rome at the Pantheon, the most impressive Ancient Roman structure still intact and home to the tomb of Raphael. We shall join Valentina for a tour of the daily food market in Campo de’Fiori, including a delicious light lunch, where Valentina will introduce a variety of Roman specialties and local wines. In the late afternoon we will visit the Villa Borghese with its remarkable sculpture collection, followed by dinner at a unique restaurant in the former atelier of sculptor Antonio Canova.

• Day 3 - Zagarolo

  Escaping to the Lazio countryside for the day, we visit Zagarolo, a beautiful Renaissance village in the Roman hills just an hour from the city centre. Here we meet a local expert for a tasting of local produce and wines. We will continue to Castel Gandolfo, summer retreat of emperors, aristocrats and popes, for lunch overlooking the sparkling waters of the volcanic lake. Finally, we shall visit nearby Palestrina, where we will see the magnificent Nile Mosaic created by Alexandrian craftsmen in the 1st century BC.

• Day 4 - lunch at restaurant Imàgo

  After a morning at leisure we shall stroll up the Spanish Steps for an aperitif with a view at the elegant Casina Valadier at the highest point on Pincio hill. We then continue to the famous Hotel Hassler for lunch in the Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant Imàgo. Sitting down at one of the best restaurants in Rome, at the top of the Spanish Steps, with a vista over the Roman skyline, is an unforgettable moment. The rest of the afternoon is free and this evening there will be an optional visit to St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, after the crowds have departed.

• Day 5 - Palazzo Barberini and the Testaccio district

  This morning we will visit the Palazzo Barberini, home to one of the most important painting collections in Italy, crowned with a magnificent frescoed ceiling by Pietro Cortona. After a light lunch near the Fontana di Trevi we will return to the hotel before a tour of the Testaccio district, a passionately authentic Roman quarter with an ancient history and a vibrant modern culinary scene. A memorable final dinner will be taken at a famous local restaurant run by the same family since the late 19th century, which specialises in the authentic traditional dishes of Rome.

• Day 6 - Ostia Antica

  After breakfast we shall visit the archeological site of Ostia Antica, the ancient harbour of Rome, noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressivemosaics. There will be time for a light lunch at an excellent local trattoria before we depart for the airport.