Bologna, Parma and Ravenna

Bologna, Parma and Ravenna

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tourhub | Riviera Travel | Bologna, Parma and Ravenna | BP
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tourhub | Riviera Travel | Bologna, Parma and Ravenna | BP
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Bologna, Parma and Ravenna

5 Days Starting and ending in Bologna, Metropolitan City of Bologna, Italy

Visiting: Bologna, Museo Ferrari, Parma, Ravenna

Tour operator:

Riviera Travel

Tour code:

BP

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

1 - 25

Physical rating:

Please contact Riviera Travel if you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility.

Age range:

18-99

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Please contact Riviera Travel with specific dietary requests.

Tour operated in:
English
Interests:

Cultural, History

This tour is no longer available

Tour Overview

Our base for this fascinating Italian short break is the understated yet truly historic city of Bologna. Bologna's series of atmospheric squares are linked by twisting alleys and tiny streets. You'll also visit Parma, with its sublime cathedral home to the famed Palazzo della Pilotta, a huge complex of brick buildings, housing works by Correggio among others. And finally, Ravenna is nothing short of a masterpiece with a host of religious buildings, wonderfully adorned with superb early Christian paintings and the world's finest mosaics. Together with the iconic culinary delights in this region: Parma ham, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, wild boar and truffles - this relaxing short escorted Tour of Bologna, Parma and Ravenna is a true recipe for success!

Highlights

  • Discover how a true artisan makes Modena’s famed balsamic vinegar

  • Visit to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello – entrance included

  • Full day in Ravenna seeing five UNESCO Heritage sights and a guided walking tour of the town

  • Four nights in centrally located four-star accommodation, including all local taxes, with breakfast

  • Guided sightseeing tour of historic Bologna, Italy’s gastronomic capital, seeing the stunning medieval centre and unique portico lined streets

  • Guided tour of Parma with a visit to the 12th Century Romanesque Cathedral – entrance included

  • Experience how deliciously sweet Prosciutto (Parma Ham) is cured by a family producer

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1

Location: Bologna

Accommodation: Hotel

You should arrive at the airport for your flight to Bologna or Venice where you will be met and transferred to the excellent quality four-star Hotel Internazionale, for four nights with breakfast. The hotel is centrally located on one of Bologna’s main shopping streets at the edge of its medieval centre, approximately a 15 minute walk away. The rooms themselves are modern, but with homely touches utilising tasteful fabrics, wood and marble, with all of the facilities you would expect including TV, air conditioning, safe and minibar. Bologna really is a food paradise so we have designed this holiday as bed and breakfast, leaving you free to enjoy a lovely evening meal in one of the many excellent restaurants – you will truly be spoilt for choice!

Day 2

Location: Bologna, Museo Ferrari

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning we have a sightseeing tour of Bologna where you will come to fully admire this wonderfully attractive city. Beautifully maintained over the centuries, its original Roman street plan is still discernible. Twelve medieval gates encircled the historic centre and at Bologna’s heart is the majestic main square - the Piazza Maggiore. Surrounded by splendid Renaissance “palaces” and home to the enormous San Petronio, the world’s fifth largest Basilica, yet unfinished, its sponsors never achieving their ambitious goal of exceeding that of Rome’s St Peter’s! Adjacent is another beautiful square, Piazza del Nettuno, with a splendid statue and fountain dedicated to Neptune and surrounded by grandiose medieval civic buildings. One of Bologna’s many surprises is that it can ‘outdo’ Pisa, boasting not one but two medieval “leaning towers”! Of course one of Bologna’s ‘must sees’ is Europe’s oldest University – founded in 1068 its illustrious alumni include Dante, Copernicus and Marconi. Perched on a hilltop with splendid views across the city and the surrounding region, Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca is renowned for its extraordinary claim to fame, the world’s longest portico supported by no less than 666 arches leading to the edge of the historic city itself!

After the tour why not explore the maze of tiny alleys and streets lined by atmospheric food shops of every description, joining locals in sampling the world’s finest produce and soaking up some of the ambience yourself. Remember you are off the tourist trail here, so this enthusiasm is heartfelt and refreshing in its authenticity.

This afternoon, you can choose to explore Bologna further or to visit the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, dedicated to the brand synonymous with luxury, glamour and speed. ‘Live the dream’ and discover the history of legendary F1 cars and some of the most coveted supercars today. Have your photo taken in a Ferrari or try out a semi-professional F1 simulator (pre-booking advised).

Day 3

Location: Parma

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast we visit another of Emilia- Romagna’s underrated and enticing cities: Parma, a name synonymous the world over with wonderful Prosciutto and parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) cheese, yet a city almost untouched by tourism despite its immense charms. We enjoy a guided tour after which you can truly appreciate Parma’s historic buildings plus its culinary heritage. Pride of place is the impressive 12th century cathedral one of Italy’s finest Romanesque buildings – a wonder in its own right with stunning frescoes. This afternoon we take the short drive into the Apennine foothills where in bucolic villages set in rolling countryside, the ancient art of preparing the finest Prosciutto (Parma ham) is practised. Our destination is Langhirano, “capital of prosciutto”, visiting the Lanfranchi family who have been meticulously and lovingly preparing and maturing their hams for three generations – it’s a truly fascinating experience, after which we sample their handiwork of course!

Another treat awaits just outside Modena at the Acetaia Villa San Donnino, where the art of producing traditional balsamic vinegar, a craft as scientific as winemaking and noted across the globe, is still undertaken by local artisans. Here too, the passion of present day masters displaying great pride in upholding this magnificent tradition is enthralling and a tasting of the vinegar at the end of the visit is without doubt superb!

Day 4

Location: Ravenna

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today we take the short drive, almost to the Adriatic coast, exploring little visited yet amazingly historic Ravenna – city of mosaics. An important Roman settlement, Julius Caesar gathered his forces here before famously “crossing the Rubicon” and in 402AD, after Rome’s fall it became the last capital of the Western Roman Empire then capital of Ostrogothic and Byzantine Italy. Thus by 700AD Ravenna became one of Europe’s most important cities of the era. Despite its turbulent history, Ravenna’s compact centre retains unique buildings spanning a period of 1500 years with no less than eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. To understand what makes Ravenna so special, we have a guided walking tour bringing these amazing buildings, their stunning mosaics and stories to life.

Elsewhere in Europe similar quality art was created about 1,000 years later, so these wondrous treasures are all the more astonishing. After immersing yourself in the glories in this historic past, we return to Bologna for some free time and this evening choose a venue for your final dinner, when you can ponder the feast of delights sampled in this almost undiscovered region of Italy.

Day 5

Location: Bologna

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today at the appropriate time you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight.

What's Included

  • The price of this holiday is per person based on two people sharing a twin room. Sole occupancy rooms are subject to availability at the relevant supplement. The price includes: Four nights with breakfast;in four-star accommodation Daily breakfast Return flights All taxes and charges Return transfers Entrances to Parma Cathedral, five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ravenna The services of a Riviera Travel tour manager

  • Accommodation

    4 nights in 4-star accommodation

  • Airport Transfers at Destination

  • All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)

  • Entrance Fees

  • Meals – Breakfast Only

What's Not Included

Check out our Q&As

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Yes

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    No

  • Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?

    Yes

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • Are flights included in this tour?

    No

  • Are all entrance fees included in the price?

    Yes

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    For almost 40 years

  • I have reduced mobility; can I still travel?

    We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to contact us to discuss these concerns

  • Do I require travel insurance?

    It is a condition of booking that you carry suitable travel insurance.

  • What is my luggage allowance?

    You will receive details of your luggage allowance with your final travel documents, which are sent approximately 10 days prior to your date of departure.

Reviews of this Operator

David Clarke (Google Reviewer)  

This review is for the...

08-Aug-2023

This review is for the italian Lake Como trip Aug 1-8 Wow what a trip. Riviera from start to finish were excellent the booking and help line answering questions were very good and clear. The travel booklet you get is laid out that it is simple to read and follow with step by step info from booking in to flights to meeting the guides. Our guide Matt Purse was just the best guide and real credit to Riviera with his knowledge and straight forward approach to running the trips. Matt kept us informed and told us all the sort of info you want to know without going over the top....This chap should teach other reps ..thank you so much. The coaches they use are all clean and well equipped with usb chargers and have aircon. The places chosen to visit were well researched even down to where coaches park or drop you off. The Bernina Express was the highlight for our family and matts photo tip was welcomed. The only down point was the hotel,a little dated and evening meal in main restuarant was a bit of a let down. I think we were lucky with our room on level 7 and with balcony as the walls are very thin and noise travels. We would book again with riviera

Barbara Shillaker (Google Reviewer)  

I have been on three...

11-Jan-2024

I have been on three trips with Riviera Travel so far, with two more booked during 2024. Highly recommended. Excellent tour guides. Great program of visits. Great hotels used.

Valerie Pascoe  

We would go again in a heartbeat

22-Jan-2022

Oh my goodness, what a relief it was to actually get away! Full marks to all at Riviera for keeping us up to date before our trip and for the help so cheerfully and patiently given with the extra admin that Covid brought our way. We felt totally safe with the measures taken on board, thank you very much for this. Without exception, Staff were fantastic and our every need was attended to. The additional Covid testing ran smoothly, organised by our Riviera Reps. The guided tours were most interesting: the guides very knowledgeable and more importantly, interesting to listen to. We loved this trip and would do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you again Riviera, you were FAB!

Chris Wilson (Google Reviewer)  

Second escorted tour with this...

25-Jul-2022

Second escorted tour with this company. Did 5 days in Iceland tour. Everything went smoothly, excellent tour guide, Per. Extremely knowledgeable and interesting guy. Very friendly too. Highly recommend. Just let down by the room given at the hotel, but I guess the travel company doesn't have control over this.

Kathryn Jurin, GB  

Riviera South Africa tour - awesome

21-May-2021

Riviera have amazing holidays and tours to choose from. The one we chose was South Africa and wow! It turned out to be our best trip ever - incredible memories we will never forget. We’ve been all over the world which was because of all our experiences, this one was awesome. The organisation of the holiday, the guide and the travel was e cells that. The choice of hotels, meals, restaurants, trips was absolutely fantastic - very good quality and character - nothing bland or boring! The Riviera guide was permanently with us along with a South Africa guide and they were both extremely friendly, professional, informative and you could ask any questions you want! I would massively recommend this holiday/trip and when you’ve experienced it, you realise how reasonable the price is. We reflect on this trip a lot and thank you Riviera for giving us such a wonderful experience.

Trustpilot
Barry, GB  

Rhine Christmas markets cruise

09-Dec-2019

Just completed a 5 day trip on the Rhine. Our first river cruise and a tester for future cruises. The boat was well appointed and the cabin and public areas were spotlessly clean. The staff were attentive and contributed to the very relaxed atmosphere on the boat. The quality of the food surpassed that which we have experiened on sea cruises in recent years. I have written little because it was a faultless experience. We have booked a further cruise (in France) on the basis of our experience.

Trustpilot
Nigel Stewart (Google Reviewer)  

Cruise ship William Wordsworth: A...

15-Apr-2024

Cruise ship William Wordsworth: A cruise ship of excellence, very well appointed, comfortable & indulgent. We departed Budapest and cruised the Blue Danube heading to Vienna. The top deck offers sun loungers, a heated pool, golf and a place to just sit & relax. The cabins have everything you could want for but above all incredible comfortable. The staff are professional, courteous, and attentive and do everything to make your stay a pure pleasure. This is an experience you will remember for many years.

Christine Hardy (Google Reviewer)  

Although most people seem to...

10-Mar-2024

Although most people seem to book and pay for their holidays online, because we live close by we prefer to make a personal visit. In my opinion if they are offering this as an option they should be better equipped to accommodate visits in person. We have not been on our river cruise yet, so can't comment on that yet.

Rob Steele (Google Reviewer)  

My 3rd Riviera trip within...

16-Feb-2024

My 3rd Riviera trip within a year and I wasn't disappointed 😁 This time it was https://www.rivieratravel.co.uk/escorted-tours/southern-india-coastal-route-solo-travellers This trip, although not cheap, it really offers exceptional value for money as you see a lot of Tamil Nadu and Kerela, stay in fantastic hotels, excellent breakfasts every day as well as some lunches and dinners also included. George Bareham, our "Tour Manager" was brilliant, very professional, but also friendly and diligent. Satheeshan, our local guide was helpful and picked me up antibiotics when I got ill, he was a nice chap, if (for my taste) went on a bit and used 20 words when 1 would suffice. Mr Sweeny, our coach driver was fantastic,really professional and an exceptionally good driver. His assistant, Murgon wad a delight, always smiling and attentive. This is a full on trip, early morning starts and quite a packed itinerary, but still leaving time to laze around some brilliant hotel swimming pools. Only a couple of suggestions to improve the holiday. More shopping time in Cochin and change carriers from Etihad who, unfortunately aren't the excellent airline they used to be. But, will I use Riviera Travel again - Yes 😁

Barbara Parkes (Google Reviewer)  

Presently in Croatia staying at...

22-Sep-2023

Presently in Croatia staying at Arauana Hotel, supposedly a 4 star property, but wouldn't give it any star rating. Rooms are small and dirty. Wallpaper blistering. Meals served in a shed like lean-to. Food like warm, greasy and always self service. Second holiday with Riviera this year and neither at standard advertised. Have travelled with them previously and everything was fine, but standards have really dropped. Have booked a holiday with them next year and now dreading it. Certainly don't provide the standard advertised. We have never stayed in such a hovel and have visited youngsters in back packers accommodation which was far better than this supposedly 4 star accommodation. There are no indoor bars or lounges only a shed as a so called restaurant. Absolutely disgusting. Won't be boking with them again

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Riviera Travel requires a minimum deposit of 250 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of riviera travel charges.

    Up to 75 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.

    At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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