Prestige & Passion of Italy Tour: The Italian Racing Tradition

Bologna is a city of historical majesty and culinary artistry. Upon your arrival at the airport, you will be greeted and escorted to the vibrant city of Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Take time to settle into your luxurious hotel near the city's beating heart at Piazza Maggiore and the adjoining Fountain of Neptune before visiting a shop famous for making perfect hand-made pasta.

You can learn how to make pasta from “Le Sfogline,” traditional pasta makers who are experts in the art of pasta. You can help roll out the dough, eventually imitating your teacher in the way they pinch, twist, and fold the dough to craft perfect tortellini.

Your guide will greet you after breakfast and escort you to the Maserati factory in Modena to follow in the path of the luxury car with more than 100 years of history. The gallery inside the museum houses 19 vintage cars, and in the Maserati factory, you can view the assembly line with your guide.

The workers work, talk, dance, and laugh while attending to the intimate details of their work. In the adjacent building, team members may attach the engines to the transmission and suspension packages. After the tour, you may climb into the driver’s seat of a brand new Maserati before the engine roars to life, and you take to the rolling hills of the Emilia-Romagna countryside on a scenic tour.

Your guide will greet you at the hotel and escort you to the Ducati Factory for insight into how engineers and designers turned a motorcycle into an icon of power, speed, and style. The first gallery can give you a perspective on how the Ducati Company began. Wander through the timeline of bikes on display before entering the factory, and then meet workers along the different assembly phases, listening to the tinkering in the factory that echoes against the walls.

The tour will end on the racetrack. A professional driver will rev the engine to showcase the power of one of the Ducati bikes available. You can mount the bike and feel the way the engine purrs beneath you before speeding along the track as you hold tight to your driver with the wind rushing over your helmet.

The traditional foods of Emilia-Romagna have captured the hearts and stomachs of locals and visitors from across the globe. Your tour will focus on the famous gastronomy of the region, beginning with the flavors of celebrated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Arrive at a private farm to meet the dairy owner, and the herbaceous scents may swirl in the breeze as your guide leads you through the process of making Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

In the warehouse, you may find rows of aging Parmesan in the iconic cheese wheels. Sample the hard, crumbling cheese to find a savory, luscious flavor reminiscent of the landscape. You will continue to a balsamic vinegar factory. The producer will greet you warmly and guide you through the process of making balsamic vinegar. The sweet molasses-like aroma of the vinegar may permeate the air in the cellar, where the balsamic can age for up to 50 years.

The style and power of Ferrari have spanned more than seven decades to become a powerhouse of Italian racing and an icon in the beauty of motorsport design. Enter the museum with your guide to explore Ferrari’s history before stepping out of the timeline and into a Formula 1 simulator. Enjoy an unforgettable experience in the Grand Prix as you hold tight to the wheel and watch the street envelope your view.

You can try your hand at being a part of the pit team by donning the pristine gloves and performing your duty with speed and precision. Replace the single front tire with your teammates as a photographer captures your time. Settle into the Ristorante Cavallino after a recent remodel focused on design and gastronomy. Sample the mouthwatering cuisine crafted by avant-garde and three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura. At the end of your designer experience, you may open the doors to a Ferrari and take off into the Emilia-Romagna countryside to enjoy a private drive.

The prancing horse of Ferrari gives way to the charging bull of Lamborghini. The thrills of the day begin at the Lamborghini museum for an immersive experience starting with the company’s early successes. Large windows offer a background view into the factory, which frames the vintage cars on display across two stories. The cars have been immaculately preserved, and many of the vehicles are a part of the founder’s personal collection.

You can continue through the shop to watch the production line and see how the stunning cars are built. Move next to explore the power and sleek style on a test track around Lamborghini, settling into the smooth comforts of the meticulous details that were measured during assembly. You continue into the countryside to visit a farm known for producing the famous flavors of delectable prosciutto.

Today you will focus on the gastronomic flavors near the heart of Bologna. Your guide can escort you to the Mercato delle Erbe, a vibrant produce market where many local Bolognese shop. Sample a soft, crumbly cheese made from sheep’s milk and select your ingredients before reaching a private kitchen to learn the art of traditional cuisine.

Craft handmade gnocchi and tagliatelle pasta, and enjoy the scent of garlic drifting out of a pot as the broth steeps. You might create a sauce of white onions, olive oil, and tomatoes that bubbles before you pour it atop polenta. After a delicious lunch made by your hand under the guidance of your instructor, you can continue your in-depth exploration of Bologna with a city tour beginning in Piazza Maggiore.

After a traditional breakfast balancing the rich taste of espresso with sweet brioche, you may make your way by private driver to the Pagani museum and factory. Your guide will introduce you to the cars on the showroom floor by opening the doors, unlatching the trunk, and lifting the frame to reveal the hidden engine and gas tank.

The engineers and designers are artisans and crafters, making a work of art primarily by hand, similar to how sculptors use tools to erect breathtaking pieces from stone. A row of cars allows you to view the assembly's progress, from a body without an interior to the one with an engine, suspension, and wheels. Back in the showroom, you can find a mixture of finesse and power similar to an artistic masterpiece.

In the morning, you will venture to a private racetrack connected to Ferrari. The course will lead you on a one-and-a-half-mile circuit with five total laps. You can roar the engine in a car designed for the track, speeding from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds. Grip the wheel tight, feel the warm leather's subtle give, and punch the gas to top out at 196 miles per hour.

When you pull the car back into the paddock, your heart may still race with excitement. The engine’s roar will diminish to a lingering purr as the car settles to rest. You will have a video recording of your time and best moves from an outside perspective, allowing you to relive the moment and take it home with you.

At breakfast, you may think about the beauty of the refined power you held in your hands while tearing through the racetrack the previous day. It could remind you of the villages you passed while roaming the country roads in the Maserati and the roaring force you felt while on the Ducati. You have discovered the tasteful charms of Emilia-Romagna, from the artisanal cuisine to the focused craftsmanship of Maserati, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Pagani. Your private transfer will greet you at the hotel when you are ready and escort you to your chosen airport for your flight home.