Uncover during our Turin walking tour the unique Italian city that epitomises the elegance and style for which Italy is so admired. Set on the river Po, with the snow-covered Alps beyond, Turin contains superb Royal collections and palaces, one of Italy’s leading opera and ballet houses and luxury shops with ornate, turn-of-the-century facades and interiors. As the home of Slow Food, Lavazza coffee and the world’s first chocolate makers, Turin can justifiably claim its title as gourmet capital of Piedmont.
Turin: A Walking Tour of Ballet, Chocolate and Christmas Lights
A small 4 star hotel (an imaginative architectural complement to the surviving Roman gates) is the base for our visit, ideally placed for exploring on foot by day, attending the ballet and dining in the city’s excellent ‘Slow Food’ restaurants.
HIGHLIGHTS of our Turin walking tour include:
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Attending the ballet ‘Onegin’ performed by the acclaimed St Petersburg Eifman Ballet Company in the Teatro Regio
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Exploring the elegant capital of the Savoy Kings, with excellent museums and galleries containing the Royal collections
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Enjoying the gourmet cuisine and wines of Piedmont – Barolo, Slow Food restaurants and Turin’s historic association with chocolate
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An excursion by historic rack tramway up to the hilltop 18C Basilica at Superga, with fine views of the Alps
Guests’ comments on this trip:
‘A fantastic experience. It was a great pleasure to travel with such an efficient, enthusiastic and phenomenally well informed guide and delightful fellow travellers.’
‘Perfect - to be in such a beautiful city with wonderful food, chocolate, and coffee and culture as well. It was a real joy.’
‘All marvellous - really enjoyed the trip and the guide was fantastic.’
DAY 1
D included
After meeting at Turin airport in the early evening, we have a short transfer to the city centre. Once settled into our very comfortable 4 star hotel, a brief preliminary walk introduces some of the palaces, statues and churches that reflect Turin’s status as the former Italian capital. After admiring the sophisticated Christmas lights, we have dinner in one of Turin’s fine traditional restaurants.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
We set out on foot to visit the Duomo, the Renaissance cathedral dedicated to St. John the Baptist and famously associated with the Shroud of Turin (very rarely on display, but an exhibition provides information about this intriguing medieval relic). Walking on, via the Roman Porta Palatina and the remains of the Roman theatre, we traverse Turin’s lively food market and visit the Palazzo Falletti di Barolo, an excellent example of a patrician residence which still retains its original furnishings and paintings intact. Historic caffés are scattered throughout Turin, unchanged since Puccini and Alexandre Dumas were regular visitors - we pause to sample the famous Torinese concoction, the 'Bicerin' - a smooth and delicious mixture of coffee, cream and chocolate. After a visit to the new Museum of Oriental Art we have lunch in a traditional Turin osteria followed by opportunities to do some Christmas shopping, or visit the Royal Library. We dine this evening in an excellent Slow Food restaurant, sampling Piemontese specialities, perhaps risotto with truffles or beef braised in Barolo.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
Our first visit is to the Galleria Sabauda, housing both the Egyptian Museum and works collected by the princes of the House of Savoy from the 16C onwards, including those by artists such as Gaudenzio Ferrari, Filippino Lippi and Bellini. After a reviving ‘Bicerin’ in the splendid 19C caffé ‘Baratti e Milano’ we explore the architecture of the Piazza San Carlo and visit ‘Eataly’, the celebrated food emporium showcasing the best produce of all the regions of Italy, then continue through the heart of the city to lunch in an historic trattoria. The afternoon is devoted to a visit to the Museo Civico di Arte Antica, a magnificent collection in the recently restored Palazzo Madama, which incorporates a Roman gate, a 15C castle and a splendid Baroque wing by Filippo Juvarra. We return to our hotel in time to relax (perhaps in the spa) before dinner in an atmospheric restaurant a short stroll through the cobbled streets by our hotel.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
This morning we visit the Museum of Decorative Arts (a fascinating private collection in an 18C palazzo) and the marvellous National Museum of Cinema, housed in the iconic symbol of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana. After lunch we visit the Savoy Royal Palace and the remarkable baroque Royal Armoury, then have the opportunity to do some more Christmas shopping (Turin is noted for its handmade leather and silk products as well as Alpine cheeses, chocolate and Barolo wines). This evening we attend a performance of ‘ONEGIN’ by the internationally acclaimed St Petersburg Eifman Ballet Company in the nearby Teatro Regio.
DAY 5
B, L included
On a morning walk (assisted by some short tram rides), we stroll by the river Po and its 2 famous bridges, take in the views from the Monte dei Cappuccini, and visit the unusual Museum of the Italian Alpine Club. We take the historic rack tramway up to the hilltop 18C Basilica at Superga, with fine views of the Alps, before walking down through the park to a memorable, leisurely, lunch in a Slow Food trattoria. A late afternoon private transfer to the airport completes our cultural and gastronomic long weekend in Italy.
TBC per person sharing
TBC deposit per person
TBC double for single supplement
Please note that the double room for single use supplement is imposed by the hotels and not by Kudu Travel. Single rooms at a lower cost may be available, please enquire. If you are willing to share but no other suitable guest books on the trip, we regret that the supplement will be payable.
Price includes
TBC deposit per person
TBC double for single supplement
Please note that the double room for single use supplement is imposed by the hotels and not by Kudu Travel. Single rooms at a lower cost may be available, please enquire. If you are willing to share but no other suitable guest books on the trip, we regret that the supplement will be payable.
Price includes
- All accommodation for Days 1 through 5, on a twin shared basis
- All meals (with wine at lunches and dinners) as included in the daily notation
- All land transportation as described except during free periods
- All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods
- Good category ticket for the ballet performance as described in the itinerary
- Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff (appreciation for tour leaders is entirely at your discretion)
Price does not include
- International transportation to and from Turin
- Trip cancellation, medical or other insurance
- Immunisations, prescriptions or other medical requirements
- Passport, visa and health documentation
- Personal expenses (laundry, alcohol besides wine with group lunches and dinners, free time activities, etc.)
- Meals noted as excepted in the daily notation
- Transport and transfer of excess baggage
VALUE FOR MONEY - SO MUCH IS INCLUDED
On Kudu trips you will only need money for postcards, presents to take home, the odd G & T or an irresistible ice cream. Festival and opera tickets, museum and gallery entrances, National Park fees, all meals (with a very few exceptions specified in individual itineraries), wine with lunch and dinner, access to specialist books carried by the guides, gratuities for porters and hotel and restaurant staff, boat rides, train trips, internal flights, wine tastings, 4WDs with drivers, the services of skilled local guides and trackers etc are ALL INCLUDED in the cost of your holiday.
We are confident that, like previous very satisfied guests, you will discover that our tours give you excellent value for money.
- 4 nights in a small 4 star boutique hotel (an imaginative architectural complement to the surviving Roman gates)
Performance
The ballet ‘Onegin’ is based on the novel in verse Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin and music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Sitkovecky.
It is performed by the St Petersburg Eifman Ballet Company and Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino conducted by David Levi.
Visa and Health Requirements
Visitors from the EU, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Italy. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Italy.
At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Italy. Residents of countries in the EU can only claim free (emergency) medical treatment in Italy by presenting their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link for a quote for a policy available to UK residents. If you are already insured, or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.
Size of party
This trip will run with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 14 guests.