With so much delicious Italian food to be discovered and enjoyed, who wouldn't want to eat their way through Italy? Taste the different flavors of Italy's regions: from the German-influenced dishes of Trentino-Alto Adige, to the succulent steaks of Tuscany, to the fresh-caught seafood of Campania. Culinary tour groups offer the opportunity to attend cooking courses and experience the flavor of local cuisine by visiting food markets, wine tastings and food festivals. Most culinary tours focus on a particular region with accommodations in local villas, farmhouses or inns with cooking instruction on-site and side trips into nearby towns. This provides a unique opportunity for the traveler to immerse herself in a particular region's culture and cuisine. Culinary tours are typically small with personalized schedules available.
Italy has mostly moderate, stable temperatures, so cycling can be done year-round. Spring and fall, however, are typically the best times for biking. Cycling tours are offered throughout Italy, with particularly beautiful rides available in Tuscany, the Veneto and Sicily. There are opportunities for all-inclusive tours where you bike from one home base without having to move lodgings or all-inclusive tours where you change locations and accommodations, and even short day tours of cities like Florence, Sienna and Rome. It's important to be in good health to participate in biking tours, although some tour groups offer van-assistance to non-bikers or those who only want to bike a short while. There are also different tours available for cyclists of different skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Be sure you sign up for a tour that complements your abilities. You can bring your own bicycle, although most tour companies provide high quality bikes included in the cost of your package.
Most of Italy's cities and towns are extremely pedestrian-friendly. Many of the streets, especially in historic city centers, are blocked to car traffic. So be sure to pack your walking shoes because the best way to see Italy is on foot. Like the cycling tours, there are opportunities for walking tours with packaged accommodations and meals and transportation, and there are also daily walking tours available. On walking tours you'll be led by knowledgeable guides who can give you deeper insight and understanding of Italy's historic, artistic and cultural past and present. Another option for walking tours is downloadable audio. Simply download the audio file to your portable media player and put on your headphones for a guided tour of particular parts of Italian cities and even specific museums.
