Discover Friuli

Arrive in Trieste and settle into your hotel in the heart of the city. In the late afternoon, join your tour leader for a welcome aperitivo and an orientation walk through the city’s grand piazzas and along the waterfront. The evening closes with a seafood dinner to welcome you on your journey.

A guided walking tour this morning takes you through Trieste’s most iconic landmarks, including the scenic Borgo Teresiano district and an ancient Roman theatre. Along the way, stop for coffee in one of the city’s storied historic cafes — here it is a ritual, spanning many cultures and centuries. In the afternoon, visit Miramare Castle, perched on a promontory with views that stretch across the Adriatic. The evening is yours to spend as you wish.

Descend into Grotta Gigante, one of the largest show caves in the world; the scale alone is astonishing. Back above ground, stop at a traditional osmiza for a tasting of regional cheeses and salami. This rustic, farm-style experience will transport you back to a time when farmers sold goods directly from their homes and cellars, mixing Italian, Austrian and Slovenian flavors. The day ends with a scenic walk to Duino Castle, a medieval fortress on a cliff above the sea. Dinner back in Trieste at your leisure.

Today you depart Trieste and head south, stopping first at the largest military memorial in Europe, honoring the Italian soldiers lost in the First World War. Continue to Aquileia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose early Christian basilica holds one of the most remarkable mosaic floors in Italy. Lunch at a local farm includes a hands-on cooking class and wine tasting before you continue to Udine, your base for the rest of the tour.

A guided walk through Udine’s historic center takes in elegant piazzas, a hilltop castle and extraordinary frescoes at the Diocesan Museum. Afterwards, continue to San Daniele del Friuli for a behind-the-scenes visit to a traditional prosciutto producer, followed by a lunch built around the local specialty — which some consider the finest prosciutto in the world. The afternoon carries on into the wine-growing Collio hills for a tasting of the region’s crisp, distinctive whites. Return to Udine for dinner at your leisure.

A short drive brings you to Cividale del Friuli, a medieval town so well preserved it feels untouched, its cobbled streets winding along a river gorge. Lunch features local Friulian specialties before an afternoon visit to the Nonino Distillery, one of the most celebrated grappa and amaro houses in the world — and a taste most visitors to Italy never get the chance to experience. Return to Udine for dinner at your leisure.

Spend a full day in the Friulian Alps. First stop is the Montasio Plateau, where cool air and green pastures produce one of Friuli’s most distinctive cheeses — tasted right on the spot. Continue by cable car to Monte Lussari, a mountain sanctuary among the Alpine peaks, for lunch with views in every direction; if the weather is clear you may even see Austria. On the way back, stop in Venzone, a medieval village carefully rebuilt after a devastating earthquake, then return to Udine for a farewell dinner with your group.

Depart Udine as your journey comes to an end — but not before a final stop to explore Palmanova, a Renaissance fortress town built in a perfect star shape. Then return to Trieste for your drop-off. Arrivederci e buon viaggio!