Valeriya Kalchenko is a local tour guide in Milan, Italy offering private tours and excursions

1. 3 hours -walking tour

«MILAN TO TASTE!»

In the heart of Milan, you will take a real culinary journey through the regions of Italy. Also you will discover why the tradition of aperitivo (happy hour) which was born in Milan.

We will walk along the beautiful streets and historic districts of the city, get acquainted with the architecture and make stops at the best spots in Milan, where you will taste traditional Italian cuisine, taste the best wines and receive valuable advice from the sommelier.

What awaits you:

- The nice walking through historical parts of cities: Duomo square, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, La Scala Theatre and Brera district

- Delicatessen and wines of Italy

You will learn all the most important about Italian cuisine, types of cheeses, cold cuts and wines. I will tell you how to drink certain wines properly and how to combine them in a better way with gastronomic specialties.

- 4 gastronomic stops:

• fish delicacy and a glass of sparkling wine

• pizza stop, mozzarella cheese, a glass of white wine

• cold cuts, ham, salami and a glass of red wine

• chocolate and ice cream

A food tour of Milan is like traveling the different Italian regions in one place!

Organizational details

The beginning of the excursion is Piazza Duomo, at the head of the horse of the monument to King Emanuel II

The excursion price does not include tasting (4 points ~ 30/35 euros per person).

2 . Full-Day Tour 8+hours

«LUXURY TOUCH: LAKE COMO TRIP»

The northern part of Italy has many interesting, fascinating places but one of them Lake Como is unique for its natural beauty must -visit destination

Lake Como is located in the Italian region of Lombardy close to the Swiss borders, being a favorite holiday destination in Europe for the rich and famous.

The splendor of the mountainous landscapes, combined with the heavenly blue and transparent water surface, make it one of the most picturesque places in the world .

Lake Como has the particular shape of the inverted letter «Y». it’s divided into 3 branches: South-east – Lecco, Northern part – Colico, Southwest – Como

Just imagine how dangerous beauty can be - the lake is about 412 meters deep! - This is the deepest lake in Italy.

The territory of the coast is strewn with luxurious ancient villas, manicured parks and fantastic gardens which you can admire from water view.

Some of these opulent villas that were once home of Italian aristocrats have become a museums now and you can visit them inside, such as : villa Balbianello, villa Carlotta, vila Melzi, villa Monastero

World cinema stars and fashion industry workers love to visit Lake Como Celebrities including George Clooney and Richard Branson have all famously owned properties here.

I can offer you 3 types of itineraries of Full-Day Tour

Option 1. "Three arms of the lake"

It’s a day trip from Milan to Lake Como by car

for an 8+ hours journey

We have to travel surprisingly by different coastal cities, we will visit the cities of

• Lecco became worldwide famous thanks to Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni, we will take a look at the Basilica of St. Nicholas and will we walk on lakefront and will take aperitivo in nice bar;

• Bellagio it’s the Pearl of Lake Como. We will visit gardens of villa Melzi and walk around beautiful streets. We also should have a lunch in place with a fantastic view;

And we will definitely drop in

• Como, the founder of city is considered Caesar 1st century BC, still the center of Como maintains its medieval style and we will admire its Cathedral and beautiful constructions in Romanesque style.

Option 2. " Visit the Lake from the Lake”

Ferry boat tour 8+ hours

Once we’ve arrived at Lake Como, we be able to get from one town to another by ferry. This itinerary suits those, especially who want to avoid driving on coastal roads very beautiful but narrow and with many curves

For this Milan to Lake Como itinerary, we will need to buy the one day ferry tickets from Como to Varenna and from Bellagio to Como

Sailing on slow boat is great for leisurely travelers and for taking nice photos from the outside deck. We can admire from the water side villages, villas, lakeside promenades, castles and gardens …a lot of beauty to be enjoyed.

A Lake Como boat cruise includes the visit of 2 opulent villas museum of your choice from 4 mentioned above: Balbianello, Carlotta, Melzi, Monastero.

We can add at your choice a traditional lunch at a lakefront restaurant

Option 3. “Unforgettable Luxury Experience “

Private boat tour on Lake Como 8/9 hours

A private boat tour is probably the best way to discover Lake Como.

We can comfortable start this tour from the city of Como, from Belaggio or from whether you are.

Sailing with nice venetian water taxi with private skipper it’s the only way to see the invisible places from the coast but only from the lake: villa Casinella, villa Oleandra the property of George Clonney, villa Fontanelle former property of Versage family, ancient Villa d’Este today luxury 5 stars hotel.

With a private boat we have enough time to visit all museum and stop everywhere we decide, first of all villa Balbienello which has been used as the setting for several movies, including a “Month by the Lake”, “Casino Royale”, and “Star Wars Episode II.”

I will be happy to tell you the most curious facts about the villas and other attractions that we’re going to see.

This exclusive boat trip on Como Lake, is always customizable, based on your desire you will remember it for a lifetime!

3 . Full-Day Tour

« TRUFFLE HUNTING AND BAROLO WINE”

Full day 8+ hours tour

Only one word - truffle, delights almost every person. Those who are fortunate enough to taste it will start talking about their first taste impressions, those who just want to enjoy the taste will look forward to this fascinating excursion called “Truffle Hunt”.

But one thing remains unchanged - everyone knows the truffle!

Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the ephemeral, unique aroma, sometimes harsh, garlic with honey notes, so pleasant and almost instantly elusive. You are given about 15 minutes of pleasure, after which the aroma of the earthy treasure slips away, leaving only pleasant memories behind.

The most common truffle is considered to be black. You can go in search of the "black treasure" at any time of the year, be sure that you will be lucky. This truffle is found in many parts of the world.

But the real "pearl" is the white truffle. Its uniqueness in everything:

• exclusive.

• appears only in a certain period.

• the places where it is found can be counted on the fingers.

Alba is one of those rare places where people come in search of the elusive prey - the aromatic white truffle. Remember that the time is limited - about 2.5 months are given to search for the truffel, from October to early December.

The white truffle can be found in the wet forests of Piedmont, in the Langhe area, which has became a UNESCO site since 2014.

It is almost impossible to find an underground truffel on our own, but a specially trained trifolau (the truffle hunter) and his faithful assistant, a trained dog, will come to our aid.

We will walk in a wood and observe the dog in action before moving to Barolo wine cellar surrounded by vineyards.

Barolo is very particular incredible and famous Italian wine, is made of 100% Nebbiolo grapes; which grows on beautiful Langhe’s hills in Piedmont The wines are rich and full-bodied, with a strong presence of acidity and tannins.

It will be incredible tasting experience of the two most treasured products of Piedmont.

Option 1. We will pick up you from your hotel in Milan or Turin

with a car /minivan/bus

Option 2. We will pick up you from your hotel in Alba o surrounds

with a car /minivan/bus