Liguria is often reduced to a whistle-stop hike through the Cinque Terre, but a new eight-day tour from operator Italia Sweet Italia aims to slow things right down. Built with local guides Roberta and Daniela, the trip pairs two nights-less Genoa with four in seaside Rapallo, and promises meals with the guides' own families alongside the headline sights.
The itinerary covers a lot of ground without feeling like a checklist. Days in Genoa include guided walks through the city's famously steep "vertical" streetscape, a gold-leaf gilding session, and a hands-on cooking class. From Rapallo, the group heads to the Golfo Paradiso villages of Camogli and San Fruttuoso, a day in polished Portofino, and the inevitable but well-earned visit to the Cinque Terre, complete with a guided wine tasting at a local producer. The eastern Riviera's Chiavari and Sori round out the final days.
Food is the real thread here. There's a dedicated pesto-making experience, pasta-making sessions, guided tastings of olive oil and hazelnuts, and meals in restaurants, farmhouses and a bakery focused on traditional regional dishes. Most dinners are left free so travellers can explore on their own, which is a sensible touch in a region full of small trattorie.
The tour is explicitly built around small groups and local partnerships — family-run businesses, artisans and small producers rather than big attractions. Accommodation is four-star (Hotel Continental in Genoa, Hotel Miramare in Rapallo), transport is by air-conditioned minibus, and an English-speaking tour director stays with the group throughout.
Price-wise, departures run 5 and 12 October 2025 at €3,095 per person, with 19 April and 11 October 2026 dates at €3,245 — land only, twin or double share, with a €300 single supplement and a €30 city tax to budget for. Flights and insurance are extra. Given the inclusions (seven breakfasts, six full meals, tastings, cooking classes, all excursions and transfers), it sits in fair territory for a small-group Italian tour.
Who's it for? Travellers who want the Riviera without the day-trip crowds — people happy to cook, taste and chat with locals rather than tick off monuments. October is a smart pick: the sea is still warm, the summer hordes have gone, and the harvest season means the olive oil tastings are at their best. If you've already done Tuscany and want Italy's coastal culture at a gentler pace, this is a well-constructed way to do it.
