Trieste is barely in Italy, perching on the Adriatic Coast on a piece of land that juts into Slovenia. Come experience its unique cross-cultural mix of Central European culture, the pleasures of the Hapsburg spirit and Austro-Hungarian past on a private Trieste tour with a friendly local guide.

Your guide will be quick to point out Trieste's vibrant coffee culture; its Viennese-style coffee houses are packed with locals enjoying each other's company and the fantastic brew Trieste takes to heart. Savour a caffe nero before strolling the city streets with your guide. You can't miss the 2000-year-old Teatro Romano in the centre of the modern city. Outside Trieste, you may want to visit the romantic Miramare Castle, or the lovely Hapsburg-style towns of Collio and Cormons, where you can enjoy local Ribolla and Refosco wines.

Your guide can design a private Trieste tour that reflects your unique travel interests, whether they are culinary, historical, cultural - or all three!

Aquileia Unesco heritage and Grado, the “birthplace’ of Venice

Today we will transfer to the neighbouring region of Friuli where we will stay in a winery estate for the next three nights. On the way we will stop for lunch and visit the Unesco-heritage site of Aquileia, famous for its Roman ruins and splendid medieval mosaics in the Basilica of the Patriarchs, unique in their genre. Nearby Grado is an unexpected gem in the scenic lagoon, the original settlement from which Venice was founded. In the evening we will sit down to a classic home-style dinner and dig into a selection of starters and main courses prepared according to original recipes and accompanied by local wine.

A "holy" prosciutto and the noble white wines of Friuli

One of the most famous products of the Friuli region is the San Daniele prosciutto, similar yet quite different to Prosciutto di Parma. The town of San Daniele is the heartland of prosciutto production round here and we will visit a premium family-run producer to try some of this delicate ham and other local salumi specialties. In the afternoon we will visit winery in the scenic area of Colli Orientali which ranks as the best Sauvignon in the world according to world and French experts. The cultural side of the program is provided by a visit to the medieval Lombard town of Cividale del Friuli, soaking up the atmosphere of the narrow lanes and tasting some local specialties for dinner.

Trieste, a crossroads of culture, languages and flavors

Today we will discover magnificent Trieste with an expert local guide, learn all about its interesting history, the elegant cafes beloved by James Joyce and Frank Kafka where you will learn the secrets of ordering the 67 (yes, you read properly!) varieties and enjoy a tasting lunch to savour the cross-border delicacies of this remote, splendid corner of Italy projected towards Istria and Dalmatia. From the elegant, fairy-tale-looking Miramare castle created by the visionary Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg then ill-fated Emperor of Mexico, to WW2 and Jewish heritage sites including Risiera di San Sabba concentration camp, this day will grant plenty of interesting visits for the history fans. Late in the afternoon, visit to another premium winery and gourmet dinner.

From Friuli to Venice with a castle winery visit

After breakfast, we will transfer towards Venice and visit the castle and winery of Roncade, with wine tasting and light lunch. In the afternoon we will have time for fashion shopping in the outlet of S.Dona' di Piave or relax by the beach of Lido di Jesolo and Lio Piccolo on the spectacular lagoon. The journey will end at Venice airport or Piazzale Roma.