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Aerial view of a vibrant coastal village with colorful houses nestled on a rocky shoreline

May 10-17, 2027

Italian Riviera

Savor the splendors of Liguria


With Homemade’s Chef Joel Gamoran

The beautiful crescent of sea and mountains that is the Region of Liguria is a place that Oldways has returned to again and again — with good reason. The cuisine of Liguria is a delicious representation of the Mediterranean Diet — lots of plant foods, plentiful herbs, sweet and fruity olive oil, fish and seafood, tied up beautifully in preparations that reflect the region’s history, culture and topography. With Chef Joel Gamoran, we will be sure to see (and taste) the cuisine come to life.

Aerial view of a vibrant coastal village with colorful houses nestled on a rocky shoreline

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Liguria

A bowl of green pesto sauce garnished with fresh basil

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Liguria

You will travel most of the entire Italian Riviera crescent: the Cinque Terre, the Portofino Promontory, Genoa, San Remo, and the Valle Argentina, and for some, into Monaco. While most are essentially Ligurian, the cuisines and experiences are different, each indicative of the land (and sea) it occupies.

You’ll have the pleasure of traveling with Chef Joel Gamoran who will showcase the best of Ligurian seafood cuisine with a cooking class-demonstration close to San Remo. He’ll also collaborate with chefs from La Brinca, a restaurant in the mountains near Rapallo, teaching the basics of Ligurian cuisine.

Traveling from the Levant to Ponente of the Italian Riviera, you’ll get a well-rounded picture of Liguria – Rapallo and Portofino; a boat ride to the Cinque Terre; Genoa; San Remo; olive oil and witches in the Valle Argentina; along with tastings of cheese, wine, pasta and farinata, and so much more!

Day by Day

A display of assorted artisanal cheeses
Day 1

Monday, May 10

After arriving at the Excelsior Palace Hotel, take time to unpack, nap, have lunch, visit the hotel’s spa, or take a walk and explore the town of Rapallo. We’ll start our week together with a wine and cheese tasting and a welcome dinner overlooking the Sea of Rapallo.

Picturesque coastal village with colorful buildings lining a serene harbor
Day 2

Tuesday, May 11

Our first full day will start with a guided tour of famed Portofino, two towns away from our hotel. Then we’ll depart for the mountains and a cooking demonstration and lunch at Trattoria La Brinca in the village of Ne. With Chef Joel Gamaron, the chefs of La Brinca will demonstrate several traditional dishes of Liguria. After lunch of these traditional dishes, we’ll return to the Excelsior Palace for some free time and an evening on your own (we’ll have restaurant suggestions for you!).

A stack of flatbreads rests on a red and white checkered tablecloth
Day 3

Wednesday, May 12

A pinch-me day! We’ll take a private motorboat to the Cinque Terre and the village of Vernazza, one of the five towns of the Cinque Terre. We’ll have time for a tour of the town and you’ll also have time on your own for coffee and shopping before we enjoy lunch at Ristorante Belforte, with glorious views of the sea. After lunch we’ll go to Chiavari to learn about farinata and visit the well-known Ligurian artisans making corzetti pasta stamps, where you’ll be able to buy a corzetti stamp with your own initials. You’ll have a free evening for dinner on your own in Rapallo.

Day 4

Thursday, May 13

We will check out of the Excelsior Palace and journey west toward San Remo. First, however, we’ll stop in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, for a cultural and food walking tour and lunch. After lunch we’ll continue to San Remo to check into the Royal Hotel. After time to unpack and relax, we’ll have dinner at the Royal celebrating Ligurian extra virgin olive oil.

Day 5

Friday, May 14

Today we will travel up into the Valle Argentina for a day exploring the traditional foods of this beautiful part of Liguria. First, we will travel to the top of the Valle Argentina to the town of Triora, a medieval village known for its bread and its haunted past (the witch trials of the 16th century). Next, we’ll visit Olio Roi, one of Oldways’ favorite olive oil producers, followed by lunch at an agriturismo in an old mill, featuring an amazing array of regional dishes. We’ll return to San Remo for some free time and dinner in a local pizza restaurant.

Photo courtesy of Homemade
Day 6

Saturday, May 15

We’ll start today with a visit to the San Remo market, followed by Chef Joel’s cooking class and lunch. Dinner is on your own – we will try to make reservations for those who wish to dine at Paolo e Barbara, a 1-star Michelin restaurant known for its real passion for local ingredients and regional specialties.

A vibrant bouquet of flowers displayed on a street corner
Day 7

Sunday, May 16

Our final day together is a day of options: An art-focused tour, a day tour to Monaco or free time on your own. We’ll conclude our week together with a Farewell Dinner in San Remo.

A basket filled with various wooden toys
Day 8

Monday, May 17

Departures – for the US or additional travel!

Your Accommodations

Photo courtesy of the Excelsior Palace Hotel

Excelsior Palace Hotel – Rapallo

The 5-star luxury Excelsior Palace Hotel with its wonderful views is located close to Portofino and Cinque Terre. This is the fourth time Oldways has come to Excelsior Palace and we hope you will enjoy your stay as much as others have in the past.

Royal Hotel
Photo courtesy of the Royal Hotel

Royal Hotel – San Remo

With an equally beautiful view of the sea, the Royal Hotel is also a 5-star luxury hotel in the beautiful “Riviera of Flowers” town of San Remo. Similarly, this is also the fourth stay for an Oldways group at the Royal. We’re sure you will enjoy it!

Meet the Chefs/Experts

Joel Gamoran Chef
Joel Gamoran Chef, Host, CEO, Homemade

Flight information
to Travel Destination

Flight information
to Travel Destination

For the shortest airport transfers (from airport to hotel and back), we suggest that you fly to Genoa, Italy (GOA) – which is closer to Rapallo — and return to the US via Nice, France (NCE) – closer to San Remo. Of course, it is possible to choose one or the other to fly in and out of. Your travel agent will be able to help you.

Pricing & Registration

Pasta with pesto and fresh basil

Pricing & Registration

Italian Riviera

Please click below to register using our online registration form, which includes instructions for how to submit the form and deposit to Oldways.

Prices are based on rates of exchange, taxes, and other costs as of the Culinaria publication date. We reserve the right to correct errors and changes, and to increase program prices to cover increased costs, tariffs, and taxes received after prices are published and to reflect currency fluctuations.

All surplus funds generated by this educational Culinaria will be used to increase community access to heritage diet resources and African Heritage, Latin American Heritage, and Mediterranean curricula to help reduce health disparities through heritage diets.

  • Price per person is $6,850 with double occupancy
  • Single supplement is $1,350

Trip Insurance

Accident Insurance

Oldways has procured accident and evacuation insurance for all Culinaria participants while traveling on one of our Culinarias with an Accident & Health policy from The Hartford. Click here to view Oldways Certificate of Accident Insurance.

Please let us know if you need more information about the insurance.

Travel Insurance

While we cannot offer travel insurance for the cost of the trip or your air travel, here are three widely used travel insurance companies:

Allianz

Travelex

Travel Guard by AIG

More Upcoming Trips

For More Information

For additional questions, please reach out to [email protected] or contact Abby Sloane at  617-896-4875.