Authentic and Experiential Culinary Tours of Italy
Unique adventures in food, wine, and heritage crafted by culinary insiders
Touring Piemonte Italy with chef Jeff Michaud and guest chef Michael Scelfo (and his delightful wife, Ellen!) rates as one of the most fulfilling vacations my wife and I have ever taken. Jeff and Claudia curated the perfect week, and their attention to detail from the moment we all met up on Sunday morning until we said goodbye the following Saturday was flawless. We simply can't recommend La Via Gaia highly enough!!
Anyone can plan a trip to Italy filled with pasta and wine - La Via Gaia trips are so much more!
We explored the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy through food. We toured aging caves, learned about the art of making balsamic vinegar and participated in three cooking classes. We dined in Michelin starred restaurants, family homes and local markets. Along the way we learned so much about food and made lifelong friends.
Jeff truly knows how to create incredible experiences. He kept us laughing the entire time. We’ve been home one week and are already planning our next trip with La Via Gaia!
If you’re on the fence about booking a trip - just do it. You absolutely will not regret it.
For a food centric, behind the scenes tour of Italy, La Via Gaia is unsurpassed. Meet the chefs, the wine makers, the cheese purveyors that only the locals know. Jeff and Claudia combine to create one of a kind weeks based on their relationships and knowledge of Italy.
La Via Gaia curates once in a lifetime trips focused on exploring Italy’s rich culinary history. Anyone can plan a trip to Italy filled with pasta and wine - La Via Gaia trips are so much more.
We explored the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy through food. We toured aging caves, learned about the art of making balsamic vinegar and participated in three cooking classes. We dined in Michelin starred restaurants, family homes and local markets. Along the way we learned so much about food and made lifelong friends.
Jeff truly knows how to create incredible experiences. He kept us laughing the entire time. We’ve been home one week and are already planning our next trip with La Via Gaia!
If you’re on the fence about booking a trip - just do it. You absolutely will not regret it.
Traveling through Italy with La Via Gaia was nothing short of magical. It wasn’t just a trip—it was a deeply personal, beautifully curated experience that felt like stepping into a dream designed just for me.
What sets La Via Gaia apart is the unparalleled access to experiences you simply cannot find anywhere else. These aren't your typical tour group activities—they're the kind of moments that can only happen through Jeff’s close friendships and deep-rooted connections across the region.
If you’re dreaming of Italy and want to experience it in a way that’s truly off-the-beaten-path and profoundly special, La Via Gaia is the only way to go. I’m already dreaming of my next trip back.
Traveling with La Via Gaia is a very intimate way to experience Italy, and lets the traveler to see and meet the actual people behind the scenes who run the small shops and businesses.
I can't imagine a better way to immerse oneself into the culture. Chef Michaud is a wonderful guide and made us feel immediately welcome.
If you want to see the real Italy, travel with La Via Gaia!
This trip was the perfect balance of cooking, education, markets, fun and downtime. I could tell an extreme amount of thought went into every detail of the trip. Every place we visited felt like a private connection. We travelled with Chef Jeff Michaud and Colin Lynch. I learned a great deal from cooking with them. They were both down to earth and I really got to enjoy their company and learn their stories. I have been to Italy several times but this was truly special. I will be back!
Jeff and Claudia arranged to perfection our visit to the Lake Garda region. Our hotel, Villa Arcadio, was a 15th century monastery restored into a hotel. The setting was spectacular. We toured the lake region experiencing some of the finest Italian culture and dining one could have imagined. We could never have arranged this tour without Jeff and Claudia’s expertise. Thanks Jeff and Claudia for taking care of every detail. Looking forward to our next visit!
Jeff and Claudia have created an experience like no other for folks who are truly passionate about food and wine. Jeff is the consummate host and, for one week, you are part of his family which includes not only your fellow travelers, but all of the amazing artisan producers and talented chefs that go to great lengths to make your time with them very special and memorable.
Jeff's passion for everything culinary, along with his well established relationships, are what make this trip unique.
This is more than a culinary tour - this is an immersion into the very best of what Italy has to offer.
La Via Gaia has taken us on 2 unique and unforgettable trips filled with amazing food, wine and experiences. The key is Jeff Michaud’s infectious love of Italy, its people, its culinary traditions, and Italian life in general. The warm relationships he has built over the years with chefs, wine makers and shop owners flow onto the group and make us feel we are cared for in a way we have never experienced with any other trip.
La Via Gaia's culinary tour is not to be missed. Chef Jeff Michaud and his beautiful wife sparkle as they share their love of all things Italian. Days are filled with private tours of wineries and a Parmigiano-Reggiano aging cave, a hot air balloon ride, a drive through the gorgeous Piemontese countryside, and a tour of Turin. The meals include simple regional dishes shared by local cooks, dinner made by the group participants during a cooking lesson at a winery, and spectacular dinners prepared by Michelin starred chefs. Truly fantastico- grazie!
A private trip with La Via Gaia in Piemonte was an adventure I didn't even know I was missing! I was hesitant to go on an expensive trip with my colleagues but after the amazing comradery, wineries with views, a cheese tour/tasting, beautiful balloon ride, truffle hunting, vespa and convertible fiat driving, three Michelin restaurants, chef led cooking classes, shopping in Milan, Turin and Alba, incredible local restaurants, three amazing guides, and lots of fun I deem this trip priceless.
The warmth exuded by Jeff and Claudia Michaud, and their guest Sommelier Matteo Donadoni added to a jam-packed itinerary (with some relax time included). Anyone can go to Northern Italy but these three shared their love of Italy with all of us.
You feel like a true family member everywhere you go. Winemakers, cheesemakers, prosciutto makers, chefs, farmers, agriturismo proprietors, musicians all welcome you with very generous open arms like you've known them forever to share their talents, secrets. Their passion for what they do is contagious as is Jeff's love of Italy and his infectious smile and ability to connect everyone in the group to each other and bring out the adventurous spirit in all of us.
Already booked another trip for next year!
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