During July 2025 after spending a week with friends and family in Sicily, we flew back in to Milan where I kicked off my second leg of the trip in Northern Italy: mainly focused on the Piedmont and Liguria regions. This was my sixth time traveling to Italy! I can’t believe how much more I still want to come back to see and do in this amazing country. But I love it here every time!

My Itinerary

Day 1- Milan- Arrive in Milan and check into Airbnb

Day 2- Milan- Pinoteca di Brera, Duomo, Castle Sforzeco

Day 3- Alba- Train from Milan to Alba, Vineyard tour of Picclalunga Abellonio

Day 4- Alba- Local excursion to Bra

Day 5- Alba to Turin- Wine tour and tasting at Pio Cesare, train to Turin, evening at hotel spa

Day 6- Turin- Visit Royal Palace and explore the city

Day 7- Turin to Genova- Travel to Genova

Day 8- Genova- Explore the city, National Art Gallery

Day 9- Genova- Day trip to Camogli, Liguria

Day 10- Genova- Last day to relax in Genova

Tips & Highlights

I’ve been to Milan a handful of times, particularly in recent years- because it tends to be the better priced airport to fly in and out of when I visit Italy. I’ve been staying in different areas each time and I think this trip I finally found that Brera is my ideal area to be in Milan. It was so charming, close enough to walk to key sites as well as transit stations like Cadorna (or even Porta Garibaldi), and felt less commercial than other areas. My friends and I enjoyed a meat and cheese lover’s paradise of a lunch at A Proscuitteria in Brera, and there was no shortage of dining options, cute boutiques, or beautiful churches. These things are everywhere you look. One morning, I took a couple hours to explore the Pinotecca di Brera, a National Art Gallery that happened to be a five minute walk from my Airbnb. It was a beautiful collection and I particularly enjoyed reading the well-written blurbs there. My friends and I also visited some main Milan sites like the Duomo (I went inside after purchasing a gauze poncho to cover my shoulders) and the Castle Sforzeco, and stopped at various churches as we wandered around the city.

After a couple days in Milan, I took the train to Alba (you have to transfer in Turin) and arrived in time to check into my hotel (Hotel Calissano- highly recommend!) and the front desk helped me arrange a cab to my wine tasting. Cabs are expensive here, but this vineyard was only about 10 minutes away and they told me the price ahead of time. Piedmont wines are my favorite wines in the world, so I felt particularly grateful to be here. Alba is also known for it’s amazing cuisine (and truffles! but I was not here during white truffle season which is another whole thing).. but the restaurants sure did not disappoint. I also loved my excursion to Bra where I ate at Battaglino, one of my favorite dining experiences. I liked walking around and shopping in Alba’s small city, and I also got to tour the incredible Pio Cesare right in Alba. This was truly one of the most beautiful wine cellars I’ve ever seen!

After Alba, I hopped on the train to Turin where I stayed at Hotel Victoria. I had been there a couple summers ago and I loved the aesthetic, the Egyptian Museum styled spa, and the lovely breakfast room. In Turin, I love walking around the city to explore different areas. I also visited the Royal Palace and art museums which were awesome. I had some great meals at Scannabue and Consorzio, and I always love stopping at Trappizzino for a little sandwich and a spritz while I relax in the Santa Catarina piazza.

From Turin, Genova was a pretty quick 2 hour train ride. From the station, I walked to my Airbnb which ended up being an incredible gem of a location, but way uphill nearby the Castelleto stairs and view. I really loved the vibes in Genova, although I did not go into this trip aware that they are vehemently against tourism here. I honestly was hoping to visit a less touristy location on this trip and did not think Genova would be very touristy, so this movement came as a surprise to me. This left me feeling like I was kind of walking around with my tail between my legs – although the people I encountered throughout my time here were always very kind. I loved seeing the different areas and architecture of the city, seeing the National Art gallery, and day tripping by train (you can go by boat, too) to other points in Liguria- I opted for the peaceful, laid back, and gorgeous Camogli, as I visited Cinque Terre in 2023 and wanted to try something new.

Restaurants I Loved…

  • A Proscuitteria– Milan- A meat, cheese, and wine heaven in the Brera area of Milan!
  • Osteria Dell’Arco– Alba- Delicious, reasonably priced restaurant in Alba’s center. Reserve ahead! I had an octopus salad and tagliolini with tomato sauce.
  • Battaglino– Bra- This goes down as a favorite dining experience. I sampled an appetizer of meats (vitello tonnato, salsiccio di Bra, tartare), amazing pasta, and a Bonet (chocolate!) for dessert at this historic restaurant in the home of the slow food movement.
  • Hosteria dei Musi– Alba- Another awesome restaurant in Alba’s center. I sat outside right in the Piazza.
  • Scannabue– Turin- I went here twice during my 2023 visit! This time, I enjoyed the veal cheek braised in Barbera wine.
  • Consorzio– Turin- I tried some delicious offal based dishes at this popular Michelin recognized restaurant. If you’re into being adventurous with meats, this felt like a perfect place to do it!
  • Trattoria Rosmarino– Genova- I had amazing pesto here, as well as a nice cucumber salad and glass of Vermentino!
  • Le Rune- Genova- This was an awesome little spot with amazing service and delicious home cooked tasting food. I had pesto and tuna tataki here.
  • Restaurant Il Michelaccio– Genova- This was a bit of a walk from my Airbnb, but the food was delicious. I loved my Ametriciana with cod, and I also had a cuttefish dish that was tasty.
  • La Spritzetta– Genova- So, they have a spritz stand near the marina. They have a few different kinds of spritzes aside from Aperol and Campari. You can even get my personal favorite, the Cynar Spritz (an artichoke liqueur).

Next time?

I have resolved to visit Italy (/Sicily) once per year. I like to do a mix of further exploring places I’ve already been and adding new destinations to the mix. There is never a shortage of places to visit in Italy and the well-connected train system makes it pretty easy to go wherever you’d like.

I wish I got a chance to explore more villages in the Piedmont region. I would love to do this someday, particularly if I had an opportunity to travel here non-solo.