EO EMERITUS AND SPOUSES · ROME, ITALY · JANUARY 25 TO 31, 2027
A private journey through Rome’s food, history and living traditions, led by Katie Parla.
OVERVIEW
January 25–31, 2027
Cost per person: $9,850 pp
Created especially for Shane and Krista and their friends, this customized Rome Deep Dive explores the city through its extraordinary history and the people who give its food culture life. Neighborhood markets, traditional trattorias, contemporary Roman kitchens, and countryside producers reveal how Rome’s past continues to shape what’s on the table today.
Each stop has a purpose: to introduce a distinctive tradition, open a window onto everyday Roman life, or connect you with people carrying local knowledge into the next generation. Planned private visits bring an added intimacy to the week, balanced with time to explore on your own.
LED BY
Parla is a badass, she:
Katie Parla has spent nearly a quarter century living, eating, and writing in Rome, making her one of the most authoritative voices on Italian food culture working today. She is the founder of Parla Tours and Parla Publishing, and the author of Food of the Italian Islands, Food of the Italian South, and Rome. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, and dozens of other publications. She holds a master's degree in Italian gastronomic culture from the Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata and has spent years building expertise that moves fluidly across food, wine, history, and urbanism. Her tours, writing, and television appearances have introduced a generation of travelers and readers to a Rome that exists well beyond the tourist circuit.
ITINERARY
MONDAY, JANUARY 25
Settle into Palazzo Velabro and gather for welcome drinks before walking to Sora Lella on the Tiber Island. This family run institution offers a fitting first taste of Rome: deeply rooted cooking, recipes passed between generations, and a setting surrounded by the river at the heart of the ancient city. A curated Rome welcome package introduces more of the flavors and stories awaiting you.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 26
Trace 2,700 years of history, beginning with views over the Roman Forum and continuing from the Capitoline into the historic center. In the ancient Field of Mars, imperial monuments, medieval marketplaces, Renaissance palaces, and Baroque churches reveal how successive generations have rebuilt and reinvented the same streets.
Enjoy a grazing lunch before a planned private visit to Villa Farnesina. Built for the wealthy banker Agostino Chigi, this Renaissance villa brings you into a world of art, mythology, and lavish entertaining. Raphael’s Triumph of Galatea and the exuberant frescoes of Cupid and Psyche offer a memorable encounter with Renaissance Rome in the setting for which they were created.
An optional craft beer stop in Trastevere precedes dinner at Cesare al Pellegrino, where satisfying Roman classics and a thoughtful wine list give a historic city center trattoria fresh energy. It’s a chance to experience the continuing appeal of the Roman neighborhood restaurant.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27
Follow the connections between food, commerce, and power from Rome’s ancient riverfront markets to Testaccio. The neighborhood’s warehouses, former slaughterhouse, and lively market explain why this district holds such an important place in Roman food culture.
A planned private visit to Monte Testaccio turns an extraordinary archaeological site into a story of everyday consumption: this hill of discarded transport amphorae records the enormous quantities of olive oil imported to feed the imperial capital.
Lunch at Piatto Romano brings that history to the table through seasonal cooking and a commitment to the city’s culinary traditions. It’s an especially rewarding place to discover the range of Roman cuisine, from vegetables and pasta to the resourceful dishes that define its neighborhood kitchens.
After a free afternoon, gather at L’Elementare for thin, crisp Roman pizza and fried appetizers, a convivial introduction to one of the city’s essential dining rituals.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28
Leave the city for the Castelli Romani, the hill towns Romans have long visited for wine, food, and a change of pace. At Icaro, four young Romans are contributing to the area’s long winemaking tradition through their natural wine project. Taste in the vineyard with snacks, discovering the countryside through the people making wine there today.
Continue to DLR in Frascati, where the sociable spirit of a traditional fraschetta, a local wine tavern, meets contemporary trattoria cooking. Together, these visits show how the region’s food and wine traditions continue to evolve.
Return to Rome for free time before a Vino Roma wine tasting and Parla Cucina cooking lesson with snacks. The evening offers a chance to deepen your appreciation of Italian wine and take some Roman kitchen knowledge home.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29
Explore Trionfale and Prati, where residential streets, food shops, and market counters reveal the rhythms of daily life just beyond the Vatican. At Mercato Trionfale, grocery shopping becomes an introduction to local ingredients and eating habits. A pizza focused walk explores Rome’s beloved pizza by the slice, with tastings serving as lunch.
Continue to the Jewish catacombs to explore another dimension of the city’s history and the enduring place of Jewish life in Rome.
Dinner is at Roscioli, where a destination delicatessen and restaurant come together. Its selection of cured meats, cheeses, and other carefully sourced ingredients provides the foundation for the kitchen, a delicious demonstration of how much Roman cooking depends on choosing exceptional products.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30
Travel to the countryside near Bracciano for a cheesemaking experience with a local producer. Discover the skill behind an everyday staple of the Roman table, then enjoy cheeses and snacks where they are made.
Back in Rome, take time for yourself or join an optional stroll through Trastevere, whose lanes and small squares invite a slower afternoon on foot.
Our planned farewell dinner is in SantoPalato’s private dining room. Its contemporary approach to Roman cooking makes it a fitting final stop: a restaurant that connects the city’s culinary inheritance with the energy of its current food scene. Gather for one last evening celebrating the flavors and discoveries of the week.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31
Share breakfast and goodbyes before departure transfers, taking home a deeper understanding of Rome and the people behind its food.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Your home for six nights is Palazzo Velabro, an elegant hotel beside the ancient Arch of Janus, within easy reach of the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, and the city’s historic neighborhoods. Contemporary Italian design, warm colors, and rich materials create an inviting retreat after each day’s explorations.
All accommodations for our forum are in spacious suites, offering the comfort and room to settle in and feel at home in Rome. Palazzo Velabro
This itinerary reflects the exceptional experiences we are planning for your forum, including special private visits. Reservations and private access will be confirmed closer to departure; should an experience be unavailable, we will arrange a comparable alternative. We reserve the right to adjust visits, restaurants, and timing in response to circumstances beyond our control, while preserving the quality and character of your trip.
PRICING & INQUIRIES
The journey runs January 25 to 31, 2027, with six nights in Palazzo Velabro suites. Reach out to discuss the trip and arrange a private video call.