What is a forest dinner? What do we mean by high-altitude wellness? Can an encounter with an artist deep in the Dolomites offer a form of spiritual restoration?

These were the questions that shaped our recent FAM trip, led by our dear Pietro through some of the most beautiful parts of northern Italy. We called it The Grand Italian Autumn Escape, with Riviera, Peaks and Lakes as our guiding theme. The journey explored different ways of thinking about luxury wellness: one that includes, but also extends beyond, the traditional spa treatment room and into landscapes, flavours, architecture, traditions, and meaningful encounters.

Everyone on our team believes that wellbeing takes many forms, because different experiences nourish different parts of us. Read on to discover eight days of this wellness-focused journey, made possible by the generous partnerships and invitations of some truly exceptional estates, hotels, and restaurants.

Days 1 and 2: Wellness on the Italian Riviera

Before the mountains, there is the soothing quality of salt-laden air and the sense of abundance that comes with an endless sea horizon. Pietro and our travel advisors began their journey along the Ligurian coast, where maritime pines cling to steep hillsides, cliffs descend into brilliant blue waters, and villages seem to rise directly from the harbour.

Our first address was Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, perched above Portofino's celebrated harbour. Long associated with the glamour of the Italian Riviera, Portofino has attracted artists, international travellers, and celebrities from around the world with its intimate scale, pastel façades, and sheltered waterfront. Splendido lives up to its name, offering a hillside sanctuary where the panorama becomes part of the experience.

After some time unwinding at the hotel, we began with a slightly unconventional take on wellness—one that some might even dispute: a cocktail-making class at DaV Mare, the Cerea family's harbourfront restaurant in Portofino, followed by dinner.

We believe there is room for celebratory drinks in a life well lived, and that the pleasure of learning something new can be restorative in its own right. Experimenting with flavours, creating infusions, and acquiring a new skill bring together curiosity, creativity, and conviviality—all good reasons to raise a glass!

The next morning was dedicated to revealing the beauty of the Cinque Terre to our travel advisors. Pietro set out with them in a gozzo, a traditional Ligurian wooden boat, to admire the villages and their dramatic setting: colourful buildings clustered like jewels along the shoreline, steep hillsides rising behind them, and terraced landscapes shaped over generations.

There is something special about approaching a place by water. The villages unfold gradually, offering a different perspective from the winding roads and narrow streets on land. Their route brought them to Vernazza, one of the five villages, for lunch at Osteria del Mare, where they enjoyed Ligurian cuisine with the sea as their backdrop.

The afternoon took them back towards Portofino, with a short boat tour around its bay and San Fruttuoso, a secluded cove tucked between the wooded slopes of the coast.

In moments like these, if your hair is long enough, it streams behind you in the wind, and for a moment you might feel like a mermaid, a creature of the sea. Tousled hair, specks of water on your skin, and the sensation of being at one with the waves: these small, sensory moments can be transformative, allowing you to feel more connected to the natural world as you explore.

Back on land, the group visited Villa Beatrice, a grand, century-old private villa, for a pesto-making class that offered a hands-on introduction to one of Liguria’s most beloved culinary traditions. There is real pleasure in learning a local technique, working with your hands, and discovering how much of a place can be understood through its food.

They ended the day with an excellent dinner at La Terrazza Splendido, returning to the hotel for one last evening overlooking the coast.

Days 3 and 4: From Riviera Glamour to Alpine Stillness

The next leg of the journey brought a dramatic change of scenery. Leaving behind the Riviera’s glittering coastline, Pietro and the travel advisors headed inland towards the Dolomites, stopping in Verona for a guided tour of the city, followed by lunch and a hotel visit at Vista Verona.

By the time they reached FORESTIS Dolomites, the landscape had transformed entirely. Set 1,800 metres above sea level on the southern slope of Mount Plose, this secluded retreat sits among dense pine forests, facing the jagged peaks of the Geisler massif.

A closer look: The Geisler massif

Also known as the Odle Group, these striking Dolomite peaks rise like a row of stone needles between Val di Funes and Val Gardena. The Ladin word Odles means “needles”—a fitting description of their dramatic, serrated silhouettes. Part of the UNESCO-listed Dolomites, they form one of the region’s most recognisable mountain panoramas.

The hotel’s architecture draws directly from its surroundings. Stone, glass, and wood bring the natural world into the interiors, while floor-to-ceiling windows frame the forest and mountains as living parts of the design.

The concept is rooted in four natural elements—water, air, sun, and climate—with materials chosen to reflect the qualities of the landscape. Even the dolomite stone excavated during construction was repurposed for interior finishes, connecting the building physically to the ground on which it stands.

Following a tour of the property, the advisors settled in for a welcome dinner showcasing FORESTIS’s acclaimed Forest Cuisine.

What is Forest Cuisine?

At FORESTIS, the kitchen draws inspiration from the surrounding woodlands and meadows, using seasonal ingredients alongside produce from nearby farms. The restaurant itself is arranged in tiers, giving each table a sense of privacy while preserving expansive views through its floor-to-ceiling windows. The landscape informs both what guests eat and how they experience the meal.

The following morning began with a private stretching session before the advisors headed out on a guided hike around FORESTIS. With pine forests, crisp autumn mountain air, and the Dolomites stretching across the horizon, the day offered a chance to experience the landscape not simply as a distant view from the hotel, but as a place to move through and explore.

Lunch took them to a traditional rifugio, an Alpine mountain hut, where they enjoyed authentic South Tyrolean specialities such as canederli (dumplings) and local speck.

In the afternoon, they returned to FORESTIS for signature spa massages that make use of the properties of local woods and stones, before gathering in the hotel’s wine cellar for dinner and a wine tasting.

Imagine what this combination of outdoor movement, immersion in nature, restorative treatments, and the warmth of a shared table can offer to one's wellbeing. This is what I would call a dream getaway in the Dolomites!

Days 5 and 6: Wellness Through Alpine Cultural Immersion

Deeper into the Dolomites they went! At a traditional malga—an Alpine mountain farm—Pietro and the advisors took part in an exclusive Ladin cooking class, learning from a local chef before sitting down to lunch paired with regional wines.

It was a taste of mountain life shaped by local ingredients, inherited knowledge, and the rhythms of the seasons. After all, in the mountains, there is no separation between the landscape and the cultures that have grown from it.

Their route then led into Val Badia, one of the heartlands of Ladin culture, and the idyllic village of San Cassiano. Here, they visited Aman Rosa Alpina, a historic Alpine hotel recently reimagined and reopened as an Aman property following an extensive transformation. Its contemporary interpretation of Alpine elegance brings together considered design, exceptional privacy, and the brand’s signature approach to hospitality, offering a different expression of luxury from the forest retreat they had just left behind.

The drive continued over Passo Gardena, where the road winds through an extraordinary mountain landscape. At the summit, the Sella Group and the Cir peaks rose against the autumn sky, their breathtaking rocky silhouettes framed by the season’s changing colours. When it comes to reaching summits—whether by car or on foot—the views at the end can truly be life-changing for the soul.

By evening, the advisors arrived in Ortisei, in Val Gardena, and checked into Gardena Grödnerhof. The hotel’s approach to hospitality brings together the character of the South Tyrolean Alps and the comforts of a contemporary luxury retreat, with a spa and cuisine that move between regional traditions, Italian influences, and Mediterranean flavours. Dinner offered a fitting introduction to this meeting of mountain heritage and Italian culinary sensibility.

On Day 6, the morning began in the sky. From Ortisei, the cableway carried the advisors towards Seceda, where a short walk led them to one of the Dolomites’ most extraordinary viewpoints.

The ridge rises into the sky like a Neolithic firestorm frozen in time: immense stone blades, their edges sharpened against the horizon, resembling flames that once raged and have since hardened into rock. Again, a view that can be life-changing!

After taking in the panorama, the group stopped for lunch at Baita Sofie, where savoury Tyrolean dishes are complemented by an extensive wine cellar featuring more than 300 labels from around the world.

Back in Ortisei, the journey explored another dimension of wellbeing: the creative and emotional impact that art can have on us. The advisors visited the private studio of Aron Demetz, where the centuries-old woodcarving traditions of Val Gardena meet a distinctly contemporary artistic vision.

Who is Aron Demetz?

Born in 1972 in Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Aron Demetz is an internationally recognised sculptor whose work bridges the region’s traditional woodcarving heritage and contemporary art. Working primarily with wood, alongside materials such as bronze and plaster, he explores the human figure, the passage of time, and the transformation of materials. His work gained international recognition through his participation in the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009.

Demetz graciously opened his studio to share his approach to sculpture, his artistic philosophy, and the inspiration behind his work. The encounter concluded with a glass of sparkling wine offered by the artist—a convivial moment before the group returned to Gardena Grödnerhof for one final dose of wellness, with thermal baths and other spa experiences.

Days 7 and 8: Trading Alpine Meadows for Lakeside Elegance

The final leg of the journey began among the surreal landscapes of Alpe di Siusi, Europe's largest high-altitude Alpine meadow. Taking the Mont Sëuc cable car from Ortisei, Pietro and the travel advisors ascended towards a world of rolling green pastures, mountain huts, and immense peaks rising against the sky.

After days spent among the Dolomites’ dramatic rock formations and dense forests, the openness of the meadow offered a gentler side of the mountains. A leisurely guided hike also included a stroll through Castelrotto, a historic South Tyrolean village whose traditional architecture offers a glimpse into the region’s Alpine character.

The route then led to COMO Alpina Dolomites, where lunch at the hotel’s ultra-chic restaurant brought together mountain scenery and another expression of wellness cuisine. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the peaks, offering views that Pietro and the others said seemed to be exclusively for them—as if they were the only audience for this incredible spectacle, looking through a specially designed window onto their very own mountain panorama.

By afternoon, they found themselves enjoying a completely different view. Travelling south to Lake Garda, the advisors exchanged the crisp mountain air for the lake’s milder climate, where Mediterranean vegetation—from olive trees to cypresses and palms—thrives along the shoreline. This distinctive microclimate gives the lake an almost Mediterranean atmosphere, a striking contrast to the Alpine landscapes they had just left behind.

Their destination was Grand Hotel Fasano in Gardone Riviera, a grand lakeside estate built in 1888 as a hunting lodge for the Austrian imperial family. With its historic architecture and privileged position directly on the water, the property offered a different expression of Italian luxury, steeped in history and shaped by the rhythms of lakeside life.

Following a tour of the hotel, the group gathered for dinner at Il Pescatore. With the water lapping gently against the shore, they raised a glass to the journey so far—a fitting toast to the extraordinary variety of landscapes, flavours, and experiences that northern Italy had revealed.

For their final full day, Pietro and the travel advisors explored Lake Garda by private luxury boat, cruising south towards Sirmione, where the medieval Scaliger Castle stands beside the water and the ancient Roman ruins of the Grottoes of Catullus overlook the lake. They continued past Isola del Garda, with its striking neo-Gothic, Venetian-style villa set among lush gardens.

Lunch was kindly hosted on the beautiful lakeside terrace of Villa Cortine, where freshwater fish, local specialities such as carpione or perch, and the region’s olive oil offered a final taste of Garda’s culinary traditions.

That evening, a farewell dinner at Grand Hotel Fasano brought the journey to a close.

Over eight days, wellbeing had come to mean so much more than spa treatments. It had also meant walking through extraordinary landscapes, discovering local traditions, making time for art, and enjoying good food in good company.

And perhaps that is the beauty of travelling through Italy: there is always a myriad of alternative ways to nourish the senses.