This is your custom 10 day trip to Italy.

You will visit the must-see highlights,
but also those hard to find spots that most travelers never see.  
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Your dates here for 2024 & 2025
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Day 1 
Venice

The beautiful city of Venice a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Venice & The Lagoon) is the start of your odyssey. A private driver will be waiting for you at the airport to whisk you into the historic center of Venice. We have picked out a centrally located boutique hotel that will have a glass of Prosecco waiting for you when you arrive.

After checking in, you can hit the  streets for a stroll along the canals and into the back neighborhoods around the hotel, where locals still reside.

Perhaps you would like a vaporetto ride down the main canal and into St. Marco's square? We can help facilitate that.

Later, we have plenty of recommendations for a leisurely stroll along romantic canals and over quaint bridges, to one of our favorite trattorias.

Includes-Private driver pick up from Venice airport/ Overnight at a centrally located boutique hotel / Prosecco drink/ Recommendations for walks/ Help with vaporetto ride along the grande canal/ recommendations for dinner/ 24-7 access to your trip planner/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Venice & The Lagoon)/ Overnight Venice
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​Day 2
​Venice

You will be up early for your private guided tour of the heart of historic Venice. Your guide will start with skip-the-line tickets as you enter the the Basilica di San Marco to tour this magnificent church. Your guide will also take you up to the balcony to see the bronze horses up close, (said to be from the Hippodrome in Constantinople) and where you will be treated to a stunning view of Venice.

Your tour will continue as you make your way to the Rialto Bridge, catching a great view of "main street"- the canal, with majestic buildings rising from the water. A stop at the famous Rialto fish and produce market is in order as we make your way through the San Marco neighborhood.

Your tour will end mid morning in a place where there a quite a few authentic trattorias to choose from, for lunch. Your guide, who is a local, can point a few out for you.

In the afternoon you will be free to explore on your own, go to Murano island or Burano island, sit at a sidewalk cafe and people watch, or go for a gondola ride.

We will have plenty of recommendations for dinner tonight.

Breakfast/ Private guided tour of the historic heart of Venice/ Skip-the-line-entry into St. Mark's Cathedral/ Lunch & dinner recommendations/ Help with the best way to get to Murano and-or Burano islands-cost on you/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Venice & The Lagoon)/ Boutique hotel centrally located/ 24-7 access to your trip planner/ Overnight Venice.
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Day 3
​Florence

Venice, early in the morning, is a wonderful place to explore. Take your time and have another walk on the canals before or after breakfast, your choice. Be ready mid morning as you say goodbye to Venice. A private porter will be on hand to take you to the train station, where you will board your fast train that will take you to Florence. 

Once in Florence, you will check into your hotel in the historic center and then we have a recommendation for a walk that can take you by all the highlights. You will pass by the Duomo and the Campiello (the bell tower) and taking your time visiting the piazzas and the outdoor David. 

Florence is indeed a great place to shop, with outdoor leather markets and shoe shops galore. We will point you in the right direction.

Later we have a few restaurants to recommend where you can get the famous Florentine steak and other local specialties. 

After dinner, a stroll down to the Arno river and across the Ponte del Vecchio is a great way to end your evening.

Breakfast/ Fast train to Florence/Orientation Walk of Florence/Boutique hotel in the historical center of Florence/ Recommendations for lunch and Dinner/ /Boutique hotel in the historical center of Florence
UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Florence)/ Overnight Florence.
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Day 4 
Florence

This morning you will have skip-the-line tickets for your entry into
the Galleria dell’Accademia, were you will see renowned works of art, such as Michelangelo’s David.

Next, you can make our way to one of the most impressive monuments in all of Florence, the Duomo. We will have skip-the-line tickets for your guided tour of the interior of this magnificent church. Afterwards, you will have tickets for the bell tower (The Campiello) , where you can climb up and have some of the best views back to the Duomo and all of Florence.

We will have recommendations for the best choices for lunch and a gelato stop.

You can continue on to the main part of the city where we will walk by the Uffizi gallery, cross the Pont de Vecchio, and end up at the Palazzo Pitti (former residence of the Medici family) on the other side of the river. We can help you secure tickets to these places-fee is on you.

The rest of the afternoon will be yours to further explore this beautiful city. We will have plenty of recommendations for dinner at a traditional Tuscan trattoria. 

Breakfast/ Skip-the-line tickets for Galleria dell'Accademia/ Skip-the-line tickets and guided tour of the Duomo/ Skip-the-line tickets for entry to the bell tower/ Recommendations for lunch and Dinner UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Florence)/ Boutique hotel in the historical center of Florence/  24-7 access to your trip planner/ Overnight Florence.
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Day 5 
​Tuscany
Your private driver will be on hand to bring you our of Florence to the the back roads through the Chianti region for rural Tuscany.

You will have time to wander through the town of Greve where you can sample wine, olives and olive oils.  There will be some great cafes for lunch where you can take your time over some Super Tuscan red wine. 

Afterwards, along with your driver, you will glide into the heart of Tuscany where you’ll stay in a converted farm estate. Your hosts will be on hand to take you around and visit their winemaking productions.

You will be able to taste test their wines and then join in for dinner at the estate.

Breakfast/ Town of Greve/ UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano/ Dinner together/ Overnight San Gimignano.

Day 6
​Tuscany
This morning you can enjoy a walk through the vineyards and a dip in the pool, and a leisurely breakfast if you would like

Afterwards a driver will be on hand to take you for a look at San Gimignano. You can take your time  explore this medieval village on your own and even climb one of the Torre Grosse (tower) for extended views over the countryside. There is ample shopping to be done and great sidewalk cafes where you can watch the locals go by (in addition to several shops that have won the 'best gelato in the world' competition:)

Lunch is on your own at any of the excellent restaurants on the piazzas and back streets.

Be sure to be back in the afternoon to the estate where you will join in a cooking lesson. Pasta making and tiramisu are on order. Then later you can sample some more wine over a sumptuous dinner featuring the food you just made.

Breakfast/ San Gimignano/ The Torre Grosso/ UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano/ Swimming Pool Time / Dinner together/ Overnight San Gimignano.
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Day 7
​Rome
A private driver will be on hand to take you on the quick trip back to Florence, where you will catch  your fast train to Rome, the capital and historical heart of Italy!

Your boutique hotel is located in the heart of this capital and once you check in you can head over to the Colosseum for your afternoon semi-private guided tour. Your skip-the-line tickets will allow you to access into this monument completed in 80 AD.  Your tour will include the Colosseum grounds, the Arch of Constantine, the Forum, and Palantine Hill.

Later we can offer one of our favorite walks of Rome that you can unroll yourself that will include Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon and Piazza Navonna*.

We will also offer great recommendations for food for lunch and dinner. You will not go hungry:)

​*These we will see from the outside
Day 8
​Rome

This morning you have your choice of acticities that we can offer you.
How about a cooking class on making pasta and gelato?

Would you like a semi private tour of the Vatican whcih includes the Sistine Chapel? Or skip-the-line entry and tour of St. Peter's? It is your choice **

Breakfast/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Siena)/ The Coliseum*/ The Arch of Constantine* Trevi Fountain/ The Pantheon/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Rome)/Farewell dinner/ Overnight Rome.

**Your tour includes the choice of one of these. But if you want to do one or two more, we would be glad to do a booking for you (non commissioned-in other words direct pricing) and then we can even up later.
Day 9 

After breakfast it is time to  say good-bye. There is plenty more to explore. As part of this tour we will help you to book any other parts of Rome you want to see. Maybe you want to expand this tour to include Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. Or maybe you wanted to to a pre-tour addon to the Italian lakes (Como) and Milan? We are here to help you put it together. Email us today!

Breakfast

Tour Cost
$6290 per person
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 Until final payment date all deposits are fully refundable.
 To email us your questions click here.
Solo/ Single travelers- We welcome single/ solo travelers on all of our tours. You will be paired up with a same-sex fellow traveler and you will each have your own bed in each hotel room during the tour. If you want to secure your own room we offer what we call a single supplement. ​This guarantees your own room each night of the tour. For this tour it is $775 added to the cost of your tour. If you do the Add On + it will be an additional $200 for your own room during that segment.

What do you get with this tour?


Visits to the following historical sites:
  • Basilica San Marco (Venice) UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Piazza San Marco (Venice) UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Historic Center of Florence UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Galleria dell’Accademia  (Florence)
  • ​The City of Lucca
  • The City of Pisa
  • ​The Leaning Tower of Pisa UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • San Gimignano (Tuscany) UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Piazza del Campo & the Historic Center of Siena (Tuscany) UNESCO World Heritage Site          
  • The Pantheon (Rome) UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Piazza Navonna  (Rome)
  • The Coliseum (Rome) UNESCO World Heritage site*
  • Trevi Fountain
  • *outside view


​PLUS!

  • Always small groups
  • Great Italian food​
  • Tour of Venice
  • Custom itineraries
  • The vineyards of Tuscany
  • Cheese and prosciutto taste testing
  • Special wine tastings
  • Visit to local markets
  • Pasta making lessons in Tuscany
  • Prosecco sampling
  • Olive Oil & Olive tasting
  • Meetings with the locals
  • Nine full breakfasts​​
  • One pool-side picnic lunch (including wines)
  • Six multi-course dinners (including wines)
  • Experienced tour leaders
  • Comfortable transportation
  • ​Fast Trains
  • Carefully selected hotels in great locations
  • Careful attention paid to the pace of the trip, so you get the most impact!


​What are you responsible for?


Airfare and transportation to and from the airport at the start and end of the tour.

Some lunches and dinners (when noted) that will be on your own, with plenty of recommendations from us.

Expenses arising from personal needs such as medications, vaccinations, travel documents, communications or any other expenses incurred due to traveling, including transport costs when you are sightseeing on your own.

Price is inclusive of all hotels, meals where indicated, and entrance to historic sites where noted. Also included is bus transportation starting after day one until the end of the scheduled tour.

What to expect-
  • Email or phone contact at any time you want it with your tour leaders pre-tour (even pre-booking for questions) Email us now!
  • A great paced tour. You will get to see a lot of sites but never rushed. In addition we allow plenty of time for seeing the sites on your own.
  • Skip the line tickets so we do not have to wait in line at very popular sites
  • Great attention to detail
  • We can handle the following dietary needs (if you tell us before the tour) 
                non-alcohol
                vegetarian
                vegan
                For non-gluten or other dietary restrictions please contact us by email.
  • The easiest and fastest transportation. We pride ourselves on our transportation modes. When indicated we use fast trains, private coaches, easy walking, local transport. All in the effort to make getting around the easiest and fastest for you. If you have any questions about possible mobility issues please email us your concerns.

Our tour starts in Venice and ends in Rome.  Please book your flight accordingly.
We have a document on booking your flights


"We loved traveling with you. Thanks again for all your efforts. We had a wonderful time!”

- Linda & Jim H. Fernandina Beach, Fla.

Who are your leaders?

Manolis Hajifotiou

A native of Greece, Manolis has been leading tours in Europe for 21 years. Besides traveling, his passion is playing his guitar and creating his own music. He also likes to keep up with the stone house he shares with his wife, Patricia, especially trimming their olive trees.  He looks forward to showing you his favorite places and making sure you feel right at home.

Patricia Hajifotiou

A native of the U.S.A., Patricia has been leading tours in Europe for 21 years. She lives on the island of Evia, Greece, with her husband Manolis. When she is not on tour, she lives off the grid in a rock house, powered by the wind and sun. There she likes to spend her time digging in the garden. She looks forward to showing you the places she likes the best.