The D Family
Private Tour
​
Beautiful Italy-Venice to The Amalfi Coast & Beyond!
​
May 26 through June 5, 2022




Day 1
Thursday May 26 2022

The beautiful city of Venice is the start of our odyssey. Join us in our centrally located hotel as we sip some prosecco and taste test some of Italy’s favorite olives.  

After introductions and a toast of prosecco we will head out for a leisurely stroll along romantic canals and over quaint bridges for an introduction to the area, on our way to dinner. We have a special trattoria picked out for our first dinner together!


Introductions/Prosecco & olive taste testing/ Dinner together /UNESCO World Heritage Site (Venice & The Lagoon)/ Overnight Venice.
Day 2 
Friday May 27
​
We head out early for our cruise up the Grande Canal and our walk of historic Venice. We will start at the Basilica di San Marco to tour this magnificent church. Climbing up to the balcony to see the bronze horses up close, (said to be from the Hippodrome in Constantinople) we will be treated to a stunning view of Venice.

We will make our 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 our way through the San Marco neighborhood.

We'll stop at a local place for lunch together along with excellent local wine.

After lunch you will be free to explore on your own, sit at a sidewalk cafe and people watch, or go for a gondola ride. Also we will be on hand to help you get to Murano or Burano islands for blown glass or lace shopping. Dinner on your own with recommendations from us.

Breakfast/ Transport up the Grand Canal of Venice/ Private tour walk of St. Marks and Venice Neighborhoods/ Lunch together/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Venice & The Lagoon)/ Overnight Venice.
Day 3
Saturday May 28

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 we say goodbye to Venice. We’ll board our fast train that will take us to Florence. 

Once in Florence, we'll check into our hotel and then have an orientation walk of the Historical Centre of this marvelous city.
​
We'll pass by the Duomo and the Campiello and take our time visiting the piazzas and the outdoor David. There will be time for shopping at some of the best outdoor markets in Italy. 

We'll meet up later and walk to dinner together as a special trattoria known to the locals. 

Breakfast/ Fast train to Florence/ Orientation Walk of Florence/ Dinner together/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Florence)/ Overnight Florence.
Picture
Day 4
Sunday May 29

We will leave early this morning for our visit of the Galleria dell’Accademia, were we will see renowned works of art, such as Michelangelo’s David.

​Next, we will make our way to one of the most impressive monuments in all of Florence, the Duomo. Here you can take your time to visit the sanctuary or climb to the top of the tower, for some of the best views of the city. Lunch is on your own.  

We will 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. The rest of the afternoon will be yours to further explore the beautiful city. We will be on hand for recommendations. 

Breakfast/ Galleria dell'Accademia/ Tour of Florence/The Duomo/ The Campanile/ The Baptistry/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Florence)/ Overnight Florence.
Picture
Day 5
Monday May 30

We’ll leave the city of Florence today for rural Tuscany. Here we take the back roads through the Chianti region. We will take our time wandering through the town of Greve where you can sample wine, olives and olive oils. We’ll pick out some great cafes for lunch on your own. 

We glide into the heart of Tuscany where we’ll stay in a converted farm estate. Our hosts will be on hand to take us around and visit their winemaking productions. We'll follow up with a wine tasting and then join them for dinner at their estate.

Breakfast/ Town of Greve/ A surprise stop/ UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano/ Dinner together/ Overnight San Gimignano.
Day 6
Tuesday May 31
​​
This morning we are up early for our look at San Gimignano. We'll explore this medieval village and even climb one of the Torre Grosse (tower) for extended views over the countryside. There is ample shopping to be done (and my favorite shoe store:) and great sidewalk cafes where you can watch the locals go by.

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

We will return to our Tuscan estate where you can have the afternoon to sit by the pool and read before joining us for a cooking class. We will learn  a few Tuscan specialties before sitting down and enjoying them during another excellent dinner with local wine!

Breakfast/ San Gimignano/ The Torre Grosso/ UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano/ Swimming Pool Time / Cooking class/ Dinner together/ Overnight San Gimignano.
Picture
Day 7 
Wednesday June 1
 
We return to Florence for our fast train to Naples. Stunning scenery awaits us as we look on in comfort from our train coach. 

We will be picked up and whisked right away to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. After checking into our hotel with views of the coast and Vesuvius we will lead an orientation in Sorrento town.

​Join us later for dinner together at a local ristorante. 

Breakfast/ Private transport to Florence/ Fast train to Naples/ Private transport to Sorrento/ UNESCO World Heritage Site the Amalfi Coast/ Overnight Sorrento
​
Picture
Day 8
Thursday June 2
​
This morning we set our course for Positano and the Amalfi coast. Our drive there will be stunning, with views of Capri, off the coast. Once there you can sit seaside and sip some cappuccino, change into your bathing suit and hit the beach or shop for some exquisite pottery. Late in the afternoon we will return to Sorrento. 

The heart of Sorrento has been turned exclusively into a pedestrian only zone. We will walk down and find some great restaurants for dinner on your own. Alternatively our hotel has an excellent restaurant with offering local wines and views of Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples.


Breakfast/ Transport to Positano/ Walk of Sorrento / UNESCO World Heritage Site the Amalfi Coast/ Overnight Sorrento

Picture
Day 9
Friday June 3

Our private driver will pick up up early this morning for our drive to the town of Fosslato, in the heart of the Molise region. We will have some short stops along the way in order to have lunch and sip some espresso before traveling through the heart of southern Italy, on our way to experience the joy of reuniting with family. 

We will check into our hotel in the town of Campobasso before meeting up with family for an afternoon and evening together. 

Breakfast/ Private Transport/ Driver on standby/ Meeting with family/ Overnight Campobasso near Fossalto
Picture
Day 10
Saturday June 4

This morning we will spend some more time meeting family and visiting the places of origin.

Midday, our private driver, will return us to Naples where we will meet our fast train to Rome. Once there we will check in and if time allows we will take a walking tour of the central Rome including Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

Be ready in the early evening as we have our farewell dinner. After that there is a special insider skip-the-line night tour of the Colosseum that we can book for you.

Breakfast/ Private transport/ Fast train to Rome/ Transfer from train station/ Walking tour of  Central Rome/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Rome)/ Optional skip the line night tour of the Colosseum (your costs)/ Farewell dinner/ 
Picture
Day 11
Sunday June 5
 
After breakfast together we will say good-bye.

If you have time before your flight we can book you into the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel private tour in the early morning to skip the line and beat the crowds. 
​
Afterwards you can come back to the hotel and have breakfast before getting to the airport to return stateside. 

Either way we can say Arrivederci!
​
Breakfast/ Optional Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel skip-the-line-tour (Your costs but we can book it for you)/UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Rome)

Tour Cost
based on double occupancy (2 people per room)
​8 people-$TBD
7 people-$TBD
6 people-$TBD

​The payment of the final trip payment also constitutes the agreement to the Trip Terms

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 $1075 added to the cost of your tour. 

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
  • The Duomo (Florence) UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • The Bell Tower (Florence) UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Galleria dell’Accademia  (Florence) UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • San Gimignano (Tuscany) UNESCO World Heritage Site 
  • Torre Grosso  (Tuscany) UNESCO World Heritage Site     
  • The Pantheon (Rome) UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Piazza Navona  (Rome)
  • Trevi Fountain (Rome)
  • The Coliseum (Rome) Optional- your costs-UNESCO World Heritage site
  • The Vatican and the Sistine Chapel (Rome) Optional-your cost-UNESCO World Heritage site


​PLUS!

  • Two guides with 22 years experience in trip planning and leading
  • Your private small group
  • Custom routes & itineraries
  • Private professional drivers
  • Great Italian food​
  • Tour of Venice
  • The vineyards of Tuscany
  • Cheese and prosciutto taste testing
  • Special wine tastings
  • Visit to local markets
  • Cooking lessons in Tuscany
  • Prosecco sampling
  • Olive oil & olive tasting
  • Meetings with the locals
  • Ten full breakfasts​
  • Six multi-course dinners (including wines)​
  • 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 (except Coliseum and Vatican/ Sistine Chapel (but we can book it for you).

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 flights accordingly.
The Olive Odysseys
2021-2022


"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.