Italy and the tour were magnificent! I enjoyed getting there early and walking right in. I had such an amazing time, I cried when I left. 6 of us who had extended our stay spent the day w Guilllanno seeing San Giammano and Sienna w a fabulous lunch in the countryside and ended on the piazza overlooking Florence. Unbelievable.". As were the crowds of people. The city guides Hilaria, Annie, and Roberto were informative and knowledgeable. "Getting lost wandering around the streets of Rome, then "stumbling upon" the view of the Forum and Colosseum from Capitoline Hill. Beautiful.". I loved this tour and all the places we visited! You'll have free time to continue your modern-day pilgrimage at the greatest church in Christendom St. Peter's Basilica, home to Michelangelo's sublimePiet. Beautiful local experience. Slideshow: The Heart of Italy | Rick Steves' Europe We enjoyed great conversation all the way to the last night on the rooftops in Florence with our fellow travelers. I have never been on a tour, so had no expectations. ", "The boat trip in Cinque Terre. I love seeing part of the process by which he sculpted his subjects.". Our tour leader Marianna smiled and said to me "my friend with the big eyes, your eyes just keeping getting bigger with everything that you see". We are already planning our next one, "The tour guide in Rome for the Colosseum was AMAZING. The main guide was as good as they come, and they site specific guys were exceptionally knowledgeable of their subject matter, funny and entertaining too. There was a great balance between time with the group and free time. We had wow moments every day. Share. Took until about day 7 for me to wish I could sleep in, not a relaxing vacation, but a fabulous one! I felt like everything was well planned out and had a great time! Everything about the tour was fabulous. There were no lines to stand in, decisions to make, and all surroundings were fully explained so we saw and experienced so much more that if we would have coordinated on our own. Our Guide (Ben) was outstanding and the group size (24) was just right. I also loved seeing the Pieta in Rome. Tour was well planned. Saw most everything we wanted to see. Our tours are physically active! ", Surpassed all of my expectations, but with Italy as a backdrop how could it not? I loved the great balance of tours and group activities with time to be on your own. Ann did such a great job as our guide and our guide last time (Ben) was top notch, so again, the bar was set high. The local guides were so very knowledgeable and personable. And even a pilgrimage to a newly trendy nuclear meltdown site. I also loved that we had a specialized tour guide at each location. The group size of our tour was just right. Our dinners were a little hit and miss, excellent in Volterra, but our Rome dinner did not offer an entree. We could tell she has a passion about Italian travel, food & history which is just what we were looking for. This was a trip of a lifetime. Drive Hard. The hotels were nice, the food was delicious, and we were thankful to leave most of the transportation headaches up to someone else. Beautiful itinerary. Great group, wonderful and informative guide (Colleen), excellent food and wine and a very fun mix of directed and independent exploring, "Many wow moments but my favorite was standing on the inside of the coliseum and imagining 50,000 Romans gathered there. Ferdy was the best guide we could have hoped for. Having been on two other tours in Italy earlier in my life, the value offered in this Italian itinerary was much superior. Our group included all kind and friendly people. Excellent guide! The Alabaster in Volterra, The reframing of history by Francesca at the Coloseum and Forum, The Bargelo Museum, The wine tasting in Volterra, everything our tour guide taught us about Italy!". "The Bargello Gallery in Florence, where you can see the two earlier David sculptures, the first by Donatello done about 1440 and the second by Vernacchio, done about 1470, both, IMHO, more impressive than Michaelangelo's.". "There were many but the biggest surprise was Volterra. We'll have a get-acquainted meeting at 3 p.m. at our hotel in Rome. "I love being around water, and was enchanted by the pictures of Cinque Terre I'd seen. We loved the planned dinners and outings with the group such as the olive oil farm and wine tasting. The tours had top notch guides that were engaging,fun and informative. Its scale is incredible.". We spent 4 nights here. We had a great group of travelers who we enjoyed getting to know. Each town on the route is different and the countryside is beautiful. Hillsides grooved with twisty rural roads, lined with pointy cypress trees. So much fun, so much history an incredible amount packed into a little over a week. I really enjoyed the tour. Additionally the drive into Cinque Terra and specifically to Monterosso was incredible!". Exceeded my expectations. Every single moment was extraordinary! A special miracle happened for me. It was a wonderful tour. "Walking around the corner into Piazza Del Duomosimply breathtaking". Edit: I should have pointed out that we stayed just outside of Greve at an agriturismo for a week. I knew this in theory, but experiencing firsthand made it real for me.". However, he came up trumps on David. Very well organized. ", "The beauty of Cinque Terra; pictures don't even begin to show how colorful the region is.". "Touring the Colosseum and Forum. Roma was overwhelming too many of everything people,cars,artifacts,churches,monuments etc. I appreciate the early entries to popular venues and not having to stand in line. Tops was pesto making in Manorola at Nessun Dorma at 10:30 am also from Guidebookoh yes, sweet young housekeeper, Martel, running the 72 Stairs at Torres Guelph in Firenze to bring us corkscrews, glasses and peanuts! Their story is heartwarming!". Your guide Marianna was wonderful! Really enjoyed taking advantage of all the knowledge the guides shared to get more out of visiting all the historic sites and museums, and especially to learn more about the people and culture of each area we visited. "The realization of just how old the buildings and sites were. Wonderful time! The tour was very well organized. Cute, small, romantic, fairy-tale town.". Nina was so knowledgeable and respectful of our short time in each place. Everyday of the trip had memorable moments. The afternoon is yours to visit more of the city's art-filled churches and museums, or browse the colorful markets. "Cinque Terre- the views, the food , the people just wow!". Florence Guidebook + Tuscany for 2023 - Rick Steves And the wine tasting and olive oil tasting in authentic ancient buildings were such a unique and enjoyable opportunity for us-very special. ", "Volterra, Tuscany.everything it was rumored to be, amazing". This was our 3rd RS tour and we it was great. I had just studied about this at Oxford and was absolutely thrilled to spend time there". i can't name just one.". "My "wow" moment was experiencing the Colosseum with Francesca. Anna was a great guide and "local expert" for the entire tour. I felt like I was being hit between the eyes with the reality of history. The forum, Colosseum, and Pantheon in Rome. We'll end our tour at the Accademia Gallery to marvel at works of sculptural genius: Michelangelo's rough-hewn Prisoners and his greatest masterpiece, David. "Volterra - the guide Annie and learning about Etruscans". She provided plenty of information and help to everyone. "Seeing Michelangelo's David in person was worth the price of admission. Walk in the footsteps of the Medici, sip aperitivi, and discover the cultural heart of Italy: with Rick Steves, Tuscany is yours to discover. Overall, my tour experience was excellent! ", Our tour guide, Andy, was outstanding. But I think I loved Volterra with its Etruscan history, seeing the alabaster workshop, hearing the WW2 history for the town ..all and more presented by our American guide Annie. But his life shifts into overdrive when mysterious out-of-towner Simon Keller (John Cusack) shows up for a driving lesson and hijacks Peter to be . Some of what we visited, we had visited before, but it still seemed fresh. Once in a lifetime, but I will return! "Walking into the Colloseum at the gladiator level was awesome.". Every detail was considered from great hotel location to creative tours to interesting commentary on Italian life while riding on the bus to authentic food and wine experiences. The tour was organized down to details and the advice and knowledge of the guide was awesome. I expected to like somethings and not enjoy som things. It is difficult to express how amazing the tour was. ", Our experience was fantastic!! There is great beauty among the towns I did see. By Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw So much to see, so little time. "Its so hard to choose one, but Id have to choose the time we spent at the family farm outside of Florence where they produced olive oil and wine. All local guides did a great job, with special notice about Riccardo in Florence. She is extremely knowledgeable and professional. We loved the food, the museums, the guides, the quiet time and the new friends we made along the way. I have ZERO complaints, except for maybe how crowded Italy was, and that is not your fault!! Don't have an account? Dimitri was an enthusiastic and fun guide. "Seeing Michelangelo's "David" up close.". Aside from seeing amazing works of art, I would have to say it was the thrill of entering the hilltop town of Volterre at dusk, and parading through the narrow streets to our hotel with luggage in tow. See our FAQ | Email tour@ricksteves.com Best of Tuscany in 11 Days Tour from $3,895 per person + air Single Supplement $775 See Dates & Prices "There were many "wow" moments over our 9 day tour. She was not only very knowledgeable about every location, but took time to get to know each member personally so as to suggest the most personalized recommendations for them in order to get the maximum out of the tour. The packed tour did exhaust us after 5 or 6 days, "The view from the garden at our hotel in Monterosso and the view from the rooftop bar of our hotel in Florence were so amazing- I took so many pictures and spent lots of free time at both!". I enjoyed every part of the trip. Pick up your car there and include a GPS (well worth the addtional cost)and go. Are you thinking about doing this as a day trip? Excellent guides throughout the tour. She really lit up, and then responded in Italian that I didn't understand and it didn't matter. It matched my expectations. The sun-soaked hill towns of central Italy offer what to many is the quintessential Italian experience: sun-dried tomatoes, homemade pasta, wispy cypress-lined driveways following desolate ridges to fortified 16th-century farmhouses, atmospheric enoteche serving famously tasty wines, and dusty old-timers warming the same bench day after day whil. So knowledgeable and caring. This tour was well organized and very informative. If this is where you plan to start, come back on to get recommended rental agencies and locations. We had a lovely mix of people too! So knowledgeable and always available to us. The others were with my partner who passed away last July after a long illness, which along with Covid 19 restrictions, had limited my recent travels. Jump to bottom Posted by renelle.tessmer on 10/05/19 06:51 PM Hello! Our guide on our supposed orientation to Florence (Marcello) was delightful, but he overwhelmed us with too much detail. The food and wine were great! Tour members were warm, friendly, and companionable; all stayed healthy and were conscientious of others' well-being. It was extremely hot though so may have just felt that way. This was my first Rick Steves tour, and I'd heard from friends about their positive experiences on the company's tours. Saint Peters, the Coliseum , the views and the wine tasting in Volterra, hiking and relaxing in Cinque Terre along the Mediterranean, the olive garden lunch and the Uffizi in Florence made it a truly memorable experience, "The Wow for me on this trip was the Italian culture and people we experienced during our stay, The pastas, pizza, gelato, cappuccino, focaccia and wine will not be forgotten. Hotels were nice and perfectly located. Or, to do it on your own, youll find all of the details you need in ourRick Steves Florence & Tuscanyguidebook. ", This was our first Rick Steves tour, and the focus on the culture, history and the people of Italy-as well as the food, caffe and gelato!- was what we hoped. "Too many to choose one. Password. This was our first RS tour and we were beyond impressed with the room locations, knowledgable and upbeat guides, safe bus drivers, 5-star group meals, and surprises along the way. The group of people who shared this trip with us was a delight too.". the handoffs were smooth and our group resilient. Our first trip with Rick Steves'. Everything every day was wonderful. Drive Hard on Apple TV Sarah, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and helpful and funny - she kept the mood light and fun., "There was so much its hard to choose - seeing the Roman Forum really brought it to life for me. We were completely immersed in the awesome culture. What a great group! Shipping & Returns. The accommodations were delightful and unique in each location that we visited. 20 should be the max. We had such a great time. Stunning and perfect.". 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | CST# 2086743 | Great group of people, extremely well organized with excellent guides and tours. Today we say goodbye to our rustic Tuscan hill town and head to a mountainous and seductive stretch of the Ligurian coast. "Getting to see some of the places we saw in the PBS showespecially Cinque Terra areas.". They know their cities. We enjoyed getting to know our fellow Rick Steves travelers and sharing meals in Italian restaurants with the group. Our tour leader, Lorenza, kept us organized, informed, safe, and equipped with the information to make the most of our free time while being a fun, professional, and pleasant partner in our experience. ", Overall, tour was great. Siena will take a full day. It's an essential part of the Rick Steves tour experience. My taxi driver who did not speak English not I Italian, but we discovered our commonality in Spanish and we bonded as we zipped through the narrow roads and I met Italy for the first time? They were all different in style and truly delightful! Our only complaint is 8 days isn't long enough! Between the panoramic view of the winding roads and the beautiful hillsides from the distance, it created a feeling like we were driving in a painting from an animated movieJust amazing!". Also seeing Michelangelos David and the Prisoners in Florence plus his Pieta at St Peters Basilica in Rome was a highlight for me as an artist. Our tours don't include airfare, so your flight arrangements and transfers are completely up to you. The Heart of Italy tour has a fine itinerary, and the pacing was very good. Andrea our guide was super!! RS tours do a great job of delivering the unexpected.". "The side excursions planned, such as the tour of the olive oil/winery castle, where these could not be planned on your own.". All the details of travel, and getting from one place to another were smooth and left no confusion. "The unscheduled "bonus" stop at the American Cemetery near Florence. From the care in selecting the hotels to the quality of the guides to the variety of arranged tours, all were stellar! Rick's picks for sights, eating, sleeping. Visiting in March offers the benefit of missing out on the sweat, stress, and crowds of the tourist season, along with cool and crisp weather. Loved the itinerary, which was a perfect balance of scheduled activities and free-time. As mentioned, Orvieto is a popular place to rent, but it is on the outskirts of Tuscany. Appreciated having their help riding the Rome Metro and Amalfi Coast trains. "Hiking the Cinque Terre trail and the views from the top.". For a change of pace, consider hopping a ferry for the one-hour crossing to the little isle of Elba. Most tour members arrange to fly into Rome (FCO) and out of Florence (FLR) choose "multicity" on flight-booking websites. Rick Steves View Comments 0:00 0:49 Wedged between Florence and Rome, rural Tuscany offers the quintessential Italian experience: sun-soaked hill towns, green and rolling screen-saver hills,. Can't say enough good things about this tour- expertly managed and curated experiences, excellent cuisine, lovely lodging. Still, the crowds didn't significantly dampen my enthusiasm. Looking forward to another one! Actually there is plenty of art to see outdoors and in the well appointed and empty churches. Using a paper place mat, we secretly passed it around and everyone wrote a message of gratitude and thanks. From the big city experience of Rome, to the seaside villages, to the music, food and arts center of Florence, we just drank it all in and will never forget the experience!! Too many wow moments to really choose", "My "wow" moment was when we were told Francesca would be our guide for the Colosseum and Roman Forum. It was just simply amazing to see the forum and colosseum from that perspective!". Our family of 3 adult children and parents wanted a historically and culturally engaging tour of Italy. As an introvert, the idea of a group tour scared the bejeebers out of me. Our tour guide, David was very attentive to everyone's questions, needs, safety and comforts. She led us to take a peek inside the Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola (a church off the tourist track). One month prior to the tour departure, you'll find the directions to your first tour hotel and a complete list of hotels where we'll be staying while on tour in the Documents section of your tour account. They really made the history come alive.". Or pick a village where you can spend your day exploring the stairways and alleyways, sunning yourself on the rocks, or sipping cappuccino or vino while catching up on your journal at an outdoor caf. Accommodations were a little tight but we learned to live with it. She's an amazing guide - so passionate and willing to share the history of her city with us. We met such kind people! This was our first Rick Steves tour and first visit to Europe, and it lived up to all of our expectations. Getting lost in Rome with my sister. Walking into history. I really cannot put into words how fantastic our trip was. Our tour guide, Marianne did an outstanding job. "The cities of Cinco Terre, the views and food were a while for me but, how could you not be odd by the ruins in Rome, the Sistine chapel, Saint peters, basilica, and David. We were there early before the huge crowds arrived. Slovenias Julian Alps. Carry/roll your luggage over uneven pavement (possibly several blocks) and up stairways to reach your hotel, then up several flights of stairs to reach your room. Our fellow travelers were pleasant and accommodating. Couldnt have asked for more. This is perfectly timed for my us. The depth of its history, how it was presented and those amazing sisters was a treat to witness. They all made the tour so enjoyable.". This was our 2nd Rick Steves tour and our first in Italy. Radda-Panzano. We are staying in Rome and would like to drive the "self guided driving tour" in Tuscany. My Heart of Italy tour was incredible! My husband and I really enjoyed having most of the details taken care of, but also having plenty of time to explore on our own. These are my 10 European discoveries for 2020. Not to take away from the knowlege base of Stephanie and Rebecca. Very good group dinners. Breakfast is provided, but there are no group activities today. Our hotels were lovely and the staff very helpful. Our guide, Andrea was knowledgeable, efficient and ready and willing to assist our tour participants in every way possible. It worked out well for us to spend a few days on our own pre- and post-tour for museums and sights not included in the tour. This stands for zona trafico limitatoareas (usually in historic town centers) where traffic is limited to locals only. We weren't disappointed. "Our guides and Andrea. We loved every moment of it. It was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. Beautiful town, amazing history, not so crowded.". I appreciated that he provided the vegetarians with options for the group meals. Volterra was fantastic especially the hotel and tour. Perfect balance between scheduled time and free time. His insights, demeanor and thoughtful nature made for a pleasant experience. I felt the Vatican was a bit overwhelming & too busy but everything was so beautiful. Best of Tuscany in 11 Days Tour - Rick Steves Europe The only caution is to keep a very careful eye out for ZTL zones. Our guide Cecelia, a native Italian, was very knowledgeable and interesting. It's all part of the experience. Loved the beauty of the tour.". Patricia made our Heart of Italy tour absolutely amazing. Sleep with street noise and no (or weak) air conditioning. From hotels, tour guides, and experiences the Rick Steves attention to detail shined through. "Rome had a hundred wow moments, Volterra was amazing and my favorite place on the tour. "My favorite "wow" moment was the beautiful views from the mountain top in Volterra! Beds were not comfortable. Is it fair to just say that everything was a "Wow"". I learned a lot. I liked the organization, knowledge of the guides, pace, lodging and ability to have tickets to activities / skip the line. We would have missed out on many sites and information without her. Loved the village of Volterra". "The sites, sounds and flavors of Cinque Terra did not disappoint! Tight on time? The logistics were so smooth, the chosen activities were just right, our kind was wonderful, and the accommodations were charming. We traveled with 6 family members and all of us had an amazing trip! This title will be released on November 1, 2022. I especially wanted to get to Florence and in fact stayed several additional day with my Rick Steves' Guide Book in hand. I share a dozen of my favorite Tuscan experiences here. "While I expected crowds at the more popular sites, the number of people surprised me. Great tour and tour guides Sarah and Lorenza. The Heart of Italy tour was the perfect balance of learning, walking, eating and free-time to explore on our own. The stars were aligned to provide us with the perfect tour guide in Anna and the awesome group of travelers all together. These maps will give you turn by turn directions, distance, speed limits and roundabout directions. "For me, Florence was the best!! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience and learn about Italy. Had a wonderful trip! This was my 10th Rick Steves tour and I will travel with the company again next year. And alabaster artisans carving objects.". Perfect mix of well organized tours and dinners with free time to do your own thing. Inside Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany. This was our first ever tour after years of planning our European trips using Rick's guidebooks. But looking back on our tour, the camaraderie with our group, fostered by Anna's amazing personality and coordination is the "wow" I think will last the longest.". Great tour with a wonderful group of travelers, and lead by an amazing guide. Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany Paperback - October 10, 2017 The logistics were seamlessly dealt with so we didn't have to-just what we wanted, "Biking along the Mediterranean and thru tunnels in the mountains of the Cinque Terre was fantastic". Italian food is outstanding- will be hard to replicate that back here in the US. Walking through the Colosseum and Roman Forum was a dream come true. I especially enjoyed the experiences beyond art and history that included tasting local wine and olive oil. Enjoyable introduction to Italy. Great balance of all of Italy. Had an amazing tour experience. It was good having some time to choose what we wanted to do. LOVED the Duomo Museum which we did on our own. 25 22 Rick Steves' fav Tuscany hangout Review of Cretaiole Reviewed November 23, 2014 via mobile Rick Steves rants and raves about this place.