Italy Bespoke Tours

Guide was so interesting and informative. Walking pace was just right! Plenty of photo opportunities and a bathroom break midway through was greatly appreciated!

Lovely sunset views, private ride with great operator.

Knowledgeable and experienced guide! I struggled with the over ear version for communication but just held it in place

The Palazzo Giuditta was unique and quirky. On the plus side, it was well-located in the historic district and had a view of the harbor. The rooftop terrace with its two shallow plunge pools and lounge mats was lovely. The staff was very responsible and the daily breakfast at a nearby restaurant was delicious. On the negative side, there were 59 steps up to the room, and upon opening the door, another 29 steps down to the bedroom, which was small but adequate. The mattress was firm and the small balcony overlooking a side street was nice. The bathroom, however, was ridiculous! It was huge with a massive round jacuzzi tub (which we never used), a tiny sink and a small shower. There were no horizontal surfaces for toiletry bags and other personal items. But the oddest feature was there were no drawers or storage furniture of any kind. Just one rack for hanging clothes. We spent five days living out of our suitcases on the floor!

We stayed in a beautiful light, bright room with a vaulted ceiling. It was originally part of a 17th century monastery. The window overlooked the canyon and we had access to a lovely small terrace. The bathroom was adequate and it had a nice warm shower—once we figured out how to use the dials!

The Grande Albergo delle Nazioni is a lovely property overlooking the harbor with a beautiful rooftop pool. The restaurant served an excellent daily breakfast with beautiful views.

My husband and I enjoyed the hour-long ride through the Puligian countryside to the hillside town of Ostuni. Our driver Ivan stopped along the way for a panoramic photo opportunity of the “white city”. We spent a few hours strolling the back streets of Ostuni, visiting churches and stopping for a mediocre lunch in a street side cafe. The bruschetta included some rich stracciatella cheese that triggered some severe stomach issues for my husband, who lost a day of sightseeing the next day as he recovered from the illness.

I visited the Puglia Pop winery solo as my husband was still recovering from his lunch-induced stomach illness in Ostuni the previous day. The winery is the result of the collaboration of two legacy winemakers from Puglia and Spain with a vision for the future of Puglian wines. Everything about the winery is a delightful from the well-appointed tasting rooms to the high-design concepts of the winery bottles. I had a private tasting experience with my guide Valentina . She introduced me to six different wines including a light and refreshing white and rose wines and some deep and complex reds. All the wine tastings were accompanied by delicious local cheese , meats and bread. I ordered a case to be sent home and can’t wait for it to arrive. This was one of my favorite experiences in Puglia.

The ape tour of the ancient Sasse area of Matera with our guide and driver Vito was one of the highlights of our entire trip. Vito, a well-traveled native of Matera, provided us with so much personal history and context of the UNESCO-designated city of Matera, why it was once labeled as the “Shame of Italy”, and how it has evolved into a major tourist attraction and the favorite site for hundreds of filmmakers. Mel Gibson’s movie, “Passion of the Christ”, launched the city’s reputation as an ideal location for historic films and the many winding streets and piazzas served as a backdrop for a car chase scene is the 2021 James Bond film “No Time to Die”. Our fascinating tour of the historic sites was capped off with a delicious apertivo on a hotel terrace overlooking breathtaking views.

Our room was quiet, clean, and centrally located, making it the perfect base for exploring the area. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and incredibly helpful throughout our stay. We had a wonderful experience and would gladly stay here again.

Located in the heart of Florence, this hotel was spacious, clean, and perfectly situated for exploring the city. Being right next to the square was incredibly convenient, although it was a bit louder in the evening than I would have preferred. The breakfast room was fantastic, and the croissants were absolutely delicious—the perfect way to start each day.

This hotel was in a great location, just a short walk from the canal for convenient water taxi transportation. It was close to excellent restaurants, yet far enough away to enjoy a peaceful night's sleep. Our room featured large windows overlooking one of the few private gardens in the area, providing a beautiful and tranquil view.

While Siena and San Gimignano were both amazing medieval villages to explore, the highlight of the day was our private winery tour and lunch with Martina and her family. The homemade food and Chianti were absolutely delicious, and the setting was breathtaking—like stepping into an Italian painting. It was a truly authentic and unforgettable experience that we will always remember.

We learned so much about the history of ancient Rome on this tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and engaging. Her passion for the subject made the experience even more enjoyable, and we came away with a much deeper appreciation for the history of Rome.

Elena was so engaging, friendly, and welcoming. She shared so much about the local culture and history, making the tour both informative and enjoyable. Burano was an absolute gem and was definitely the biggest surprise of our trip. As we traveled through the canals, Elena pointed out each of the islands we passed and was a wealth of knowledge about them. Her enthusiasm and expertise made this one of the highlights of our visit to Venice. The perfect ending of our week in Italy.

Throughout the tour, Andreas shared fascinating insights into the local culture and history at every stop. In Lucca, we learned about the village's rich past, visited the home associated with the story of Pinocchio, and explored the lively market square that was once an ancient Roman gladiatorial arena. We then enjoyed lunch and a wine tasting at Fattoria Enzo Carmignani, where our gracious hostess introduced us to several excellent white and red wines. It was a very different experience from the smaller, family-owned winery we had visited a few days earlier, giving us an appreciation for another side of Tuscany's wine culture. The day concluded in Pisa, which was the highlight of the tour. Andreas provided an in-depth history of the Leaning Tower, explaining both the era in which it was built and the remarkable engineering efforts that have preserved it over the centuries. His enthusiasm, expertise, and storytelling made this one of the highlights of our visit to Tuscany.

Matteo was a fantastic guide and introduced us to a less touristy part of the city, where we were able to experience some of the region's most delicious and authentic foods. It was such a fun and flavorful experience and a wonderful way to explore neighborhoods we might never have discovered on our own. We also enjoyed meeting some of the local people who live and work in the area, which made the tour feel even more authentic. This was an unforgettable experience and one of the highlights of our trip.

It was clear that our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and well educated on the subject. She shared a wealth of fascinating information throughout the tour and even extended our time together to show us a few additional sites. My husband asked plenty of questions, and she answered every one with confidence and depth. Her expertise and enthusiasm made the experience both informative and enjoyable, and we left with a much greater appreciation for the history and culture.

This tour was definitely helpful in understanding the rich history of Florence. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and did a wonderful job bringing the city's history to life. The experience gave us a much deeper appreciation for Florence and its incredible cultural heritage.

Lovely family owned hotel in the heart of Positano. delcious food, gracious people, immaculately maintained. Fabulous pool area, restaurant and rooftop bar.

This hotel, which has been an icon for years, was a little dated and filled with convention people. Service was not great.

Beautiful boutique hotel with a friendly and helpful staff. Also had an excellent restaurant on site.

A hotel with lots of character located in a great location. Friendly staff.

Andrea, our driver, was excellent and provided us with history and great insights which helped us navigate each town. The Lunch and winery visit was a highlight of our entire trip. The setting was absolutely beautiful and the hosts were most gracious and fun.

Tanya was an excellent guide

We enjoyed the boat trip to Capri- we only wish we had more time on Capri. We had only 3 hours instead of the 4-5 promised, but we thoroughly enjoyed the time we did have there.

The hotel staff was very accommodating when we arrived early morning. They took and held our bags and we were able to tour parts of Rome while our room was prepared.

We enjoyed the staff and the young lady who made us eggs and pancakes on different days in the breakfast room.

What a spectacular location! The water taxi was able to drop us at the front entrance and the staff went above and beyond during our stay.

Hillaria was on time and very knowledgeable. The amount of food was just right and the variety was amazing.

Having Bogden as our first tour guide set a high bar for our experiences. He was ready and organized and kept our attention through a long day in Rome. His dry humor and extensive knowledge made the tour a pleasure.

I'm so glad this was a small group (and not us trying to do it alone). There were plenty of people inside but being organized and listening to Valentina's guidance made it a wonderful experience.

I can't say enough about the experience in both locations. Having the right driver was imperative. I am a retired wine & spirits specialist and had plenty of knowledge coming in, but we all know visiting and tasting where the wines are made add to the education and romance of the wines.

This was soo much fun! Going to the Central Mercato and meeting with the vendors was fantastic! We all got to do most of the cooking and making pasta was a gas! The bus ride was quick and easy both going and coming from the estate kitchen.

We did this on our own and skip the line was great. People should know that window #2 is also window #3. After we figured that out we went on our way. We used a recorded guide to go through the museum.

We enjoyed this tour immensely. All the local foods and wine were spectacular. I really enjoyed the Wine Windows and even had tripe for the first time.

Being married to a Jewish woman, this was a very special tour for me. The history was fascinating as sometimes I don't equate Italy to the Jewish heritage we found there. Very moving experience.

This was one of the top experiences for me as the wine regions are what I was hoping to add to my personal repertoire and education as a Certified Specialist of Wine. Lunch on the side of the vineyard was spectacular. Tasting vinegar, Olive oil and all the incredible wines with food is the best way to learn. What a setting! It was so special to tour the vineyards and winery of Patrizia Cencioni and then to taste (and purchase) her incredible wines of Montalcino. She was available for photos and to answer questions even while spending time with her granddaughter. My heart was full when we left for Florence. Sienna and San Gimignano were so quaint and inviting we enjoyed strolling through them both.

I really enjoyed Venice. Marco is an encyclopedia of Venice history.

The food tour was one of the best of our trip. I was worried when Carlos started speaking as he talks very fast but it just added to the excitement of the tour. The food was excellent. The pace was great! Yummy!

We had an amazing tour and learned so much!! Carolina was so knowledgeable and so interesting!!

Giada was so much fun and the tour was interesting and very tasty!!

My only complaint is it was too short!! Had a great time!!

Ezgi was very fun and the food was delicious!!

Jessica was very knowledgeable about the city history and art. Very good walking tour and very informative.

The entire day was absolutely beautiful and the wineries were spectacular. Andrea was charming and so very knowledgeable. Highly recommend this adventure- magnifico!!

Excellent day trip! Francisco was a great guide at Pompei and so knowledgeable.

Antonio and Giovanni were absolutely the best first mate and captain!! We had so much fun and learned a lot while touring on the boat to Capri! Interesting and very entertaining!!

Great hotel in good location, nice buffet breakfast

Lots of USB charging ports, modern feel but in quaint older location, close to train station, near Mercado and restaurants

Right on little waterway, beautiful garden meal area, close to St. Marco square in the Castello neighborhood with lots of restaurants. Front desk helpful with concert tickets.

We weren't able to take this exact tour as it wasn't available but our private time with Guida was so informative and we felt like we were in on the secreta of Venice.

It would be great to get a written list of places we visited or are suggested at end of tour as it is hard to write as we go

Valentina was very personable and made the art and artists come alive

This was a great intro to Roman art and history but was exhausting! Bogdan was very passionate and informative

Andrea was great, so knowledgeable and personable. We loved Pienza. The winery tours were great. Well organized and professional and was good for someone from the wine industry as well as for someone who doesn't drink.

Luca was so animated and really brought the Mercado to life. We learned so much during the class and the food was great!

It was hard to figure out at first as there is no longer a door 3 and no need to find it. We just needed to get in line

Ezgi was great. She took the time to make the perfect tour combining our love of Gelato and wine! It would be great to get a written list of places we visited or are suggested at end of tour as it is hard to write as we go.

Andrea again showed us amazing Tuscany. He gave us tips for our self guided walks through Siena and San Gimignano. The winery lunch was out of a fairy tale.

It was an informative tour of Venice. Some of our group got lost so you have to keep up. Marco was great about taking photos of us during the tour.

Carlos was great! You could tell he loved his city and the food. Best food of our tours.