Highly recommended. This tour was so full of history, gorgeous vistas, beautiful churches, delicious meals. But the truffle hunt with the dogs was a first for us and we loved eating the tasty use of truffles in our after hunt luncheon.". "The optional archeologist led tour of Sant Andrea Church in Orvieto. Fortunately I was able to stick with the tour. Booking round-trip to one city will require a connecting flight, train trip, or additional overnight stay in Italy. Sarah was a great host and guide. Moderate walking: 2–6 miles throughout the day with some hills and stairs. Outstanding tour. "This trip didn't have the "wow" factor that last summer's my way alpine europe did, but that's not the point. Here's what you'll see and do on our Village Italy tour: Group sightseeing events subject to change. The tower I read about 50 some years ago, right there! I had a wow experience in every city and venue we visited. I was wowed by the Giotto frescoes, the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the sun on the mosaic tiles of the cathedral in Orvietto, the walk on the walls of Lucca and the island of San Giulio's walk of silence at Lake Orta.". He threw in lots of extras (including a private musical performance by his band), which made this trip so much more fun and enjoyable compared to others. Guides at each city were also terrific--- a great team effort!Food and drink were superb. We were told to find something that would be a "dream". We could not have had a better guide than Christina. We were moved by the histories of St. Francis and Clare, winding our way through the cobblestone streets on our own, imagining the horse racing around the piazza, and the shared meals (and those we discovered on our own). Long Beach is a city in the U.S. state of California located within the Los Angeles metropolitan area.It is the 43rd most populous city in the United States, with a population of 463,218 as of 2020. fascinating as well. What an interesting underground system of tunnels and wells and dove shelves. ", I wanted to experience the culture, food and wine of Italy. The tour description spoke to both of us, and we ended up loving the whole experience, from our wonderful, humorous guide to our fellow traveling companions. Patricia's humor and knowledge made each day memorable and spectacular. On this tour there were many different ones: the sight of the hill towns from afar and from below, the country villas that we stayed in, the opera in Lucca, the tremendous frescos and mosaics and their stories, the truffle dogs and Bruno their owner what a character, and the personal tour of Sienna by our lovely guide who lives there. Be on your feet, walking and standing for up to three hours, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions. It met all my expectations. Time was too short.". We saw some amazing sites in the "villages of northern Italy". "when you walk into any of the historic churches you are just struck with awe at the grandeur of the inside. "Truffle hunting and then sampling the truffles in a four or five course dinner. Every moment was filled with travel pleasure and astounding beauty. The wine flowed, tour friends singing a top chairs, dancing and much laughter. This trip exceeded my expectations beyond anything I could have hoped for. I know this is not one of Rick's favorite villages but we were lucky Sarah chose it for our group. Our recent trip with Rick Steve's was our first and will not be our last. My suggestion to others taking this tour, is to spend another night on your own at lake Orta. If I had been asked what my expectations were before my trip my answer would have paled in comparison to actual experience. Experiences were wonderful and something could not have planned myself. None of us had ever been on a tour before so we were new to this experience. I had never seen a picture/painting/fresco of the Nativity with Hailey's comet. "There were many but I would say seeing the Inn at Montefalco for the first time.". La dolce vita (the sweet life) describes the intimate magic of small-town Italy. Ahhhhhh..... David shared his own family's stories, his music, his love of history and his country with all of us. Private aviation: EvoJets and Atlantic City Jet Charter are the private aviation companies that offer charter flights. Our first RS tour was Best of Italy 9 years ago, and the country has changed, especially the skyrocketing number of foreign tourists. "There were many wow moments but the two upscale B&Bs we stayed at were the icing on the cake, providing unexpected value, enjoyment and relaxation.". I must say, the unscheduled visit to the american military memorial and cemetery was a moving experience. This was our first tour with Rick Steve's and we were very pleased with the care diligence and skill the organization brought to every aspect of the experience. This was our 2nd Rick Steves trip in 2 years and we will plan more in future years. And, who doesn't need some "away" time? If you need some of these online dating websites, look at the online dating section below where you'll see the list of popular online dating websites where you'll meet beautiful girls in Atlantic City. I really enjoyed her hints about local foods and wine as well as points of interest in each of the places we visited. The Puccini concert in Lucca was over the top! "On each tour we have taken, we made 20-some new friends within a few days, but NEVER so fast as this time. As in past Rick Steves travels, the local guides were very knowledgeable and outstanding. In spite of high seas threatening to cancel our boat ride and a pending train strike our intrepid guide, Trina, told us how to beat the train strike by catching the first train of the day before the strike. Atlantic City is a resort city in Atlantic County in the State of New Jersey in the United States of America and it is famous for its beaches, boardwalk and casinos. He always made us feel comfortable with our surroundings while providing us with historical and political information for the region we were visiting. So many crosses...". "I loved the small villages. Wanting to buy everything was almost uncontrollable. So special and it was a moment that you realize how much these tours offer to everyone. I am terrified of heights but I made it across that bridge with the help of my husband :)". Couldn't wait to tell my friends about Rick Steves, "I found the walled cities stunningly beautiful", The content of the tour, and our guide Patricia were terrific. Magnificent experience traveling through Northern Italy and its charming villages. If you're leaving out of Milan's Malpensa airport on the last day of the tour, it's best to book your flight for no earlier than 10 a.m. Taxis make the 45-minute trip from Orta to Malpensa for around €95 for up to four people. We actually felt like we were seeing Italy in a very personal way. Walking inside them and having my jaw drop because of the beauty. All of the people on the trip were delightful and everyone got along great with each other. Experiencing the past, present and future in such an unusual and precarious moment in time will remain a WOW.". Left us feeling a little jipped. Yes. "While I was wowed by the Ravenna mosaics, for me the joy of this tour is getting to know the culture and people of Italy. My other wow moment was completing the Cinque Terre trail from Vernazza to Monterossa al Mare. "So many, hard to choose. Fastest Internet Service Providers in Atlantic City, Cheapest Internet Service Providers in Atlantic City. Village Italy was enjoyable and educational in so many ways. This was extremely special since I was traveling for my parents 50th anniversary with them and my siblings. Any time between April and October is a good time to take a Village Italy tour. For the most part, we had an absolutely wonderful time. The scenery was breathtaking and I loved the hiking paths. I would rate it between outstanding and very good but for the reasons outlined further on in these comments, I'm rating it "very good." I believe that was the real turning point where our group really came together as well.". Transplanted Anna in Siena who brought us into her neighborhood. What I really enjoyed were the evenings spent in the village squares sharing meals with our new friends among the people of the towns. There are no words to express how valuable this trip was. She represents the Rick Steves travel concept exceptionally well....while adding her own personal touches. Our guide, Deborah, was fantastic as were the local guides. was sunrise in Corniglia in the Cinque Terre. Padua was ok and would be something I would book on my own sight unseen.". The boat rides were fun too.". I am now a fan of Giotto I survived on skirts, sleeveless tops and a shawl to wear in churches, with a water-cooled scarf to help take the edge off when walking. This was my 7th Rick Steves tour and my first trip to Italy. "There was more than one. "The Tuscan country hotel Belvedere. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. "There were so many each day it is hard to choose, but seeing the sunset over a lovely vineyard on a hillside with the shadowy mountains in the distant...was perfectly amazing, wowing, refreshing and refreshing after a day of showers. "Can't limit to one but greatly enjoyed Ravenna, Assisi, American cemetery in Florence, Siena, Lucca and Cinque Terra.". The group feast in Levanto was tremendous. I could not recommend this tour high enough. They weren't really what I would call villages, which is what I was looking for. Sleep in Orta San Giulio. Traveling, seeing and learning with all members of our group made it extra special! The tour perfectly ended in Lake Orta. ( For some reason I was unable to type more than a few characters after the second paragraph.) It glowed in late afternoon sunlight. All of the places we went were eye opening and awe inspiring and just enough free time mixed in to reflect on the previous days experiences. I loved seeing them. The tour started with a meet and great at our hotel in Padova. I could go on, each day brought wonder and joy to my life!". Starting with the awe inspiring frescoes by Giotto Lear through the beauty of Orta your eyes were opened anew every day. I really enjoyed her and Mario was an amazing driver and fun to get to know. I learned so much!". I enjoyed every town and every experience. It was harder and longer than I thought, I was so hot when I got to the sea in Vernazza, I jumped in the water with my clothes on, it was great! "The Tuscan countryside and Inn were definitely my wow moment! "For me, it was visiting the little Etruscan museum and learning that there was such an advanced society in Italy so very long ago. The view from our balcony on Lake Orta gave me goosebumps.". It was interesting to learn about the contrados and how they are a community. Our guide then, Karen, dealt fabulously with this traumatic event. There was WOW in the food, there was WOW in the people, there was WOW in the beautiful panoramic vistas, there was WOW in many of the places we stayed, our group and tour guide were WOWs and overall, it was a fantastic WOW experience.". Cristina was a wonderful tour leader we were lucky to have her! I ate way too much but it was all delicious. 2) Tour of pottery making facility This was a great tour and gave me the knowledge I was looking for regarding Italy's smaller towns and rural areas. We loved learning new techniques of making gnocchi, pesto, and pasta. He was intuitive and tuned into the pulse and mood of the group to adjust the itinerary and pace as he saw fit to achieve the best tour experience for us. All rights reserved. I will remember them clearly. I loved having a tour without pre-planning for entry to museums, restaurants, etc. We also used the Italy 2015 book when we'd visited that country in Fall of 2015, but we were not on a tour. we had come from 3 days in Venice at the hotel Danieli, yes a bit of a shock.". Siena Duomo Liberia Some might even appear as racist but this might just have been due to past experiences with people of such identity. This page was last edited on 20 January 2021, at 12:02. It was great seeing a part of Italy that was new to me. Great group! I wanted to see villages and hill towns and stay out of big cities and just loved it. There were so many places and experiences I would never have had if I tried to do this trip on my own. Housing, food, transportation all very good as usual. It seemed that we were always rushing.To get to another church! ", "the town of Montefalco, walking thru the gates to the small hill top site.". While the temperature was very hot, this tour is great for those who have done all of the big cities. Thank thank you so much, "So hard to pick one. Everybody understood the need to make the most of the trip. As usual, a terrific group of people and great guides as well as fun and di erse itineraries. Methods to encourage interaction with the group were very effective and we made some good friends along the way. The hot weather was the only factor that did not make this a perfect trip, but no one has control over that. The guides were knowledgable and engaging. Everything about the trip was great. "The truffle farm was one of my favorites. Loved ALL the stops we made, there wasn't one that I would of wanted to miss...". "Our time in Orvieto. Visiting the Carrera Marble Quarry was Each of these experiences were interactive and very enjoyable.". It lived up to its description and more! "Villa Pambuffetti! Only one place could have been skipped... Civita Bagnorgio. Sienna and Padova were nice but too big and especially in Sienna, we didn't have enough time there to really know it, so I would save it for a different tour. We were treated to so many delicious dishes. David, our guide, is an absolute GEM! © 2018–2021 HookUp Travels. I think the private get together in Orvieto with David and his band was fantastic. The boat ride to Levanto, because the weather was quite bad. Ben was great (although his presence was limited to the front end of the trip) and provided a US influenced set of experiences to share. Groups dinners were fantastic! Also, Cecil's wine tasting at her vineyard was incredibly fun!". "The evening dinner following the truffle hunt near Montefalco with the sun setting over the beautiful Umbrian countryside while dining on delicious food and visiting with new friends was probably the top "wow" of several "wow" moments during our tour.". Our fellow travelers were great! By car: There are good number of major highways that connect Atlantic City. I loved the hands-on stuff like the cooking lessons, the detailed explanations from the many local tour guides, most of whom seemed to come right out of Central Casting. "I think it would have to be getting a train pass in Cinque Terra and I would have loved to stay another night. Every meal we had on the tour was so very special. We'll keep on traveling! ", The trip was fantastic....well planned and organized, great activities (wine tasting, pasta preparation), good hotels/lodging overall, both Tuscan Villas were nice....Good mix of organized tour activities and free time, as well as the option to dine out on our own (we found many great restaurants in Orvietto, Lucca, Cinque Terre, Montefalco). Absolutely loved Siena and Lucca. Bravissimo! Anna helped bring our group together quickly by publishing pictures and names of all our group members in an e-mail after the first dinner together. We had a great dinner outside on a long table. The tour had several highlights ranging from the incredible architecture and history, the beautiful countryside and scenic moments seemed to be around every corner, the great wine and food, our guide Sarah was fantastic and so much more. It was a bonding experience to get to know other tour members while preparing our lunch together, listening to our Tuscan chef impart his knowledge, and finally relishing the meal!". Our rooms are not equal and should be, especially paying a supplement. Etruscan Museum - I could have spent hours there and Roberto the guide was so knowledgeable and humorous. Many areas away from the casinos are significantly less safe; as of 2012, Atlantic City has the second-highest violent crime rate in the state. Tasting the fresh oil and having a lovely lunch. She is very lovely. A marvelous experience. We will be booking something in and around Portugal soon. ", Informative, fun, educational, lots of exercise, great food, great guide, and the best weather ever. It brought me to tears.". This was our 3rd RS Italy tour, we've done South Italy & Sicily also. There were no crowds in Bonassola and the weather was perfect for a swim in Levanto.". The overall vibe of the town; the very old buildings mixed with modern technology + fashion wear offered The airport offers taxi service, bus service via NJTransit, car rentals as well as passenger vans for larger groups. We had expected the Village Italy tour to be exceptional but it far exceeded our expectations. And the accommodations were comfortable, in good locations, with helpful staff. It was a long hike up and down to and from a tiny village of nothing but hundreds of other tourists. You'll be rubbing elbows with Italian culture, learning about crafting pottery, cutting marble, cooking pasta, making wine — even hunting truffles. This was my first Rick Steves tour experience. Great trip due to wonderful Sarah and a really good group. I enjoyed the hands on cooking lesson and would have liked more participatory activities like wine tasting in Chianti (Brunello) and comparative olive oil tasting.