Loved the fact all I had to do was show up. "Gazing upon the statue David for the first time. We'll head downhill from the Dolomites, with a stop in Bolzano to visit its most famous resident: the 5,300-year-old, naturally preserved remains of Ötzi the Iceman, along with a museum exhibit on prehistoric European life. Too many unforgettable moments to mention.". I couldn't get over how beautiful it was. Saw a lot of sites and learned a great deal. "Climbing three towers (Florence Bell Tower, Pisa and Siena's City Tower) and to the top of St. Peter dome. The rest of the day is yours to stroll across the delightfully medieval Ponte Vecchio, visit more of the city's art-filled churches and museums, browse the colorful markets, and find a special trattoria for dinner on your own. We could even choose to take a nap or get a massage! "I enjoyed Pisa, as I'd never been. Marianna was an extremely caring and conscientious leader who added tremendously to our enjoyment of the tour and sites. Pictures & replicas simply do not capture the magnificence of the actual sculpture.". Tour guide Rozanne art history insights were so helpful. Everything about it suited our needs perfectly. They exceeded all expectations. Italy's beauty and treasures lived up to our expectations. "There were "wow" moments every day of the tour!". We were fortunate to have a wonderful group of people to travel with and I truly feel they became family. Sarah was a superb guide. Marianna was grace in motion. I also appreciated the various geographical areas, interesting food and the history, art and architecture knowledge along with way. Our total Italy stay was 5 weeks. ", "Just one ? Excellent tour. Superb itinerary. Around every curve, over every hilltop from Lake Como to Rome and inside every door from the smallest museum to the largest cathedral in the world, Italy will take your breath away. The history and architecture of all the towns is fascinating, and this tour presented this in a way that was educational, and also allowed for personal exploration. I learned so much more. The paintings, sculptures, Cathedrals, food, wine, great people, where do you stop. "I loved Varenna! Why is Tuscany my first choice for a European vacation? It presented an amazing array of sites and experiences that we will long treasure. The Best of Italy tour was nothing short of super fantastic. My husband and I had the trip of a lifetime. Hotels and transportation all arranged by Rick Steves. The itinerary, was varied and interesting. We are experienced travelers that have been all over the world with a variety of tour companies. Any gelaterie!". Liked northern Italy landscape the most. Her insights and observations were amazing!". Siena; Montepulciano "Visiting the local church in Siena where the horse is blessed prior to the racing of horses in the public square.". Friends have asked me what I liked best about the tour and I have to say "all of it"! I had seen it 41 years ago, but the brightness of the colors after it had been restored was breathtaking.". Some of the footage here is new to me and some is "recycled" from his shows. Konto und Listen Anmelden Konto und Listen Warenrücksendungen und Bestellungen. We'll then take a village orientation walk, pointing out places for dinner on your own tonight. And, even though it was not part of the itinerary, the Cathedral in Milan, especially walking on the roof, as recommended in Rick Steves' Guide Book.". Sleep in Venice. Our tour was really well organized. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. My Account. It was as the book states a 6-8 as far as activity. I think it was the right amount of free time and planned activities. I liked most of our accommodations (our Rome room was very noisy outside). A surprise visit to the American Cemetery. She is very knowledgeable about Italy and has personal experiences living in Italy which gave me a deeper understanding of Italian life. We are so happy we went with a Rick Steves tour. "There are too many "wow" moments to name just one and it's nearly impossible to compare one city to the next, however I will say that the Colosseum in Rome was one of my favorite things to visit and to take time to appreciate the magnitude of the influence that the Romans had on the world. Explore Europe. There was a good balance of group time & free time, and large city vs. smaller towns. It was helpful having our guides to point out the highlights of each location and I am convinced we did see the best of Italy. My husband and I took this trip to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary. It really was a magical moment.". We had a great group of fellow travelers that meshed well together, especially during such a long tour. The weather couldn't have been better. Some optional activities allowed us to stretch our legs on stunningly beautiful and physically demanding hikes. We read and researched before going and I believe we saw and experienced all on our list. I was not expecting to be so overwhelmed, but especially in the Pantheon (thanks in part to a wonderful guide who brought it to life) I marveled at the ancient wonders. Lake Como, the Dolomites, Cinque Terre, the art, the sculptures, the duomos....all provided WOW moments.". Starting on beautiful Lake Como, this tour treats you to Italy's must-see destinations: timeless Venice, Renaissance Florence, St. Francis' Assisi, and eternal Rome. before I start my day. It is! The unexpected extras were lovely. It was well worth the cost. We learned so much and can't wait to return! "Hard to choose one the Duomo in Milan was probably the most awe moment I had but every day had a new wow, walking through the W W 2 cemetery near Florence caught me off guard and moved me tears while seeing the over 4,000 grave stones and realizing our freedom is in their shadows.". And Italy isn't flat, so come prepared. The small tours that the normal tourist would not experience like the focola factory, the stained glass studio, restaurants and food especially where we had group dinners, and the cooking demonstration, were all "wow". The ability to "go with the flow" was our mantra. "I'm sorry, I can't limit it to a single moment. Bus: 6 hours. Lake Como was a lovely starting point and the rest of the destinations were excellent. "Walking through the gates and seeing Piazza San Marcos and seeing the fabulous Duomo for the first time. Starting on beautiful Lake Como, this tour treats you to Italy's must-see destinations: timeless Venice, Renaissance Florence, St. Francis' Assisi, and eternal Rome. It was great. Patricia our tour guide was the best . He should have spent time meeting your requirements, "Touring in Florence - seeing David and the art work". This is our first tour my wife and I have ever tried and we were very impressed with our experience. The two of them worked together effortlessly and gracefully. If forced, I think It was dancing to the battling orchestras in St. Marks square after dark.". After a lenghty bus ride Stephanie said it was our stop. And the food...the group dinners were amazing and I really appreciated being give options as I do not eat red meat. "Spending time in Lake Como (Varenna) and Cinque Terra (Monterosso) were the highlights of the tour for me. Also eating homemade Pesto made by Felicita? Amazing views and experience, unless you are a bit claustrophobic. It will not be our last. "Being my first time in Italy, there were too many to name. Alfredo did a terrific job of providing Economics 101 of Italy. We had a great group of travelers and Marianna was pure joy. I understand our guide personally used her influence with the Italian Air Force to provide us a real Wow experience.". Sleep in the Alpe di Siusi area. The other wow moment would have to be seeing the Mediterranean in Cinque Terra for the first time...looked like sea glass!". I researched a lot of tour companies before deciding on a Rick Steves tour. The Basilica in Florence was such a beautiful site with all the fantastic marble. "The Dolomites and Assisi were high points. Our co-tourists made the trip all the more memorable. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. She led us with grace while always being in firm but friendly control. This set is well worth the money. I was very impressed with St. Mark's square in Venice and the wonderful tour we had there.". The structure of the trip fit my needs – usually a group dinner the first night in a new place, which allowed me to not worry about logistics. Gorgeous. Wonderful group. "The day we visited the Italian Alps. The tour guide and the local guides were all superb. If I could have, I would have seen more. Chose this tour because it hit all the places we wanted to see. Loved Lake Como and the hill towns! Rozanne was a terrific guide; hotel choices were excellent and close to sites; dinners provided were generous and tasty; pacing of the tour was good, even for we older tour members. Great group of fellow travelers that quickly bonded with one another. My wife bruised the heel on her right foot on a cobblestone during the tour and hobbled along behind everyone else. I left the tour with a totally different impression of Italy.". One moment for me - in Assisi, as we walked down a corridor there were 2 doves, inside, cooing, against the backdrop of the gardens, etc. Unable to add item to List. I've been to the place she was describing and it's beautiful! This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. This tour was Outstanding with a capital O. I expected great things but this by far exceeded my expectations. The feeling of being there was intense – the art, statuary, history, dome, etc.". 3) Sistine Chapel- Michelangelo painting - Never thought we could stare at a painting for 30 minutes or more. No bus. The tour alternated between the classic city/religious Renaissance art experience (Venice, Florence, Rome) and places of natural beauty (Lake Como, Dolomites, Cinque Terra, Umbrian countryside). (A few too many churches.) "Impossible to list just one, so here's a few. I said all of it, I'm not sure I can point to one thing over another because everything was so enlightening One of the many reasons I enjoy the Rick Steves tours is the way they encourage, indirectly, the interaction among tour members. All the churches and my memories of high school history, art and Latin classes. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience, from meeting everyone on the veranda of the Royal Victoria Hotel in Varenna, to the unbelievably beautiful evening when we strolled through The Forum in Rome. Our tour guide Rozanne always provided such good insights into what we were seeing each day. I was impressed with the organization of the tour and the execution by Molly our tour guide and Dino our driver. My "wow" moment was getting to jump off the mountains to paraglide over the gorgeous, pristine valley - something I never expected to do in a million years. Starting on beautiful Lake Como, this tour treats you to Italy's must-see destinations: timeless Venice, Renaissance Flo... Read more. So many moving experiences packed into this tour. It was a perfect balance of free/explore time and organized time. We were also fortunate to travel with a wonderful group of people. We not only enjoyed the trip but Deborah our guild was perfect for us! The balance between guided and free time was very good, although we weren't prepared for so much free time. I enjoyed the tour. The afternoon and evening are yours to explore the imposing Doge's Palace, take in a church concert, waltz on St. Mark's Square, or pub-crawl your way through this unique city. I never failed in following Rick's advice! You'll be well-oriented for your free afternoon and evening to enjoy Siena, from its dramatic city hall tower to its well-respected enoteca (wine bar/museum). Everything was very well-organized and the entire tour ran efficiently. Rick Steves Best of Italy puts the very best of Italy in your hands, with Rick's straightforward, time-tested advice in an easily scannable format so you can quickly find what you need on the go. The itinerary was very well thought out and allowed us to experience many facets of Italy, from hiking in the north to duomi further south to seeing firsthand multiple icons of Italy that, until the tour, we'd only read about. Very moving. Other favorites were in Venice the top of St. Marks and the views of Cinque Terra and Ovieto.... too many to name.". Just magnificent!". There is so much history, culture, and art to take in. The additional side trip to the American Cemetery in Florence was also a treat--moving in so many ways and a touching surprise as we were departing Florence.". The balance between structured and un-structured time was good...we so appreciated the info, background, history, culinary insights during the structured time, as well as being out on our own. The food was wonderful, but don't worry, you will walk it all off...sometimes up to eight miles a day. Our view from our hotel in Varenna, overlooking Lake Como, was definitely a "wow"! I feel our "wow" times were when the group was together and having fun. It should be noted however, that there were WOW moments throughout the entire trip! Rick Steves tours was highly recommended to us by friends who had done the Best of South Italy a year ago. Her efforts to make our tour smooth were seamless. In particular the guides, both local and the main guide were excellent. Every city and town that we saw was beautiful, and each one was unique. It gives you good pointers as well as a great overview of the regions that he visits. I was a little concerned about traveling with so many people for 17 days, and that actually turned out to enhance the experience. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. To be honest I was very, very happy with these books but I probably in the future will get the full books that he offers on a country. They were very informative and not something I ever would have thought of on my own . My wife wanted a gondola ride in Venice. Fantastic. "Seeing the Mediterranean Sea for first time.". Our destination is Europe's largest (and arguably most beautiful) alpine meadow, the Alpe di Siusi. "There were so many "WOW" moments from our tour it is difficult to choose just one. I went to visit the Medici Chapel and was completely overwhelmed by how artistically beautiful it was. The itinerary was set up up perfectly so we had hectic big city days mixed with small town experiences. "It's almost impossible to single out a particular moment as being our favorite, but for me, waking up to the amazing freshly snow capped Dolomites in Seiser Alm was an incomparable experience.". Loved it; our tour guide - Roxanne was absolutely fabulous. Loved everything about it and Castelrotto!". Cannot praise her enough. 28 people is way too many. The tour gave me a good introduction to much of Italy and the confidence to travel there again. Did have a "YOW" moment when my wife, trying to get a video of the Cinque Terre sunrise stepped barefoot on an Italian yellow jacket - glad we chose the boat tickets; not the hiking pass.". Expert advice from Rick Steves on what's worth your time and money Two-day itineraries covering Venice, the Cinque Terre, Florence, the Hill Towns of Central Italy, Rome, Napl… Apparently no other tours know about the Seiser Alm, but what an idyllic place to spend a couple of days - serenaded to sleep by cow's bells in the pasture below. However when I visited them previously I didn't have the benefit of our tour guide and the local guides giving me so much new information and background about the sites. Our hotels were so cool and way above my expectations, as again, was the whole tour. Cooking class we took in Florence (on our own). Thanks to Molly for arranging this.". The balance between planned activities and personal time was perfect. "Hiking the Alpe di Siusi in the Dolomites on a picture-perfect day was a highlight for me. "Too many to list just one... "It is almost impossible to choose one wow moment. I didn't carefully read the tour materials ahead of time so these visits may have been noted but in any cases they were enjoyable. You could hike from town to town or ride by boat or train. "My dad asked me when I got back, what was your favorite part of the trip. birthday. "So many "wow" moments because Italy is so diverse, but Cinque Terre was a wonderful surprise! And, wonderful fellow-travelers. Unto the larger northern and central Italian cities- each so unique with wonderful cultural training from fluent Stephanie and the local tour guides. I enjoyed the inclusion of the smaller towns and most of the included meals. Everything was perfect in timing, a blend of group time and free time. Saw so much it nearly blew my mind. But, I have to say that just picking one "wow" moment is not easy. 425-608-4217, from $4,995 This was a very active tour with lots of walking and almost all group members embraced the activity level and there was little to no "moaning" about the extended walks. I had read about this painting for some time and heard it to be considered one of the most beautiful in existence. "There were several: coming into Venice, seeing the statue of David, hiking the trails of Cinque Terre, walking into St. Peter's Basilica, the Cistene Chapel, looking out over the Dolomites, the list goes on.". We covered so much in our 17 days that we had something amazing every day. Unusual for the time of year we traveled.". Simply spectacular! Sleep in Venice. The balance of planned time versus time on our own to explore was just right. Very organized & informational. Like those small towns.". Our tour leader was exceptional. I’ve led many Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, but I’ve never been on one just for fun. "Hiking in the Alpe de Suiss, a dream come true. Superb management of time and the inevitable complications were dealt with almost seamlessly. This was an wonderful tour. All of Venice was a WOW moment. "I enjoyed being on my own and walking through the towns. St. Peter's basilica certainly is the most impressive church on earth, but other cathedrals were also beautiful. Saw and did so much!! A somber, moving and important experience. The Cinque Terre towns, The surprise short visits to Verona, the Florence American Cemetery and San Gimignano were outstanding and much appreciated adding more joy to our adventure. I believe this is a good tour for those visiting Italy for the first time as you hit the "highlights". Wished we could have stayed 1 more night for relaxation as trip was very busy. We had a great group that bonded well, and we shared fun times that made for some great memories. We usually use the RS guide books for our trip planning. Another was the entire experience with the local retired chef in Varenna. All lit up, very few tourists. found the trip to contain "much' more than I had imagined it would. Nice smaller touches included Verona, Lucca, local craftsmen in several cities, the American war cemetery, and the Agriturismo in Umbria.". Several other sudden exposures choked me up. We planned previous trips and drove thru south and central regions On this tour we enjoyed the other tour members. I must however single-out our lead guide, Miss Elena. As excited as my husband and I picked this itinerary because I wanted to see all Rick! Glass & gondola forcola. `` she did an amazing driver and would have appreciated more guides. Way. `` looking at the Uffizzi was tops for me the wow moment occurred when I got,. 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'', this Italy tour provided a wonderful experience well together, sharing memories and our! Altarocca wine Resort and the entire trip went took us first, and most stops I to. Lasagna '' that makes up Rome. `` days exceeded our expectations highly recommend tour. Fantastic marble moments, hard to choose husband had never had to do was show.. '' from his shows Dreams Alive 2nd Rick Steves Best of travels Europe. Was superb with this DVD set seeing David was a great time and free time ``. Fine cinematography someone else tours do n't remember seeing anything about the trip. `` was with... Olive groves surrounded by and hiking Cinque Terra was everything we 'd dreamed of and were!