Benvenuti! Planning a trip to Italy? You’ve come to the right place.
An Italian vacation is on the bucket list for most travelers. In fact, Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world! A bit larger than Arizona (including the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia), Italy is said to have more masterpieces per square mile than any other country in the world.
Whether this is your first Italian vacation or you’ve traveled here numerous times, there is much to experience! People return to Italy for its wealth of history, architecture and stunning landscapes, but also for the warm personal interactions with locals. The Italian people, ever-welcoming, ever-jovial, and willing to engage with travelers on deeper levels, makes an Italian vacation a trip like no other.
And let’s not forget the Italian food!
The gelato! The wine! Oh my. Let’s get started planning a trip to Italy!
Make your Italian vacation truly special!
- Cooking classes in Italy (not your average gourmet tour)
- Family-friendly Italian cooking classes
- Chocolate making in Perugia, Turin, Modica
- Gelato making
- Visit a mozzarella di buffalo farm in Southern Italy
- Make authentic Sicilian cannoli
- Learn how to make Neapolitan Sfogliatella
- Dine with Italians in their home feasting on family recipes
- Balsamic vinegar of Modena tours (the best of the best)
- Taste freshly pressed olive oil from 1,000 year old trees in Puglia
- Grape and olive harvest experiences
- Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma tours
- Wine tours with visits to the owner’s private wine cellar
- Limoncello making
- Enjoy a Ferrari ride with a professional driver in Tuscany
- Tour a traditional Venetian gondola workshop
- Carnivale mask making with a trained artisan & mosaic making, Venice
- Sail through Livorno’s Venetian-built canals dating from the 1500s! You can sail underneath one of Italy’s largest squares, Piazza della Repucclica
- Explore Etruscan ruins
- Spa vacations
- Pottery lessons
- Hand painted ceramics artisans
- Christmas market visits
- Christian & Jewish tours
- Elevate your Italian vacation with one of our recommended excursions led by architects, artists, historians, chefs, and more with most holding PhDs or MA in their field.
- Adventure travel: biking, hiking, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, kayaking, skiing, Vespa tours, etc.
- Golf vacations
- Family-friendly Gladiator school (ages 10+), Rome
- Family-friendly museum tours and treasure hunts
- Italian island vacations: Aeolian Islands, Capri, Elba, Ischia, Sicily, Sardinia
- After-hours museum visits & private showings
- Italian Alps vacations
- Houseboat Rentals (no license or prior experience needed)
- River Cruises and Yacht Charters
- Ballet, Concert and Opera Tickets: Milan, Naples, Palermo, Parma, Rome, Turin and Venice
- Apartment rentals
- Villa rentals
- Honeymoons
- Destination Weddings
- Self-drive and chauffeured tours
- Italy by train tours
- Multi-Generational Family Vacations – I can arrange separate tours to cater to each group within your family, i.e. kid-friendly excursions while those 21+ enjoy a wine tour.
- Travel off-the-beaten-path to Italy’s undiscovered regions: Abruzzo, Bascilicata, Calabria, Le Marche, etc.
- An Italian vacation can easily be combined with any other European country.
I think you get the idea! Let’s start planning a trip to Italy for you. Your unique Italian vacation awaits!
Sample Trip Ideas
*The following are simply Italian vacation ideas. My expertise is in planning a trip to Italy based upon your personal interests and budget.
Fly into Genoa or Turin and transfer to the breathtaking Cinque Terre along the Ligurian Coast!
This 10-night vacation features:
7-nights in the Cinque Terre and 3-Nights, Turin.
Trip highlights include:
Hiking trails to stunning beaches
Gelato tasting
Vernazza Castle tour
Watercolor painting class (or other)
Ligurian pesto cooking class with lunch
Time at leisure
Plenty of time for rest and relaxation
Board a train or take a private transfer to Turin for 3 nights. Turin is the former capital of Italy and home to famous chocolatiers, coffee houses and historic treasures (including the famous Shroud of Turin).
From Turin you’ll enjoy:
A private wine tour of the vineyards in Piedmont. You’ll sample Barolo, Nebbiolo and Barbaresco wines.
A stroll through the Parco del Valentino along the Po River to see grand villas, opulent residences and a beautiful castle.
Relax at a luxurious spa housed within a 19th-century palazzo before returning home. A delightful Italian vacation!
Contact me to customize this trip!
Northern Italy used to be home to me! I’ve lived in Milan and would love to share some favorite places with you both in and outside of the city.
2-Nights Milan, 2-nights Bergamo, 6-nights Italian lake of choice.
Trip highlights include:
- Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper
- A tour of Milan’s magnificent Duomo including the splendid rooftop full of sculptures and marble finery. The views from the top are spectacular! On a clear day you can see all the way to the Alps.
- Enjoy a visit to the Brera district similar to SoHo and relax at outdoor cafes
- Wander the unique Navigli canal district
Train transfer to Bergamo, touted as one of Italy’s loveliest small towns.
2-nights in Bergamo’s historic center where you can:
- Savor a gelato while admiring the 12th-century architecture
- Stroll among local flora at the botanical gardens
- Walk on the ancient Roman road (a rarity nowadays)
- Soak up the marvelous medieval atmosphere
Train transfer to one of the Italian lakes. You will spend your last 6-nights exploring the stunning beauty of one of Italy’s most treasured areas.
Trip highlights:
- A cooking class learning the local specialties
- A boat excursions to lesser-discovered villages
- Hiking historic paths
- Tour an historic olive oil mill
- Wine tours and so much more!
The Italian lakes are very close to Switzerland and combining a stay in each country is easy to arrange. Either way, you will have an immensely memorable trip!
Contact me to customize this trip!
This stunning itinerary offers a taste of Italy’s Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige regions.
Fly into Venice for 3-Nights, 6-nights Bolzano, 1-night Venice
Trip highlights include:
A traditional Venetian gondola workshop
Mosaic making class
A Venetian specialty food tour
Full-day Palladian villas tour (Veneto region)
Rail to Bolzano in the Trentino Alto Adige region of the Italian Alps
6-Nights Bolzano with the option to:
Join a food tour to discover Italian alpine cuisine which reflects the influence of the surrounding countries. You’ll taste traditional bread of Austrian and German origins, regional sweets at a local bakery and a drink and snack at a local trattoria.
Ski, snowboard or snowshoe the Dolomites (optional)
View the Ice Man, a unique and moving experience
Train Bolzano to Venice; 1-Night hotel to relax before departing bell’Italia!
Contact me to customize this trip!
Fly into fashionable Turin (Italy’s original capital)!
2-Nights Turin, 4-nights Valle D’Aosta, 1-night Turin
Trip highlights include:
A sumptuous chocolate tour
Full day excursion to Barolo for a private wine tour
Visit Castle of Barolo, dating to around the year 1000
A truffle hunting experience
Transfer to the Valle D’Aosta for a 4-Night hotel stay.
Highlights of this stunning area include:
A private food market visit and cooking class featuring delicious regional specialties
Soak up the quaint character of Aosta’s old-town
Discover Roman ruins
Enjoy a picnic at the beautiful Natural Park Mont Avic
Learn about ancient architecture and more!
Transfer to Turin for 1-night where you can relax with luxurious spa treatments before returning home.
Ready to start planning a trip to Italy? Let’s begin!
Emilia-Romagna is affectionately known as Italy’s gastronomic capital where culinary delights abound. The area is also famous for luxuries of a different kind, namely Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Fly into Bologna and enjoy 4-Nights, 3-nights Parma, 2-nights Soave
Trip highlights include:
A private cooking class in the home of a local
An opportunity to visit the undiscovered wine area of Bertinoro
Visit a gelato museum
Visit a traditional balsamic vinegar estate in Modena
Depart Bologna for Parma; 3-Nights with opportunity to:
Tour a Parmesan-Reggiano factory
Visit a prosciutto di Parma producer
Explore Parma’s beautiful piazzas and quaint cobbled streets with a local guide
Transfer to the small, off-the-beaten-path village of Soave; 2-nights with opportunity to discover the picturesque Valpolicella wine area.
Fly home from Bologna.
Contact me to customize this trip!
This Italian vacation centers on the lush green of the Umbrian region! The views from Orvieto are awe-inspiring and simply take your breath away.
Fly into Rome and transfer to Orvieto where you’ll spend 4-nights, 4-nights Spoleto, 2-nights Rome.
Trip highlights include:
Accommodations in a traditional farmhouse on the outskirts of town or in a hotel in Orvieto center
Pottery lessons
An Umbrian cooking class
Horseback ride the gorgeous countryside
Transfer to Spoleto for 4-nights in an enchanted Umbrian village visiting towns such as:
Todi
Assisi
Perugia
Deruta
Civita di Bagnoregio
and many other quintessentially Italian villages!
Transfer to Rome for 2-nights exploring hidden treasures here before departing for home.
Contact me to customize this trip!
Outdoor enthusiasts often tout the bike routes in Tuscany as some of their favorites and for good reason!
Fly into Florence and transfer to the Tuscan countryside for 5-Nights followed by 3-Nights in Florence, ending with 2-Nights Rome
Trip highlights include:
A Ferrari ride with a professional driver
Half and full-day guided village hiking
Full-day guided biking tour
Lunch at local restaurants
Wine tastings
Italian mosaic lesson in Florence
Cooking class at the home of a local or with a Tuscan chef
Horseback ride at a nature reserve outside Rome
Relax in beautiful Rome before returning home.
Contact me to customize this trip!
This trip has you enveloped in one of the most stunning coastlines in Europe – the Amalfi Coast!
5-nights Amalfi Coast, 3-nights Ischia, 2-Nights Sorrento
Trip highlights include:
One of the best cooking classes in Italy
A limoncello making class
A mozzarella di buffalo farm visit
Time to relax at the beach or wander the narrow alleyways of charming villages.
Ferry to the Island of Ischia; 3-Nights (less touristy than Capri and more authentic) enjoy:
Scenic island walks
Boat excursions
Thermal spa visits
Ferry to Sorrento, 2-Nights in this breathtaking town to relax before flying home.
Depart Italy with a well-rested and happy heart!
Contact me to customize this trip!
This Italian island vacation will not disappoint! Italy’s romantic Aeolian Islands remain largely untouched by American tourists. These islands are located off the coast of Sicily and combine nicely with a stay there.
Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian islands and is a typical Mediterranean resort community. Lipari has a bustling waterfront, charming outdoor cafes, spectacular beaches, and fantastic Italian food.
Panarea, the smallest of the Aeolian Islands is extremely pretty and known for its whitewashed homes, lush greenery, exotic flowers, and secluded coves and beaches.
Stromboli is best known for its 100,000-year-old volcano and gorgeous black sand beaches.
Trip Highlights:
Fly into Sicily (Palermo) and transfer to the port for ferry to the island[s] of your choice.
Enjoy 7-nights on one island or perhaps split your time between two.
Sightseeing depends upon island chosen and can include:
Volcano tours
Hidden beaches
An archeology museum
Hiking
Viewing bronze age huts
Water sports and of course relaxing at the beach!
Ferry back to Sicily and transfer to the exquisite town of Taormina, Sicily’s most enchanted seaside resort.
The locals exude life here and music is regularly played in the streets! There are many charming cafes and restaurants to enjoy and the local beach to explore.
Enjoy 4-nights relaxing and/or sightseeing:
Take a private wine tour of Mt. Etna
Cannoli making with an Italian grandmother
Food market tours
Dinner in a local home
Tours of the Sicilian countryside and more
Transfer to Catania for your flight home. Ciao, Italia!
Contact me to customize this trip!
A trip to Sicily is promised to be one of your most memorable vacations. Sicily is full of some of the most gracious, hospitable and lovely locals you will ever find!
Fly into Catania: 4-nights Taormina, 3-nights countryside, 3-nights hilltop village.
Trip highlights include:
Visiting a small, mostly undiscovered fishing village where life is as its been for centuries
Cannoli making class with an Italian grandmother
Sicilian cooking class with a local chef
Relax at the pretty beaches
Travel in-land for 3-nights in a traditional agriturismo (farmhouse). From your countryside location you’ll visit:
One of Sicily’s ceramics capitals. If interested you may take a ceramics class or just shop the beautifully crafted and hand-painted treasures. The Sicilian countryside is easy to drive and explore; I’ll provide plenty of suggestions!
Transfer to a southeastern hilltop village for 3 nights. Explore magnificent Baroque architecture and taste Sicily’s unique chocolate at a shop that’s been in operation since the 1600’s! Wander the streets at leisure or enjoy a tour of your choice.
1-night in your city of departure. This vacation in Sicily is a wonderful way to unlock the island’s lesser-known treasures!
If looking for an unforgettable island vacation with turquoise blue water and pink sand beaches, Sardinia is for you!
Fly directly to Sardinia or to Naples and ferry over. If you have ancestors from Naples why not extend your stay there and enjoy some truly delightful food and pastries?
Trip Highlights Include:
7-nights relaxing at a beach resort, boutique hotel or villa rental
Water sports including scuba diving, snorkeling or kayaking the crystal blue waters
Sailing excursions
Cooking classes of Sardinian specialties
Wine tasting
A bread baking class
Archeology tours of Phoenician ruins
Fly home from Sardinia or take a ferry to Naples with 1-Night 5-Star hotel along the waterfront before flying home.
Bathed in sunshine, Puglia features a dry climate making the weather enormously pleasant for outdoor pursuits.
What is Puglia known for?
The longest coastline in Italy
Gorgeous white sand beaches
Secluded coves
Crystal clear turquoise waters
One of Italy’s most productive agricultural areas producing tomatoes, olives, eggplant, almonds and sheep’s milk cheese among other delicacies
Fly into Bari for 2-Nights, Trani, 3-Nights, Alberobello, 3-Nights, Ostuni, 2-Nights
Trip Highlights Include:
A privately guided visit of the famous”Trulli” houses particular to Puglia
Wine tours
Olive oil tasting from 1,000 year old trees
Mozzarella and burrata cheese tasting
Plenty of time to rest and relax on some of Italy’s most gorgeous beaches!
This is just one example of the family-friendly vacations to Italy that I can plan. Your vacation will be a reflection of your family’s needs and as leisurely or jam-packed as desired.
Fly into Rome, 4-Nights Rome, 3-Nights Florence and 3-Nights Venice. The perfect trio!
Trip Highlights Include:
Dinner with an Italian family in Rome
Gladiator school for kids ages 10+ (I can make suggestions for younger siblings)
A golf cart tour through Rome and/or a traditional Roman carriage ride
Roman pizza making class
Transfer or rail to Florence where you will enjoy:
A gelato tasting
An organic cooking lesson for kids
Bike riding
Tuscan hot air balloon ride
Museum visits and/or art lessons
Train to Venice where you can:
Learn to row a gondola
Make a carnevale mask
Enjoy a boat tour of the Venetian islands
Wander the charming canals and bridges of this maze of a city!
Looking to “unpack once”? Perhaps a villa rental is right for your family. Villa rentals are numerous and we can discuss my favorite choices based upon location in Italy, your interests and needs.
Whatever your family’s travel needs are I can assist.
Get your family to Italy! Let’s customize!
My team in Italy and I will work with you to create an Italian destination wedding like no other! We can assist you in planning your special day and are happy to help your family and friends with their travel arrangements.
Need a bridal registry?
We’ve set up bridal registry services for previous clients and are happy to discuss this arrangement with you as well. Should you not want an actual registry I do offer gift certificates which make a nice option for the couple who’ve been blessed with all they need already.
Let’s get planning! Contact me now – Grazie Mille!
The Italian Alps are full of outstanding locations to hit the slopes!
Italian Alps Ski Package Highlights:
-Round-trip economy class airfare JFK to Milan (other airports available)
-Manual rental car – upgrade to automatic available
-1-Night on Lake Como, 4-star hotel
-7-Nights South Tyrol area (gorgeous area!), 4-star hotel
-Dinner included daily during your stay in the South Tyrol
-Full-day ski safari with private ski instructor (we can add skiing as desired)
-Wine tasting
1-Night Milan
-Breakfast daily
This ski package is just one of many available and can be completely customized. Prices vary based upon departure date. Interested? Let’s get planning!
This trio of classic Italian cities can never disappoint! Whether you’ve been to Rome, Florence and Venice before or not I am convinced I can share with you a side of each city you didn’t even know existed!
What’s Included?
-Private airport transfers
-Rail travel between cities
-3 nights’ hotel stay with breakfast in Venice
-3 nights’ hotel stay with breakfast in Florence
-3 nights’ hotel stay with breakfast in Rome
-Walking tour, Doge’s Palace entrance and gondola tour in Venice
-Skip the Line: Uffizi Gallery Florence
-Florence City Tour
-Skip the Line: Ancient Rome & Colosseum half-day walking tour
-Skip the Line: Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tour in Rome & more!
This package can be completely customized based upon your interests. Prices vary based upon departure date. Interested? Let’s get planning!
If you’ve always wanted to visit the Amalfi Coast but the driving intimidates you or you just want to sit back, relax and soak up the view, this package is for you!
Highlights and Inclusions:
-Private airport transfers
-3-Nights accommodations in Rome (option to extend)
-Highlights of Rome tour (small-group tour with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 8 people)
-Private Tour of Pompeii
-1st-Class Rail to Naples
-3-Nights accommodations on the Amalfi Coast (option to extend)
-One 3-Course Dinner Per City (lots of personal recommendations will also be provided!)
-Breakfast daily
Available April – October. Contact me for more details!
Have you always envisioned visiting Italy’s stunning Cinque Terre? Then this Italian vacation is for you! If you love good food, waterfront villages, and hiking stunning coastlines then this vacation won’t disappoint!
Cinque Terre Cooking and Walking
What’s Included?
-5 nights’ in a Junior Suite
-Accommodations in a beautiful 17th-century farmhouse estate (the former summer home of an aristocratic family whose estate produced Ligurian olive oil & wine)
-A welcome cocktail and tasting of typical Ligurian specialties including wine
-A hands-on cooking lesson featuring regional cuisine, an Aperitivo and candlelight dinner on the panoramic terrace
-Full day guided Cinque Terre village excursion with lunch; you’ll visit the stunning villages of Monterosso, Riomaggiore, Corniglia and Manarola
-Half day tour of Levanto visiting an outdoor market & a specialty food shop where you’ll enjoy a light lunch based on typical products.
-Guided hike and walk through typical Ligurian vineyards (the ones that produce Sciacchetrà wine) followed by a cooking class and dinner
-Private guided excursion to Portofino and San Fruttuoso with a gourmet dinner that evening
-Numerous personal recommendations & more!
*This Italian vacation can be combined with a visit to the French Riviera! Contact me for more details!