The Trip of a Lifetime!
Italy | Sep 28 - Oct 7, 2024

James
James C.
San Francisco, CA | Reviewed on Oct 10, 2024

First, I have to thank Martina, Elisa, Alessia, and the rest of the Authenticus Italy team for their guidance and patience in working with us to plan my 50th Birthday trip to Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast. It really was the trip of a lifetime. Martina was so attentive to my wants and needs and was so helpful in picking an ideal itinerary of experiences that were special and unique to our preferences. She even included extra-special touches like a special surprise rooftop concert!

The hotels chosen were all in fantastic areas close to major sites and activitites, and very clean and comfortable and the breakfasts included helped get our days off to a nice start. The car services we had also were nice and made it so much easier to navigate the longer journeys of our trip with ease. The tours we had were all so in-depth and educational and the guides we had were incredibly knowledgable and entertaining. They helped show us things we never would have been able to find or do on our own. The meals and wine tastings and other foodie experiences were also fantastic, giving us a taste of how the locals live. The Vespa food tour of Rome, the tour of Pompeii, wine tasting on Mt. Vesuvius, the hike in the Amalfi mountains, and the Fiat tour to Positano were just a few of the amazing things we experienced. We took so many pics and made so many memories to last a lifetime!

We did have a few miscommunications once we landed in Italy (mostly due to me not getting the correct kind of eSIM for phone service beyond just WiFi/data) but they were handled very swiftly and efficiently with no impact to our itinerary or the enjoyment of any of the activities. I have learned from my mistake and now know what to do in the future!

In the end, I would not hesitate to use Authenticus Italy's services again and have already recommended them to friends and colleagues who are thinking of planning trips to Italy.

Grazie mille!
James and Jake

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Manfredi Suite
Rome

Clean, comfortable and close to major attractions. The breakfast is also nice!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Grand Hotel Santa Lucia Naples
Naples

Beautiful hotel with spacious rooms. It was clean, comfortable and the closeness to the waterfront was nice.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Residence
Amalfi

Gorgeous hotel. Clean, comfortable, and being right on the beach was a huge plus.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Guided Visit to the Colosseum, Palatin Hill and Roman Forum
Guided Visit to the Colosseum, Palatin Hill and Roman Forum
Rome

Laura was a wonderful guide! So knowledgable and helpful in giving us a fantastic experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Vespa Tour with Food Tasting
Vespa Tour with Food Tasting
Rome

Pedro and Chris were so nice and helpful. They zipped us around Rome with speed and we got to taste delicious foods and see sites off the beaten path that we would not have been able to access as easily on our own.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Early Access Tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel
Early Access Tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel
Rome

Our guide Sev was a font of knowledge, guiding us through the often overwhelming halls of the Vatican with humor and his endless insight of the art and history.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Premium wine tasting and dinner in Rome
Premium wine tasting and dinner in Rome
Rome

Alessandro at Rimessa Roscioli was fantastic! His knowledge and passion for wine and food was infectious. The restaurant, especially the private wine tasting dining room, was super nice and homey. The wines and foods were also superb.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided Walking Tour of Rome
Guided Walking Tour of Rome
Rome

Anna Maria was such a sweet guide. Since we had already done some walking around on our own, we skipped a few of the usual tourist spots and Anna Maria was grateful to get to go "off script" a bit and take us to some places she usually doesn't go to.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Surprise gift activity
Surprise gift activity
Rome

The rooftop opera concert on the Terazza Borromino was such a thoughtful touch! It really was special and even the light sprinkle of rain didn't put a damper on the evening.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided Walking Tour of Napoli
Guided Walking Tour of Napoli
Naples

Ivan was a nice guide, taking us around to places we'd never thing to visit on our own or places that would be difficult for first-timers to get to. His knowledge of the history of Naples was so fascinating and impressive.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Wine Tasting on Mount Vesuvius
Wine Tasting on Mount Vesuvius
Italy

This was such a treat! Everyone at the Cantina del Vesuvio was so enthusiastic about us making the most of the experience while serving up delicious wines and food in a stunning setting. A real highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Fiat 500 Tour
Fiat 500 Tour
Italy

Andrea was great! It was tough for us 3 tall guys to fit in the tiny car but once we rolled the top down we were good to go! The sights along the winding road to Positano were incredible and Andrea took such fantastic pictures of us and the car in some of the most beautiful settings you could imagine.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Limoncello Experience & Tasting
Limoncello Experience & Tasting
Italy

We love LaLa! She was so sweet and helpful in guiding us through the process of making limoncello and the tasting, giving us a glimpse into her family's business, Valenti Positano. Besides the limoncello, we got to sample many more of the tasty treats Valenti makes.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Martina Venturi