Italy at a glance
Italy | Jun 19 - Jul 5, 2024

B
Ban S.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Jul 07, 2024

First of all Andrea was very knowledgeable and available at anytime I require assistance during the trip and while planning the trip… I could tell through the guided tours that he planned he is well experienced in this issue…
However, I would have liked it better if I was with same guide for all the tours at the same city. Becuase some guides were amazing while other did not seam to know what to do. I especially liked Martina our first guide in Rome .. on the other hand, the guide we had for the walking tour in Venice for three hours was not really sure what to talk about we were supposed to get the Jewish ghettos .. but we’re not able becuase we did it have enough time and it started to rain heavily .. the guide can see that we are a slow group but he did not try to take a shortcut or alter the route to get us there faster… we actually when through the same streets twice … and holestly I was not sure if the guide knew what to talk about .. he was knowledgeable but I had to ask question to get some answers. I feel that this tour was unnecessary at the end .. Also, the Murano Burano tour felt like a sales pitch .. our tour guide was great but really we did lot need him becuase all what he did is ride with us to the glass factory and then a representative from that company took over and was trying to get us to buy glass .. yes the experience was great but I felt it was unnecessary for a tour guide to be provided .. because we took a little bit longer at the glass factory .. our guide has to hand us over to another one since he has another tour planned . He was great at rearranging our water taxi ride and getting us another tour guide to take us to Burano.. however, in Burano we met with a person who worked at the lace shop and she was only there to take to the lace shop to buy from there .. did not explain anything about the island and it’s colorful houses and it history .. all what we did at the island is spend our time in the lace shop. I did not like the fact that this tour was just to take us to specific shop to buy we saw nothing of the islands.. I would definitely advice my friends not to take this tour in Venice …

When I decided to use a tour company to plan my trip is becuase I neede this to
Be tailored to our specific needs . we are bigger group of six and a person in our group can’t walk a long distance and I explained this to Andrea in the beginning..,I also explained to him that we would like to take our time in the morning and not be rushed .. however most of our tours required walking and were quite early in the morning .. even our train rides we always before 10:00… and I neglected to ask for that but I feel that Andrea should have confirmed with me about the shower option in the hotel rooms .. most of the hotel rooms had tubs and I have to request a walk shower room at check in ..
the hotel choices were great.. the location was amazing and they were all high class and clean ..
so to summarize… I feel that booking the hotels and arranging the transfers were arranged great with Kim Kim .. however, the prices are not disclosed so I feel that I over paid for some of the unnecessary tours ..

Hotel Reviews
Palazzo Navona Rome
Rome
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Santa Maria Novella
Florence
Authenticity & Character
Location
Right in the center and close to everything
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
It is very clean however a little bit old and needs some updating
Park Hotel Argento
Levanto
Authenticity & Character
Very clean but the decor is a little bit too simple for 4 stars hotel
Location
You have to take the shuttle to go anywhere
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Palazzo Veneziano Venice
Venice
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The room was not throughly cleaned during our stay and sheets were never changed for three days. Lacks many aminities expected for 4 stars hotel
Activity Reviews
Rome Private Guided Walk
Rome Private Guided Walk
Rome

Martina was great

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide
Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide
Rome

Our guide was knowledgeable and very accommodating

Quality of Experience
Quite a lot of walking
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
It was hard to figure out the meeting point
Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket
Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Uffizi Gallery Guided  Visit (private guide)
Uffizi Gallery Guided Visit (private guide)
Florence
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Accademia Gallery - skip the line entrance
Accademia Gallery - skip the line entrance
Florence
Quality of Experience
The tour took long at the David statue
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery
Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery
Florence
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Uffizi - skip the line entrance
Uffizi - skip the line entrance
Florence
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cooking Class *****
Cooking Class *****
Italy

We loved this experience and the road trip was great

Quality of Experience
Food
Yummy
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The chef was great and the staff at The winery were amazing
Transport
The driver Sauler was great let us take picture a long the road The car is very comfortable
Guided walk at Piazza dei Miracoli and Leaning Tower in Pisa (2 hours)
Guided walk at Piazza dei Miracoli and Leaning Tower in Pisa (2 hours)
Italy
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Pisa leaning tower and Piazza dei Miracoli monuments entrance
Pisa leaning tower and Piazza dei Miracoli monuments entrance
Italy
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience
Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience
Italy

Did not see anything meaningful

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide was knowledgeable but did not know how to guide the tour I had to ask the question and were did not get to the see the Jewish ghetto becuase we ran out of time
Transport
Walking around in cirlcle and had to pay 80 euro for a water taxi to take us back to the hotel
The Jewels of Venice (St. Mark & Doge Palace)
The Jewels of Venice (St. Mark & Doge Palace)
Venice

Enrique was The guide was great

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide was great even though we were about 45 mi utes late .. he waited and altered the tour to let us see as much as we can in the time left
Transport
Exclusive Murano & Burano islands visit (private service)
Exclusive Murano & Burano islands visit (private service)
Venice

It is just visit to a glass making factory and a lace shop no tour do the island did lot learn anything about the islands

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guide was great explained about the geography of the islands but really was not needed for the glass place .. he just waited outside .. the guide in Burano was not a tour guide but someone from the lace shop did not learn anything about the island
Transport
Water taxi was planned and altered time to accommodate us and dropped us at a different location because we aske to go to lido island
Local specialist: Andrea Gambino