Magnificent Tuscany!

Breathtaking views, wonderful food, fabulous tour director, great people all spell a once in a lifetime experience!

My first trip to Italy

From the lovely countryside, to the good food, and the knowledgeable tour guides, (Raf included), this was a trip I will never forget, and hope to return to Italy some day. My biggest complaint is that after our first dinner together as a group in Florence, (which was amazing), the rest of the trip included meals did not even begin to compare. And, the hotel in Florence could not accomodate all of the tour groups for breakfast, and we felt we were not treated as nicely as one of the other tour groups there. The other hotels were absolutely wonderful. My favorite was the Hotel Garden in Sienna. That was top notch. Would I recommend this trip, knowing the above? Without hesitation. It gives you a nice overview of several cities and towns in Tuscany and Umbria. Be prepared to do a lot of walking, and most of it on a hill. But if you are able to do that, you will be aptly rewarded once you reach the top.

Charismatic and knowledgeable Tour Director

Thanks to our tour director, Raf, my tour mates quickly bonded to add to the overall experience of an excellent trip. Lots of walking but Raf tried to keep the pace sensible so that all could be accommodated. He was ex- tremely knowledgeable and interesting, as well. The itinerary exposed us to the cultures of Tuscany and Umbria and we all hated to see it end. I could go again tomorrow; it was that good!

What a great trip!!

From our tour guide, Raf, to the thirty eight people I traveled with, it was all perfect! We had wonderful food, great wines and more laughter than one would ever expect. Our guide was informative, funny and caring. The hotels were very nice and the whole experience was never to be forgotten.Athouugh I've been to Italy five different times, the trip with Raf was wonderful. I'd do it again for sure.

Taste of Tuscany

Think the tour pace needs to be upgraded - a number senior citizen had trouble keeping up. Otherwise the tour exceeded our expectations. We are seriously considering doing the tour again with our friends. The people, food, wine and towns were outstanding. I cannot say enough about our tour guide Raf - he went beyond the call of duty.

Taste of Tuscany and Umbria

We booked the tour mainly for the bus to take us from place to place. We were a little dissapointed in the hotels. The hotel in Florence was not what we expected but adequete. The hotel in Siena was overbooked and I have stayed in better rooms at motel 6. Plus, they refused to put us in another room after the first was not satisfactory but relented and put us in the attic. They were rude and belliergerent to my partner. The hotel is far from Siena for most folks. We loved the hotel in Perugia, well placed, up to date, and good staff. The bus transportation was fabulous, our driver, Antonio was a true professional. They were very comfortable and offered a good view of the countryside. We loved our side trips to San gimigmano, Cortuna, and Orvieto but would have skipped the lake near Perugia. The first gathering meal was very good. The rest I could have done without. The cooking school was very crowed and I had to lead a troop of our group quite a ways back to our hotel at night. Raf, our tour guide, was a fount of history and customes. his humor was much appreciated. Overall, we had a great time because we spent a lot of time on our own. Five great restaurants and three other little gems. The food was all we expected and more. The Italian people our the best.

Good description

My husband and I are in early 60's and pretty fit and we found the walking very tiring. Definitely not for overweight or physically challenged people or those who are inactive in their daily life. Trattoria meal in Florence was way too much food and meat! Our tour director, Raf, was great! Fun, knowledgeable, informative, and easy to get along with plus very accommodating.

Would do it again!

A very all encompassing tour.

Absolutely loved the experience!

Wine tasting, cooking lessons, picnic at Lake Tressemino, journey through Florence, Sienna, Lucca, Perugia ~ fantastic!

A Great Way to see Tuscany

The food and wine were fantastic. It was a great way to see Tuscany. Our tour director, Dina, was the greatest. She made our group feel like one big family. If I could change anything it would be in your description of the tour. It should read walking on loose cobble stones and uneven surfaces. Even though I had good walking shoes I would have brought different with more support.