Best Travel Experience

This trip was by far one of the best travel experiences I’ve had! Although I love to travel, I had not done a group tour before for fear of missing out on my own individual trip experience, not having the the opportunity to explore on my own, or simply having the feeling of being moved along from place to place like a sheep. Thankfully this tour proved me wrong. While we did have an itinerary, there was ample opportunity for me to experience the things that interested me and I never felt I was just another tourist dragged from place to place. I believe part of what made the trip so great was the excellent Tour Director who quickly and easily created a warm and welcoming environment, and who seemed to be genuinely interested in making the trip a fun and memorable experience for each traveler. As I mentioned, this was my first group tour so it is difficult to compare. However, I did run into other travelers who were on tour with different agencies and it was clear they were not having as great an experience as we were and they were definitely not as excited about their tour director as our group was.

5 star tour

This was a great tour for many reasons- the tour leader Raf was outstanding. He was knowledgeable about the history, art and architecture of the region and went way beyond the call of duty to help many members of the group. The people in the group were also wonderful- we really bonded as a group. Part of the reason might be that you really get to talk to almost everyone in the group one on one while you are hiking all over Tuscany. I also like to think that people who take a tour like this are interesting people (like us of course). The itinerary is very well planned and you really get to see a lot of Tuscany. Two of the hikes ended at a winery and the food and wine at both places was fabulous. The tour guides in Florence and Sienna were first rate- Donatella- the guide in Sienna - was spectacular. Her enthusiasm and love of Sienna was contagious. We took the Rome extension as did almost all the group but because we had been in Rome the previous year we skipped the optional tours that were offered. However we did arrange to meet the group for dinner in a restaurant the Raf arranged the last night so that we could enjoy their company again. Although Go Ahead rates this the most difficult walk- 4 I think- if you are in reasonably good shape and are used to walking this is not extremely difficult. My wife and I are in our mid 60's and had no trouble although I do jog and she walks about an hour most days. The weather was warm but not hot so that did make the hikes easier. A few of the people did opt out of some of the hikes. I would definitely recommend this tour but there are some improvements that could be made. The Minerva Palace hotel in Montecatini had clean comfortable rooms with a very nice staff but the hotel rooms were very worn and the breakfast was not very good. The location is great and Montecatini is a beautiful town- you could walk everywhere. The other hotels were all fine although not always centrally located. In Sienna it was about a 20 minute walk into town but the bus was nearby and easy. In Chanciano the hotel was right in town and a good restaurant was an easy walk. In Rome you could take a tram to the historic center which we did but we took cabs home at night. We purchased the optional trip to Lucca and the winery. In Lucca you only had about an hour and a half to walk around on your own. It is larger than most of the other towns and we felt that you really needed a guide-even if only for a few hours. The winery had a interesting tour and a really nice lunch- they called it light but it was plenty. After Cortona we stopped at Lake Trasemino?(sp) Although it was only for a hour or less we didn't find this stop interesting at all. We think it could be eliminated. Other than Lucca, we didn't purchase any of the other optional tours or dinners. The members of the group who did had different reactions. Some loved the dinners, others thought they were overpriced. Everyone seemed to like the tours that were offered in Rome. Overall the trip was excellent- we loved it.

Walking Tour Through Tuscany

Amazing tour. It was a good blend of hiking through vineyards and olive groves and seeing the sites in cities in Tuscany. I would recommend it to anyone who loves hiking. Hiking boots and sticks were necessary for me.

well run, a lot in a little time

The walks were challenging; one should be prepared to walk for a few hours in some difficult terrain in Tuscany and many hours in Rome. There are just so many magnificent sights, so much art and history, one cannot cover it all in 11 days (we did Rome extension). You get a good taste of the area. The food and wine, of course, are superb, and the tour guides very knowledgeable and articulate. There is just an overwhelming amount of verbal and visual material to process! It's hard to shop, take photos, and listen to and keep up with the tour guide! All the excursions were worthwhile and we were glad we chose to do them. On future trips, however, I would exchange some of the excursions for free time to explore on my own. Overall, it was a trip of a lifetime.

Tuscan Tour Trumps Expectations

I went on a Walking Tour of Tuscany with 6 other women friends and joined an additional 6 women when we arrived in Florence. The trip was everything I hoped for and more. Our Tour Director Barbara was amazing - friendly, courteous, respectful , extremely knowledgeable and fun. She is the consummate professional. I always felt properly prepared for each experience ie: knowing more information about the Etruscans before entering Volterra. One of my absolute favourite things on this trip was visiting the winery in the Chianti region and then having an amazing lunch al fresco overlooking the Tuscan hills. Sigh. It doesn't get much better than this. Another favourite experience was the walk leading up to San Gimignano- constant breathtaking sights along the way. One more favourite was the little church of St. Christopher at the top of Cortona. What a delightful surprise that it was open that day. And it has 2 magnificent Luca Signorelli paintings! The walk down through the residential area of Cortona was a wonderful peek into the lives of real Italians in Tuscany. I learned and saw so much during this trip that my brain was saturated. I am only now sorting through all the wonderful experiences. I would easily recommend the Goahead Tour experience. it was excellent value for the money. The hotels we stayed in far surpassed my expectations.

Great scenery at a slower pace.

We hiked through some of the most beautiful country side imaginable. Every day hike seemed to get better. Spectacular scenery at every turn, from impressive medieval fortified towns to vineyards/olive groves. The walks allowed us the time to savor things we otherwise would not have experienced from a bus traveling 50 mph. Of course, the wonderful spring weather helped a lot. An unannounced perk was stopping at the American WW II Cemetery outside Florence.; a very moving and emotional experience.

A great walking experience

This was my first GoAhead Tour. I decided to go alone on the spur of the moment and was very happy that I did. The walks were very well planned and guided so that we had a maximum of beautiful scenery and independent time. The guide was very knowledgeable about art, history and culture and the wines of the region. The Tuscan hill towns were fascinating and well worth the walks to get there! My fellow walkers were positive, enthusiastic and lots of fun. I'm ready to do the same trip all over again!

Lovely Tuscany

This is a fast-paced trip through extraordinarily beautiful, medieval Tuscan villages, romantic Florence and into the astounding history of Rome. The Italian people make the trip all the more enjoyable with their warm and welcoming attitudes. The brilliant architecture and lovely statues, frescoes and mosaics of the churches we visited defy words. Our guide, Barbara, enriched our trip with her fantastic descriptions and thorough knowledge of the history of the area and its villages, people, and the wine and olive oil industries. We traveled with a group of about 20 - a good size. One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to two vineyards and sampling their wine and olive oil. The lunches at each were the best meals of the trip. We have never tasted such delicious olive oil or chianti and bought some to take home. We also learned about the wine types and were able to apply our knowledge for the rest of the trip. Another highlight was the special trip Barbara arranged at our request to the Borghese Gallery in Rome to see the sculptures of Bernini and other works. Seeing Bernini's sculptures is a must in my book. Unfortunately it was raining and cold the day we visited Florence. This was my second trip to Florence and I know we missed a lot. The visit to the Academia Museum is a must if only to see Michaelangelo's David. The Uffizzi Gallery is a very good choice, also. We didn't have enough time or guidance to see much of Florence. I felt we could have skipped Lucca the day before and spent more time in Florence. GoAhead should arrange a good lunch and a tour of some of the other areas of the city. No tour of the Roman Forum was offered and this was a big disappointment. We visited on our own, but without a guide the area is just too complex to understand and enjoy. The optional tour of the coliseum was canceled and we visited on our own. The coliseum is spectacular but having a guide would make it even better. Two of the the hotels were average, the one in Montecatini (four nights)was below standard and the one outside Sienna was very nice, the beds were the best in the Hilton Claridge in Rome. The hotel dinners were mediocre, as was the meal at the optional Dinner with Tenors. The show, however, was delightful and I would recommend the option for this reason. The guide for the Vatican museums was knowledgeable and fun and made the Sistine Chapel a wonderful tour. I would not recommend this trip for those who do not walk regularly and cannot walk a couple miles at a time, partly up a few very steep grades. The walking pace was comfortable for me and allowed me to drop behind and take pictures and then catch up. Otherwise I recommend it as one of the best trips you will ever take!

Fantastic

Beautiful countryside; engaging company; well-versed guide; a spectacular trip!

Great trip

This trip was very challenging but so different than other trips I've taken with Go Ahead. I loved the walking through woods and seeing the beautiful Tuscan landscape. I should have bought some good hiking shoes since I have weak ankles. That would be my recommendation for travelers.