Duration: 7 Hours

Type of Service:  Cooking Class at a Farmhouse in Tuscany

A full day hands-on Cooking Class in a stunning setting in the Tuscan countryside including a food tour through the historic center of Florence. Led by a local food-lover guide, you will taste your way through the Florentine's favorite bakery and grocery stores to experience Tuscan food like a real local. You will buy ingredients on the way and in Florence's most vibrant food market.

On arrival in our beautiful farmhouse, you will start creating a complete menu, from appetizer to dessert, using only the freshest seasonal ingredients, the majority of which come from the vegetable garden of the farmhouse!

Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and learn to cook as Tuscan grandmas and moms do every day in their kitchens for their families. Master the secrets of traditional dishes that you will easily re-create at home for your friends and family. The cooking lesson is suitable for beginners and for those who can already cook.

Then finally we will all sit together outside (weather permitting) and just like a big Italian family, we will take time to enjoy the food we have prepared together. Buon Appetito!

What you can expect

First, discover Florence's historical food market where the locals do their daily shopping. Blend in with the locals. Meet the bakers, the butchers, and the farmers selling vegetables from their fields. Their stalls are full of items such as fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, balsamic vinegar, sun dried tomatoes, olives and many other Italian food specialties. Shop for the ingredients to use for the cooking class and learn to choose the best seasonal products.

Then, it's time to start your cooking lesson at a farmhouse in Tuscany. This isn't just a demonstration, you will actually take part in creating a full traditional Tuscan meal with your chef's help. You will learn to make real Italian fresh pasta by hand with freshly laid eggs and learn to make a traditional meat sauce using ingredients from right outside the door!

Learn to prepare homemade pizza and classic bruschetta with fresh bread, homegrown tomatoes and the farmhouse's own extra virgin olive oil and then take a break to enjoy the pizza and bruschetta with a glass of Chianti wine.

After the break, it's back to the lesson where you will learn how to prepare traditional Tuscan roast pork, arista and Tuscan roast potatoes using fresh herbs collected from around the farmhouse. To finish the class, you will learn the secrets of the wonderful Italian coffee and cream dessert, Tiramisù.

At last, sit down to enjoy a wonderful meal. Each course will be paired with a carefully selected wine from the region to compliment the flavors of the food you have prepared. At the end of your meal, your driver will be waiting for you for a short drive back to Florence, so it's time to say arrivederci after an unforgettable experience in Tuscany.

Things to Know:

• Small-group Italian cooking class (25 people or less) at a breathtaking farmhouse set in the rolling hills of Tuscany!
• The tour/cooking class is offered Monday - Saturday based on availability and begins at 9:00 am and concludes at 5:00 pm
• Florence morning food tour with tastings at San Lorenzo's colorful Mercato Centrale
• Hands on experience: learn to make Bruschetta and Pizza, home-made Pasta, Tuscan roast pork with potatoes and Tiramisù
• Enjoy your freshly cooked meal accompanied by wine after the class
• Transportation roundtrip to and from Florence to the farmhouse
• Recipes and an Italian cooking diploma for your hard work
• Due to uneven and steep surfaces, we are unable to accept anyone with mobility issues. A minibus or van transports you to the Tuscany farmhouse.  There are about 24 steps leading down towards the outdoor kitchen.
• We regret that vegetarian or other alternative dietary requirements cannot be catered for in this class
• Youth rates are available to attend with a parent/guardian for 12 yrs to 18 years of age - please inquire about youth rates

Duration: 2.5 hours

Type of Service: Best of Rome Evening Walking Tour with Wine & Appetizers - great for first-time visitors to Rome

An intimate tour of 15 people or fewer, see Rome from a different perspective – Enjoy a relaxing walking tour of major sights including the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, among others.  Admire hidden gems and fascinating details of each location that you would have missed on your own. And do it all in a single evening, with each site illuminated gloriously for the occasion.

Your expert local English-speaking guide will bring each step on the cobblestones to life with entertaining and mesmerizing tales of the most interesting historical characters - from Bernini to Galileo, Raphael to Michelangelo. Much easier to navigate than during the overcrowded days, the evening’s streets and sights exude with fascination during this most bewitching time of day.

Enjoy an authentic Italian 'aperitivo', (a traditional evening drink to stimulate your appetite) as the locals do, with a nice glass of wine (or another beverage, as you choose) and an assortment of mouth-watering appetizers in one of Rome’s most charming neighborhood wine bars.

This tour is perfect for first-time visitors to Rome, helping to orient you to the city’s diverse areas. You’ll receive recommendations on great restaurants, quaint neighborhoods, popular nightlife spots, or whatever your interests are, in addition to the sights and stories only your expert local guide would know. But if you’ve been to Rome before, see it from this new perspective that many tourists, including yourselves, may have missed.

Things to Know

• Enjoy authentic Italian wine and appetizers for an 'aperitivo' (a traditional Italian evening drink to stimulate your appetite) in one of Rome’s most charming venues
• See some of Rome’s most famous sights including the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and others, as they share the tales of the past and present
• Enjoy the enchanting atmosphere of Rome after dark on this evening walking tour
• Tour is offered March - November
• Tour is offered on the following days, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
• Tour is offered at 7:30 pm (1930)
• Small group tour with 15 people or less
• Aperitivo (1 glass of wine/drink and some typical Italian appetizers)
• Expert, English-speaking local guide
• Wear comfortable walking shoes
• Meeting location - Piazza di Spagna (more details are given upon booking)

Duration: 3 hours

Type of Service: Vatican Tour

Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience - Make sure your Vatican visit is a once-in-a-lifetime experience by booking your own, private guide. Traveling with an expert, English-speaking guide through the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, you’ll have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the masterpieces held within the papal palaces. Ask all the questions you want and influence your tour route – with your own private guide the Vatican is your oyster.  Our No Wait Access Private Vatican Tours typically follow a carefully crafted route through the museums, visiting all the highlights of the collection such as the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Tapestries and the Laocoon Group sculpture that inspired Michelangelo.

Be amazed as you enter the Sistine Chapel and experience for yourself two of the world’s most famous masterpieces – The Last Judgement and The Creation of Adam. With an explanation from your guide, you’ll see things that other visitors never spot – like Michelangelo’s bone-free self-portrait, his message to the world that he would rather be skinned alive than paint the Sistine Chapel again.

Our tour ends with a bang at St. Peter’s Basilica. We enter directly from the Sistine Chapel via a special entrance, skipping the long line outside. Your guide will provide you with a detailed description of the Basilica of the spectacular altar, Michelangelo's famous 'Pietà' and the side chapels that make this the world's largest historic church.

Things to Know:

• On Your Private Tour - your own dedicated English-speaking tour guide
• Expert guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica
• All tickets and reservations fees included in price - tickets must be purchased 10 days in advance
• Private Tour Times:  10:00am and 2:00pm (3-hour tour)
• Private Tour Days:  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
• Private Tour with Skip the line tickets are $412.00 for 2 people
• Meeting point:  Near Museum Entrance - more details given upon booking
• No Tours on Holidays and Sundays
• On certain Wednesdays, there is a Papal Blessing/Papal Audience and tours may be restricted during the morning hours
• Entrance into the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Mark's Basilica requires a strict dress code. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women.

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• Semi-Private Tour with 12 people or less
• Semi-private tours offered on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – tour time is 8:10 am
• Cost for the semi-private tour is $124.00 per person.
• Skip the line admission tickets
• Small group tours are available for groups less than 20 people
• Small group tours are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
• Small group tour times are 8:00am, 8:45am, 9:00am, 10:00am and 2:30pm
• Small group tour cost is $88.00 per person
• Skip the line admission tickets
• Tickets for the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica must be bought in advance - tours times based on the availability of tickets
• Entrance into the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Mark's Basilica requires a strict dress code. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women.

Duration: 3 Hours

Type of Service: Colosseum Walking Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill 

Enjoy an intimate, personalized visit of Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill accompanied by an expert official guide whose love for ancient Rome and extensive background in art, history and/or archaeology will reveal Ancient Rome’s true history and spirit. Experience Rome as never before!

Skip the line into the Roman Empire as you enter the Colosseum, the world’s most famous stadium, where ferocious battles of gladiators and exotic animals entertained the Romans and their Emperors. Your expert guide will provide you with a detailed account of this famous landmark leaving you with a vivid portrait of the world-renowned Colosseum and the gladiatorial games.

Continue onto the Palatine Hill Emperors constructed their palaces overlooking the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the heart of Ancient Rome. Take a step back in time as we guide you through the Roman Empire’s majestic villas and gardens and see first-hand where the Emperors lived, ruled, and became immortal.

Visit the heart of Ancient Rome’s political and commercial center, the Roman Forum, where you will encounter the Temple which houses the altar of Julius Caesar. Stroll along the original paths of the Roman Forum and admire the astonishing remains of the “Via Sacra” or “Sacred Way”, which once sparkled with festivals and triumphal processions. Surround yourself with majestic temples, awe-inspiring palaces, and magnificent basilicas constructed two thousand years ago!

Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and articulate English-speaking tour guides will cater specifically to you and make your private visit to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum a unique and unforgettable experience.

Things to Know

• Learn about Rome's history on this remarkable tour
• 3-hour tour of Imperial Rome with an expert guide
• Skip the Line Access at the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill
• Private Tour offered 7 days a week
• No tours available First Sunday of each month
• Private Tour times are 10:00am and 3:00pm
• Meeting Point - Colosseo Metro Stop - more details at booking
• Private Tour Cost:  $252.00 per person

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• Small group tours available to 25 people or less is $72.00 per person 
• Small group tour times are 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:00am, 2:00pm and 3:00pm - tour offered 7 days @ week
• No tours available First Sunday of each month
• Skip the Line Access, entrance tickets, and reservation fees
• Audio headsets available 
• Meeting Point - Colosseo Metro Stop - more details at booking

Duration: 2 hours

Type of Service:  Florence Sunset Walking Tour - Private Tour

See Florence at sunset on a 2-hour evening walking tour led by an expert guide, learn about the rich history about some of Florence most beloved sites and some of the smaller hidden gems in the historical center; such as the bustling Piazza della Signoria,  the area around the Duomo, and  the exterior of the Uffizi Gallery, home to masterpieces from Botticelli, Michelangelo and more. As the sun goes down, stroll to the Arno River and admire a scenic view of the Ponte Vecchio.  The fun part of being in Italy is to eat gelato every day and after the tour, you will stop at a popular gelato shop for a scoop or two.

Things to know:

• Your private tour with an English-speaking guide will meet you at your hotel to begin the tour.
• Admire the city at sunset
• Stroll by famous landmarks and see their illumination
• Enjoy personalized attention from your private guide
• You will be guided through the center city and arrive at the Arno River
• Tour offered on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from March - December
• Tour begins at 6:00pm /  2 hour tour
• Meeting location -  center city of Florence; more details are given upon booking 
• Complimentary gelato at the end of the tour

Duration: 2.5 hours

Type of Service: Best of Venice walking tour including St. Mark's Basilica

If you have limited vacation time (and who doesn’t?), this is the perfect way to see the best sights in Venice in just a few short hours. Your expert English-speaking guide will take you to famous landmarks including St. Mark’s Basilica, Rialto Bridge, Marco Polo’s house, Camp SS Giovanni e Paolo and Campo Santa Maria Formosa piazzas, Bridge of Sighs and more, including quiet off-the-beaten-path places many tourists may miss.

We begin your tour at one of Venice’s most photographed locations, the Rialto Bridge. Then we’ll wind through the Floating City’s serpentine streets and over the tiny bridges that dot its seascape on our way to Marco Polo’s house. Learn about this intrepid Venetian son whose sense of adventure and exploration took him beyond the horizon to the Far East, where few had ever been before. Along the way, you’ll stroll through the lively piazzas of Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo and Campo Santa Maria Formosa, and marvel at how the beautiful Byzantine architecture and Renaissance buildings meld seamlessly with today’s modern and somewhat eclectic edifices.

On the way to our final and most awe-inspiring stop, St. Mark’s Basilica, you have a chance to see the romantic Bridge of Sighs. Then saunter through St. Mark’s Square, which Napoleon named the “finest drawing room in all of Europe.” Next, enjoy Skip-the-Line Access to the city’s most bustling spot for tourists. You’ll breeze past the long lines and straight into the Basilica.

Your tour guide will not only educate but also entertain you with the rich history of St. Mark’s Basilica. Learn about the city’s diverse culture with intriguing facts only a local would know. An impressive architectural marvel, see how Eastern architecture blends beautifully with Western design to create an unbelievable onion-domed structure so individually Venetian. With less time waiting in line, you’ll enjoy more time standing in awe of ornate frescoes before ascending to the famous St. Mark’s terraces. Not often included on guided tours, this site offers a spectacular aerial view of the prized piazza – and makes the perfect photo opp.

On this private tour, your small group will receive individualized attention. Audio headsets are provided, if you like, so you can always hear your guide. Ask all the questions you like and learn as much about Venice and the world-renowned sites as you please. 

Things to know:

• Private tour with expert English-speaking tour guide
• Your tour will begin at one of Venice’s most photographed locations, the Rialto Bridge.
• See Venice’s most-famous landmarks and monuments in just a few hours with the flexibility and attention only a private tour can offer
• See St. Mark’s Basilica, Rialto Bridge, Marco Polo’s house, Bridge of Sighs & more on this de facto tour of Venice for the first-time visitor
• Your tour guide will not only educate but also entertain you with the rich history of St. Mark’s Basilica.
• Skip the line access to St. Mark's Basilica and entrance ticket to the terraces of St. Mark’s Basilica
• Ask your guide all the questions you like and learn as much about Venice and the world-renowned sites as you please.
• Audio headsets available
• Tour offered on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
• Tour starts at 9:00 am
• Check in with guide by 8:45 am
• Meeting point location - more details are given upon booking

Duration: Nine Hours -  8:30am - 5:30pm

Type of Service: Full day Valpolicella & Amarone Wine Tour

During the day, we'll visit two celebrated wine estates to taste the Famous Valpolicella wines, like the Amarone, Valpolicella Classico, the rare Recioto and other wines.

In between wineries, we'll travel through the enchanting Valpolicella hills, stop for lunch (optional) at a local trattoria, where you can taste some of its local cuisines, and time permitting visit a lovely small village perched on top of a hill from where you can enjoy beautiful vistas over the surrounding scenery: the view on a clear day arrives as far as the Lake Garda.

THE WINES
The region boasts numerous types of indigenous grapes that have been naturally selected over the last 2,000 years. Like the famous wines of Bordeaux, the wines of the Valpolicella are made from a blend of these indigenous vines. Each vineyard has its preference in regards to the types and quantity of grapes used in the production of their wines.

On this tour, you'll enjoy two full wine tastings and vineyard tours of two selected vineyards in the Valpolicella wine region. At each vineyard, a local expert sommelier will conduct a tour of the vineyards' facilities so that you fully appreciate the unique methods of production utilized to make the very special wines of the Valpolicella. With this new knowledge at hand, you'll be able to truly appreciate the unique and diverse wines that you'll taste at each vineyard. Noting the subtle differences between the different wines produced, and the varied tastes they produce on your palette.

THE COUNTRY
In between vineyards, we'll traverse the soft undulating hills that stretch like fingers from the high mountains above, to create the valleys where the Amarone and Valpolicella wines are produced. You'll be enchanted by the lovely country with hills covered in vines, olive and cherry trees punctuated by small rural and sleeping villages. Along the way, and time permitting, we'll pause at a lovely small village, from where, on clear days, you can enjoy views of Lake Garda and visit an Ancient pagan temple that dates back to Roman times.

THE CUISINE
You'll have an additional opportunity to taste the Valpolicella wines during the optional lunch at a selected local trattoria, that excels in both its regional cuisine and its choice of local wines.

After completing your wine tour of the Valpolicella, sit back and relax while we head back to Venice arriving at approximately 5:30pm (1730).

Things to Know:

• Visit Two Selected Wine Estates
• Two full-wine tastings with appetizers at selected wineries in the Valpolicella hills with olive oil tasting
• Enjoy samples of Amarone wine as you learn about its production
• Tour the Cellar and Vineyards
• Mercedes vehicle or similar make with an English speaking driver - private tour
• Meeting Point - Your English speaking guide will come and meet you at Tronchetto water bus station, Venice, at the platform of the water bus line nr 2 station holding a sign with your name written on it.
• Directions: You can arrive at Tronchetto by taking the line nr. 22 Water-Bus from the Rialto Bridge. For clients not staying near the Rialto Bridge, please ask your Hotel Concierge how best to arrive at the Tronchetto Water-Bus Station
• Exclusion - Lunch ( optional) is not included

Duration: 3 Hours

Type of Service: Discover Florence Walking Tour - private tour

Explore the most important sites in Florence with your very own privately guided walking tour. Your English-speaking guide will meet you inside your hotel lobby, and then you will embark on an adventure and learn what it’s like to live as a local in the Renaissance city. With your guide, they will bring you around to the most important sites including the following:

• Piazza Signoria, with the gorgeous outdoor sculpture gallery – the Logia dei Lanzi
• The Ponte Vecchio, the oldest and most gorgeous bridge in Florence, dotted with little artisanal gold jewelry shops
• Via del Corso, the famous shopping street
• The Duomo, the famous church of monumental proportions, featuring Brunelleschi’s famous dome
• The Accademia, where you can see the David by Michelangelo, we will provide skip-the-line tickets
• Church of Orsanmichele, with its gorgeous architecture and outdoor sculptures
• Admire the Palazzo Vecchio on one side of the square, once the Medici family home, and the many sculptures that surround the piazza, including a replica of Michelangelo's 'David' where the original once stood
• Piazza Santa Croce, an important piazza and church in Florence in which many famous Florentines are buried, including Michelangelo and Galileo

Things to know:

• 3 hour central Florence walking tour, led by an expert local guide
• Explore the San Lorenzo neighborhood and learn about the Medici family
• See the Medici Chapels and the Basilica of San Lorenzo
• Walk around the Duomo Complex
• Stroll through Piazza della Signoria
• Visit Florence Accademia Gallery (Galleria dell’ Accademia) 
• Skip the line tickets for Accademia Gallery - tickets must be bought 10 days in advance
• Choose morning or afternoon tour time frame (3 hours)
• Most Popular and Highly Rated tour
• The Accademia Gallery is closed on Mondays, therefore the tour will visit an alternate museum 
• Tour offered 7 days a week, based on availability / no tour dates available December 24 - January 2)
• Wear comfortable walking shoes
• Tour can be customized around your preferences to include shopping and fun food stops along the way
• Tour does not operate the last week in August and the first week of September

Duration: 2.5 hours walking tour and (includes 30-minute gondola ride) - tour begins at 11:30 am

Type of Service: Walking Tour of Venice with Gondola Ride 

Follow your expert, English-speaking guide through the quieter streets and piazzas of Venice. As you walk, your guide will captivate you with histories of Ca’ Dario, the cursed (and possibly haunted) house whose owners have continuously met untimely and often suspicious deaths. You’ll learn why music schools around the world are called ‘conservatories’ at Fondamenta degli Incurabili, the hospital where monks took orphans from the streets and trained them as nurses and world-famous musicians.

Along with local legends, you’ll hear tales of familiar characters. You’ll see Harry’s Bar across the canal, where Ernest Hemingway once kicked back after a long day of writing. You’ll see the home of Peggy Guggenheim, the heiress who lost her father to the Titanic but gained the means to build one of the world’s most interesting art collections. (Back in her day Peggy used to scandalize the locals by sunbathing naked on her roof and parading around town with a pack of tiny dogs on leashes.) Remember the play, Othello? You’ll see the house where Desdemona supposedly lived before her tale was transcribed by an Italian author and stolen by a man called William Shakespeare.

Your tour ends on the sweetest note with a gondola ride along the quieter back canals of Venice. Relax as a gondolier, in his ubiquitous striped shirt, rows along waterways built for these very vessels. With a maximum of five people per shared gondola, your tour will be intimate and, with no commentary on this section of the tour, quiet and romantic too.

Things to Know:

• Discover the famous landmarks and hidden gems of Venice, first by land, and then by the sea!
• Step away from the crowds and get off the beaten track with this original tour that explores Venice’s less seen, more romantic face on the other side of the Grand Canal
• Accompanied by an English- speaking local guide, enjoy a leisurely walking tour around the city’s charming bridges, streets and hidden squares.
• Admire unique architecture and Renaissance masterpieces while your guide shares fascinating tales from the history of this former maritime superpower. 
• Small group tour for best experience - group size 24 or less
• Headsets so you can always hear your guide on the walking tour
• Relax on our pre-booked and pre-arranged 30-minute gondola ride with a local gondoliere and just 5 other people.
• Toured Offered only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
• Tour begins at 11:30 am
• Meeting point - Accademia di Belli Arti (more details are given upon booking)
• Wear comfortable walking or tennis shoes

Duration: 3 hours (morning or afternoon time)

Type of Service: Your Own Personal Shopping Tour in Florence

Florence’s city center is the place to shop with stores retailing everything from stylish clothing to used books. Florence has a number of elegant shops and open-air markets. Take the opportunity to enjoy this tour with your tour guide/personal shopper. She will assist you with a level of individualized attention and help you find just the right gift based on your suggestions, whether it be leather jackets, handbags, shoes, gold jewelry, Florentine silk scarves, ceramics or wine.  Your personal shopper guide can also take you to a world-famous perfume store.  Visit an artistic perfumery, with a demonstration of the historical setting, the products, and the laboratory.  Opportunity to browse the store with the personal guidance of a staff member specially dedicated to your group.  Besides smelling exotic things at can at this location, you can take classes on perfumery or have them make you up a scent tailored to who you are and how you smell normally.  The personal shopping tour is designed specifically around your preferences and it's a great way to shop in Florence.

Things to Know:

• Discover the famous shopping streets in Florence
• Buy with the help of a local expert guide
• Save time and email us your shopping list. We will chart the course for your allotted time in order to maximize every shopping minute
• Designed for those in a search of extraordinary style to bring home authentic Florence Style gifts and clothing
• Private guide for a more personalized experience
• Exclusive visit to perfume laboratory/shop – one of a kind in Florence – a must visit
• Opportunity to make your own personal fragrance
• Soak up the atmosphere on this walking tour
• Shopping tour is for both men and women
• This shopping tour is flexible and based on the client’s preferences and can be altered during the tour if needed
• Wear comfortable walking or tennis shoes