Franco's tour was easily one of the best parts of our honeymoon! We did a private tour with him to three wineries and an olive oil farm throughout Tuscany, including both Chianti Classico and Montepulciano. Light breakfast and lunch included too! We did the wine lovers tour at Antinori nel Chianti Classico the day prior to our Franco Fadda tour, and it was awesome to follow that with Franco Fadda. We got to see much smaller wineries in comparison and felt like it was a more authentic, unique experience that we would never have been able to do on our own. What's even better is Franco is such good friends with everyone along the way that you just can't help but smile at all of their interactions together. And it's easy to see why! Franco is such a blast to be around, and we were with him for 12 hours straight. :) Throughout the day, we essentially had a private tour and tasting at each winery with no one else onsite, and got a much closer look at each wineries' processes and what made them unique. Each winery was phenomenal with delicious wines, and we shipped some home from them all, which Franco makes easy by helping coordinate it for you in partner with one of the wineries. Lastly, the olive oil farm was a wonderful treat too! We got to taste and see the olive oil being made by one of the best makers in the world and he's only 20 years old! It was incredible and basically being made out of a garage-like space on the family's property. We honestly cannot recommend a tour with Franco Fadda enough. We've been raving about it since we got back from our honeymoon, and it was easily the main highlight of our entire trip. This is a once in a lifetime experience that is worth every penny and more! We felt like we got so much beyond what we paid for that doing one of his tours should be a no brainer to all. You must book with Franco if you're in Tuscany! You won't regret it! Thanks again, Franco, for an unbelievable and unforgettable experience that we will cherish the rest of our lives! read more

Franco Fadda - Wine Tours Near Me

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Franco doesn't not disappoint!! I knew Franco Fadda Wine Tours through Dario Cantagna and Dario knows his stuff-Franco is a real "find". Franco picked us up at our hotel and took us to so many amazing places in Tuscany. Franco has to be one of the best wine tour guides. If you like amazing Tuscan Italian Franco will take you to restaurants to die for as well as small production Winery's that have VIP private tastings. We also bought honey and olive oil. I can't say enough t about how wonderful and knowledgable Franco is. Don't miss Franco Fadda Wine Tours! read more

Franco was contacted very late morning for a tour since our rental car did not work out. How fortunate for us since we would never have had the opportunity to have had such an enjoyable experience had we just selected wineries and vistas in Tuscany on our own. Even though it was late morning, Franco made himself available on arrived at our Villa 20 miles away by 1300. He took us to a quaint village of 39 people, Villa a Sesta, where we met the owner of Villa de Soto, his chef and assistant-all of whom Franco knew personally. There we had wine pairings with the better meals that we have had in our 2 weeks in Italy. From there we went to Rocca Castagnoli where they just gave Franco the keys and took us into cellars within the 11 century castle and explained the aging process of wines and nomenclature for naming wine based on a particular vineyard on the estate within Chianti region of Tuscany. Our final stop was another 11 th century castle, Castello D' Albola, a winery which Franco had previously worked. Again he had access to the cellars where there were 70 yo bottles of wine from the vineyard were still aging, beautiful gardens on the property and it's own church. Franco once again demonstrated knowledge of the wines and of the workers there. Franco's tour was a highlight of our visit in Italy. He was quite patient with us despite it being his wife 's birthday. There was no pressure to purchase wines although we did so. It was only my wife and I on tour and Franco could not have been more accommodating. We look forward to our next visit and will certainly use Franco again. read more

Franco led us on a full day wine tour that took us to three of the most exceptional wine makers in Montalcino. From the very start every detail was perfect, every need met, and every expectation exceeded. This was by far an experience that we will never forget, we will always tell our friends and family, and would recommed to anyone. Franco is beyond knowledgeable and professional, he knows the wine makers personally, and makes you forget about anything else but how good of a time you are having. read more

Cost- 170 Euros in line with all other tours Value- 5/5 Atmosphere- casual and intimate Booking- call or message Experience-5/5 Payment-credit cards accepted Contact website is his name dot com Phone: +39 347 910 6890 I'm from San Francisco and go to Napa and Sonoma often, so we are very familiar with wineries and wine tastings. My husband and I booked with Franco last minute and we got lucky, as his tour was very intimate only another couple, Franco,myself, and my husband. Only 5 of us in a very comfortable cool van. He picked us up near our Airbnb and we were  off to get breakfast in a small town along the way to the first winery. Franco is from the region and lives there still so he knows his stuff and the families that run the wineries we visited. They trust him enough to literally make himself at home. He was showing us how all the equipment works, pouring us tastes from the barrels, and actually walking through the vineyard showing us the vines. We learned more with Franco than all of our visits to Napa and Sonoma combined. He stressed to us he believes in the quality of his tours and wants to keep them small to be able to give us a unique experience it's not about the money for him, he also has a great respect for all the places we visited and nature. He saw a dog limping on the side of the road and pulled the van over to go help. He's a great tour guide, person, and truly wants everyone visiting Tuscany to love his home. He truly loves what he does and you can tell. There was no pressure to buy any wines but we bought 12, including a 100 point 2010 Brunello and are shipping them back home. Super simple and easy process. We never felt pressured we just enjoyed the wines so much. He's good friends with all the wineries and we literally picked up one of the owners on the way to his winery. You will never have a tour experience like this and definitely the highlight of our two weeks in Italy. Lunch was a home made pasta, assorted prosciutto and meats, cheeses, and of course wine. The wine was fantastic. We visited 3 wineries and had a food pairing at the first, lunch at the second, and just wine at the third. Prepare yourself for a day filled with great wine, food, beautiful scenery and great company. read more

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My daughtter and I took a trip to Tuscany and looked for all different tours for wine tastings online This is how we found Franco. checked all reviews and just booked our tour without knowing how it was going to go. Well , let me tell you that from the moment he picked us up at our doors steps we knew it was going to be a great tour. Franco's great Personally and professionalism was exceptional. As we were driving out of Siena towards Chianti he was giving us a tour of Siena. all I can say is that this is the best Tour ever. He even took us to a couple of small towns and took pictures of us with his own profes camera and sent later to us. at the end of the day we had 3 wine tasting one with an amazing lunch and also accomodade my vegetarian request. All the wine tastings with super generous portions of wine and explanations and answers to any questions we had. Beautiful views of Tuscany and great selections of wines and wineries in Chianti. super Generous with his time and knowledge and at the end my daughtter and I felt like we not only tasted wine but also got to know Chianti. We will forever remember this experience read more

Once I looked into touring wineries on my own, I realized it'd be difficult for many reasons (renting a car, having the right license to drive in Italy, figuring out where to park, not knowing if I was getting the most out of my visits, etc.). I heard about Franco from friends who have toured with him before and they raved about what an amazing experience it was. I'm so glad my group got to spend the day with him! Booking and communicating with him was so easy (he's very responsive!), and he picked us up (4 people total) in his van that could easily fit a group of 7 from our AirBnB. Out of the various tours he offers, we chose the Brunello one and it was amazing! I am very much a planner but I completely trusted Franco to take us to only the best places. We started off with two wineries and then lunch at a delightful trattoria and finished the day off with another winery and an extra stop at a beautiful hot spring site since we were lucky enough to still have some sunlight at the end of the day. Each winery was beautiful and offered unique experiences. It was truly the best decision for us to travel with Franco because everyone knows and loves him and that's the kind of guy you want to go around town with! I can't wait to come visit Italy again and go on his other tours too. Thank you, Franco, for such an unforgettable experience! read more

This was the best wine tour experience I've had in my life! Franco is a wonderful tour guide and we can't stop telling our friends, just how truly magical this experience was. We were recommended this tour from a friend who had such a great experience. It completely lived up to the hype. We toured around Montalcino and enjoyed some of the best Brunello wines! Our group for the day was small and intimate, there were 4 of us. It allowed for us to have more intimate tastings with each of the vineyards and explore the grounds without feeling rushed or pushed around. I've done a few wine tours in the past, but this was my favorite for a few different reasons. A) Franco is just hands down a very knowledgeable, friendly tour guide. Knowing a lot about the area, we got to take in so much more of the local culture than you would expect. B) We learned so much about the winemaking process. We happened to have our tour during harvesting season. So we were fortunate enough to watch the entire process of grapes harvesting, wine going in to barrels, out of barrels and being bottles. Such a great experience to see in person! C) Getting a chance to walk on the vineyard grounds and experiencing Tuscany and its beautiful landscape! It's rare to get to walk through the grounds where the grapes grow and pick off a grape and try it straight from the vine. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an unforgettable wine experience in Tuscany. It will be a trip you'll remember for a lifetime!! read more

Franco, is a fantastic tour guide for all the amazing Brunello wine estates. He is a local, treated and loved by the wine families as if he is one of their own. His energy is endless, he loves and knows so much about wine from that region. His English is incredible, riding with him in his bus with 3 other couples for a total of 8 people was amazing. Fun, picking up groceries, tasting wine, going to an incredible Tuscany lunch / dinner. The was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I am not a tour person, but this was just incredible. I would do this in a heartbeat when I return to Tuscany, Italy. Thank you Franco! Pepe! read more

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Franco does it right! He gives an amazing tour that leaves you desiring more! We had a group of 2 people and Franco has the ability to balance and connect with each individual member of the party. Franco is informative and is willing to teach anyone ranging from the beginner to a seasoned enthusiast and connoisseur. Franco is well connected in the community and his tour is well executed and personable. Franco has a deep passion and talent giving tours. He will teach and adapted the wine tour to the personalities and desires of the group. I originally joined the wine tour with a party of two and left the wine tour with many new friends. We also bought quite a few bottles of wine from the different wineries and Franco had them shipped with seamlessly, with no difficulties or issues back to the States. We hope to return back to Italy to take his other tours. read more

We found Franco through tripadvisor and booked his tour just a day or two before we took it. He was right on time, had a clean, comfortable van, and was very welcoming and friendly. (His english is also very good, btw.) We went to several locations and sampled a variety of olive oil, wine, and some of the best food I've ever had. We ended up spending the entire day in the Italian countryside, meeting wine-makers and visiting historical sites. It became one of the highlights of our trip, and we look forward to visiting Siena and taking Franco's tour again. Highly recommended. read more

We booked this review after researching wine tours in Siena. We booked with Franco because he responded to our emails very politely and the most quickly. Because we had such a great time on our first wine tour, we altered our travel plans and booked another tour with Franco! The experiences--and I say experiences rather than wine tours because that is what they were--were the best part of two-week trip in Italy. We went on the Brunello di Montalcino tour and the Chianti tour. They were both great! It would be difficult to say that one tour was better than the other. This is because the wineries were different; the wines were different; the food we ate was different. If we had more time, we would have liked to visit other wine regions or even other Montalcino or Chianti wineries. I gather that those would also offer vastly different experiences. We were the only two on the Montalcino tour, so we basically got a private tour. This costs about 30 more euros than if you are in a group tour, but Franco had informed us of this in advance. Franco picked us up at the bus station, and because we had told him that we had just arrived in Siena after leaving Florence at 6 am, he was kind enough to ask whether we had eaten breakfast and offered to stop for breakfast. (He insisted we stop by and pick up breakfast when we went on the Chianti tour because we had to check out of our hotel early and he knew we did not eat also.) While we were in the car, he informed us that we would visit three wineries (Solaria, Collemattoni, Cordella). Franco asked us about prior wine tours that we had been on and what we were looking for in a tour, which I thought was very smart of him. We told him that (1) we are not sophisticated wine drinkers, (2) we like to drink wine that we think tastes good, and (3) we wanted the tour to allow us to try the wines but that we would also appreciate it if it was an educational experience. Franco completely delivered. At Solaria, the first winery, the daughter of the winemaker handed Franco the keys when we arrived. This was common at many of the wineries that we visited on both the Montalcino and Chianti tours. He showed us fossilized seashells found on the property and explained that the region used to be underwater. Franco explained how the owner grows and maintains the vines by cutting the stems. He described the soil, the landscape, and how it differed or was similar to other regions. We got to see the fermenting tanks and the containers for aging the wine. Franco explained everything from the time a grape has to age to be a Brunello or a Rosso to the strict regulation of the wines by the DOCG to maintain strict quality control. (Indeed, he taught us much more than that, but it would take me forever to write about it all, and it is much more enjoyable coming from Franco.) At each winery that we visited in Montalcino, we got to meet the wine producer, eat delicious food, view the vines and the cellars. This allowed us to see firsthand how the wines are made with care and love. In addition to the great food and wines provided, Franco also stopped at beautiful overviews to take pictures. He took us to the cutest town where he ordered us rose petal grappa. We saw a church from the 700s, and he explained how the rocks would light up in the sun and why the church was deliberately built facing the sun. It was just an amazing experience. I won't go into too much detail about the Chianti wine tour since I have already said too much. We again visited 3 wineries. We got to see wine be bottled. We visited a beautiful overlook where Love Letters from Juliet was filmed. We ate a home-cooked but delicious meal at a town with a population of about 30 people. It ended with an espresso spiked with Sambuca and a limoncello. We drank delicious wines and learned even more about wine from Franco. Because we had to catch a train and had told Franco in advance, he made sure to get us to the station on time. Franco also offered arrange the shipping of our wine from the second tour so that it could be shipped together with the boxes that we purchased on our first tour. It came to Hawaii from Italy within a week! What great service! We found this tour to be a great value. The meal, the tastings, and the perks (extra sightseeing, snacks) were all included in the price of the tour. I could go on and on, but in summary, we found Franco to be a very thoughtful and knowledgeable tour guide, and we would highly recommend him to anyone who wants to experience wine tasting in Italy. read more

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We booked with Franco ahead of time and had a lovely wine tour of Montalcino. The tour was small with 3 people in my group and 2 others. Franco was not pushy and allowed us to w enjoy the wine , food and the views. He brought snacks for us and a delicious meal with wine pairings was awaiting us at our last stop. The day was perfect and Franco seems to have a knack for knowing what his clients want including teachable moments, when to stop views and when to start conversations and when to let the group to just relax and enjoy their surroundings. read more

Franco Fadda - Wine Tours Near Me

Fantastic time with Franco in Montepulcino! Our 1st stop was a completely organic winery with Excellent Brunello. We had lunch a Osterio posto. The food was excellent , try the ricotta mouse if they make it that day!! The pasta chief even taught us how to make Pici! Another winery, and a stop @ bottle shop rounded out our tour. Don't worry, you will drink PLENTY of wine with just 2 stops! :) Franco was knowledgeable, fun & took us places you will not find on your own, read more

Spending a day with Franco, touring wineries and visiting with the wine makers, eating an amazing lunch, going into the restaurant kitchen and watching the chef prepare homemade pasta, and touring an abbey, was our absolute favorite day in Italy. Franco was the perfect guide and friend to spend the day with. He is so knowledgable of the area and wines. We felt comfortable with him from the time he picked us up. He even went out of his way to make a special request: stopping at a market on our way back to our apartment for supplies for dinner. We could not have been happier with our tour of Montalcino. We will definitely contact Franco on our next visit to Italy! read more

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I can't add much to the awesome reviews (Franco also has about 800 reviews on Tripadvisor with all perfect scores). Franco took us on a spectacular 10 hour tour of gorgeous Montalcino with stops at two wineries. We learned and saw first hand all aspects of the winemaking progress, from him and from the winemakers. At the second winery (Cordella) we were treated to an amazing 6 course lunch created by winery owner Aldo, pared with tasting several Brunero wines. I can't recommend a Franco wine tour highly enough. read more

We had a fantastic time on Franco's trip. We were worried about booking a wine tour as we had two 4 year olds in tow, but Franco was very accommodating and ensured we all had a great day. We went to a lovely winery in Montalcino to taste some amazing wines, cheese, olive oil, honey, and kinder surprises! The tour of the winery was informative and entertaining and the views were stunning. We had an Italian feast in a family run restaurant in Montalcino which had the best vegetarian meal I had in Italy, and my husband is still talking about the wild boar pasta. We stopped into the medieval church of San Antimo On the way home, where my husband and I got to soak in the beauty and the girls got to pick flowers and explore. We are looking forward to returning one day and getting Franco to help us explore another region, the relationships he has with the people he brought us to is what really made the tour. read more

Franco always provides an excellent experience. His knowledge, wit and passion for italian food and wine make him an exceptional guide.

Franco Fadd is an amazing tour guide. This is the second time I have done a Brunello tour with Franco (2017 & 2019). He is very knowledgeable about the area and the wines. He took us to three great wineries and an awesome restaurant in a local town for lunch. Would highly recommend taking a tour with him! read more

I never visit Italy without going on one of Franco's wine tours. His knowledge and love of everything we find so fascinating about Tuscany is amazing. Franco is also a travel agent which makes connecting with him a must before every trip. I can't wait to go back and see what he has for us next time. read more

Franco's Wine Tour Experience is not to be missed.! We had a wonderful time and felt like a good friend was taking us to special places!!!!! read more

Wonderfully planned day, including great views, detailed information for all sites we passed, and excellent food and wine. Would absolutely recommend to others! read more

Our tour with Franco was the highlight of my trip to Italy. I lived in northern CA (a wine country area of CA) and thought I had experienced good wine tours before- but I learned so much on this tour! We tasted wine from the tanks, from the barrel, and from the bottle. Franco has a great relationship with the winery owners and we were treated like royalty. I can't say enough positivity things about Franco. He picked us up right at our door and gave us a great tour on the way to/from the wineries as well (stopping for pictures at the sunflower fields, churches, local towns, etc). Definitely a worthwhile tour!!! Thanks Franco :) read more

"Another beautiful tour with Franco. Every tour is different and better than the one before. Franco not only shares his knowledge and love of wine, but always gives the whole wonderful experience of Tuscany. His tour is the highlight of every trip." read more

Wonderful experience and a great value. We did a tour with Franco a couple of months ago and had a great time. I emailed him about two weeks before we arrived in Siena and asked if he had any Chianti tours available during our stay. He did not, but offered alternative choices for the days we'd be in town. We chose the Brunello di Montelcino tour. I was initially disappointed that we couldn't do the Chianti tour, but in hindsight, I don't think it would matter which tour we chose - I suspect they are all excellent. We learned a lot: -how the grapes are grown and harvested -how the different types of wine are made (table, regular, and reserve) -how grappa is processed -details about the government regulatory process -the history of each winery (and the family that owns each one) -and more! We experienced a lot: -a cafe in the morning with fresh baked goods and the best cappuccino we drank during two weeks in Italy -the first winery and a tasting paired with meats, cheeses and the best olive oil I've ever tasted -the second winery with a three course meal cooked by the on-site chef using freshest of ingredients -a small church dating back to the 700s -a small village with yummy limoncello -stunning views everywhere we looked. Franco is great because: -he is quick to respond, professional, fun, smart and entertaining -his prices are competitive with, but slightly lower than, comparable options I researched -he is very accommodating of people's interests and abilities -he has a great attitude and bends over backwards to give people a great experience. My impression was that he loves Siena and Tuscany, and he just wants to help other people find or deepen their love of it. -he gave us a great restaurant recommendation in Siena, and even ended up taking us there at the end of the day and making reservations for us for the next night (and it was my favorite meal of the trip!!) I recommend contacting Franco if you: -are curious and like to learn, or -want to see gorgeous Tuscan scenery, or -enjoy wine, or -think it would be interesting to spend a day with a local, or -like to have fun. Notes about possible expectations of this tour: -Don't expect to be drunk for the entire day. There is plenty of wine on this tour and everyone will have a good time, but this won't fit the bill if you just want to go on a bender. -The day generally follows a rough outline of a schedule, but don't expect to have every minute mapped out in advance. Franco likes to leave some buffer room for people to linger a little longer when they're enjoying something, and he'll move on quickly if people are ready to go. And in fact, Franco said he sometimes doesn't know which wineries he'll be visiting until a couple days in advance...which, to me, speaks to the unique nature of each tour and Franco's ability to personalize and customize his tours. I think I would have enjoyed the tour less if it felt like he followed the same script every week, regardless of who was on the tour or what their interests might be. -Franco picks you up at your hotel and drives everyone around in a van. He has a microphone and speakers so everyone can hear him talk as he drives, which is helpful. But remember that you'll be riding in the hills of Tuscany after drinking, so if you're at all inclined toward motion sickness, take some non-drowsy Dramamine, and/or try to sit closer to the front of the van. I get motion sick easily, but my husband doesn't. Even so, he found the ride a little uncomfortable after stopping at the first winery and was glad that I'd brought extra Dramamine. What I would do differently if I could do it again: -bring a small notepad so I wouldn't have to type out notes on my smartphone (I learned soo much!!) -book TWO tours instead of just one. This tour was a splurge for us, but turned out to be so worthwhile that we wished we'd been able to do more with Franco. read more

This was the most amazing tour I've ever been on. It started with being picked up and taken to a local shop to buy fresh cheeses from the farm owned by the lady at the shop. They were some of the best cheeses I've ever eaten! We took them with us to have during our tastings. Next we went to the olive oil factory and I got to taste and buy fresh, cold pressed olive oil right from the source. It was Heaven. We then visited 3 wineries where I was able to taste and buy some great wines only available in US restaurants and some were not available at all in the US. They were even better with my fresh sheep cheese, olive oil and bread! I love full bodied reds so I shipped a couple of cases home of course :). We also stopped in the picturesque town of Montalcino where Franco knew the owner of the best restaurant in town. The daughter was there making fresh tiramisu from fresh cream while the mom made fresh gnocci and the dad brought in his fresh hunt as the main meat enter. It was unbelievable. If I could give 10 stars I would! This was an exceptional, once in a lifetime experience. read more

Franco is outstanding! We had a great time on our Montepulciano/Montalcino tour. He knows so much about the area and we encountered some things that you would never never experience on your own. Lunch at Trattoria Il Pozzo in Montalcino was excellent. Plenty of food and wine, including dessert, and it was extremely good. So good and plentiful that a few on the tour were sleepy after lunch. I can't wait to go back to Tuscany and without a doubt I will be calling Franco! Ciao. read more

We had a blast with Franco. Not only was he a great tour guide, but he was fun and very knowledgable about wine and the area! He loves Tuscany and wine! There was so much more to learn from him about the history of the region and the festivals in Sienna and little fun facts! We definitely recommend Franco! read more

My husband and I booked our tour with Franco during our stay in Siena and this was the highlight of our honeymoon! We are both wine lovers and were very excited about visiting the Montalcino region. Franco met us at our hotel in Siena right when he said he would and was very friendly. Right away you could tell that wine is his passion. He is so knowledgeable and respected with the locals. We visited two vineyards, each very different, and then headed to lunch. This lunch was the best pasta we had during our two week honeymoon in Italy. It was such an experience, one that you would never be able to recreate on your own. I cannot wait to go back to Siena and plan our next tour with Franco! read more

I'vv had the opportunity to tour with Franco on 2 separate occasions and hope to do it again. No one knows the Tuscan region better than Franco. His knowledge of wines and his close connection to the wine producers allows for a very intimate "insider" experience. Not only will he share his knowledge of the wines and the producers but he will share the human stories of the families and the history of the region. Give yourself an experience you will never forget and take a tour (or 2) with Franco Fadda's Wine Tours !! read more

My daughter and I decided the night before that we wanted to go on a wine tour the next morning. After reading reviews on Trip Advisor and YELP, my daughter contacted Franco. We were beyond thrilled with experience. If you don't pick Franco, you will miss out. FIrst, his tour is not just of wineries. There was one other couple on the tour ( honeymooners)! He picked us up at our Hotel. He was super friendly and welcoming. After picking up the other couple, he drove us to Tuscany. During the trip he thoroughly educated us on the area. He lives and breathes Tuscany so he was quite knowledgeable. Our first stop was a small town with a little market. He purchased some fabulous home made cheeses and bread for us to enjoy at the wineries. He continued with a tour of the Tuscany area. Educating us all the way. We then stopped at our first winery, small and quaint. After a detailed tour of the winery, we enjoyed some delicious wine along with our cheese and bread and offerings from the winery. We bought two bottles of the wine we liked the best from 2006 of which only 2,000 bottles were produced. Franco then stopped at a tiny 12th century town of 90 people where we had our best meal during our 3 week stay in all of Italy! The meal and wine was incredible! It would have been a costly meal but it was included in the overall, very reasonable price of the tour. We then continued touring Tuscany and stopped at a lovely old church in the countryside. Our next stop was another larger winery where we were also given a detailed tour and enjoyed more wine tasting with snacks. We headed back after that. Franco spends an incredible amount of time with you. It was a full and wonderful day! We can't thank you enough Franco! This was one of the highlights of our vacation! read more