We went on the Tuscany day tour with Miri, and she was absolutely amazing! She was personable,…read moreknowledgeable, and made the entire day so enjoyable. It was especially nice having someone who is from the area and could share all the little details, local perspective, and stories that you just wouldn't get on your own. Miri was also incredibly attentive to everyone on the tour. She made sure everyone knew where to be and when, and I always felt like she was looking out for us and making sure everyone was safe and comfortable. I would definitely recommend the tour, and Miri!, but be prepared for a full and wonderful day. There's quite a bit of walking, so get some stretching in beforehand! The buses were clean and comfortable, and the air conditioning absolutely saved us. If you're considering a Tuscany day tour, do it! And if you can get Miri as your guide, even better!

Had a great Cinque Terre Walk About tour with our guides Naomi and Luca. Both brought their…read morepersonalities and knowledge of the area to the tour. You should be proud to have them as employees. Since they went the extra mile and smile, I have a little suggestion. It's best done to the Aerosmith song "Walk this Way". Enjoy... Walk About ( To the song Walk this Way by Aerosmith) Cinque Terre lovers There's a tour like no other Who can fill with your day with so much fun From the bus to the train Their always there to explain As you travel town to town in the sun Always with a smile They go the extra mile Naomi and Luca should really be praised For the hard work they do I have a suggestion for you How bout giving them both a raise Walk About We all shout Without doubt Don't cop out Just give them a raise Seaside villas Lined up and down the hillas Stretching up the Italian Coast With breath taking views So many we never knew An experience we all will boast Speaking for the rest These two really gave their best A credit to your industry by far So maybe tomorrow You can give them some more Euros And on Yelp I will give you 5 STARS Walk About We all shout Without doubt Don't cop out Just give them a raise

Absolutely incredible service -- Thomas went above and beyond!…read more We had the pleasure of having Thomas as our driver in Siena, and we honestly couldn't recommend him enough. It was a Sunday in Italy and we were completely stuck with no transport. Thomas arrived in a lovely, air-conditioned van, helped us with our bags, and immediately went out of his way to make sure we had the best possible experience. As soon as we got in the car, he told us all about Montepulciano -- the best vineyards to visit, what prices to expect, and how to get around. We hadn't booked anything, but Thomas contacted his friends and organised everything for us. He even took us to our hotel, waited patiently while we checked in, and never rushed us. He then arranged a taxi to collect us after our vineyard tour and even negotiated the price for us -- something we never asked him to do! At the vineyard, he personally walked us in and introduced us to his friends. Thomas truly saved our day and turned what could have been a stressful experience into one of the highlights of our Italian trip. He was incredibly kind, patient, generous, and genuinely wanted us to have the best experience possible. If you have the option to book this service, do it! And if you get Thomas as your driver, you're incredibly lucky. Thank you so much, Thomas, for making our experience so special!

Tomas was very knowledgeable of Assisi, Cortona, and all of Italy. He also spoke English very well…read moreand was very friendly. He was an excellent and very safe driver and knew the area very well. My wife and I highly recommend him as a driver and tour guide.

We had an amazing experience on the Super Chianti tour with Matteo. He contributed invaluable…read moreknowledge about Florence, wine making, and culture in general. This greatly enhanced our tour as well as the remainder of our trip due to what we learned from Matteo. The small group made for a lovely day with ample opportunity to ask questions and learn from the hosts at each stop. The trip was well organized, low stress, and exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend and feel it was a great value for the products and services provided!

My wife and I chose the Chianti & Cheese tour and had a remarkable time! The wines of Tuscany are…read moresome of the best I've had and are on par with many we've had in Napa. The countryside of Tuscany is breathtaking, that alone would make the trip worth it but the food and wine are just as stunning. This is perfect for a nice reprieve from sightseeing in Florence and really helps put a trip in perspective. If you love wine and cheese and beautiful vistas, this is the perfect choice!

Mano was our tour guide during our stay in Florence. It was well-organized, and filled with so many…read morehistorical and fun stops along the way. We started early around 7AM, grabbing a bite to eat at the train station where we met up, before embarking on our adventures. Our first stop was at Pisa where we spent about an hour taking pictures of the leaning tower, as well as the Duomo cathedral. Next stop was the Cinque Terre, which we got to visit and see 3 out of 5 islands since 2 of them were closed off. The tour did not include lunch, but there was an option to prepay for our lunch or to venture on our own. We opted for the prepaid one since we knew we were limited on time, so that Mano could put in our order for us. Cinque Terre was breath-taking, and words could not sum up the feeling when you come there. It is crowded for sure, but take a moment to be still and look around you. All of the colorful houses were unique and quirky, which made for great background in photos. There is enough time to shop around for souvenirs, and eat gelato (omg, the best)! I only wished we booked lodging here so we could spend more time to explore, but until next time. This tour was amazing, and the group of people we were with were engaging and chill. We each did our own thing, and only met up at each designated spot when it came time. We ended the tour around 8PM, so it was well spent to say the least! Highly recommended!!

My boyfriend and I booked a half day WINE NOT tour with Italy on a Budget and as it was low season…read morein January, we ended up being the only ones on the tour! We were very pleased with the outcome of the private tour and was quite glad the company did not cancel our booking due to the small amount of people. The office itself was very easy to locate, just 5 minutes away from our hotel. Eduardo was our tour guide/driver and he did an excellent job providing useful information and answering all of our questions. The countryside of Tuscany/Chianti region is a beautiful place that is best reached by car. As we all know driving in Italy can be scary if you're a foreigner so we were glad we had Eduardo to drive us. Not only was Eduardo a wonderful tour guide and driver, he also was our photographer during the tour. This man is a jack of all trade! We visited 2 wineries on the tour. The owner of the first winery gave us a wonderful overview of how his winery works and we got to sample cheese, bread, and olive oil along with our wine tasting. The second winery we visited was a smaller, family-owned winery. Here we also got to sample olive oil with bread and wine. In the end we enjoyed both wineries so much my boyfriend and I ordered wines to be shipped back home to the U.S. After a few hours of wine tasting Eduardo drove us back to Florence. We had a nice chat along the way and learned a lot about Italy. If we had more time I would not hesitate to book with this company again. They offer many other great tours at a very reasonable price. Thanks again Italy on a Budget and Eduardo for a wonderful time! My last bit of advice to you is to be sure to have eaten prior to this tour as you will be tasting quite a bit of wine. Enjoy and have fun!

I don't know what you all were expecting from a tourism group but they do what they can and usually…read morea bit more. You're an outsider in a strange place most likely. And guess what? In a different country too! Unless you know Tuscany yourself, sit back and enjoy the rides. Okay so the bus ride wasn't the most comfortable, as Americans need HUGE seats with power ports, etc. and cart service with snacks. Fun fact: they're driving manual transmission buses. OOOOORRRRR you can try to blend and deal with the hour or two long bus ride without plugging in your devices. It's not that bad.

It was terrible. My daughter and I got left behind on a wine tour. We were not out of the bus yet…read moreand when we got out, they had already started walking. We spent 20 or 30 minutes, trying to find them. This whole tour was terrible. I would not recommend it.

TL;DR - this tour is a delight to those who truly care about the entire winemaking process,…read morehistory, and culture. My wife and I planned our dream vacation to Italy with a focus on food and wine. Our time in the Florence area mandated the intentional trip to my (and now OUR) favorite winemaking area - Montalcino. We spent months planning and researching and came across this wonderful local company - "Italy & Wine Tours." Upon review of their website we were captivated by their intentionality to have the time be an intimate and thoughtfully curated all day adventure from Florence through the Chianti region, into the romantic hills of Val d'Orcia, and onto the hillside of Montalcino. To our delight - on the day of the trip we found that we were the only couple who signed up to go that day. Our tour guide Nicolò (who was INCREDIBLE and has formal WSET training/certification) was joined by the delightful daughter (Ippolita) of the company's owner. It was the best experience traveling with them. From the moment we were introduced to the moment we were dropped off at the end of the day we never stopped talking, laughing, sharing stories, and learning more about our favorite shared passion - Italian wine. Now onto the WINE! I won't spoil your trip with too many specifics, but our tour began from the beginning - how did Brunello di Montalcino come to be? We toured the streets of Montalcino and immersed ourselves in local history, tradition, etc. following the city, we were off to the first winery. The first winery focus was on the (traditional) aspects of Brunello. The centuries old family fortress made it abundantly clear. It was an idyllic location through the cellars, learning about the soil, property history for pilgrimages, ancient Rome, and crusades. We sampled 4 wines produced by the site which trended towards elegant, refined, and approachable. During the tasting we were blessed with a delicious and traditional private Italian lunch. Afterwards we went to the second winery which was slightly more modern (in winemaking style) but nonetheless a delight. We dove deeper into soil composition, weather, aging conditions, and micro-factors. The wine at the second location was big, bold, wonderfully complex and personally my preferred style. We concluded our time thanking our hosts and guides over and over again with multiple bottles in hand to bring home and shared with our family. We sincerely hope you (the reader) get to experience Italy and Montalcino in the same way we did. Personal highlights / Why choose this company: - historic, locally/generational owned wineries - not large corporate productions. - 2 production styles helped compare/contrast the same type of wine helping me choose future bottles more accurately. - The tour guides / owners. They care about you, and hospitality is so genuine. Please support companies like this. Thank you so much Nicolò and Ippolita. You are forever in our hearts and we hope our paths cross again in the future!! *David & Kenzie (Seattle, WA)

Our Montepulciano wine tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Italy, and much of that was…read morethanks to Niccolò. From the moment we left Florence, he transformed what could have been a simple drive into a fascinating journey through Tuscany. We spent the day discussing Italian history, culture, education, and different perspectives on life, which added tremendous depth and meaning to the experience. Niccolò is knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely passionate about sharing his country with visitors. By the end of the day, he felt more like a friend than a guide. The wineries themselves were equally impressive. We especially appreciated visiting family-owned vineyards where generations of winemakers have preserved traditions while producing exceptional wines. The hospitality was warm and authentic, and each winery offered a unique glimpse into the rich heritage of the Montepulciano region. The wine tastings were outstanding, but it was the stories, family histories, and personal connections that made the experience truly memorable. This tour provided far more than wine tasting--it offered an opportunity to experience the culture, people, and traditions of Tuscany in a meaningful way. If you are considering a wine tour from Florence, I highly recommend this experience, and if you are fortunate enough to have Niccolò as your guide, you are in for a remarkable day. Thank you, Niccolò, for making our day so special and for sharing your knowledge, insight, and enthusiasm with us. We will remember this experience long after the last bottle of wine is gone.

Linda was an excellent guide and had an excellent personality and attitude that quickly had us…read moreopening up about all our culinary adventures over the past 2 weeks of European honeymooning. She gave us excellent tips to finding the best of what we loved. My personal highlight of the trip was tasting the best truffle fois gras of my life! Great samples of Prosecco and Chianti as well as authentic Italian snacks and a store that had an amazingly diverse and splendid selection of wines and hard alcohols under one roof, and owned by a family. Little bits of history and shared experiences from other lands all added to the experience and the fact that it ended up being a personal instead of group tour for the same rate was an amazing bonus. A great way to spend 2.5-3 hours and learn about some future favorites in cuisine.

Absolutely amazing tour! We got Linda, the manager and did the Apertivo: Tour of Florence…read more Wonderful experience. Linda has such a great sense of humor, lots of knowledge and experience. It felt like I was meeting up with a friend who knew all the hidden gems (and not so hidden) lol. Such a great time. We ended up having a private tour so it was a lot of fun. Linda is great! Will meet up again if ever back back in Firenze (Florence). Thank you so much Linda for the memorable experience.

My dad and I enjoyed this tremendously. Our tour guide, Ben, was extremely nice and personable. He…read morewanted to know about us, and gave us every fact about what we were seeing. He also explained everything thoroughly, while making sure we were comfortable and safe. Definitely worth the money, meeting a local wine maker and eating at her home was once and a lifetime.

Five stars for the team at Tuscany Bike Tours. Here's the day:…read more 9:30am Rendezvous at the shop in Florence. Meet your fellow riders. Try to pick out the riders that seem weaker than you. You'll need this info if it snows and you get stuck in the Pyrenees. 10am Take the shuttle bus out of Florence, into the Tuscan countryside. The van seats 8 comfortably. Bonding time with fellow riders...from Canada and the States and Oz. Note that many of them have cycling gear on. Lie to them and say that you competed in the Tour de France in 2012. Wear your seatbelts on the van. (This is Italy.) 10:45ish Tour the castle. Fortify yourself with a little wine. Get fitted for bikes and helmets. Your bike has a name. Remember it. Off onto the Tuscan roads 1pm Enjoy a late lunch at a little roadside cafe. Bruschetta, salad, pasta, lots of wine and plenty of convivial conversation with your fellow bikers. Tell them you were just joking about the Tour de France. Eat a little fruit and some espresso to get you ready for the road again. Try to remember the name of your bike. Was it "Diablo" or "Dianna Ross"? Consider going back in for some more wine while you try to remember. 2pm Another hour or two of biking the countryside. Your route includes an (optional) 2kilo stretch of road straight up Mount Everest. (Okay not really Mount Everest, but it feels like it by the time you are done.) You have the option of tapping out anywhere along the line. It is grueling. Consider giving up. Consider which of your fellow bikers you'll eat first if you've got to survive. Wish that you had done the Tour de France to warm up. Wish that you had not had so much wine. Wish that you never went on a biking tour. Wish that bikes had never been invented. Reach the top and forget all of this in a rush of endorphins. High five the other bikers. Feel better than you've ever felt. Consider buying a bike. Consider watching the Tour de France this year. Consider hugging that guy you were secretly planning to eat if things got really bad. 4pm Return the bikes and get in the van for the trip home. Realize that this was the best thing you've done in Firenze so far. Have a fantastic time talking to the people on your bike tour. Try to put that business about eating the weak behind you. Get lots of great tips from your driver. 5pm Reluctantly say arrivederci to your fellow bikers. Spend the rest of the evening talking about what a great day it was.

I love love love booking these free walking tours…read more Elisabetta was our tour guide and she was beyond amazing. She was fun, and funny, and knowledgable and witty. Super cute! We went for the morning tour and learned a lot about Florence and the history of the city. She gives recommendations of places to visit and places to eat for the best of the best. I would have loved to come back for an evening tour bc you see an entirely different area in Florence. But time constraints prevented this. I highly recommend this walking tour to kill a few hours and learn. So much fun!

Thank you the Guide Daniele! Your passion for history and the story of Florence made this tour one…read moreof the highlights on my holiday in Florence. I recommend this tour at all the people that don't know anything about the city and it history...

For my 60th birthday, we treated ourselves to a day trip from Florence to San Gimignano, and…read moreAlessandro made it unforgettable. He picked us up at our hotel and took us on the most scenic, peaceful drive through the Tuscan countryside, pointing out sights and offering to stop whenever we wanted. He even brought us to a couple of amazing viewpoints for photos (attached). When we reached the town, a bit of rain rolled in, and without hesitation he handed us umbrellas and shared great tips on where to eat and what to see. A few hours later he was waiting for us with the same warm smile. This was hands‑down the highlight of our entire holiday. Alessandro is professional, friendly, and incredibly thoughtful. I'd recommend him to anyone wanting a truly memorable experience.

Alessandro was the BEST! We had a full day from Florence and he took us to Piazzale Michelangelo…read more(great in the morning with no crowds and views forever), the town of San Gimignano, and the town of Siena. We had plenty of time in each town to relax, eat, drink wine, sightsee, and shop a little. We even got to see the Duomo in Siena (Alessandro even stood in line for tickets for us while we were moving around in Siena). He took us to a GORGEOUS, small winery in Tuscany that had delicious wine and a sweet doggie to entertain us. I didn't want the day to end, it was so perfect and low stress. Now I know when I return to Florence that I will call Alessandro for ALL my tours and driving. He was terrific!!