ArtViva has really great ratings here and on that other travel review site, but our experience was…read moreunderwhelming. I found their pre-tour communication really unprofessional. I had reached out asking about a few different tours and inquiring whether we could bring our 4 year old. They responded promptly that we could, and offered us 10% off if we booked three or more tours. I responded yes, that sounds great, we want to book these three tours on such and such date. No response. I followed up, no response. Followed up again, no response. It was getting pretty close to our trip and I was nervous about things filling up, so I decided to just book online. It annoyed me that I couldn't get the discount they'd offered with an online booking, so I decided to only book two tours with ArtViva and get the third tour from someone else. So I booked the two tours online, choosing from their available dates and times, which seemed to track with reality (i.e., tours for museums weren't sold on Mondays when museums are closed). I almost immediately got an email that the date I had selected for our gelato making class wouldn't work and they would have to move it to some other date. Um, why did you sell us that date, then? I responded with some dates that worked and said we could also possibly do Monday if necessary. Of course they rescheduled us for Monday. Ok, fine, we moved some things around. Then right before we left for our trip they emailed us that actually it would have to be at 9 am on Monday. I was a little wary about that since it was our first full day and I thought we might be jetlagged and starting a tour that early wasn't a good plan. When I asked if we could keep the later time, they said they could keep our original date and time (Friday at 10 am). So much drama just to keep the times we had originally booked! I also asked them multiple times what the meeting point for the gelato class was, because I needed to know if we needed a stroller to get there. Our hotel was in central Florence, no more than a 15 minute walk from all major tourist attractions, so this was the only thing we would possibly need a stroller for. It was like pulling teeth to get a response. I think I had to email them three times before I finally got a response with the address, and it was indeed quite far from our hotel. The tours themselves were ok. We did a tour of the David and a gelato making class with ArtViva. In hindsight, we did not need a tour of the David. The tour only lasted about 30 minutes and cost about four times what museum skip-the-line tickets did, and while the David is amazing, but it's also impossible to miss. (A tour is much more important at the Uffizi, which has a much larger collection.) But I don't know that I can really fault ArtViva for that, it was kind of poor planning on my part. The gelato class was advertised by ArtViva as kid friendly and it is not. We did an actually kid friendly pasta making class at an agriturismo and the difference between them was like night and day. I knew it was not going to go well when we showed up and they told us they didn't have kid-sized aprons so my 4 year old just wouldn't get one (that went over like a lead balloon, as I'm sure anyone who has ever had a 4 year old can imagine). ArtViva had specifically requested our favorite gelato flavors in advance, and although we'd told them our favorite flavor was chocolate, the gelato chef had chosen to make a flavor that had wine, honey, mascarpone and orange extract as ingredients...not exactly kid-friendly. I'm also not sure what the purpose of asking your favorite flavor is if they totally ignore it? Fortunately they had some chocolate and caramel gelato in the freezer they kindly let us sample. The gelato chef was nice, and tried to roll with the situation, but it was clear she was not prepared for a kid and didn't have much if any experience cooking with kids. They really need to make it clearer this class is not set up for young kids. I know things are weird with Covid now, and I'm trying to cut them some slack, but I feel like the communication issues are not really related to Covid. Also I was mostly communicating with the owner, who is British, so this is not a language barrier issue at all. I would not rule out booking with ArtViva again if they had a tour I couldn't get anywhere else, but I would definitely not seek them out.

We had three tours in one day... which is enough to wear one down. Artviva's team made each tour…read moreinteresting, fun and their lively attitude's made for a wonderful day. Our first tour was a walking tour with Florimda. We walked through down town to review the architecture and history of the city. The second tour was to the Uffizi, which included a fantastic review of the statues outside the Uffizi and the art within it's walls. (Or maybe the walking tour included the statues... either way, one of the tours did!) The Uffizi tour was good, and I recommend allowing yourself time after the tour to go through the museum on your own in case you want to see something again... for an art lover, this tour could be considered too short. Our last tour was with Angelo to see Michelangelo's David. Angelo is VERY charismatic and the tour included a good amount information about the statue itself. I'm not sure that a tour is needed for the University, as long as you have the information you want on the art. I felt that what I learned from Angelo was definitely worthwhile, and I probably would not have taken the time to learn it on my own.

I've been to Italy many times before and I have never been so welcomed before as I did whilst…read moreattending a trip organized by italygate. Every details is cured to perfection... They are very detail oriented, yet cozy and flexible. No request is too big or too small for them! We visited the Acetaio Leonardi, the Caseificio Caretti and lastly, we visited Maranello for a dream car rental. The tour was personalized with detailed explanations of everything and we also got to eat in a beautiful emilian restaurant as the locals do.

From the owner: Italygate is an incoming tour operator that offers travel packages and daily excursions in Italy…read more We create and suggest exclusive tours for travelers  who love to socialize with the locals  and melt with natural environment, for people who always seek high quality service, unique emotions and attention to details. Our strength lies in personal attention and high quality services. We provide individual and complete travel solutions to our customers and we attend them, during their stay in Italy, with our detailed knowledge  of the destination.

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...

We were a group of 10 visiting Florence. We were very lucky to meet up with Francesca from…read moreFantastic Florence! I found her through a recommendation from a friend. She was very flexible with our schedule and Mother Nature raining on our tour day. We were able to go a few days later. We did a three hour late afternoon tour. Francesca is friendly and knowledgeable. She arranged a boat tour that was incredible! The highlight of the tour! We also walked over to see David. Ask her anything and she knows the answer! Highly recommend!

We spent time with Francesca today and found the time (and money) to be very well spent. She is…read moreboth knowledgable and fun, customizing the tour to those things that interested us most. For example, we wanted to see some "off the beaten-path" sites and she showed us several that we had obliviously passed by the previous day. Francesca was immensely helpful in our quest to better understand Florence and its history.

I visited Lucca with a friend that was visiting me. Our tour guide was Linda, who has been…read moreabsolutely fabulous. Her talk was so interesting and informative; she's engaging and patient. Even though I live in this lovely city, she made me discover many interesting things I didn't know, and I was really excited! I'm so glad we chose La Giunchiglia guided tours!

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.

The price tag is a big hefty, but a wine tour with Tuscany Private Tours is oh so worth it…read more I was staying in the Castellina area of Chianti and was having a lot of trouble finding a company that would provide a private transfer to and from the hotel. Most tours leave from the Florence / Siena area, or have you meet them right at the winery. My feeling was that if I was spending a few days in Tuscany I wanted at least one day of not having to worry about driving to and from wineries. Thankfully we found Tuscany Private Tours and all was good. It is an extra 40 euro to add pick up and drop off at the hotel. But if you are going to all the trouble to arrange a private tour it would be the worst to have to drive 15-20 minutes to actually get to the tour. So again, you can really alleviate all driving with this if you want to. We took the 'Safari Tour' -- basically like a regular wine tour, except you get to cruise around in a super cool land rover. Our guide Paolo was awesome. He was super friendly and knowledgeable of wine and the area, and was overall just a really cool person to spend the day with. You visit three different wineries, tastings included at each and also have an included homemade winery lunch at your last stop. I liked that all three wineries have very different vibes. Our guide also mentioned that he chooses to do this on purpose. First stop -- a big commercial winery. Very cool to tour their production facility and then compare that to a production facility at a much smaller winery. Second Stop -- more of an urban experience. We visited a tasting room on the main street in Castellina. Paolo explained that he purposely takes people to this winery because it is one of the oldest in the area. After visiting several wineries in the rolling hills it was cool to also check one out in more of an industrial setting. Third Stop -- by far the best! Paolo took us to a very small winery. So small, that you'd probably only be able to find them if you have a tour guide that is friends with their family (ahem, Paolo). The grounds were absolutely gorgeous -- insane views of the Tuscan hills and gorgeous plants and greenery everywhere. We enjoyed a fantastic multi-course lunch -- pasta (of course), assorted crostinis, cheeses, meats and dessert. Because it's lunch (and maybe because it's the last stop?) we also had way more wine than just a taste. I'm here for it. If you want to try all wines before deciding which bottle to buy, they have every bottle available at the Tuscany Private Tour office. Tips for the tastings are included, but tips for your guide aren't, so be sure to bring some cash. Long review, but in short -- if you are not staying in the city and want to wine tour without worrying about driving then just do this. It's pricey but worth it for an incredible day. We will truly remember it forever.

Awesome wine tour! We had the best tour guide/driver GAIA! She was so sweet and we had the best…read moretime at all 3 wineries. We tasted a good mix of Chianti, Rosé, White blends, vin Santo (dessert wine), and a new fav Vermentino wines which you definitely can't find in the states! Ended the tour at a family farm house/ winery. We had a delicious farm to table lunch with limoncello and tiramisu to top it off. At the end of the tour you can "make your own box" of wines from each winery and ship it right to your house! Overall, excellent experience with the best views of Toscana, would def recommend to anyone looking for a private wine tour!

Our family of five adults booked a half day custom tour a few weeks in advance for the 2016 holiday…read moreseason (Christmas & New Year's Eve). Never one to put all my eggs in one basket, I also booked two other tours with competing tour guides in Florence. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would 100% use Florence Custom Tours for everything: food tour, museums, artisan shops, etc.. Scheduling the tour via email was easy and they even helped me modify one of their classic tours so my family and I could explore the city on our own terms. Our guide (Chiara) met us near our rented apartment and within a few feet started teaching us about hidden gems in the neighborhood that we had walked past dozens of times unnoticed. She was extremely knowledgable, courteous, patient, and also a "foodie" (Chiara helped mix in some delicious eats between our visits to the Uffizi and Galleria dell'Accademia). I would highly recommend Florence Custom Tours to anyone visiting this wonderful city and I will definitely be using them again upon my return.

From the owner: Custom Florence Tours tailors private & small group tours in Florence & Tuscany. Our Florence…read moretours focus on unique & off the beaten path sites as well as all the must see. Our Tuscany tours focus on small Chianti & Brunello wineries that have been rated 90 or more on Wine Spectator.

It has been a couple of years since I took this tour, but I had a dream about it last night and I…read moreremembered that I never wrote a Yelp review about it - which is crazy because it is the best tour my husband and I have ever taken! Our day with Italian Days Food Experience was the highlight of our one month in Italy. I don't say that lightly. We've traveled a lot and we've eaten a lot. Still this stands as an absolute top notch experience in our travels. I highly recommend it to anyone! (I have pictures of the factories (cheese, balsamic vinegar, ham) and also of the platters of food served during our feast. I even have video of the parmigiana reggiano cheese from the vats into huge cheese balls that will blow your mind! I'll try to attach them to this review.) The out-going, energetic, and extremely knowledgeable Alessandro is the owner and tour guide for the Italian Days Food Experience. It's important to mention him because his excitement and intensity make a wonderful day even more fun and special. First an early morning visit to a Parmigiano Reggiano factory - so interesting - like something none of us had ever seen before. Starting with the big vats of milk and watching each process, step by step until it is turned into stacks and stacks of big wheels of authentic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - The King of Cheese! You will learn the importance of DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) the European Union system of laws protecting the names of specialty food products with a specific geographic origin. For example, authentic DOP Parmigiagno Reggiano cheese can only come from the Parma / Reggio region of Italy. It's sort of a big deal. Next we visited a small "farm house setting" where we ascended to the attic to see the processing and aging barrels to produce balsamic vinegar - Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena. I had no idea that for most Italians, making balsamic vinegar is not about making money, it is a family tradition and labor of love. When a baby is born a new batch is started and the barrels are carefully tended to through the next 20 years or so until both the vinegar and the child becomes of age. Then when that adult has a baby, the cycle repeats itself. It is a lovely and of course delicious family tradition. Last we visited a ham factory to see the hams processing. This was my least favorite part, but many people enjoyed seeing the hams curing and also the refrigeration unit. After our busy morning, we were promised a "light lunch" - which I quickly discovered was actually a FEAST. It was the most food I have ever been served - at least ten courses. The servers just kept bringing out platter after platter of amazing dishes of food - different types of pastas, steaks, chicken, veal, vegetables, desserts and of course always bottomless bottles of wine. What an incredible feast! In addition, our relatively small group (of like-minded tourists from around the world) quickly became friends as we bonded over our passion for food and wine. All the while, our guide Alessandro dashed from guest to guest, making sure everyone was happy and satisfied with the food and the service. That man is a delight - so smart, hardworking and passionate about his work. I don't know where he gets all of his energy, but it is lovely - the man is nonstop and wonderful. At the end of the day we were given the opportunity to buy some of the DOP products at very affordable prices, and we did, but there was absolutely no sales pitch or pressure to do so.

Such a fun day exploring the foods of Bologna! First we were picked up promptly, first thing in…read morethe morning (the sun hadn't come up yet) at our hotel in a passenger van, and drove to the first experience which was the cheese factory/farm. We actually got to see how the whole processing of making Parmigiano Reggiano,from start to finish, which was very enlightening. I have to say their Ricotta cheese is the best I have tasted from all over the world. Next we drove to a family owned DOP balsamic vinegar vineyard where we were able to see the process of making balsamic vinegar. Did you know it takes years and years to make just a small amount of vinegar. Very fascinating to hear and to taste. We got to compare balsamic venegar that isn't DOP and some that is. We were also able to taste the 25 year old, and 50 year old vinegar. This is tightly guarded as it is quite an arduous process, and very, very, time consuming just to get a few bottles out of the 25 and 50+ vinegar. Let's just say it's yummy. Make sure you buy a bottle while you are there. I didn't, and I could kick myself as it's more expensive is the USA from the same vineyard. Then it was off to the place where the prosciutto di Modena is made. That was interesting as well all these ham hocks hanging up, and the process of how the most tasty prosciutto is made. Final stop was to have lunch at a cantina on a sprawling estate. Great views. Did I say FOOD, lots, and lots of Italian food and wine. Very tasty and a good variety of Italian dishes. Then off to our hotel we go. We had our driver drop us off closer to city center so that we could enjoy the city before heading back to our hotel since this was or last night in Italy. She was very happy to oblige us. Such a fun day. I highly recommend this tour.