34 Exclusive Tours in Italy You Can Only Do With A Private Guide
Do you absolutely need a private guide in Italy?
No, you don’t.
But if you want the best trip possible, then yes you do. At least part of the time. Because there are some things you simply can’t do on your own.
Below I’ve made a quick list of 34 day tours you simply cannot do without a private guide, although there are quite literally hundreds more.
Descend into the belly of the most famous and most visited ancient monument in the world! Stories of the gladiatorial games will become more vivid as you visit where gladiators once held their final preparations before battling with wild beasts. These spaces are preserved in the condition they were in at the end of the fifth century AD, at which time they were buried. Since then there has been no tampering with the structures, as was the case for the above-ground portion of the Amphitheatre.
Here we understand why the games became so popular: the underground tunnels (at the timeilluminated with hundreds of oil lamps, now partially preserved) preserve clear signs of the incredible trapdoors, elevators, winches and balances that guaranteed a dizzying and dramatic viewing of the battles
Today you will be introduced to an iconic Florentine fashion designer and her world of class and pure creativity. This is a unique chance to breathe the vibe of a personalised fashion show and to admire outfits for the daytime, cocktail, evening and bride gowns. All in the heart of the Capital of the Renaissance.
You will be treated to a 40-minute private fashion show in which three models wear the epitome of class, elegance and exquisite Florentine genius. During the experience there will be plenty of time to interact with the designer, ask questions, touch the precious fabrics and try on the clothes.
Journey with your driver into the heart of Italy to the town of Maranello, home to the iconic Ferrari Company. Enjoy time to independently explore the Galleria Ferrari, a place where Ferrari’s past, present and future is preserved giving the visitor a fascinating insight into the history of the Prancing Horse. In the afternoon enjoy a truly memorable experience as you get behind the wheel of a Ferrari and feel the exhilaration of driving a super-car out into the Italian countryside.
Begin your tour with a visit to the Uffizi Gallery, housing some of the world’s most important art treasures. After viewing the Uffizi’s wonderful collection, enjoy a very special private entry to the Vasari Corridor, the private corridor built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari, court architect to the Medici family. This private “Princes’ Route” leads from the Uffizi Gallery to Pitti Palace on the south side of the river. A quiet atmosphere of secrecy lies behind an unmarked door in the Uffizi Gallery, where unique artists’ self-portraits line the walls. It is said that 50% of the world’s art treasures are in Italy and 80% of those are in Florence, the crème de la crème are in this private collection and today you have a once in a lifetime chance to have these opened for you.
Michelangelo brought to life his David from the milky white stone of the Carrara marble quarry; The ancient Romans constructed masterpieces including the Pantheon and Trajan’s Column in Rome from it, and moving farther afield London’s Marble Arch is also a product of this versatile and beautiful resource found in the Apuan Alps just a few kilometers from the Versilian coast in Tuscany.
Neal Barab is a well-known sculptor and he will be your host today as he takes you on a journey to explore the quarries. From here we then head out towards the quarries, the first stop is the abandoned Cave Henraux. This is a truly magical, and largely unknown site. Enter through a keyhole cut into the mountain, and you will find the quarry opens into a theatre of marble walls, floors, giant blocks left sitting where they were cut decades ago, and trees and flowers growing up through the cracks.
Make your way through the rolling hills south of Florence to the fertile Val d’Elsa for a private visit to the family-run I Balzini vineyard. When master sommelier Vincenzo D’Isanto and his wife, the savvy marketer Antonella started the I Balzini estates in the 1980s, they chose this plot for its advantageous microclimate and mineral-rich volcanic soil – not to mention the pure beauty of the countryside. Join your hosts on a tour of their leafy vineyards and impressive collection of modern steel vats and traditional barrique barrels, before sitting down to taste their award-winning wines.
Start your day at the vibrant Capo market, the oldest outdoor market in Palermo, to stock up here on the season’s freshest ingredients for your cooking adventure. Then, make your way to the 18th-century Palazzo Lanza Tomasi, where the Duchess of Palma will initiate you into the art of Sicilian cooking in the palazzo’s spacious kitchen. You’ll then dine on the fruits of your labor with the Duchess and her family. After lunch, join your hostess for a tour of this celebrated house. Revel in its rich history, most recently as the last home of Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of the iconic Italian novel “The Leopard”. The highlight of the tour, and the conclusion of your exciting day, is a visit to the palazzo’s glorious terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.
A marvel of 15th-century engineering, the Torre dell’Orologio, also known at St. Mark’s Clock Tower or the Moor’s Clock Tower, overlooks St. Mark’s Square and has been telling Venetians the time since 1499. This evening, you have exclusive private access to this technological masterpiece, which also indicates the phase of the moon and the dominant sign of the Zodiac. Each hour the original bell is rung by two statues of “Moors” on the roof and during Ascension week and at Epiphany, the Madonna above the clock face is bowed to by an angel-led procession of Magi.
In 1858, one of the earliest examples of a digital clock was added, showing the hours and minutes either side of the Madonna. Right up until 1998, the caretakers of the clock also lived in the tower with their families, the living quarters occupying the same space as the clock mechanism. You ascend the tower by the 19th-century spiral staircase inside, up to the rooftop Moors, where you can marvel at this timepiece and at the view across St Mark’s Square.
Today you will not only visit the well-known villages of Amalfi and Ravello – but also spend time in the quaint lesser-known villages of Atrani and Furore. Enjoy a break ‘off the beaten track’ in Atrani; with its whitewashed houses and narrow pedestrian-only streets the village has retained its authentic fishing village atmosphere. Furore, once known as the village that doesn’t exist, located in a fjord, is a delightful cluster old fishermen’s houses, which appear to be glued to the cliffs. Nowadays the tiny little village is known as the ‘painted village’ thanks to the lovely murals painted on the walls of the houses.
Explore the island of Capri in style today as you take a cruise in your skippered private motorboat. As you circle the island of Capri you will be able to stop at Marina Piccola, a delightfully picturesque inlet that provides the Caprisi and other sun worshippers with their best beach – it is also safe for swimming. Travelling west, you’ll pass the beach of Marina Grande and of Bagni di Tiberio. Continue to the next stretch of coastline which consists of the high calcareous cliff with fissures and grottoes covered by lush, indigenous vegetation. Enjoy time at leisure for shopping or perhaps a lazy swim from the boat before cruising back to Sorrento.
Rome is a city that is rich in history and has remained one of the most visited cities by Christians from around the globe. Today we will combine some of Rome’s most significant and incredible churches that have inspired pilgrims and visitors for centuries, with top historic sites, monuments, piazzas, and museums that you expect to see in the Eternal City.
The guide will escort you to S. Pietro in Vincoli. It was first built in 432-440 to house a portion of the chains that held Saint Peter where he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. Then you will reach the Basilica of St. John in Lateran, cathedral of Rome and of the world, famous for its baroque and medieval masterpieces kept intact inside of it. You will see the Holy Stairs and visit the Church of Santa Maria in Palmis. According to legend, it was here that St. Peter, fleeing Rome to escape Emperor Nero’s persecution, had a vision of Jesus and asked him, “Domine, quo vadis?”—”Lord, where are you going?” Jesus’s answer, “To Rome, to be crucified anew,” persuaded Peter that he had to return to the city and accept his own martyrdom. Before lunch you will also visit the Christian catacombs.
In the afternoon you’ll visit the world famous Musei Vaticani and the most important symbol of Christianity: St. Peter Basilica.
Today’s tour gives you the opportunity to capture Lake Como three ways: from the water aboard your boat, by foot on the lake’s only Island and from the picturesque hiking trail. Let our photography guide show you the techniques you need to capture lakeside scenery and panoramic shots.
Beginners might want to focus on “Colors of Lake Como” or “Light and Reflection”, while more advanced shutterbugs can explore themes like “Blurring the Background” or “Using Time Speed”. From the water, you can try your hand at capturing some of the lake’s most renowned villas: Villa Erba and Villa D’Este in Cernobbio and Villa Pliniana, George Clooney’s Villa in Laglio.
Today, you’ll bike the stunning Puglia countryside, with stops at a 15th-century olive oil estate and the charming hillside villages of Cisternino and Ostuni.
You’ll start off with a nice 12km warm-up ride to a 15th-century Masseria to taste one of Puglia’s finest olive oils. The estate’s master olive oil producer is passionate about his craft, and it shows: learn about his ancient gnarled olive trees, the pressing process and the tasting nuances of what the locals call “the green gold”. Next you’ll tackle a lovely climb into the charming town of Cisternino. Park your bikes and take a stroll past the whitewashed houses, stopping for a coffee or a gelato while taking in the sweeping views of the Itria Valley. The cycling continues along the ridge to La Città Bianca (the white city) of Ostuni, a stunning hilltop jewel with breathtaking sea views and an impressive history of over 2,000 years.
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