Wonderful cities,. Small group made it much more personall. Excellent tour guide from Collette.

The entire trip was most memorable as all my previous 7 trips with Colette have been. There are too many experiences to mention!

Tuscany! The scenery and food everywhere was phenomenal. The breakfasts at Villa Lecchi was an amazing array of pastries, fresh fruit and even pizza. Laura also offered to cook eggs to order!

Fantastic people, places and experiences

The hospitality of the people at Villa Lecchi in Tuscany

Best trip I ever experienced.

Excellent trip overall. Great Value for the experience. Very relaxed and well planned. Itinerary was planned and executed by Collette and local guides expertly. Would similar trip to Italy with this group again.

Carrara tour, Tuscany Villa and Sienna tour

great experiences only available to smaller groups, fabulous tour director, great price point, fine, clean accommodations.

Everything & our Safe bus driver Giovanni

everything was great except one of the hotels we stayed in. The beds and room furniture needed to be updated extremely bad. There wasn't even a stand to put the suitcase on.

The tour was fantastic and I would not change a thing.

Well organized small group tour of northern Italy with an excellent guide. Accommodations and food were very good. Itinerary was perfect. San Gimignano was a nice surprise. The cooking class in Tuscany was fun and it was very moving to visit the WWII American Cemetery in Florence. The churches in all of the cities we visited were awesome. I wouldn’t change a thing. I would suggest labeling this an activity level of 4, because of the amount of walking and standing required. It was difficult for several members of our group. We certainly got our steps in!

Marco was an excellent tour guide. He was fun, full of information and always organized. I enjoyed traveling with a smaller group and all of the tour choices were amazing.

It was amazing trip, do to our tour guide Giulio. He was fantastic

Our tour guide was fabulous! We did things we NEVER would have done on our own. We got to go inside the Carrera Marble quarries. Amazing!

It was the best tour I have ever had. It was my first trip to Italy, although I have been to Europe over 60 times for work. Everything was well planned and we visited places we would not have if we were on our own. It was well worth the cost

Chairs Brandi made our trip so enjoyable!

Tour was everything we could imagine. The accommodations, places, food, and tour guide Val was amazing.

Italy’s Treasure was an awesome tour. The places, the accommodations were beautiful, vineyards were beautiful, it was so much fun. Our tour guide Val was truly amazing and great fun. She made this tour a wonderful experience.

It was what I hoped for and more

Knowledgeable guides, small group

Tour manager was local, accommodations were good, and the tour inclusions wre great for this part of Italy

The engagement of one of our tour mates. Our TM made sure to make this event happen. Went over and above. She always went over and above to make sure our tour went smooth.

Great tour director, Antonella; hotels good locations; places visited meaningful and interesting.

The tour was perfect. Amazing accommodations, amazing sights to see, good amount of free time to explore & a wonderful tour manager!

Antanella was our tour manager she was amazing. Everything about our trip was wonderful. Great memories I would highly recommend this tour.

Lack of interest in some and some long bus rides. Lack of time to go on our own Some hotels had no place to visit for lunch or dinner. Simone was winderful

There was not as much free time as I had anticipated. Also tickets into famous museums and sites were not included.

Too much walking for seniors, most of us are in our seventy.

on site tour manager Ivan was fabulous!!!

The tour was better than my greatest expectations

Knowledgeable guides, fascinating itinerary, excellent accommodations and an overall wonderful experience.

Everything was so organized and tour manager and bus driver were the best. Knowledgeable, professional and really cared about us. Hotel selections were fantastic and the organized day trips were so unique. Also, I enjoyed the amount of free time we were provided.

The tour was wonderful. There were too many favorite experiences to pick just one. The tour manager was outstanding in every way!

This “Treasures of Italy” trip provided me with excellent planned excursions, fabulous foods & local wines. Our tour guide was a Treasure as well! This is my 4th Collette trip & one of my best

Wonderful itinerary and and an exceptional tour manager- Michela Lombardi

Villa Lecchio Cooking Class in Tuscany

The pre-planning and direct execution of this tour brought us far more joy than I had hoped; way beyond my expectations. The locations we visited and the hotels we stayed in were top-notch. Our Tour Guide (Elena) was very knowledgeable and perfectly, appropriately friendly. (Our only struggle was before the trip on account of the many COVID restrictions and paperwork).

I have been on Collette tours many times and have never been disappointed.

Always a great trip with Collette!!

Luigi (our tour manager, was INCREDIBLE! We have already booked our next tour group for next year and would like to request him. He is aware of our request and is excited to see us again if that can be arranged. The tours we did were perfect for our group. We loved all of them. Our driver, Raffaele was wonderful. The spots he squeezed that coach into earned him several rounds of applause. See the video I put together of our trip here: https://fb.watch/c_hv30Sp3g/ Some feedback that would improve the tour even more. The first hotel was INCREDIBLE! The location, furnishings, service...everything was 5 star. The next two hotels were in beautiful locations, had stunning views but they were nowhere near that first one. The second hotel in the castle was beautiful and again, in a great location, but the room bed was very uncomfortable with rock hard beds and flat pillows. The other issue at this property was that they had no luggage racks or places to put your luggage. so, our luggage was just left open on the floor. This was fine for us but I cannot imagine someone over 65 doing this and being ok with it. A couple of luggage rack, some new pillow and a foam pad on the bed and this would be a home run. As it was, I woke up every morning and my back and neck hurt from the poor bed and I am not even 50! The "tuscan villa" room was very disappointing based on our expectations. It was not in the Tuscany hills. The positive to that is that it was very close to the town square, but I would change the description to a hotel located in a converted villa to avoid disappointment for future travelers. The food was excellent there. Our view was of a courtyard that was very pretty but several in our group had a view of the roof or no view at all. This is very disappointing especially after the first two places. This hotel was switched out at the last minute for another because the first choice was under construction. It was a let down after the Regina Palace for sure. The hotel in Venice was perfect. Great location, comfy beds, and welcoming staff with a great breakfast. The Lake Maggiore Cruise was disappointing because Isola Bella was closed. That was pretty much the whole reason we added this on was to see that island. Instead we saw a free public park and got 15 minutes on the lake. When I mentioned this to Luigi, he got us a refund and a free gondola ride in Venice. This was above and beyond what i would have expected and spoke to the quality that Collette represents. The transfer company that you used to pick us up from home and drop us back off was WONDERFUL! I am considering using them for my daughters wedding transportation. Just fabulous! The only serious negative feedback would be for Anne in your 24 hour service desk. MaryAnne and Elaina from our group went to Albany airport and could not check in because their flight had been cancelled. They called me and I called the 24 hour line and had the misfortune of getting Anne. The options that she offered were to get them there a day late OR to have them somehow get a ride to JFK to meet us instead of leaving from ALB. Collette cancelled these flights. So, I told her that i was not ok with those options and asked for others. They told me that they did not have anything else. I told her that, if she could not get them transportation to JFK or get them on another flight that I would be happy to call Christian at home and see if he could come up with anything else. I should not have to drop an executive's name to get this resolved. After telling her that, miraculously, they found them a flight on United and rebooked them. I thought things were all fixed and the ladies were thrilled as they have status on United. They ended up in the back of coach in separate sections, not seated together for a 12 hour flight o less than ideal but they got there within a few hours of the rest of us. That would have been the end of it, but on their flight home, Mary Anne got a call from the driver who was waiting for them at the airport. They were still in Newark. Anne had never followed up to be sure that their flights were updated with the transfer company! I called in to the 24 hour line again. Unfortunately, I got Anne again. She remembered the ladies and said that she had sent the request but never gotten confirmation back from the transfer company. I said, ok, so we need to get her a ride home then. Her reply, "worst case, they will take a cab and we will reimburse them". I told her that was not an option. These ladies have been traveling all day. They booked a 4 star luxury vacation and they needed a ride home like they were promised. She replied, "What can I do to make you happy?". At this point, I was tired and angry and had enough of Ann so I was less than polite. I told her that, short of turning back time and not screwing up my clients flights to start with, you can get them a driver to take them home from the airport." She said that she would try but she was not sure if it could be done. Again, I said, ok well let me know if you cannot and I will reach out to Jaclyn or Christian and see if they can help. Again, only at this point did she actually get a ride for my clients from the airport. I own my own agency and I would not want someone like this working in my 24 hour desk. She told me that she works in the air department. I would not have this person taking calls from travelers with an issue. The Anne situation aside, we had a fabulous trip! Villa Il Leccio (which was a last minute sub) wit Giada and Paulo was a highlight, as was Oira and Mario. These small, private gatherings are what i love about Explorations Tours. As I said, we have already booked for next year with tour of southern italy and sicily for june 2-13th. My only request would be to take a look at feedback for the hotels for that tour because I have and a couple of them are really not good. I just want to be sure that we have great properties to stay in. See the feeback from a couple of those below and maybe have product take a look. Super excited to bring another group to Italy with Collette. Feel free to call with any questions or clarifications. Thanks! 2nd hotel for the southern Italy and Sicily tour - read the recent reviews here - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g675638-d577986-Reviews-Baia_di_Ulisse_Wellness_SPA-San_Leone_Agrigento_Province_of_Agrigento_Sicily.html The MH Matera gets very mixed reviews. Lots of mentions of rude staff and hard beds. The rest of the properties on the tour look like they are first rate. Just wanted to point out the all the negative reviews so product may want to reconsider these mentioned above. From the minute I booked this tour almost a year ago, Jen Roser and Todd Bridges have been absolutely wonderful! I love working with this company and the professionals that represent it. Meeting Christian and Todd at the Affluent Traveler symposium in Florida was wonderful and they are so passionate about the company, the product and really seemed to care about us as advisors and our clients. That reflects in the quality of product you offer. Thank you for giving me something that i can sell confidently and know that my clients will always be well care for (unless Anne answers the phone :)) I was representing NEST and Affluent as an Elite agency in NY and just missed Jaclyn. I look forward to meeting her in person soon.

Great accommodations, good experiences in food wine. Tour guide was wonderful

Great accomidations. Outstanding tour guide.

Well organized, nice variety of sites/activities. Tour Manager was knowledgable and efficient. Our stay at the charming villa in Tuscany, with the side trips to Sienna and Lucca, was my favorite part of the trip.

The food and wine were exceptional except for the last night. I felt that the plating and choices of the 2nd course fell short compared to what we experienced at the beginning and middle of the tour. It would have been nice to have a beef or pork dish offered.

We saw a lot of beautiful places, had excellent food experiences, all led by a wonderful guide. I loved Bologna street market.

Cooking class and visit to the locally owned vineyards was a great experience. All but one of the local guides in the cities we visited were very engaging and knowledgeable.

Amazing selection of locations, experiences, and a wonderful Collette guide.

Each day, well organized, open time provided,and Dario provides other options

So many favorites. I guess Venice pretty incredible. At the same time loved the lake area with the backdrop of the alps and Italian Riviera / Cinque Terre.

The Villa Lecchi in Tuscany! The people, Scenery, food and accommodations.

excellent tour manager. She was knowledgeable and managed the tour with grace and humor.

I cannot single one thing out as every day was perfect!

Absolutely fantastic, a trip we'll never forget.

Our stay at The Villa Lecchi in Tuscany was living in PARADISE! The Food! The View! The personal attention given! Bella! Bella! Bella!

Besides our amazing tour manager, Antonella (who really made the trip), my favorite place was Stresa and the small town of Oira. It was so intimate and I loved seeing the simplicity of a medieval town.

The kindness of Antonella allowed us to relax enough to be able to enjoy the whole experience. Because of that attitude, I was able to completely take in the trip.

Everything was fantastic .

Lake area was beautiful. Sergio made our whole experience perfect

The highlight to our trip was the four night stay @ Villa Lecchi in the Tuscany region. The villa, the owners, the staff and the food were top notch. We were treated like family! Regarding the trip rating, I cannot give the tour an overall five star rating because of the improper classification of a "3" activity level which is documented in the 18/19/20 brochures and online. Based on this rating, I booked four passengers on this trip (ages 74-85) who in the end, really couldn't handle the pace and the exertion required to fully enjoy the tour because it should be rated as a "4". This is an issue that should be reviewed by management and corrected in future publications so that travel agents and travelers can make the right travel decision. It's important to note that because of this "classification error" some of my clients are unlikely to return to Collette for future travel. As for me, although I continue to be impressed with the quality provided by Collette, I no longer feel confident in their activity level ratings which is critical when dealing with the population that can afford this type of trip.

I loved Stressa, Lucca, and Tuscany, especially at Villa Lecchi. I could have stayed there for a week. The family was so wonderful and charming, We should have been told Italy has no railings on steps - in the US they are everywhere. And no grab bars in the bathrooms. Dangerous for seniors, We were all afraid we would fall down the steps while in Florence especially.

Staying at Villa Lecchi was like staying with family in a beautiful villa. The food was wonderful and it was nice to have a home base for four days.

I love that we had at least two nights in each hotel and four days in the villa in Tuscany.

Every day was filled with new trips. I loved Luca,Sienna the five star hotel in Stressa . The Villa in Tuscany was delightful, terrific breakfasts and the views were amazing. So many highlights for me too many to tell you. It was amazing everyday.

Veniceee previous statement

Provided great overall experience and favorite memories are all equally enjoyable

Loved that there were so many dinners and tastings included. Each one was truly an adventure.

See the previous comments

Four days spent at the villa in Tuscany

Loved the little quaint places we visited even more than the major cities. It gave me a real feeling of the Italian culture.

There were so many wonderful experiences that is is hard to single out one - Cirque Terre, Sienna, Lucca and a surprise addition of San Gimignano where we had the best Gelato. We propose that it should be included in the itinerary.

We have travelled previously with Collette and this trip was by far the best. The ability to stay in one hotel for more than one night and make trips from that base was more effective than moving every day. The smaller group allowed people to interact effectively and move more quickly.

I loved the gondola ride in Venice!

Previously discussed. At the pasta making demonstration the woman/cook had a magnificent singing voice which was an exceptional treat.

Arriving at the gorgeous Regina Palace in Stresa and meetung our tour guide and traveling companions.

Really liked going to the BellaDonna winery, making noodles, meeting the owner, and the meal.

Do to the rains, we were not able to go to Cinque terre. I became ill. None of these were the fault of Collette but made the trip less than stellar.

Tour guide was great. Hotels were excellent especially in stresa

The itinerary was very well thought out. Accommodations were good to excellent. The tour director was outstanding.

Great all over tour. Would highly recommend.

There are many special memories. Dinner al fresco in Venice. The breathtaking view from our villa in Tuscany. A cooking class in a beautiful winery snuggled in the country. Walking along the shore in Sestre Levante. Sipping cappuccinos in many town squares. Incredible paper sculptures in Lucca. The antiquity of the buldings and how carefully they have been preserved. The pride Italians take in their homes and their everyday activities. The consistent attention to clean fresh linens, glassware and cutlery on the tables at every cafe and restaurant. Nice to see a total absence of throwaways!

I loved Venice, the lakes in northern Italy, and the Tuscan area. I also loved the day spent in Cinque Terra.

All places we went to, Maria and local T M's all again were fantastic.

The small towns were a delight. From our first hotel in Stresa to our last in Venice, the accommdations were great.

Staying in Tuscany in the Villa Lecchi as a home base for 4 nights allowed us to experience the beauty and food of the Tuscany countryside in the morning and evening, while seeing the sites in Florence, Sienna, etc.

A tour with 20 people is great. Our tour guide made the trip a truly memorable experience. The bus driver, Maurizio, was excellent! Could have done without Bologna. A boat to the Cinque Terra would have been better to get the experience of seeing it the way it appears in your ads!

Venice- San Gimignano- Cinque Terre

My favorite experience were the tastings, wine and food, fabulous!

The hands-on cooking, making pasta then touring the winery. Ate what we had made, a great experience. Lots of fun!

The Food The senery The people

Would have liked to have more meals included; however, I was pleased with all the meals and venues visited.

Staying at the Tuscan Villa was a beautiful and wonderful experience.

There were so many! The esthetic beauty in so many areas, the feeling in body, mind, spirit. The people, the food, the service, the fun!

Went to cities I never would have thought to go and they were wonderful. Guide Michela Lombardi was FANTASTIC, accommodations (except in Venice) were wonderful. Loved every minute once we got there and except for Venice-too touristy. And Linda the tour guide on the first island was very hard to understand and too into details of art work instead of history of the building.

Aside from a minor glitch on our first day (attributable to hotel staff, not Collette), we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our trip. This was our first time visiting Italy, and our first time with Collette, but it certainly won't be our last! It is difficult to name just one memorable experience, but the highlight for us was the four days spent in Tuscany, and specifically at Villa Lecchi. We felt like part of the family and couldn't believe the beautiful scenery in every direction. The food throughout the trip was unbelievable! Another memorable, and touching, experience was an unplanned stop at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial just before Memorial Day. It gave us a small glimpse into the appreciation felt by the Italian people for America's role in liberating the country from German oppression.

Our Fellow Guests and Michele and Mirko made Trip

We chose the Italy's Treasures trip. Also called the Food, Wine and Art tour. Best decision we ever made. Tuscany was hands down our favorite!

It was a small and fun group, with a tour guide of exceptional energy and knowlege

This was an amazing tour. Each hotel was memorable for different reasons. From lakeside elegance to Tuscan country villa each hotel chosen lived up to its promise. Making pasta for our own lunch was an experience and an achievement.

Missed some of it but enjoyed what I was able to do.

We loved our recent tour. The stay at the Villa in Tuscany was great. So relaxing and a beautiful in the Tuscan country-side. The owner was remarkable and the food was exquisite. Our tour hostess was outstanding. Everything was taken care of. All of our adventures were wonderful.

Gondola in Venice. Seeing David in Florence

It was all so memorable!! I loved the Tuscan countryside, the magnificent lakes, Cinque Terre, Venice, visiting local wineries, glassblowing... Truly truly wonderful!!!

My only regret is I never saw Venice! I will go back!

Every town, village and city were remarkable with their architecture and art work from hundreds of years ago. We loved Tuscany and staying in a villa, making pasta, tasting wines in so many places. The activities and restaurants included in the tour helped make this adventure a extremely memorable experience. We loved the gondola ride in Venice also.

Siena was absolutely breath taking! Venice was so unique and beautiful.

Would have rated higher but tour bus was awful. Way too small and uncomfortable. Suggest you include tips in cost so you're not having to constantly worry about tipping. Really enjoyed Sienna and Venice. Cinque Terra has been ruined by all the tourists. Enjoyed the wineries and the inclusion of wine with meals.

Italia...fantastico.....The tour was well paced, very educational and included a wonderful group of fellow travelers and awespme tour director.....Eccezionale!

Our favorite stop was the first few days at Stresa. Of course we would like to go back to all of the places, but Stresa was out favorite.

The tour was everything we hoped it would be.

Great group of people on the tour! Liked the small group--24 people. Again, the tour guide, ***** and the bus driver, ********** were the best of the best!!!

We feel that the dollars spent on this trip was worth every penny. Our expectations were truly exceeded in every way from the experienced guide, Pilar, to all of the accommodations that were included and the many experiences. Did I mention the food? Unbelievable!

Hard to pick one; each town was unique and wonderful on its own. I'd have to say that Tuscany was great, especially the winery and medieval town that we visited.

The whole tour was great!

Every day was wonderful and full of new places and experiences. The 4 nights in Tuscany were my favorite. The views from our hotel were magnificent. Loved the Tuscan countryside. It was just as I imagined it.

None. Too much down time and the time of the year is too hot and too many tourists.

Living the dream of beautiful Tuscany.

fantastic hotels and villas in beautiful settings

Just a little to much walking. Could have done with another half day of freetime.

Enjoyed everything about the tour. The culinary experiences and tastings were a wonderful added touch.

ate our way thru northern Italy

Overall the tour was awesome. We took this tour because it was going where we wanted to go. We really liked the small travel group. One reservation, though. Wish Pisa was part of the itinerary. Can't imagine going to Northern Italy and NOT going to Pisa. We found a service to take us and a local guide to assist us once we got there along with 10 additional travel companions. Several days there was too much "free time" for shopping. The time could have been better spent with a guide. Many many memorable experiences. Our guide spoke great Italian and the local guides were all excellent. Our coach needed some cleaning. A few days the smell was hard to take. We would recommend this tour to those who want to go to northern Italy. Food and wine tasting experiences were above and beyond.

Poor value for price paid, overall, and hotel in Tuscany was a penal colony, absolutely nothing to do during down time except by pricey cab ride away (20€). Swimming pool /sauna cost 20€ for 1 use!

Sights and sounds of Italy.

Day at the winery inTuscany

Loved Siena, Lucca, winery tours, provided dinners. Gondola ride was overpriced ($75/each).

Our visit to Cinque Terre was very disappointing. I expected beautiful vistas and instead got souvenir shops

Just a grrrreat trip. The Tuscany region is just beautiful. We couldn't find a bad bottle of wine, nor a bad meal.

Overall great tour. Favorite outing for me was organic farm dinner. Favorite town was Senna. Our tour guide was so good she made Italy come alive.

I felt this tour was well planned, though I question the value of including the Cinque Terra, as it is so crowded. Loved all of the other included tours, enjoyed having free time. Tour manager was literally a fountain of information and history, but, treated the group a bit more like seasoned travellers" , which many were not! Could improve emphasis on meeting times and places, but other than that fine.

My most memorable experiences I did on my own...a boat tour to Cinque Terre and we took a taxi to San Gimingano....really the bus driver couldn't take us there? It was about a 10 minute ride from our Villa. The Tuscany landscape was beautiful...it would have been nice for bus driver to stop for pictures of lavender field, poppies and sunflowers, as well as picturesque hill top towns.

My favorite part was touring the agritourisimos and tasting all of the wonderful wines and organic foods they grew and made themselves. The group of people on our tour made it amazing. Loved them all! Miss you!

Favorite memorable experience was the boat ride to the Chicque terra that was not part of your tour.

my favorite experience of the tour was staying in Stresa - I loved that town and will go back. I also really enjoyed the visit to Lake Orta and the "Way of Silence"

Learning to play Italian card game - Scorpo!

This tour was wonderful in all ways. Our tour manager was so informative and attentive to our needs. Our bus driver was great. The places we visited and stayed were so good. This tour is really a great one. Plenty of time on our own to explore, shop and enjoy.

Every place we stayed and visited was amazing!

By far the best trip I've ever taken. Mauro was fantastic, he made everything so much fun. He was caring and accommodating to everyone. the Palace in Stressa was breathtaking and Villa Lecchi in Tuscany was amazing-beautiful view and overall setting. Visit and cooking class with Giada was a highlight. Hotel in Venice was so/so however.

This was a trip planned between my sister and I. I heard that Collette had a wonderful reputation for putting together great tours, so we selected Collette. We especially liked that we could stay two or three/four nights in one location before moving on. We loved the small group under 24 people, and our tour director has set the bar so high that I’ll probably never find one as good as she was. (Cinzia Oddo.) The excursions were wonderful – better than I even expected. All of our hotels were top notch, boutique like hotels, most of them had special history. Even our bus driver was amazing! He interacted with our small group and got us everywhere safely. I cannot say enough about this particular tour and our tour director! I’m looking forward to taking my husband on a Collette Tour at some point soon as well!

Our trip was amazing from start to finish! Our tour guide, Ilaria, was the absolute best - she handled everything and was great at not only giving us rich history and great information about where we were visiting, but also keeping us informed and providing details of what we would be doing and what to expect. The small group size was perfect and we ended up having much more free time than we anticipated, which was a pleasant surprise! As travel agents, we were trying this tour out before scheduling some group tours with Collette - and we were not disappointed. We will definitely be planning trips with Collette in the near future!

Ever aspect of the tour was memorable but the most unique/exciting/frightening experience was the jeep ride up to the Carrara Marble quarry. The views were amazing.

I had a great time. This is my first trip out of the US, except Canada and Mexico. I didn't really know what to expect. Our tour guide Jacopo was great. He really made the trip. We visited 5 ancient cities, and I was tiring of that by the time we got to Florence. And, perhaps, my lack of excitment there was caused by the crowds. My least favorite was the welcome dinner on the island in Lake Maggiore. My two favorite were Cinque Terre and Carrara Marble Quarries. I was also impressed with the stories behind Siena. Tuscanny was beautiful. A day off the bus would have been nice, with a walk and appreciation of the Tuscany view instead.

All of it was memorable. Probably our days in Tuscany area were the favorite.

The visit to the top of the mountain in Carrera and the cooking class in the Villa.

Our tour manager , Luca, was just fabulous. Itinerary was wonderful, too. Loved not having to move hotels too much and could have stayed for weeks at the villa in Tuscany. Ready to go back !

We were skeptical to book a tour. Collette exceeded our expectations on every level. The lodging, the excursions, the bus and driver, food, and best of all was our guide, Valeria. Made our experience magical. She managed adverse situations beautifully to make the tour work for everyone. She had guests best interest at every situation.

Cooking with Giada

By being on the tour we enjoyed experiences that we would not have had traveling solo. Our tour guide Valeria and driver Giovani were amazing, and their sparkle added so much. This feeling carried throughout our fellow travelers. We loved getting to know everyone and sharing the laughter.

Best vacation we have ever taken. The choice of a small group tour was the perfect decision. Our tour manager was just like having your own private tour guide. Everything was flawlessly executed which allowed us to relax and enjoy all the sites, sounds, food and wine.

Favorite Day spent at leisure at the Villa in Tuscany. Hiking, spa, massage and a lovely dinner. :

The entire trip was memorable from beginning to end. Our one-of-a-kind tour guide and bus driver were the best I’ve ever experienced, but of course our Nashville tour guide Chuck Cinelli by our side, made it even better. I would recommend this tour to anyone who loves Italy like I do.

Our Tour was excellent but what made is Superb was our Tour Mgr Giulio Passeriello. He was so informative about everything. The trip would not have been as good without him. Accommodations were incredible.

Our tour manager made the entire experience!

Great experiences, friends met and wonderful tour guide. Loved the places visited! New friends - Snails Forever!!

Venice and the marble quarries were my favorites!

Overall an excellent tour. The hotels were lovely, my least favorite being the one in Sestri Levante. The food improved vastly once we got to Tuscany. The restaurant we ate at in Stresa was terrible and disliked by most of the group. And the hotel restaurant at Grand Hotel dei Castelli was not good, bland at best, with minute portions. Once in Tuscany, the hotel restaurant was very good as well as the place in Bologna. And while the hotel in Venice was well located, the breakfast left much to be desired. Our final dinner in Venice was excellent. As for the inclusions, everyone’s favorite was the cooking class and meal at Giada’s. She was very gracious and made us feel welcomed and not like another tour group. We all hated to leave. And our in depth tour of Siena was interesting, making it easy to understand the history around the Palio. Our stay in Florence was short but sufficient for me. Stopping at the place where you could buy aged parm cheese was fun as well. The Carrara marble quarries were interesting as well. Next time I’d make the Murano trip optional. It was only mildly interesting and everything they sold was overpriced. I can say the same for the recommended jewelry and leather store. But the trip had a good pace and the scenery was lovely.

The Villa in Tuscany

The favorite thing was the cooking class with Giada. Venice was great but only having a total of approximately 29 hours is not enough time there. I would take less time at the villa where we stayed 4 days and give another day to Venice. Our tour manager Luca was very informative and interesting. I did enjoy all the towns we visited and to see the difference in their food was interesting.

I felt that I was treated royally on my tour! Our tour leader, Cinzio Oddo was absolutely delightful! We really connected with her and she entertained us with games, quizzes, edible treats, fabulous well researched information, and so cheerful always! It was my birthday trip and my birthday was recognized and celebrated! I wasn't expecting this! Our bus driver, Franko, was extremely talented, friendly, and also cheerful! Each hotel accommodation was very nicely appointed. The actual tour destinations took us off the beaten path, something I worked through with our travel agent, and Collette fit the ticket! Our travel agent, Mary Fowler from Florida, pointed us to Collette tours and I will rave about both her and your tour company!

Great tour! Tour manager was amazing! We experienced so many more places than we ever would have on our own.

It was A great experience. The tour manager was exceptional.

Love the small town personal experiences.

Villa in Tuscany

Outstanding trip and our tour guide was spectacular!

Collette's tour, "Italy's Treasures" was an excellent, memorable trip. The accommodations chosen were comfortable, unique in location and historical settings - A Villa in Tuscany, a castle in Sestri Levante with views of the Mediterranean. Meals were excellent. Our tour guide, Antonella, was exceptional, sharing the history of the areas as we travelled, ensuring all connections were seamless, always available to answer our questions and always going the extra mile to ensure our experience was unforgettable. Italy provided the perfect settings (and food and wine!) for this amazing experience.

Our tour guide Antonella made the experience special and memorable for my wife and I. Her knowledge and passion for the area and sights we toured were contagious. We will be repeat customers and hope to see Antonella again. She is a gem for Collette.

When I returned from the trip many people asked me what was the best part. After careful consideration I decided that the entire experience was the best part.

It would have been nice to go into some of the buildings instead of the tour guide standing outside telling us about it. Also, some of the tour guides that we met up with didn't make sure that we kept up with them as they walked. Would have liked more of a description of the events, especially the rock quarry visit, which in my opinion was extremely dangerous (I would never go on that part of the tour again). The first hotel we stayed in, in Stresa was not ready when we got that around 8am that morning. We sat in the lobby until 2pm waiting to get into our room. We kept checking to see if the rooms were ready and we're constantly told no even though we saw they checking people in at 12pm. Our tour guide, Luigi had to go to the front desk to get us in our room at 2pm. If he would not have done that, I am not sure when they would have put us in a room.

I had to leave the tour after 2 1/2 days as my daughter was sick. I am expecting some kind of refund. Alice Saitta

I found the tour fun, exhausting at times, and very informative due to our tour guide. I enjoyed most of the places that we visited. I could have done without the Italian Riviera and our visit to Bologna. The hotel there was just so so. The hotel in Venice was dark smelly and gloomy. Our tour guide Sibi was wonderful. She made every aspect of the tour exciting even when it wasn't or when we were tired. I learned that I am a traveler that likes to unpack once so this type of tour was a little much for that.

I really enjoyed visiting the Basilicas and Cathedrals. The stay in Tuscany was amazing. The Carrera Marble tour was very educational and worthwhile. The restaurants for the group meals was excellent.

Staying in Tuscany, the marble tour, Siena, cinnco terre, and Venice were all great experiences

Fantastic experience and our tour director Edo was outstanding. So many great experiences, from the cooking class at a private villa in Tuscany, farm to table lunch at a beautiful vineyard, Carrara marble quarry tour, gondola ride (optional) so many wonderful memories.

Hotel in Venice was pretty inferior. We were in a separate facility across the street. Had to go thru cave like opening with key, thru another door with key, then key to our room. Not ideal for 2 women travelers The other hotels were good Carerra , farm and cooking class were highlights. Our tour guide ego was fantastic and a great Collette asset have only traveled with Tauck before. I was pleasantly surprised I know u don’t give out water in the bus but perhaps there needs to be some way of providing water refill on the bus Once again, Edo was the star

Luca was amazing! He really made everything special for our group. Luca got to know everyone and made sure we all had a wonderful time. This was our first time traveling with Collette and it will not be the last. We all agreed that we would sign up for another Collette tour immediately if we knew Luca would be our guide! :)

Cinque Terra national park

The tour was good. Enjoyed the Tuscany country side. Enjoyed the lakes region and the gardens.

Visit to Cinque Terra was the main reason I booked this trip. Expectations were high and they were exceeded.

LOVED the villa outside Sienna where we stayed 4 nights. The views were spectacular. Loved San Gimignano. Would have enjoyed a couple more hours there. We really enjoyed the cooking class and visit to that villa.

Overall the tour was a fantastic experience! It would be hard to identify just one favorite experience as the whole tour was memorable. I have to say that Luka, our tour manager, did an awesome job making sure everyone was taken care of and had an amazing time. I would definitely consider another tour he’s involved with.

The tour was wonderful, but physically demanding for a senior. I wouldn’t recommend it to persons over 60 or those with limitations. Lots of hills, steps and bridges. It was an awesome mix of small towns, small cities and large cities. The tour manager was exceptional. The excursions were great, especially the cooking class at the private Tuscany villa, the glass blowing facility on Murano, the visit to the mountain village Orta and the island excursion on Lake Maggiore. The Carrara marble visit was too long and detailed, and the Land Rover ride was not fun. The Villa San Lucchese was beautiful.

Tuscany was excellent. Enjoyed scheduled day tour excursions. Small group was great. Food was good

It was a great tour with a busy pace that included many memorable experiences. The lakeside hotel and tours we had in the lake district was wonderful, we thoroughly enjoyed the stay in the Riviera and Cinque Terre in particular. We loved the countryside setting of our Tuscany stay and the dinners hosted by local farms and Venice was just gorgeous! All favorites.

Italy’s Treasures was an amazing trip. It exceeded our expectations. We will definitely take another Collette trip in the future.

Would highly recommend and if you can have Cinzia as tour manager you hit the jackpot. We loved the entire trip. Group size was 22 people and the stops were well organized and interesting. We had group pictures every event attached are just a couple.

Our tour guide made the trip a very memorableone..

The villas, hotels, food, tours, other guests with the tour, all outstanding But most of all our tour manager, Valeria Definitely % fabulous

Many favorites. Cinque Terre, Carrara Quarry, Florence American cemetery, all of the included dinners, lunches Valeria our tour manager was outstanding and very knowledgeable about Italy We highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in Italy

Our tour was great. Tour manager was great and our coach driver was very personable and a careful driver. Scenery was beautiful and choice of highlights was well worth our time to visit. Very much enjoyed our stay at Villa Lecchi!

The Italy’s Treasures tour met all of my expectations. Every day was packed with good food, fun excursions with outstanding guides, and the best tour manager, Mimma. Giovanni, our bus driver was outstanding also. The few minor issues were addressed and solved. Nothing negative to say.

Everything was perfection! My only recommendation is to provide travelers with a map on the first day. We bought one and enjoyed tracking our route along the way. A street map of each town was helpful as my husband and I navigated alleyways on our free time!

Stresa, was beautiful and I loved. Carrara marble quarries were fantastic too! But, afterwards was not so great.

This was a good tour for us as it was our first visit to Italy. We got to see a lot of the northern part of the country, but not in an in-depth way. We saw the outside of many buildings that were said to contain things inside that we could visit on our own time. If you are expecting to see the famous art that is available in the museums, this may not be the tour for you.

Favorite was Sienna. Just amazed how a community kept up a horse racing tradition for centurys Only negative was the hotel without hot water (Italian Rivera) Hotel in Stresa was excellent The Villa in Tuscany was excellent Hotel in Venice was average All other tours and food were excellent The welcome and farewell dinners were fair at best Our tour guide Luca was the best as well as the bus driver Mauricio

Tours were exceptional! My most memorable was Tuscany. The comradery, food and scenery was wonderful!

Loved our tour and all the fabulous places we we went with Chuck, Luca and Maurizio! Loved the working farms and the Villa we stayed at and the one we took the cookie class at! All exceptional people and fabulous places! I felt we got to see the heart of Italy with amazing people!

loved our guide and the hotels we stayed in. loved a small group on trip. Love the lake area in Italy. Wonderful hotel, Regency Palace. Loved being out in the countryside in Tuscany in villa. Enjoyed excursions. Loved seeing the palaces in area. Delicious food. Great breakfasts. Loved cooking lesson in beautiful home of our host. Purchased jewelry, cookies, local special goodies, leather goods.

Not enough free time. Not enough time in Florence. We could have spent more time there. Villa we stayed at was in Poggibonsi which was a long way from Florence. Who needed a tour of Bologna?

I was pleasantly surprised: Who knew there was so much to see and do in Northern Italy?! I enjoy history, art & architecture and there was plenty to see. The food, shopping and unusual experiences were outstanding. Beaches, an Apline Village, castles, Tuscany, exploring renaissance cities… amazing. Venice was the crown jewel. Despite issues with the airline strike, which Collette was not especially helpful with, I thought the tour was a great value for the price and I’d choose Collette again.

It's difficult to choose favorites, they were all special memories. Beautiful landscapes, architecture, culture. Cinque Terre was top of my list to see. I think what stood out was the Agriturismo Villa II Leccio with the villa, grounds and our delightful host and cooking instructor. The cooking class was great. Then San Gimignano fantastic. A highlight was Fattoria San Donato. Loved the whole experience, guide to their history and wine making. And especially the meal. It was amazingly delicious. Florence seeing the Statue of David was one to hold dear. I am an artist, love people. This trip provided me with a treasure trove of photos not just for memories, but for source photos for my art. The statue of David, I took I think 56 photos to get every angle and close up, distance shots. I hope to do a sculpture from them. The tour was well put together with a variety of experiences that gave you a feel for the history, food and culture of Italy, it's beauty and uniqueness. I wish to give much deserved praise to our tour manager, Michela. Her high spirits, knowledge, and the special care she took with all of us was exceptional. I would be interested in a tour tailored to artists, with art instruction provided by more than one instructor, staying in a beautiful five star villa.

Everyday of the tour had highlights that I consider my favorites. It is impossible to pick just one. All the day guides were top notch! I loved visiting in March and going to unique places. Cinque Terre and Florence were the most difficult to enjoy due to the crowds and our limited time there. They deserve a separate tour. I loved our time in Stresa, Oira, Orta. Loved Palazzo Borromeo! The Carrara Marble tour was so fantastic and unique and historically significant! It was amazing to start our stay at the Regina Palace Hotel! And to stay four nights at Hotel Villa Lecchi! And to end our stay with two nights at Ca' dei Conti Hotel! I loved our day in Sienna and our introduction to Bologna. Those two cities were highlights for me. Visiting and cooking at Villa IL Leccio was charming and personal. I can't say enough about our tour manager Michela Lombardi. She elevated our trip with her enthusiasm, joy, knowledge and attention to all our unique needs. Our bus driver, Rosario, was amazing. He kept us all comfortable, safe and on time. All in all, the highlights came everyday!

I loved the the tour of the Carrara Marble quarries because I learned a great deal about how the marble was formed, what the stone is used for and how it's mined. The guide was fabulous with a wonderful sense of humor. I also thought our tour manager was the best one I had encountered in many years of travel. I loved staying at the estate in Tuscany. After a full day of touring I enjoyed the beautiful countryside, the chirping of birds and the sunsets.

Our tour guide Michela was superb. We were a senior group of 18, some with mobility issues, and she was very caring to all. Our rooms were nice, particularly the villa in Tuscany. The food was uniformly excellent and the service top notch. I appreciated how Collette handled the problems created by a Lufthansa strike that cancelled our flights. Our driver Rosario did a wonderful job navigating a bus on narrow roads.. This was my first trip with Collette, and I will confidently us them again

We had an unfortunate experience of the flight cancellation couple of days before departure because of the strike in Frankfort airport. Re-bookings us all must be an ordeal for tour company. However, you did successfully get us to the destination in three different groups. I have a grievance the way you handle the situation. You told us passenger dealing with airlines will get better results, you sent us to SFO airport at 10am to deal with Lufthansa airlines directly. Unaware of the fact, Lufthansa airlines counter only open ten minutes before their scheduled flight which was 2:30pm that day. We were stuck at SFO with all our luggages, and wished we could go home and get our money back. You were able to solve our problems at the end. Why couldn’t you assure us to wait patiently for your solution. We were all so insecure and in panic that at the end of the day you shut down your 24 hour emergency lines. In short, it was an experience hard to forget, .otherwise, the trip was very enjoyable.

Best trip I ever experienced.

The hospitality of the people at Villa Lecchi in Tuscany

Fantastic people, places and experiences

Tuscany! The scenery and food everywhere was phenomenal. The breakfasts at Villa Lecchi was an amazing array of pastries, fresh fruit and even pizza. Laura also offered to cook eggs to order!

The entire trip was most memorable as all my previous 7 trips with Colette have been. There are too many experiences to mention!

Wonderful cities,. Small group made it much more personall. Excellent tour guide from Collette.

Carrara tour, Tuscany Villa and Sienna tour

Excellent trip overall. Great Value for the experience. Very relaxed and well planned. Itinerary was planned and executed by Collette and local guides expertly. Would similar trip to Italy with this group again.

great experiences only available to smaller groups, fabulous tour director, great price point, fine, clean accommodations.

Everything & our Safe bus driver Giovanni

everything was great except one of the hotels we stayed in. The beds and room furniture needed to be updated extremely bad. There wasn't even a stand to put the suitcase on.

The tour was fantastic and I would not change a thing.

Well organized small group tour of northern Italy with an excellent guide. Accommodations and food were very good. Itinerary was perfect. San Gimignano was a nice surprise. The cooking class in Tuscany was fun and it was very moving to visit the WWII American Cemetery in Florence. The churches in all of the cities we visited were awesome. I wouldn’t change a thing. I would suggest labeling this an activity level of 4, because of the amount of walking and standing required. It was difficult for several members of our group. We certainly got our steps in!

Marco was an excellent tour guide. He was fun, full of information and always organized. I enjoyed traveling with a smaller group and all of the tour choices were amazing.

Our tour guide was fabulous! We did things we NEVER would have done on our own. We got to go inside the Carrera Marble quarries. Amazing!

It was amazing trip, do to our tour guide Giulio. He was fantastic

Antanella was our tour manager she was amazing. Everything about our trip was wonderful. Great memories I would highly recommend this tour.

The tour was perfect. Amazing accommodations, amazing sights to see, good amount of free time to explore & a wonderful tour manager!

Great tour director, Antonella; hotels good locations; places visited meaningful and interesting.

The engagement of one of our tour mates. Our TM made sure to make this event happen. Went over and above. She always went over and above to make sure our tour went smooth.

Chairs Brandi made our trip so enjoyable!

It was the best tour I have ever had. It was my first trip to Italy, although I have been to Europe over 60 times for work. Everything was well planned and we visited places we would not have if we were on our own. It was well worth the cost

Tour manager was local, accommodations were good, and the tour inclusions wre great for this part of Italy

Lack of interest in some and some long bus rides. Lack of time to go on our own Some hotels had no place to visit for lunch or dinner. Simone was winderful

Knowledgeable guides, small group

It was what I hoped for and more

Italy’s Treasure was an awesome tour. The places, the accommodations were beautiful, vineyards were beautiful, it was so much fun. Our tour guide Val was truly amazing and great fun. She made this tour a wonderful experience.

Tour was everything we could imagine. The accommodations, places, food, and tour guide Val was amazing.

There was not as much free time as I had anticipated. Also tickets into famous museums and sites were not included.

Too much walking for seniors, most of us are in our seventy.

on site tour manager Ivan was fabulous!!!

The tour was better than my greatest expectations

Knowledgeable guides, fascinating itinerary, excellent accommodations and an overall wonderful experience.

Everything was so organized and tour manager and bus driver were the best. Knowledgeable, professional and really cared about us. Hotel selections were fantastic and the organized day trips were so unique. Also, I enjoyed the amount of free time we were provided.

The tour was wonderful. There were too many favorite experiences to pick just one. The tour manager was outstanding in every way!

This “Treasures of Italy” trip provided me with excellent planned excursions, fabulous foods & local wines. Our tour guide was a Treasure as well! This is my 4th Collette trip & one of my best

Wonderful itinerary and and an exceptional tour manager- Michela Lombardi

Villa Lecchio Cooking Class in Tuscany

The pre-planning and direct execution of this tour brought us far more joy than I had hoped; way beyond my expectations. The locations we visited and the hotels we stayed in were top-notch. Our Tour Guide (Elena) was very knowledgeable and perfectly, appropriately friendly. (Our only struggle was before the trip on account of the many COVID restrictions and paperwork).

I have been on Collette tours many times and have never been disappointed.

Always a great trip with Collette!!

Luigi (our tour manager, was INCREDIBLE! We have already booked our next tour group for next year and would like to request him. He is aware of our request and is excited to see us again if that can be arranged. The tours we did were perfect for our group. We loved all of them. Our driver, Raffaele was wonderful. The spots he squeezed that coach into earned him several rounds of applause. See the video I put together of our trip here: https://fb.watch/c_hv30Sp3g/ Some feedback that would improve the tour even more. The first hotel was INCREDIBLE! The location, furnishings, service...everything was 5 star. The next two hotels were in beautiful locations, had stunning views but they were nowhere near that first one. The second hotel in the castle was beautiful and again, in a great location, but the room bed was very uncomfortable with rock hard beds and flat pillows. The other issue at this property was that they had no luggage racks or places to put your luggage. so, our luggage was just left open on the floor. This was fine for us but I cannot imagine someone over 65 doing this and being ok with it. A couple of luggage rack, some new pillow and a foam pad on the bed and this would be a home run. As it was, I woke up every morning and my back and neck hurt from the poor bed and I am not even 50! The "tuscan villa" room was very disappointing based on our expectations. It was not in the Tuscany hills. The positive to that is that it was very close to the town square, but I would change the description to a hotel located in a converted villa to avoid disappointment for future travelers. The food was excellent there. Our view was of a courtyard that was very pretty but several in our group had a view of the roof or no view at all. This is very disappointing especially after the first two places. This hotel was switched out at the last minute for another because the first choice was under construction. It was a let down after the Regina Palace for sure. The hotel in Venice was perfect. Great location, comfy beds, and welcoming staff with a great breakfast. The Lake Maggiore Cruise was disappointing because Isola Bella was closed. That was pretty much the whole reason we added this on was to see that island. Instead we saw a free public park and got 15 minutes on the lake. When I mentioned this to Luigi, he got us a refund and a free gondola ride in Venice. This was above and beyond what i would have expected and spoke to the quality that Collette represents. The transfer company that you used to pick us up from home and drop us back off was WONDERFUL! I am considering using them for my daughters wedding transportation. Just fabulous! The only serious negative feedback would be for Anne in your 24 hour service desk. MaryAnne and Elaina from our group went to Albany airport and could not check in because their flight had been cancelled. They called me and I called the 24 hour line and had the misfortune of getting Anne. The options that she offered were to get them there a day late OR to have them somehow get a ride to JFK to meet us instead of leaving from ALB. Collette cancelled these flights. So, I told her that i was not ok with those options and asked for others. They told me that they did not have anything else. I told her that, if she could not get them transportation to JFK or get them on another flight that I would be happy to call Christian at home and see if he could come up with anything else. I should not have to drop an executive's name to get this resolved. After telling her that, miraculously, they found them a flight on United and rebooked them. I thought things were all fixed and the ladies were thrilled as they have status on United. They ended up in the back of coach in separate sections, not seated together for a 12 hour flight o less than ideal but they got there within a few hours of the rest of us. That would have been the end of it, but on their flight home, Mary Anne got a call from the driver who was waiting for them at the airport. They were still in Newark. Anne had never followed up to be sure that their flights were updated with the transfer company! I called in to the 24 hour line again. Unfortunately, I got Anne again. She remembered the ladies and said that she had sent the request but never gotten confirmation back from the transfer company. I said, ok, so we need to get her a ride home then. Her reply, "worst case, they will take a cab and we will reimburse them". I told her that was not an option. These ladies have been traveling all day. They booked a 4 star luxury vacation and they needed a ride home like they were promised. She replied, "What can I do to make you happy?". At this point, I was tired and angry and had enough of Ann so I was less than polite. I told her that, short of turning back time and not screwing up my clients flights to start with, you can get them a driver to take them home from the airport." She said that she would try but she was not sure if it could be done. Again, I said, ok well let me know if you cannot and I will reach out to Jaclyn or Christian and see if they can help. Again, only at this point did she actually get a ride for my clients from the airport. I own my own agency and I would not want someone like this working in my 24 hour desk. She told me that she works in the air department. I would not have this person taking calls from travelers with an issue. The Anne situation aside, we had a fabulous trip! Villa Il Leccio (which was a last minute sub) wit Giada and Paulo was a highlight, as was Oira and Mario. These small, private gatherings are what i love about Explorations Tours. As I said, we have already booked for next year with tour of southern italy and sicily for june 2-13th. My only request would be to take a look at feedback for the hotels for that tour because I have and a couple of them are really not good. I just want to be sure that we have great properties to stay in. See the feeback from a couple of those below and maybe have product take a look. Super excited to bring another group to Italy with Collette. Feel free to call with any questions or clarifications. Thanks! 2nd hotel for the southern Italy and Sicily tour - read the recent reviews here - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g675638-d577986-Reviews-Baia_di_Ulisse_Wellness_SPA-San_Leone_Agrigento_Province_of_Agrigento_Sicily.html The MH Matera gets very mixed reviews. Lots of mentions of rude staff and hard beds. The rest of the properties on the tour look like they are first rate. Just wanted to point out the all the negative reviews so product may want to reconsider these mentioned above. From the minute I booked this tour almost a year ago, Jen Roser and Todd Bridges have been absolutely wonderful! I love working with this company and the professionals that represent it. Meeting Christian and Todd at the Affluent Traveler symposium in Florida was wonderful and they are so passionate about the company, the product and really seemed to care about us as advisors and our clients. That reflects in the quality of product you offer. Thank you for giving me something that i can sell confidently and know that my clients will always be well care for (unless Anne answers the phone :)) I was representing NEST and Affluent as an Elite agency in NY and just missed Jaclyn. I look forward to meeting her in person soon.

Great accommodations, good experiences in food wine. Tour guide was wonderful

Great accomidations. Outstanding tour guide.

Well organized, nice variety of sites/activities. Tour Manager was knowledgable and efficient. Our stay at the charming villa in Tuscany, with the side trips to Sienna and Lucca, was my favorite part of the trip.

The food and wine were exceptional except for the last night. I felt that the plating and choices of the 2nd course fell short compared to what we experienced at the beginning and middle of the tour. It would have been nice to have a beef or pork dish offered.

We saw a lot of beautiful places, had excellent food experiences, all led by a wonderful guide. I loved Bologna street market.

Cooking class and visit to the locally owned vineyards was a great experience. All but one of the local guides in the cities we visited were very engaging and knowledgeable.

Amazing selection of locations, experiences, and a wonderful Collette guide.

Each day, well organized, open time provided,and Dario provides other options

So many favorites. I guess Venice pretty incredible. At the same time loved the lake area with the backdrop of the alps and Italian Riviera / Cinque Terre.

The Villa Lecchi in Tuscany! The people, Scenery, food and accommodations.

excellent tour manager. She was knowledgeable and managed the tour with grace and humor.

I cannot single one thing out as every day was perfect!

Absolutely fantastic, a trip we'll never forget.

Our stay at The Villa Lecchi in Tuscany was living in PARADISE! The Food! The View! The personal attention given! Bella! Bella! Bella!

Besides our amazing tour manager, Antonella (who really made the trip), my favorite place was Stresa and the small town of Oira. It was so intimate and I loved seeing the simplicity of a medieval town.

The kindness of Antonella allowed us to relax enough to be able to enjoy the whole experience. Because of that attitude, I was able to completely take in the trip.

Everything was fantastic .

Lake area was beautiful. Sergio made our whole experience perfect

The highlight to our trip was the four night stay @ Villa Lecchi in the Tuscany region. The villa, the owners, the staff and the food were top notch. We were treated like family! Regarding the trip rating, I cannot give the tour an overall five star rating because of the improper classification of a "3" activity level which is documented in the 18/19/20 brochures and online. Based on this rating, I booked four passengers on this trip (ages 74-85) who in the end, really couldn't handle the pace and the exertion required to fully enjoy the tour because it should be rated as a "4". This is an issue that should be reviewed by management and corrected in future publications so that travel agents and travelers can make the right travel decision. It's important to note that because of this "classification error" some of my clients are unlikely to return to Collette for future travel. As for me, although I continue to be impressed with the quality provided by Collette, I no longer feel confident in their activity level ratings which is critical when dealing with the population that can afford this type of trip.

I loved Stressa, Lucca, and Tuscany, especially at Villa Lecchi. I could have stayed there for a week. The family was so wonderful and charming, We should have been told Italy has no railings on steps - in the US they are everywhere. And no grab bars in the bathrooms. Dangerous for seniors, We were all afraid we would fall down the steps while in Florence especially.

Staying at Villa Lecchi was like staying with family in a beautiful villa. The food was wonderful and it was nice to have a home base for four days.

I love that we had at least two nights in each hotel and four days in the villa in Tuscany.

Every day was filled with new trips. I loved Luca,Sienna the five star hotel in Stressa . The Villa in Tuscany was delightful, terrific breakfasts and the views were amazing. So many highlights for me too many to tell you. It was amazing everyday.

Veniceee previous statement

Provided great overall experience and favorite memories are all equally enjoyable

Loved that there were so many dinners and tastings included. Each one was truly an adventure.

See the previous comments

Four days spent at the villa in Tuscany

Loved the little quaint places we visited even more than the major cities. It gave me a real feeling of the Italian culture.

There were so many wonderful experiences that is is hard to single out one - Cirque Terre, Sienna, Lucca and a surprise addition of San Gimignano where we had the best Gelato. We propose that it should be included in the itinerary.

We have travelled previously with Collette and this trip was by far the best. The ability to stay in one hotel for more than one night and make trips from that base was more effective than moving every day. The smaller group allowed people to interact effectively and move more quickly.

I loved the gondola ride in Venice!

Previously discussed. At the pasta making demonstration the woman/cook had a magnificent singing voice which was an exceptional treat.

Arriving at the gorgeous Regina Palace in Stresa and meetung our tour guide and traveling companions.

Really liked going to the BellaDonna winery, making noodles, meeting the owner, and the meal.

Do to the rains, we were not able to go to Cinque terre. I became ill. None of these were the fault of Collette but made the trip less than stellar.

Tour guide was great. Hotels were excellent especially in stresa

The itinerary was very well thought out. Accommodations were good to excellent. The tour director was outstanding.

Great all over tour. Would highly recommend.

There are many special memories. Dinner al fresco in Venice. The breathtaking view from our villa in Tuscany. A cooking class in a beautiful winery snuggled in the country. Walking along the shore in Sestre Levante. Sipping cappuccinos in many town squares. Incredible paper sculptures in Lucca. The antiquity of the buldings and how carefully they have been preserved. The pride Italians take in their homes and their everyday activities. The consistent attention to clean fresh linens, glassware and cutlery on the tables at every cafe and restaurant. Nice to see a total absence of throwaways!

I loved Venice, the lakes in northern Italy, and the Tuscan area. I also loved the day spent in Cinque Terra.

All places we went to, Maria and local T M's all again were fantastic.

The small towns were a delight. From our first hotel in Stresa to our last in Venice, the accommdations were great.

Staying in Tuscany in the Villa Lecchi as a home base for 4 nights allowed us to experience the beauty and food of the Tuscany countryside in the morning and evening, while seeing the sites in Florence, Sienna, etc.

A tour with 20 people is great. Our tour guide made the trip a truly memorable experience. The bus driver, Maurizio, was excellent! Could have done without Bologna. A boat to the Cinque Terra would have been better to get the experience of seeing it the way it appears in your ads!

Venice- San Gimignano- Cinque Terre

My favorite experience were the tastings, wine and food, fabulous!

The hands-on cooking, making pasta then touring the winery. Ate what we had made, a great experience. Lots of fun!

The Food The senery The people

Would have liked to have more meals included; however, I was pleased with all the meals and venues visited.

Staying at the Tuscan Villa was a beautiful and wonderful experience.

There were so many! The esthetic beauty in so many areas, the feeling in body, mind, spirit. The people, the food, the service, the fun!

Went to cities I never would have thought to go and they were wonderful. Guide Michela Lombardi was FANTASTIC, accommodations (except in Venice) were wonderful. Loved every minute once we got there and except for Venice-too touristy. And Linda the tour guide on the first island was very hard to understand and too into details of art work instead of history of the building.

Aside from a minor glitch on our first day (attributable to hotel staff, not Collette), we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our trip. This was our first time visiting Italy, and our first time with Collette, but it certainly won't be our last! It is difficult to name just one memorable experience, but the highlight for us was the four days spent in Tuscany, and specifically at Villa Lecchi. We felt like part of the family and couldn't believe the beautiful scenery in every direction. The food throughout the trip was unbelievable! Another memorable, and touching, experience was an unplanned stop at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial just before Memorial Day. It gave us a small glimpse into the appreciation felt by the Italian people for America's role in liberating the country from German oppression.

Our Fellow Guests and Michele and Mirko made Trip

We chose the Italy's Treasures trip. Also called the Food, Wine and Art tour. Best decision we ever made. Tuscany was hands down our favorite!

It was a small and fun group, with a tour guide of exceptional energy and knowlege

This was an amazing tour. Each hotel was memorable for different reasons. From lakeside elegance to Tuscan country villa each hotel chosen lived up to its promise. Making pasta for our own lunch was an experience and an achievement.

Missed some of it but enjoyed what I was able to do.

We loved our recent tour. The stay at the Villa in Tuscany was great. So relaxing and a beautiful in the Tuscan country-side. The owner was remarkable and the food was exquisite. Our tour hostess was outstanding. Everything was taken care of. All of our adventures were wonderful.

Gondola in Venice. Seeing David in Florence

It was all so memorable!! I loved the Tuscan countryside, the magnificent lakes, Cinque Terre, Venice, visiting local wineries, glassblowing... Truly truly wonderful!!!

My only regret is I never saw Venice! I will go back!

Every town, village and city were remarkable with their architecture and art work from hundreds of years ago. We loved Tuscany and staying in a villa, making pasta, tasting wines in so many places. The activities and restaurants included in the tour helped make this adventure a extremely memorable experience. We loved the gondola ride in Venice also.

Siena was absolutely breath taking! Venice was so unique and beautiful.

We feel that the dollars spent on this trip was worth every penny. Our expectations were truly exceeded in every way from the experienced guide, Pilar, to all of the accommodations that were included and the many experiences. Did I mention the food? Unbelievable!

Would have rated higher but tour bus was awful. Way too small and uncomfortable. Suggest you include tips in cost so you're not having to constantly worry about tipping. Really enjoyed Sienna and Venice. Cinque Terra has been ruined by all the tourists. Enjoyed the wineries and the inclusion of wine with meals.

Italia...fantastico.....The tour was well paced, very educational and included a wonderful group of fellow travelers and awespme tour director.....Eccezionale!

Great group of people on the tour! Liked the small group--24 people. Again, the tour guide, ***** and the bus driver, ********** were the best of the best!!!

Our favorite stop was the first few days at Stresa. Of course we would like to go back to all of the places, but Stresa was out favorite.

The tour was everything we hoped it would be.

Hard to pick one; each town was unique and wonderful on its own. I'd have to say that Tuscany was great, especially the winery and medieval town that we visited.

The whole tour was great!

Every day was wonderful and full of new places and experiences. The 4 nights in Tuscany were my favorite. The views from our hotel were magnificent. Loved the Tuscan countryside. It was just as I imagined it.

None. Too much down time and the time of the year is too hot and too many tourists.

Living the dream of beautiful Tuscany.

fantastic hotels and villas in beautiful settings

Just a little to much walking. Could have done with another half day of freetime.

Enjoyed everything about the tour. The culinary experiences and tastings were a wonderful added touch.

ate our way thru northern Italy

Overall the tour was awesome. We took this tour because it was going where we wanted to go. We really liked the small travel group. One reservation, though. Wish Pisa was part of the itinerary. Can't imagine going to Northern Italy and NOT going to Pisa. We found a service to take us and a local guide to assist us once we got there along with 10 additional travel companions. Several days there was too much "free time" for shopping. The time could have been better spent with a guide. Many many memorable experiences. Our guide spoke great Italian and the local guides were all excellent. Our coach needed some cleaning. A few days the smell was hard to take. We would recommend this tour to those who want to go to northern Italy. Food and wine tasting experiences were above and beyond.

Poor value for price paid, overall, and hotel in Tuscany was a penal colony, absolutely nothing to do during down time except by pricey cab ride away (20€). Swimming pool /sauna cost 20€ for 1 use!

My favorite part was touring the agritourisimos and tasting all of the wonderful wines and organic foods they grew and made themselves. The group of people on our tour made it amazing. Loved them all! Miss you!

Sights and sounds of Italy.

Day at the winery inTuscany

Loved Siena, Lucca, winery tours, provided dinners. Gondola ride was overpriced ($75/each).

Our visit to Cinque Terre was very disappointing. I expected beautiful vistas and instead got souvenir shops

Just a grrrreat trip. The Tuscany region is just beautiful. We couldn't find a bad bottle of wine, nor a bad meal.

Overall great tour. Favorite outing for me was organic farm dinner. Favorite town was Senna. Our tour guide was so good she made Italy come alive.

I felt this tour was well planned, though I question the value of including the Cinque Terra, as it is so crowded. Loved all of the other included tours, enjoyed having free time. Tour manager was literally a fountain of information and history, but, treated the group a bit more like seasoned travellers" , which many were not! Could improve emphasis on meeting times and places, but other than that fine.

My most memorable experiences I did on my own...a boat tour to Cinque Terre and we took a taxi to San Gimingano....really the bus driver couldn't take us there? It was about a 10 minute ride from our Villa. The Tuscany landscape was beautiful...it would have been nice for bus driver to stop for pictures of lavender field, poppies and sunflowers, as well as picturesque hill top towns.

Favorite memorable experience was the boat ride to the Chicque terra that was not part of your tour.

my favorite experience of the tour was staying in Stresa - I loved that town and will go back. I also really enjoyed the visit to Lake Orta and the "Way of Silence"