Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
Good introductory cross-section in major cities. Good balance of scheduled vs. free time. Would like a little more emphasis on art--especially Uffizi Gallery and Pisan Camposanto--plus entry into St. Mark's/Doge's Palace and Duomo church (rather than some of the shopping stuff). A little too much commercial, too little history/art. (Some of guides under-informed, including one who said Galileo discovered the "two planets" around Jupiter!).
It was a fast paced trip. It is a bit difficult staying only one night in a few places, just the logistics of packing up several nights and having everything ready for the next day is challenging.
But, that being said I thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many things through out Italy.
That inconvenience was minor in comparison to the amount of ground we covered.
Museum and gallery visits
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
5-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Rome, Venice, Capri, Florence, S
Rome, Venice, Capri, Florence, Santa Margherita, Lake Maggiore
The itinerary on The Jewels of Italy Tour is exceptional, not only do you get to see the major attractions in the big cities, but you also get to see the smaller towns of Pisa and Verona. I thought the Coach was very comfortable. Although, I was surprised that there was no bathroom in the back, but there were enough Pitstops made for bathroom breaks, so it was not needed. We thought the Hotels were more than adequate for the paid.
The Hotel were ok but did not cater to the tourist. The rooms did not have the use of the fans and found the air stagnant. A little air moving would helped.
The Hotel in Sicily in Jiardini Naxos, Caeser palace, found the hotel desk determinitly unhelpful.
City sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
5-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Rome, Venice, Palermo, Assisi, L
Rome, Venice, Palermo, Assisi, La Spezia, Florence, Monreale, Agrigento, Taormina, Sorrento, Capri, Vatican City
Great itinerary and tour director. Suggest: a slightly slower pace - limiting yourself to 1 optional experience/ day to avoid too/ long days -exhaustion, provide more suggestions for authentic food / restaurants on ‘free’ days.
This tour is the BEST way to see all the infamous spots in Italy, plus local hidden gems, at a reasonable cost and if you are short on time (we had a school break time limitation). It covered everything! We budgeted for the add-ons, especially those with meals, but you could choose to have more free time if you wanted. The food was extraordinary, the bus was roomy and immaculately clean, our driver Antonello was superb, and our Travel Director Anneleis was amazing! She was so talented at integrating the tour highlights, guests, keeping it fun even in the rainy weather, knowledgeable, and able to troubleshoot anything to ensure we had the best experience of a lifetime!! I would love to go back and explore Southern Italy next. The hotels were elegant (only one was just "OK" only because it was in need of some renovations) and the service with our luggage, tipping, etc. was seamless. I highly recommend the Italian Intermezzo tour and Insight Vacations. Favoloso!