Italy: Pasta & Piazzas

Our trip leader, Paola was very friendly and knowledgeable. This trip was a good way to see lots of sites in Italy and I know where I’d like to come back to for a longer period of time in the future.

I really loved this trip. The guide (Paola) was amazing and so energetic. I loved all the activities and the places we went. The only things I didn't like were some of the accomodations (specifically in Sorrento), and the dinner the first night.

Pros: - This tour is fantastic in taking you to all the main areas in Italy that you want to visit. - The Vatican / museums are included in the tour, which is great as it saves time waiting in line to buy a ticket and you learn information about the Vatican that you probably wouldn't know otherwise - especially as there's no real signage anywhere. - There's a lot of free time to do what you want to do. (Make sure you download offline google maps or buy data for your phone as the signage throughout Italy isn't the best and you can get lost easily and plan prior the main attractions you want to see/visit.. e.g. visit the colosseum on the day you arrive as you don't get time on the tour and it's not included). - Paola the team leader is so friendly and helpful, simply tell her if you want to do something specific on the free days, and she will help you with directions, etc as best she can. Cons: - The hotels used throughout the tour are very poor quality (most were dirty / adaptors didn't fit in some sockets / breakfasts were very basic and unappetising / beds were an inch apart - get a single room throughout if you can afford to!). - included meals were all pasta. It would've been nice to have something else.. Or at least given a choice out of 2 options - but you don't get a choice unfortunately, so pasta it is. - Dinners didn't start until 8:00 - 9:00pm (make sure you have lunch so you don't start munching your arm off). It's definitely a culture shock. - In Florence and Venice there were special surprises after dinner (Karaoke bar & a unofficial boozy night tour) - if these are not your thing, then go back to the hotel after dinner as you won't get back to your room until after 12am maybe even 2am depending on the group. It's a very long night, especially if it's not your jam.

Fantastic tour guide Paola and driver Carmine, both were excellent. Vatican city tour could have been planned better by Topdeck as there was a strike planned by public transport which was well in advance. Topdeck could have organised a small tour bus to take us rather than us having to frantically organise on the day - which our tour guide did try to help us all with. Other than that, quite happy with the trip overall.

The trip visited so many amazing places, our trip leader was fantastic and we had such a beautiful group of people. Whenever we stopped Paola gave us recommendations of things to see, places to eat, and specific foods to try. We didn’t have any issues but I know she sorted out others on the trip quickly. I loved all the stops, the rooms were basic but nothing to complain about. The only thing I didn’t love was how fast paced the tour was, I would’ve loved more time to explore each place, but that’s the nature of a tour!

Highly recommend this trip! For 2 weeks, you're able to see a lot of Italy and experience a lot of different experiences. It is on the pricier side, however this is reflective of prices in Italy currently. Our trip leader, Helio, was brilliant and made the trip what it was - he genuinely cared about the group - our safety, made sure we were enjoying ourselves and always helped out in organising additional activities for us as desired.

A great experience and a taste of some of Italy’s most iconic locations. Plenty of extra activities you can choose to do by the base tour also provides so many great activities that are included in the price

A great opportunity to see more of Italy compared to many of the usual Euro trips, exploring amazing places like Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, Florence, Venice, Rome and Cinque Terre. Our guide, Helio, was knowledgeable, so friendly and helpful and great fun too. While some of the hotels were definitely a bit older, it was all part of the experience.

Had the most amazing time! Great people and the best tour guide!

Absolutely LOVED this tour! Would do it again in a heartbeat ❤️ amazing tour guide with the best recommendations, incredible sites and experiences. I am eternally in love with Italy 🇮🇹

Tour guide Pa La was amazing! The itinerary of the tour was perfect

I recently went on the Delve Deep Italy tour and it exceeded all my expectations. As a first-time traveler to Italy, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I definitely recommend doing the additional activities on offer, they are well worth it - the Food and Wine tour in Rome was fantastic, the food was delicious and we visited family-owned businesses so it felt nice supporting the local families. Visiting Pompeii with the tour guide was incredible because I learned so much about the history and significance of the ancient city. A special mention and thank you to our trip leader Paola - not only was she an incredible leader and Italian herself, she truly cared about our enjoyment and experience in every location we visited. As a foodie myself, her food recommendations were spot on! She knew all the best places to eat and the origins of the cuisines for where we went which made the experience all the more authentic. Her kind personality and care made me feel safe and well looked after. She organised all our train and bus tickets which made getting around so much easier than navigating ourselves. Thank you Paola!! If you’re dreaming of an authentic Italian adventure, this tour is the way to go. Thanks Topdeck!

This trip was the perfect first experience of Italy. Made all the more better by our tour leader Paola. She ensured everyone had a great trip and had all the best food recommendations. Definitely recommend the optional extras, especially the food tour in Rome. I had a great time and had given me a good plan for what I would love to come back and see more of.

What an amazing tour with an amazing tour leader Paola. The trip was a perfect balance of in depth & informative but fun with great socialising. This was my first tour so I didn’t know what to expect but Paola made the whole trip one to remember. All the stops were amazing. Breakfast at the hotels is sub par however that is the only small fault I could list. Thank you Paola & Topdeck ❤️

Pa La is the BEST oh and I met cool people

Really great coverage of Italy. Saw all the major sites and locations, plus more. Accomodation was mostly good and the included meals were a bonus, showcasing the specific cuisine of the area. Absolutely fantastic trip leader - Paola, a local, new everything there was to know about the different locations, best places to eat and the best activities to do/scenic photos to take.

This was my first tour, my first time in Europe/Italy, and this tour overall was amazing. It's the "I've never been to Italy and want to see all the tourist things" tour. And it does it well. The biggest compliment I can give Topdeck is hiring Paola. If you are going on this tour and are lucky enough to have her as your tour leader, you will enjoy this tour more. She's passionate, genuinely enjoys what she does, knowledgable and her food recommendations are on point. A Rome walking tour to start things off was a good way to introduce the tour/Rome as well as a good start to get to know your fellow group members. It was a little rushed as we all met and then had to leave shortly afterwards however the walk to the starting point lets you meet others. I'd do some research/book beforehand if you want to see/do something in Rome (if you are not staying in Rome after the tour), or the free day can be a way to walk around and see things/get to know others. I did the optional food tour which was very good. The amount of food and drinks you get was enough to feed an army but all delicious. The public transport bus ride there was a little chaotic but getting through adversity together made the group bond faster for sure. The vineyard we visited before Pompeii was probably in the top 3 meals. Don't forget to buy some wine/olive oil after the meal! Pompeii walking tour (optional) was amazing. The history of the place and seeing the city if you haven't already was such a good experience. Sorrento was a nice chill city. Was a bit disappointing that we didn't stay in Sorrento (hotel was in Meta) as it would have made the day more seamless, but the hotel (and restaurant Tico Tico) was good. We caught a bus to Positano and hung out there for most of the day. Would have been even better if we could of had got a lift on the Topdeck bus to Positano (as the majority of the group went there), but the public bus there and back was easy enough. During peak summer I'm sure it would be even better with the beaches (was slightly rainy when we were there) and boat rides you can take. Florence was probably my favourite city we visited. Had the hustle and bustle of a large city expect also had a chill feel about it. The views and food were ridiculous (I'd highly recommend walking around at night/sunrise). La Spezia was my second favourite. I spent the day on the beach however from what I heard from others, the hike between the towns is well worth it (despite being slightly difficult) and visiting all 5 towns was a good experience. Venice was fine however for me, didn't live up to the hype. I'd again recommend researching what you want to do beforehand (go to one of the islands, go up the tower, etc) and walking around at night. The smaller towns we visited were good pit stops to get out of the bus however probably not as memorable as the bigger cities. They all had good food, views and had relaxing vibes to them which were a good change of pace. As I'm sure with most tours, if you need to get your laundry done there isn't much time and you will have to miss out on spending time with the group/cutting a meal short to rush off to get it done.