Italy Small Group Trips

A really enjoyable and well organised tour. This tour was all about the food with many opportunities to sample local Puglian food and wine. The days were spent exploring stunning towns, a couple of gentle walks in the countryside with stops at numerous coffee shops and restaurants. All in all a really great trip facilitated by a friendly and enthusiastic tour guide.

Great, varied itinerary that packed in so much: walking on Etna and in two different gorges, sightseeing in Taormina, Ortigia, and some of the smaller hill towns, a wonderful brunch in Castiglione, and a fabulous day trip to the Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Vulcano, where we had time to take a dip on the volcanic spa beach. Some of us took a boat trip to Isola Bella and the Blue Grotto on the free day, and I returned to Taormina to visit the Greek theatre and follow up our guide Lara's gelateria recommendation! Lara is hugely knowledgeable about the history, culture, and geology of the area, and was very organised to get us to and from all the sights on schedule. The Hotel Villa Linda was a comfortable and friendly base in the quieter Recanati area of Naxos, with Recanati Beach and a good selection of restaurants, bars, and small shops nearby. The walks are fairly graded on average, with most being very leisurely, and the gorges slightly more challenging in terms of terrain underfoot (poles are helpful). Overall, a fantastic week. I have already booked my next Explore trip...

From the get-go, Explore were great with information and deadlines. I felt in very safe hands as I'd never been to Sicily before and would not know where to start. We were based in Recanati, just at the close of the holiday season - plenty of places to eat and drink but not crowded. From there, our fantastic, highly knowledgeable and very friendly guide Lara took us to some amazing sites, including the slopes of Etna, Taormina and the islands of Lipari and Volcano with great (not strenuous) walks and superb scenery. It was like lots of tasters of the East side of the island. Wonderful.

Our Amalfi hike was absolutely unforgettable, thanks to our amazing tour guide Gennaro! His deep knowledge of the area, warm personality, and perfect pacing made the experience both enjoyable and enriching. The views and the landscape… marvelous! Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Amalfi Coast!

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. I experienced the Amalfi Coast in a much more intimate setting yet seeing much much more of the coast than I ever anticipated, thanks to our excellent and caring guide, Gennaro. The hikes were challenging but Gennaro was excellent in helping me to adjust to the pace that I needed. The views everyday were well worth the amount of steps I had to climb. The hotel staff was excellent and nice to have a quiet town to return to each evening away from the large tourist crowds in each town.

The range of activities; embracing walking, stunning scenery and fascinating history coupled with our amazing guide Lara providing comprehensive information on the geology, history and culture contributed to a truly memorable experience.