Unbeaten Path of Italy Tour: Discovering Cinque Terre, Lake Garda & Venice

We loved the hotels you selected. The drivers were prompt and the guides were good. We especially loved our guide in Florence. Monterosso al Mare was beautiful.

Zicasso's travel agency far exceeded our expectations. We had our five-year-old and 11-year-old children with us, so the tour guides and walking needed to be kid-friendly.

Our hotel in Rome was wonderful, the location was perfect, and they had good A/C and a breakfast buffet. There were plenty of great restaurants within easy walking distance, as well as the Vatican.

Our tour guide for the Colosseum and Roman Forum was great. Pompeii was amazing. Our tour guide was basically a celebrity down there and knew exactly how to take us around the ruins without ever waiting.

Tuscany was our favorite by far. We did a cheese-making experience and lunch that was super-cool. The kids got to play with the farm animals and the owners were so attentive and interesting. We did a cooking class with a chef that was the kids' favorite thing on the entire trip. I would make a point to book this experience; the kids still talk about it and wear the aprons around the house. The resort in Tuscany was nice. We had our own private pool, plus the resort pool, and could easily walk to a small local town with some great food.

Venice was good, but probably our least favorite on the trip. You have to walk a ton, which was difficult for the kids, but it's still worth experiencing.

We travel a bunch and I would highly recommend using Zicasso's travel partner.

Zicasso’s travel professional crafted an unforgettable Sicily trip for our group of seven. After discussing our preferences, she designed a flawless itinerary, incorporating unique experiences that became trip highlights. Her communication was exceptional, with prompt responses to our questions before the trip and daily updates for the next day's activities, including driver and guide details, which were incredibly helpful.

We stayed at superb hotels in Taormina, Agrigento, Palermo, and Cefalù, each with stunning views and private tours. Sicily’s warm, hospitable people stood out compared to other European destinations. At our hotel on Via Leonardo da Vinci in Taormina, the staff greeted us warmly, setting a perfect tone. Other stops included Mount Etna, Erice, Castelbuono, and Savoca. All of these locations were great, but don't miss Castelbuono!

Two standout experiences were private meals with families. Near Erice, a chef and his family welcomed us into their sea-view home, preparing amazing Sicilian meals that felt like dining with family. In Palermo, another home chef and her husband created a similarly memorable evening, with lots of great conversation and stories.

Every driver was professional, friendly, and informative, while our guides — often archaeologists or historians — were engaging and knowledgeable.

Highlights included a welcome dinner in Taormina, a farm cooking class, two wine tours with lunch, a Mount Etna hike, a Valley of the Greek Temples tour, town and village tours, cheese and pastry tastings near Cefalù, and a farewell dinner. The Godfather tour in Savoca was special, with our guide introducing us to a local who played Apollonia’s mother, waving from her balcony.

Our travel professional's meticulous planning and personal touches made this trip extraordinary. Thanks to Zicasso for matching us with the tour company and we highly recommend them for a perfect Sicilian/Italian adventure!

I was connected with the travel company through Zicasso. What an amazing trip! Many thanks to our travel designer of the travel company!!!

Our travel designer and her expert team planned a trip to Sicily for my husband and I, my siblings, and my sister-in-law. We were six and everything about the trip was executed beautifully and with great attention to every detail.

We chose to go to Taormina, Cefalù, Palermo, and Ortigia Island, flying direct in and out of Catania. Our travel designer arranged all transfers by private van for the six of us and we never had to worry where or when we were going anywhere. She was able to make changes on the spot and accommodate our every wish.

Planning the trip was so easy, as she was available to chat with me on the weekends to answer questions and clarify details. She even made dinner reservations in every city. I cannot say enough about her willingness to be available and the choices she helped us make. From the terrific winery near Mount Etna to a drive up Etna, guided tours (we had an incredibly fabulous art historian showing us the churches of Palermo), a day at leisure on the beaches of Cefalù, and an amazing cooking class in Palermo, where we learned about and visited the markets, and made pasta and cannoli, every experience was better than the one before it.

We definitely recommend, with five stars, the travel company. Have them plan your trip to Italy! This was my first time back to Europe since 2004 and it was stellar!

I surely will use this company when I plan new trips to Italy, and Zicasso as well!

When we were trying to decide where to go, we chatted with travel partners in several European destinations. Zicasso chooses the best of the best and our experiences with each of them was exceptional!

We will be back to Zicasso when we travel to other destinations!!