The Best of Tuscany - Past Travelers' Reviews

In a word, flawless. From the pre-planning support, including a custom post-trip extension to the comprehensive, yet relaxing itinerary, it far exceeded my expectations, as this was our first time using a tour company. Federica, our tour leader was delightful and incredibly organized. The individual tour guides were passionate and knowledgeable, and as we walked through the various museums, towns, etc., I always felt we had the ""best of the best"". The boutique hotels were perfectly located so you had incredible views and easy walking access to the key attractions. Finally, it was a nice small group we traveled with and all had unique backgrounds and a willingness to engage, all while my wife & I felt we had plenty of personal time. A perfect mix.

I have highly recommended Tuscany Tours to many of my friends now that we have returned and look forward to joining them on a 2nd excursion in 2026.

Jay Reilly, Best of Tuscany, September 2024

We had a wonderful vacation with Tuscany Tours! They are so thoughtful and professional. Every question we had was answered quickly and their guidance and booking extra tours was exceptional. I was thrilled with all the hotels and the tour guides were all fabulous. It truly was a wonderful way to experience Tuscany through art, history, wine and food! Frederica was so patient, thoughtful, and easy going. Her experience, knowledge and relationships truly made this an exceptional experience. The whole experience was perfect!

Una Reilly, Best of Tuscany, September 2024

We loved our trip! There wasn't a hotel, a tour or a meal we didn't love! Every detail felt personally chosen for us. Our guide was Federica and she was incredible!! We would do this all over again and we highly recommend Tuscany Tours.

Amber D'Amico, Best of Tuscany, September 2024

Throughout the trip, I learned so much history. Florence and Cortona's long walks across the cities and museums were wonderful. The excursion to Brolio castle and Etruscan museum were highlights of Siena and Cortona for me. Pam's village and its church were charming. We had great guides. Ben was our guide for the entire trip. He is wonderful - kind, interesting, knowledgeable, helpful. In a word - the perfect guide. Leonardo - our Florence museum’s guide, was knowledge and [his] ability to deliver is absolutely amazing. He left me speechless. The tour group was wonderful! And the locals were always friendly and kind.

Klara Brodsky, Best of Tuscany, May 2024

Our Best of Tuscany Tour truly was The Best! It surpassed expectation. Every aspect of our Tuscany Tour went so smoothly, it was a jolt to return to the "real world." Benjamin was amazing. The perfect host and guide. We're now dreaming of Sicily and another Tuscany Tour, with Benjamin!

Carola Bundy, Best of Tuscany, May 2024

So amazing. Great tour leader. Great group of fellow travelers. And the wine, the food the gelato! Great hotels. Wonderful itinerary! I can't say enough. Highly recommend Tuscany Tours. Ben was the best! He was attentive, knowledgeable, interesting, and took very good care of us. The guides we had at the various museums, Siena, also were great. Everyone so knowledgeable. Learned so much on the art and history of the Tuscany region. Also wanted to mention the compatibility of the group. That also made this tour very special as everyone seemed to really enjoy each other and learn each others backgrounds. Was just the right number of people.

Carolyn Mitchell, Best of Tuscany, May 2024

I have traveled extensively on my own and with groups and this tour was five star from start to finish! They've thought of everything and it was a joy to bring my 85-year-old mother on this experience of a lifetime! Highly recommend and would travel with them again without hesitation. They've chosen amazing hotels and places to eat and enjoy the local culture and travel sites and have covered all of the logistics for maximum comfort. Staff and guides are beyond professional and really cater to every need! Tuscany Tours has thought of everything! From comprehensive communication leading up to the trip to itinerary updates and sweet little surprises along the way! Leonardo in Florence, Federica in Siena, Giovanni in Cortona were absolutely phenomenal! And our personal guide throughout the tour, Benjamin, was a saint and a soldier and a friend and a wealth of information and compassion! Kudos to Pam and Sara and Rubina and Benjamin for providing an amazing adventure!

Terri Prechtl, Best of Tuscany, May 2024

The Best of Tuscany tour was all we hoped for and more. Starting with our amazing guide, Ben, and including the incredible food, wine, accommodations, sightseeing, and experiences, it was a trip of a lifetime for my husband and me. There were so many highlights, but three standouts were a visit to Poggio Molina for lunch, the cooking class in Cortona, and the Glass Palace in Siena. All would not be possible in a large group tour setting, but the smaller group allowed us to experience Tuscany in unique, more intimate settings. Ben was a wonderful tour guide, and Federica and Giovanni were also amazing. We had a fabulous group of people on the tour which made it even better. It's obvious that Tuscany Tours cares about their clients and providing the best vacation possible!

Sharon Pass, Best of Tuscany, May 2024

The entire team at Tuscany Tours were amazing. Decades of experience in the region allowed them to cultivate critical relationships that resulted in a series of great hotels, restaurants, guides and experiences. Clearly years of experience alone isn't the only ingredient in making a great trip. It also takes incredible people who genuinely care about their guests. We had an incredible host - Ben. An amazing Renaissance man of knowledge- history, art, wine... too many things to mention. Equally as important is his warmth, patient and his incredible story telling.

Trip of a lifetime.

Tom McCann, Best of Tuscany, May 2024

We had a great adventure from Florence to Venice!  Ben and Ludo were simply spectacular in every respect.  We loved them. They truly cared about each and every one of us and made us feel special. Your itineraries were rich with high quality hotels, restaurants, experiences and tour guides. And everything operated on time. Amazing!

Pam, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a treasure! I’ve never met anyone with a higher standard of excellence. You radiate joy and competence. Your team including the guides embody your work ethic and are such high quality individuals.   Jeff and I appreciate all that Tuscany Tours did for us and are so impressed with the high quality of you and your Team.  We look forward to scheduling something fun again with you.

Cynthia Knox, Best of Tuscany, September 2023

We could not be more pleased with our trip and the experience with Tuscany Tours. It really felt like we had a "back stage pass" to Italy. Our guides, Benjamin and Ludovica were amazing. I can't say enough great things about Pam and her team. We will be traveling with Tuscany tours again for sure.

Christopher Cromer, Best of Tuscany, September 2023

The Best of Tuscany tour is a great mix of traditional viewing of art, architecture, churches, and museums, but combines with other activities that are fun! Cooking class, wine tasting, and amazing dinners in restaurants make each day an unforgettable experience. Benjamin and Ludo are both outstanding. They are so knowledgeable, competent, and trustworthy, all the while they are casual, relaxed, and clearly enjoying themselves. Notably, Ludo kept us perfectly on schedule. She is also a very warm and caring person. Ben is also extremely personable, easy going, & very capable in every way. Sara in Florence is passionate about the arts, and she gives articulate and interesting explanations of each piece. Beatriccia in Florence also very knowledgeable and expressive. Excellent!

Patricia, Best of Tuscany, September 2023

Tuscany Tours delivers a unique travel experience combining the personal touch of a small company with extensive knowledge of Tuscany and the direct contacts with owners of the local venues where we enjoyed our small group visits. Both Ludo and Ben were knowledgeable, gracious and friendly. I would like to travel with them again.

Tom Dinolfo, Best of Tuscany, September 2023

Tuscany Tours is all about immersion into the heart of Italy! Authentic experiences, genuine people, exposure to history through artwork and story and delicious food round out this most exquisite tour! The combination of experiences all weave a story together. It was magical. Sarah was a magnificent story teller, which brought the artwork and sculptures to life. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime! Hope to repeat soon with a new area of Italy!

Paige Graham, Best of Tuscany, September 2023

The Best of Tuscany was magic from the very beginning.  We enjoyed a comprehensive experience from Florence, to Radda-in-Chianti, to Cortona, and finally back to Florence.  The tours, the food, the wonderful guides, Ludo and Ben: all were the best we could ask for.

The best things were the pace of the trip—never being rushed, and a lot of time for socializing.  We enjoyed the most delightful traveling companions who are still communicating via the WhatsApp.  I daresay we came away with friends!

Kathy Martin, Best of Tuscany, September 2023

We had an outstanding Best of Tuscany tour with our exceptional tour leader Benjamin! Everything about the trip - accommodations, meals, travel, free time, activities, museums, cathedrals and local sights - was organized and executed perfectly.

Kudos to Benjamin, who, in addition to his extensive knowledge of Tuscan history, art and the region in general, made sure that every moment of the trip was a pleasure! In addition we had terrific local guides in Florence (Nicholas), Siena (Ludovica) and Cortona (Giovanni). Thoroughly enjoyed visiting/seeing the Duomo, David and the Uffizi in Firenze, and the walking tours of Siena and Cortona. And special thank you to Pam for the impromptu tour of San Gusme!

Ed Malone, Best of Tuscany, June 2023

Best of Tuscany is an excellent and well-planned combination of culture, history and stunning scenery. Professional, highly knowledgeable and personally interactive guides were exceptional. We also thoroughly enjoyed our tour companions and accompanying guide. The spectacular cathedrals and priceless art and sculpture of Florence and Siena are unmatched. Particular highlights were the personalized and fun cooking class with Netta and the breathtaking scenery through the Tuscan hills.

Helen and Harold Cook, Best of Tuscany, June 2023

We loved our Best of Tuscany Tour! It was a nice balance of tour time and alone time to explore. Everything was planned very well. Highly recommend Ben, he was the perfect guide. Giovanni in Cortona was also the best. He was informative and funny.

Nancy Glaim, Best of Tuscany, June 2023

This was my second trip with Tuscany Tours, and I can't say enough about how what a fantastic experience I had. Every detail is well planned and executed. I can't say enough about the professionalism of our tour leader and tour guides. The whole trip was awesome.

I went on the Amalfi Coast Tour 10 years ago and the Best of Tuscany Tour this year. I won't be waiting another 10 years to travel again with Tuscany Tours.

Janet Green, Best of Tuscany, June 2023

Tuscany Tours was an incredible group to travel with! Not only did we see amazing things in the Tuscany region, but we met amazing people (locals and in our own tour group!). I loved being immersed with the local people like when we visited the glass rooftop in Siena or when we made dinner with Netta in her beautiful countryside home! These experiences were so special and not things I'd have been able to do had I just gone to Italy on my own! I thought our activities were wonderful. I felt like we had a great balance of on the go things, educational things, and down time which was very nice. I thought our guides were very good too, especially Hilda in Florence who took a small group of us around the Uffizi. And of course it goes without saying that Ben, our tour leader, was phenomenal. He was really the kindest, most genuine person who was funny, enjoyable to listen to, and really brought the whole group together. It would not have been the amazing trip that it was without Ben!

This was the trip of a lifetime and I'm so happy I had the opportunity to go! I'd highly recommend taking one of their tours!

Erin Luther, Best of Tuscany, June 2023

This was a very well organized and lovely tour that immersed us in the wonderful art and culture of the Tuscany region. Many truly beautiful memories remain. I am grateful to Ludovica. Jaimi and Pam and their van drivers who navigated us safely around Tuscany!

Sue Falls, Best of Tuscany, September 2022

Tuscany Tours met all our expectations and more. The sites we visited were excellent and the food was marvelous. The small group atmosphere made the trip more enjoyable and I did not feel I was just a number to be herded from one place to another. The accommodations were very good and the services were great. Ludovica is so exceptional. She took care of everything and was very personable. We all wanted to bring her home with us.

I will travel with Tuscany Tours again if I get the chance.

Carolynn Burton, Best of Tuscany, September 2022

The “Best of Tuscany” tour is certainly one of the most wonderful vacation experiences of our lifetime! It has it ALL ---- in-depth exposure to the region’s history, culture, world renown art & sculptures as conveyed by very knowledgeable & enthusiastic local guides, fantastic Italian cuisine daily (including a varied selection of delicious local wines), lovely scenic trips through the beautiful Chianti countryside of Tuscany --- all of this accompanied by Tuscany Tour’s own very helpful & conscientious guides. As an added bonus was the friendly & congenial nature of our fellow travelers. The “Best of Tuscany” is at the top of our travel list!

Jeanne & Robert Dullea, Best of Tuscany, September 2022

Tuscany Tours created an awesome tour for us. It was an experience we will never forget. We appreciated the planning and arrangements. We also found the travel tips supplied before our departure helpful. The meals and wines were amazing! We liked the local homes we visited, gave us a feel for what it might be like to live there. We especially enjoyed the time in the countryside and the vineyards. Our guide, Ludavica was knowledgeable, kind, perceptive, and incredibly fun.
We would highly recommend-we would go again in a heartbeat!

Carol Dawes, Best of Tuscany, September 2022

We loved our trip! Foremost was the fact that everyone on the "staff" was always available and prompt in replying to our most mundane requests! Even our pre and post trip issues! Our guide, Ludovica, is the most sincere, delightful, engaging, and knowledgeable young lady she could have possibly been! Everyone on the trip thoroughly loved her! The sites visited were well chosen and spectacular in their ability to give us a true picture of Tuscany! We loved the food choices as well! Everything was well conceived and planned out to perfection!

Ken & Bonnie Mumm, Best of Tuscany, September 2022

It would take me many pages to tell about all the things I loved about this tour.  Our hosts, Ludovica and Jamie, were tops!  Knowledgeable, well organized and fun. Our guides were excellent. I learned so I much about history and art and the vibrant Italian life and culture, which was still alive and well all around us, even after all the centuries. Our fellow traveling companions were jolly good company as well— fun, friendly and interesting.                                                                                                            

A favorite memory for me was being a guest at Claudio and Alba's home and vineyard, where wine grapes were being harvested carefully by hand. Alba and family served us all a home-cooked feast accompanied by fine local wine.  It truly was like a happy family gathering.  Our bus driver delighted us by playing lovely music on panpipes while we ate dessert. It was a relaxed and beautiful time together.

JoAnn Dick, Best of Tuscany, September 2022

Thoughtfully and efficiently organized with great accommodations and dining venues and designed for maximum exposure to culture, cuisine, wine, and art within a relatively small window of time, especially given the richness and diversity of the Tuscan experience which really deserves a lifetime of engagement. Absolutely wonderful guides (especially Ludovica and Jaimi), every bit as engaging and approachable as they are knowledgeable about the sites and the people we encountered.

Tuscany Tours knows how to tour and in ways that will inspire you to travel again and again with them.

Michael Briggs, Best of Tuscany, September 2022

Well thought out, considerate trip which engages everything about Tuscany. The 2 guides were terrific. Ben-wonderful in every way. Fedda-delightful. Cannot say enough good things about both. Our group connected quickly and made the trip meaningful, leaving us with great memories.

Glory Platt, Best of Tuscany, June 2022

This trip was amazing, almost magical I would say! We really enjoyed the lovely Tuscan towns and the beauty of the art and sculptures in the many museums we visited. Our group of 16 people were absolutely delightful. We loved our times together and especially those nights we shared wine on the hotel patios. All were there to enjoy their trip and to learn from our guides and each other. I would highly recommend this trip to anybody! The schedule was busy but helped us to maximize our time in Tuscany. The hotels and restaurants were top notch. We couldn't have asked for better.

OMG… Fede and Ben were just superb. They were so upbeat, positive, fun, knowledgeable, organized, helpful...I could go on and on. This was our first Tuscany Tour, but we decided our next would be anywhere they are going!

Kathy Polach, Best of Tuscany, June 2022

I have traveled extensively with many types of tours and this trip was by far my best experience traveling so far. The food, wine, accommodations and the tours, including the surprise stops, were all excellent. This all served to enhance the beauty and culture of the region. The guides were professional but warm and friendly. Fede was friendly and organized. She paid everyone individual attention. Very upbeat and social. Ben was the same, knowledgeable and funny. Did much behind the scenes work to make our trip seamless.

Joanne Prindle, Best of Tuscany, June 2022

This tour was far above expectations! Every day had a new adventure and experience with our wonderful tour guides Ben and Federica. I learned so much about Italy -- food, wine, history, art, culture. The hotels were excellent, meals were a great sampling of Italian cuisine, and the local tour guides really knew how to immerse us in Italy. I loved every minute of the trip… I will definitely be back to Italy in the future with Tuscany Tours.

Beverly Pierson, Best of Tuscany, June 2022

Best of Tuscany, or another title, Best Tour Ever!! From the moment we checked in and met with our group and guides, we had the best time learning, laughing, and all needs were taken care of from early morning to late at nights.
Learning about each place we stayed and the history of the past and how that continues in the present was one of our favorite things. Another was the small group made it easy to connect and look out for each other. Lastly, our guides, Fede and Ben were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
To our friends, you absolutely must go and enjoy the moments Tuscany Tours has to offer. The tour is magical.

Virginia Hayes, Best of Tuscany, June 2022

Greg and I have been on this same trip with Tuscany Tours. It was so wonderful the first time, we went back a second time to share with eight special friends. We could go again to the same locations and not be disappointed. We had so many personalities on our trip. Pam and the Tuscany Tours staff went beyond their commitments to make everyone happy and well satisfied. Special events, exquisite Italian food and wine, and a few awesome surprises were on our itinerary. Sam did it again! He rocks the Italian art scene! His knowledge of Renaissance history amazes and brought so much emotion into his presentation. All of the above, including fun, laughter, and great memories are my reasons for recommending Tuscany Tours.

Looking forward to trip 7 with Tuscany Tours

Gwen Brandon, Best of Tuscany, September 2021

Did I like my trip? I'll let you decide. This was our 6th trip with Tuscany Tours and our 2nd trip to Tuscany with Tuscany Tours. We did many of the same things we did the first time and we would do them again and again. Spending the day at Puggio Molina, eating wild boar, drinking their local bubbly and other wines is a taste of the after life. We saw things in museums in Florence and Cortona that we will remember forever. And we will continue taking trips with Tuscany Tours each year until the retirement account is empty.

Greg Brandon, Best of Tuscany, September 2021