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This is the number one question I get and and the hardest question to answer because I don't have pre-set, pre-packaged tours just sitting on my website so you can see the package and the price and decide for yourself. Here at Custom Tours of Italy I work with you through many conversations to determine how you'd like to travel and where you'd like to go an what you'd like to do before we can determine what a trip is going to cost. I work alone and pride myself on being able to taylor make your trip to exactly how you want to experience Italy. It could your first time there or you've been there before on a packaged tour or a Cruise ship "drive by" and now you want to get more into a more real Italian experience and want to hire a private guide. Italy is by far the hardest country to travel in but it's the most rewarding in my opinion. The combination of the cities, the sites, the food and the people won me over starting way back in 1997. If you've started looking into all the tour companies and all the possibilities and are turned off on some of the things that come with the tours then you've landed on the right place by googling "private Italian tour guides". If you've started to try to start planning your trip yourself and are realizing that it's a lot harder then you thought it would be, then you've landed on the right place. I'm an Italy tour expert and only do Italy and love to show people this great country year after year. Often times many of my trips come in around $400 a day per person and sometimes that includes your coach airfare as well. That means we're staying in decent 3 and 4 star places and NOT splurging on Business class airfare and 5 star hotels everywhere. BUT, if thats how you want to travel, 5 star hotels and Business class and you like that, then I book that, then we do that... If you have a set amount of days, say only 14 days for a vacation and you're not retired yet - I can work with that. That means for me, I can book us into 4 locations and 3 nights in each place, 12 days in Italy - I usually don't book less then this, too much moving anything else. If you're retired and you have 21 days to go to Italy then we obviously go to more places. The first step is that you're googling alternative ways to get yourself to Italy thats not on a pre-set pacakged tour or cruise ship. This is where I come into play. Use my email form on the site and let's get you started for your custom private tour vacation of Italy. Chris T,.....ciao!

Well, I just got back from a 10 day trip to Sicily in October and I can tell you it's great, very affordable and a lot less tourists. So, what's it gonna cost you for a privately guided Sicilian vacation trip?,....that's a loaded question because it all depends on how you want to travel,.... Do you only want to stay in cities in 5 star hotels or are you willing to stay on Farm Agriturismo's to really get into the Sicilian culture?....these are the things I work with you on determining then we first decide how you want to spend your money on accommodations. From there we determine what you like and want to see and then I book as many things as possible ahead of time. I work alone and have been doing this for so many years now I know exactly how to go about these things. Generally speaking, with my daily guiding fee and all my expenses, a lot of my tours end up around $350 to $400 per day per person often times including your airfare as well, depends if you're flying business class or not?,....I can also be part of your air travel and find you a really great route and airfare,..I like to possibly meet my tourists en-route so we all arrive together. Ok, so in Sicily there's lots to see and do and a lot less travel time between the East Coast and West Coast and there is an airport in Palermo on the West Coast and an airport on the East coast in Catania. Mount Etna is the Volcano that is right next to Catania airport so sometimes flights are diverted or canceled to there so a round trip through Palermo is less risky but Catania in general has no problems. I just flew into there and out of there 10 days later with no problems at all. The northern East coast of the island has the beautiful and historic city of Taormina and the Godfather filming town of Savoca. Catania itself is gritty but has a rich history and some great things to see like the daily fish market, Piazza Duomo and Piazza Bellini, named after the Composer Vincenzo Bellini, originally from Catania. South of Catania you'll find Siracusa and the island of Ortigia and further south west of there are the small Baroque hill top towns of Noto, Modica and Ragusa. As we work our way over to the East coast of the island we stop off in the middle at Piazza Armerina and the Villa Romana di Casale to visit an ancient Roman Villa with floor Mosaics,...super fascinating! In the south West portion of Sicily we definitely go and see the famous Greek temples from 455 BC in Agrigento with a stop off in the seaside village of Sciacca. Continuing up to the Northern shore, no trip is complete without a few nights in Palermo - it's a very walkable city with great Churches and Palaces and the biggest opera Hall in all of Italy at Teatro Massimo. Sicily has some of the best food in all of Italy with some dishes that are only iconic to the island. Pasta ala Norma in Catania, Pasta ala Sarde in Palermo, Cannoli's and Arranicino - both of Arabic origin - to die for....and the price of everything in Sicily is less. If you have the desire to visit Sicily, don't hesitate,....it's safe, crime is way less than many years ago and the Mafia doesn't close down things for days anymore. If you have family roots from Sicily - even better - I can take you to their town and help you research your family tree. I just was in my Tedesco family hometown. This is a very good reason to travel to Sicily with me. Let's book your custom vacation to Sicily with a private guide today!

I talk with a lot of perspective travelers and lots of people want to know up front, "hey, what's it's going to cost us for a Custom tour vacation of Italy, the custom part sounds expensive"? Well, since your CUSTOM vacation tour of Italy will be different than any of my other guided trips I CANNOT give you a complete answer up front until we start putting your trip together. What I can tell you is that generally the trips per person/per day are in a range of $400ish a day, per person which many times INCLUDES the airfare and all the costs including me as well EXCEPT for meals and drinks. The only thing I cannot figure is the lunch/dinner and drinks costs. The "per day" is a general figure if we're not traveling staying in 5 Star hotels but 3 and 4 star hotels. This will include all your tourist activities and travel costs of trains and or rental cars. Now, when you look around at some of the pre-packaged tours, airfare is RARELY included and sometimes there's a few meals but not all lunches and dinners are included. All tour attractions are in there and the guides are included as well - usually there is ground transfers too. Well, I do all the same things as a pre-packaged tour company does as far as the planning and booking of things but I do it all myself because I'm the Italy expert, only tour guiding in Italy, by myself, WITH YOU! Whatever you do, I do! This one on one experience is very special because I'm just as invested in the trip as you are. I'm there with you all the time translating, escorting and guiding you so you'll have the time of your life on your own custom vacation trip in Italy. Often times you have a pre-set idea of how long you can go for and retired folks can generally travel longer, often time up to 3 weeks. The biggest problem with the initial talks about where to go and what to see is that most people want to do too much in too short a time frame. I've found that 3 nights minimum stays are the best way to do a custom tour in Italy because usually your arrival to a location is in the afternoon and you really cannot plan a tour attraction that first afternoon or night. So, technically you're staying for 2.5 days there and the next 2 days are when you can get the tourist activiities in. Any moving less then 3 nights just feels like a travel race, a travel competition, a travel marathon.....too exhausting packing up every 3rd morning. For example, if you only have 7 days in Italy that's flat out too short unless we go to 2 locations and fan out day trips from those two locations. if you have 9 days, that's 3 locations, 12 days that's 4 locations, 15 days that's 3 locations, etc etc. If this sounds like it's for you, let's talk about crafting your custom tour of Italy anywhere from 4 to 6 months, or longer in advance......

So, you're exploring a trip to Italy and it doesn't matter if you've been there before or this is the first time, all you do know is that you started to look at packaged tours riding on a bus with 20 other people you don't know and they're trip is moving too fast moving PLUS there's things in there you don't want to do. So what do you do next? Well, you next type in private escorted tour guided trips to Italy and you see all the big company possibilities and then finally you find my site....Custom Tours of Italy. I work alone, I am the owner, the founder and the professional private Italian tour guide who will personally escort you the whole trip - I even book the airfare for you and meet you en-route on the way there. I started Custom Tours of Italy to cater to people that don't want a pre-packaged Italy tour, that don't want to be rushed around while in Italy and most importantly, wanted to create their own unique Italy vacation tour that was made to order. I meet you on-line and then we do iPhone Facetime calls or Zoom calls to get to know each other - you have to like me and I have to like you and all parties traveling. I don't automatically accept all invitations because we must determine if we're a good fit to travel together. I go with you, so whatever you do, I do.....so you see my investment in this is as much yours as it is mine. I have great suggestions and past experiences from the North of Italy down to Sicily and back and guide you through your decision making planning your trip - usually about 6 months in advance. You cannot book airfare more than 10 months in advance. We can agree to travel together a year in advance but can't book things straight away. The process is of putting together your trip is fun because we find exactly what you want to do and then make reservations for all of it in advance so you have a nice relaxed stress free trip while in Italy or Sicily. I'm usually in Italy or Sicily a few times a year and when I'm not there I'm researching and studying. There's never a bad time to go to Italy but it is hot in the summer months of July and August so if you don't want to sweat, we don't don't go then.....like I mentioned before, it's Custom Tours of Italy and we plan your trip when you want, where you want and why you want. It's that simple........ciao!

Okay, so lets say you only have 9 days off - you'll have 2 days of travel (one there and one back) and you want to go to Italy so bad and you're wondering if 7 days there is even do-able?..well, yes it is. Now, the next thing to do is determine what you want and like to see the most and then make the decision to NOT move around too much while there - this is the classic first timer mistake I see the most. Assume you will go back and decide to only move once after being there, thats right, once,...... NOW, you will need an experienced private guide with you the whole way maximizng your time there so you don't have to worry about the details,....this is what I do,..... I craft your trip from your plane reservations, the hotels or farm stays and all the tourist activities and restaurants, etc....... So, the next question what does a week itinerary look like? well, that all depends.....are you a Foodie and Wine person and want to stay on 2 Farms?,...... are you a Roman history person?,.. are you an Art person and only wanting to stay in Florence for a week?….or do you want to only do Sicily?,....these are the things we determine together and then you set me loose to set up your trip for you,......this is the beauty of Custom Tours of Italy and your ability to have your very own private vacation trip to Italy or Sicily. With only 7 days there, that to me is basically staying at the max, 2 places - one place for 4 nights and one place for 3 nights. The beauty of this is that you stay and only unpack two times while there, many of the other cheaper pre-packaged tour companies have you staying 2 nights per location,....this is not a good pace for anyone at any age,....I have a minimum of 3 nights in locations and find this is the best way to travel,..especially for Italy. While you're at these locations you're seeing the things in that town but you're also available to do day trips around and away from the town, all very easy by trains. If we're staying on a Farm in the country then we'll have a car for day trips,...there's no need for a car in any big city in Italy,....ever! These are the things I know and I have tons of info for you,.......so let's plan your one week vacation trip in Italy now,......ciao!

Yes, if you're dreaming of Italy like I always am, then maybe you're thinking of going to the Vatican Church for the first time or you're thinking of going to a Winery Agriturismo Farmhouse to stay for some time....... You see these places in Movies or TV shows or on Youtube and they're all accessible if you know how to book them, which is what I do. I'm a private tour guide only specializing in Italy and I work alone. No big agency and no big agency fees. I am Custom Tours of Italy and I work with you from the initial phone call to start the planning process of what you specifically want to do there in Italy. First timers welcome, repeat Italy travelers even better - then we do things you havent done before!...You tell me when you want to go and then we make a list of what you think you like and have seen on TV or the media and then I get busy looking at booking things. I like to book the airfare, I always book the hotels or farms, the tourist events and the restaurants in advance. I hire everything and evrybody and provide you with an update and itinerary and you approve the costs. I work with you on your budget and make sure you're comfortable with EVERYTHING! For instance,....I have people that aren't big Museum people for Paintings and such so we don't schedule those on their trips. They tell me they like to hike and see Castles and small town Medieval locations - so we drill down on those experiences. Sometimes I have tourists that only want to go to the big cities so we do those and only travel by train. Some folks only want to stay on a Farm Agriturismo for 10 days and just do day trips from there because they're foodies and wine people. We rent a car or SUV for these trips and explore. We do cooking classes and then we eat what we just made on those farms. We visit Wineries and have lunch there and taste the latest wines....this is "slow Italy" and so much fun. Let's start the process and book you your own Custom Tour of Italy soon. Ciao!

So you're poking around the internet checking out packaged tour companies tours to Italy and they're fairly high priced per person without airfare so now you're thinking you cannot afford a privately guided custom tour of Italy and maybe you can book the whole trip yourself? I can tell you that since I've been taking travelers to Italy for so many years, that it's exhausting trying to figure out how to book things there yourself. You need an expert who's been there, booked things there and an expert guide so you don't have to worry about a thing. Are you ready to have someone do all the work for you then have me escort you to Italy? This is what I do and love the challenge of making a custom Italy vacation trip for you,..I say it's all research for me because no two trips of mine guiding travelers is ever the same, ever! I can start with your airfare for you and your party and give you advice on where to fly into and out of, and then from there you tell me if you've ever been to Italy before and we start there. Been to Italy before? but it was too quick of a trip? Lots of folks have visited italy via the Cruise ship, so, we can re-visit some of the MUST DO's you have and also do the things you haven't done yet. Many of my tourists have been there before but now want to experience Italy on a local level possibly staying on a Farm Agriturismo for a week in Tuscany. Well, I have you covered there, some of my trips have ONLY BEEN just Farm stays the whole time. The four most common trips I get to make are to the cities of Venice, Florence, Rome and then a stay in the Tuscan countryside. I don't do less then 3 nights in any one location and some of these places warrant more then that. The first common mistake all of my travelers want to do is to move from place too much and try to see too much while in Italy. Assume you will go back and visit again, Italy is so much better if you just slow it down a bit. So, let me do all the travel planning for your custom tour of Italy planning the best privately guided Italy vacation for you, and then I go with you, speaking Italian the whole trip. Email me below to start the process, or you can call too! https://www.customtoursofitaly.com/

In all my travels to Italy and the countless trips guiding tourists there, whenever we've done a Farm Agriturismo stay, my tourists always say the time spent on the Farm was the absolute BEST days of the whole trip. So, let's explore why this is true, .....when I go on vacation with my family to Italy I go to the same farm I know in Southern Tuscany near Pienza in the Val D'Orcia and stay for a week,.....see below....... When I experienced my first Agriturismo Farm stay in the fall of 2013, I knew I was in for a special treat but had no idea how great it would be to experience Italy like a local, staying in a relaxing country farmhouse adjacent to a family who takes great pride in hundreds of years of their tradition in Farming, Wine making, Olive oil production etc. Here's the best part,......the Farm stay costs are WAY lower then staying in any big city! The Agriturismo Farm program is partially funded by the Italian government to get tourists to come to Italy so the owners are not allowed to make any more money as hoteliers then they're making as farmers, a typical double occupancy room with breakfast included is under 150 Euro a night, less then half or more than any large Italian city....you get double the culture for half the price,...... When I book you for a few days on an Agriturismo Farm stay in the country, most likely I've already vetted that location and have stayed there in the past, but I have booked Farms where it's my first time there but I know what to look for in a Agriturismo so you'll have a great relaxing time. Most importantly is the time away from the bigger tourist cities where a much needed break is needed from the hustle and bustle! These are stress free stays with day trips to smaller cities close by, or days of doing nothing but enjoying the farm and the people that run it. We definitely need a car to get to these Agriturismo Farms because the trains will get you to the nearest big city close by but not close enough to the farms. Tuscany seems to be where most tourists are dreaming of but these Agriturismo Farm stays are all over Italy from high up in the North to the Calabria in the South, to Sicily and Sardinia too. When we book an Agriturismo Farm stay in Italy you get a clean, rustic room with a bathroom, European Italian breakfast is always included and then the option to eat dinner on the farm for around 30 to 40 Euro each and everything included. I like the smaller farms that have 4 or 5 rooms compared to the larger farms that have many rooms and a restaurant that has a set menu every night of the week. Don't get me wrong, the larger farms are very charming but just not as intimate.....when you pull up to any of these Farms it's just like you see in the movies......the views are picture perfect postcards! Back in the fall of 2023 I had a couple who said they didn't want to stay in any cities, so I booked them on a Agriturismo Farm outside of Florence, then my favorite farm outside of Pienza, a Farm outside of Rome near Frascati, up the mountain on a Farm outside of Sorrento and a Farm outside of Matera on the East Coast,....... 22 days in all and not one city stay...... www.customtoursofitaly.com

If you have 3 weeks and you're ready to go to Italy, here's a possible Italy vacation package that covers a lot of the 6 popular places I would guide you on. We fly into Milan and stay 3 nights and see sights like the Duomo, the Last Supper painting and the La Scala Opera house. Milan is big urban city but has so much great history so it's a great beginning to your Italy vacation trip. Next up is the high speed train to Venice for 3 nights. Dreaming of a Gondola ride?..me too!. Venice is so unique and romantic but it can be touristy and expensive - you need a private guide for a place like Venice. Piazza Saint Marco is one of the most iconic in all of Italy. We also day trip it to the island of Murano for the glass blowing factories and we can also possibly do day trip it to gorgeous Verona. Next we take the train to Florence and get a rental car after arriving there but go to my favorite farm Agriturismo in Southern Tuscany for 3 or 4 nights. My past travelers always say this was the best part of their trip so I book this portion of your Italy vacation first as the Farm stays fill up fast. Imagine waking up in the rolling hills of Tuscany on a farm just like you see in the movies. Here we do day trips to smaller Medieval towns and have a more relaxing pace. We also do a cooking class on the farm as well. After the Farm stay we drive back to Florence, ditch the car and stay in heart of the Renaissance for 3 or 4 nights. So much Art and culture to see here, I never get tired of it. The Uffizzi art Museum, Michelangelo's statue of David, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and of course the food...the food! oh, and the wine! After Florence, you ready to go to Rome?.......we train it from Florence to Rome and stay for 3 nights. Rome is exactly what you see in the Movies and TV! Ancient history everywhere you turn, busy as heck but so great to immerse yourself back in the splendors Rome. The Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and of course Saint Peters Basilica and the Vatican Museum. After you're done with the big city we hop 2 trains, one to wild and crazy Naples BUT we don't stay there because we then get a smaller train to the much quieter Sorrento which is one hour south so we can be on the gorgeous Amalfi coast. I hope you like lemons? We stay here for 3 nights and do day trips to the island of Capri, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast....flat out amazing and a great wind down on your trip. When we're done with Sorrento we reverse it back up north to Rome for one night but stay right by the airport in order to fly the following morning from Rome. You will not believe how fast your 21 day Italy travel package has gone by, BUT you'll have long lasting lifetime memories and you did it all with a private guide within your budget.

It's still not too late to plan a Italy vacation trip for the Fall of 2025. When I say Fall, I'm saying September, after all the schools and colleges have started again and into October all the way to the end. The crowds go down quite a bit after Labor Day and the weather is generally good even through the end of October. This deals are incredible this year for last minute reservations and why not take advantage of them to start booking your private Italy vacation here in July to travel after the first week in September. The next question is this: do you want to do all the planning yourself OR, can you afford a private, escorted tour guide to do it all for you and be with you and your group the whole time? The answer is yes because I'm the Italy travel expert and can save you a bunch of time by planning it all for you and then show you the greatest country in the world at a price point that works for you without you going on a pre-pacakged tour that moves you every 2 days. Custom Tours of Italy is your source for the best budget friendly, fully escorted Italy vacation packages. I work alone and love the challenge to be able to provide the greatest experience for first time Italy travelers or return Italy travelers that want to go to different places and experience Italy on the local level. I listen to what you like and don't like and then I get busy. Turn me loose and within a few days I will have something for you to look at that even includes possible airfare for you as well. I work up an Excel spreadsheet and you approve all the costs before you spend a dime. Venice, Florence and Rome for the first time travelers? Easy enough and no need for a car whatsoever - we do all trains. Want to go to the countryside? then we rent a car and go stay on a Agriturismo Farm to see how the real Italians work and live. There is an email form on the home page and my cell is there as well. Let's begin to plan your private Italy vacation package today! Ciao!

If you think you can book your airfare, your hotels and all your tourist activities and you've NEVER BEEN to Italy before think again. Yes, we do have this thing called the internet and all things are possible but it is information overload when it comes to Italy. It's definintley not for the first timers. There's lots of information on all the websites that have reviews from other travelers and their experiences,....but are they really real reviews? This is the problem, sometimes they're not. All these companies are trying to get your business and well, they're just not going to be great truthful information. Trip advisor is flooded with fake posts, Yelp has fake restaurant reviews,.....see where this is going? There's nothing better then an experienced Italy travel guide who's been to where you want to go many many times. So, now you're thinking how in the world can I possibly afford a private Italian tour guide? I'll tell ya,....... If you're looking at a medium priced tour company pre-packaged Italy tour like Trafalgar, Globus, Perillo, etc - you're looking at $400 to $500 per day per person without airfare. That will have pre-set hotels with breakfast included, a few lunches and a few dinners and all the pre-set tourist activties. Those tours will have you on a bus with 25 other people and they don't have you staying any longer then 2 nights anywhere so you're always unpacking and packing up your things so much you'll feel like you're on a workout vacation instead of a relaxing dream vacation to Italy. I craft my tours around how many days you want to go, what you like to do and then we never stay less then 3 nights anywhere PLUS, I only usually schedule one tourist activity after breakfast and another one after lunch and never schedule one on a travel day just in case of changes. We don't jam in 3 things a day and whisk you around so you feel like you have "tour whiplash". "What's this going to cost me"? well, it's going to cost you exactly what you want to afford. I only book what you can afford and want to do......this is why I started Custom Tours of Italy. I wanted to share this great country with you and escort you on your trip because I'm so passionate about Italy being the greatest country to visit in Europe. Yes you do have an extra person, me, to pay for but it's an investment in your trip that doesn't break the bank. I only do Italy and I only work bymself. Let me show you how you can afford a private guide to Italy, so return to the home page and email me or call me and let's get you on your private Italy vacation soon. Ciao........

If you've already been to Italy a few times to the most touristed major cities of Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Tuscany, Naples, and the Amalfi coast but have never been to Puglia, pronounced "POOL YA", well you're in for one of Italy's greatest regions that is NOT over touristed yet. Puglia is a little harder to get to as it's usuallly a flight to one of the major hubs of Milan or Rome and then a short flight to Bari. Often times I fly into Rome and then drive across to the east coast. Bari is fairly big port town that has cleaned up it's act quite a bit and it has a few things that are attractive for tourists. South of Bari are the towns of Polignano Mare and Monopoli - true coastal gems with great history, some great restaurants and coastal sights. Farthest southwest in this region is Matera and many visit this region just for this town. Matera is supposedly the 3rd oldest town in the world and it's has a great old world vibe to it and it's enjoying a renaissance with many hotels and restaurants built right into where the old caves used to be. It's a fascinating place and a must in this area. Not too far from Bari is the small town of Castellana Grotte, actually where two of my great grandparents came from and I have still have cousins in this area. You go to Castellana Grotte to visit the underground caves there. It's a very interesting site with a great guided tour and amazing day for all my tour groups. The small town of Alberobello is another big attraction because of the "Trulli" huts that are the round houses that have a pointed tops to them. These were originally buildings built by the Turks way back when and now they are converted to Hotels, Restaurants and farm stay Agriturismo's. The Olive oil in Puglia is some of the best in the world. The Olive trees are some the oldest in Italy because actually they originally came from Greece. Yes, that's right Greece. Southern Italy and Sicily were called "Magna Greccia" as it was ruled by the Greeks in 500 BC. Also, the bread and Pasta in Puglia are incredible as is the local produce and of course the Seafood. The whole region has a less hectic vibe to it and a much more relaxed way of life. I love bringing tourists to Puglia. Let's talk about your private tour of Italy in Puglia.