Italy's Treasures

Wonderful cities,. Small group made it much more personall. Excellent tour guide from Collette.

The entire trip was most memorable as all my previous 7 trips with Colette have been. There are too many experiences to mention!

Tuscany! The scenery and food everywhere was phenomenal. The breakfasts at Villa Lecchi was an amazing array of pastries, fresh fruit and even pizza. Laura also offered to cook eggs to order!

Fantastic people, places and experiences

The hospitality of the people at Villa Lecchi in Tuscany

Best trip I ever experienced.

Excellent trip overall. Great Value for the experience. Very relaxed and well planned. Itinerary was planned and executed by Collette and local guides expertly. Would similar trip to Italy with this group again.

Carrara tour, Tuscany Villa and Sienna tour

great experiences only available to smaller groups, fabulous tour director, great price point, fine, clean accommodations.

Everything & our Safe bus driver Giovanni

everything was great except one of the hotels we stayed in. The beds and room furniture needed to be updated extremely bad. There wasn't even a stand to put the suitcase on.

The tour was fantastic and I would not change a thing.

Well organized small group tour of northern Italy with an excellent guide. Accommodations and food were very good. Itinerary was perfect. San Gimignano was a nice surprise. The cooking class in Tuscany was fun and it was very moving to visit the WWII American Cemetery in Florence. The churches in all of the cities we visited were awesome. I wouldn’t change a thing. I would suggest labeling this an activity level of 4, because of the amount of walking and standing required. It was difficult for several members of our group. We certainly got our steps in!

Marco was an excellent tour guide. He was fun, full of information and always organized. I enjoyed traveling with a smaller group and all of the tour choices were amazing.

It was amazing trip, do to our tour guide Giulio. He was fantastic

Our tour guide was fabulous! We did things we NEVER would have done on our own. We got to go inside the Carrera Marble quarries. Amazing!

It was the best tour I have ever had. It was my first trip to Italy, although I have been to Europe over 60 times for work. Everything was well planned and we visited places we would not have if we were on our own. It was well worth the cost

Chairs Brandi made our trip so enjoyable!

Tour was everything we could imagine. The accommodations, places, food, and tour guide Val was amazing.

Italy’s Treasure was an awesome tour. The places, the accommodations were beautiful, vineyards were beautiful, it was so much fun. Our tour guide Val was truly amazing and great fun. She made this tour a wonderful experience.

It was what I hoped for and more

Knowledgeable guides, small group

Tour manager was local, accommodations were good, and the tour inclusions wre great for this part of Italy

The engagement of one of our tour mates. Our TM made sure to make this event happen. Went over and above. She always went over and above to make sure our tour went smooth.

Great tour director, Antonella; hotels good locations; places visited meaningful and interesting.

The tour was perfect. Amazing accommodations, amazing sights to see, good amount of free time to explore & a wonderful tour manager!

Antanella was our tour manager she was amazing. Everything about our trip was wonderful. Great memories I would highly recommend this tour.

Lack of interest in some and some long bus rides. Lack of time to go on our own Some hotels had no place to visit for lunch or dinner. Simone was winderful

There was not as much free time as I had anticipated. Also tickets into famous museums and sites were not included.

Too much walking for seniors, most of us are in our seventy.

on site tour manager Ivan was fabulous!!!

The tour was better than my greatest expectations

Knowledgeable guides, fascinating itinerary, excellent accommodations and an overall wonderful experience.

Everything was so organized and tour manager and bus driver were the best. Knowledgeable, professional and really cared about us. Hotel selections were fantastic and the organized day trips were so unique. Also, I enjoyed the amount of free time we were provided.

The tour was wonderful. There were too many favorite experiences to pick just one. The tour manager was outstanding in every way!

This “Treasures of Italy” trip provided me with excellent planned excursions, fabulous foods & local wines. Our tour guide was a Treasure as well! This is my 4th Collette trip & one of my best

Wonderful itinerary and and an exceptional tour manager- Michela Lombardi

Villa Lecchio Cooking Class in Tuscany

The pre-planning and direct execution of this tour brought us far more joy than I had hoped; way beyond my expectations. The locations we visited and the hotels we stayed in were top-notch. Our Tour Guide (Elena) was very knowledgeable and perfectly, appropriately friendly. (Our only struggle was before the trip on account of the many COVID restrictions and paperwork).

I have been on Collette tours many times and have never been disappointed.

Always a great trip with Collette!!

Luigi (our tour manager, was INCREDIBLE! We have already booked our next tour group for next year and would like to request him. He is aware of our request and is excited to see us again if that can be arranged. The tours we did were perfect for our group. We loved all of them. Our driver, Raffaele was wonderful. The spots he squeezed that coach into earned him several rounds of applause. See the video I put together of our trip here: https://fb.watch/c_hv30Sp3g/ Some feedback that would improve the tour even more. The first hotel was INCREDIBLE! The location, furnishings, service...everything was 5 star. The next two hotels were in beautiful locations, had stunning views but they were nowhere near that first one. The second hotel in the castle was beautiful and again, in a great location, but the room bed was very uncomfortable with rock hard beds and flat pillows. The other issue at this property was that they had no luggage racks or places to put your luggage. so, our luggage was just left open on the floor. This was fine for us but I cannot imagine someone over 65 doing this and being ok with it. A couple of luggage rack, some new pillow and a foam pad on the bed and this would be a home run. As it was, I woke up every morning and my back and neck hurt from the poor bed and I am not even 50! The "tuscan villa" room was very disappointing based on our expectations. It was not in the Tuscany hills. The positive to that is that it was very close to the town square, but I would change the description to a hotel located in a converted villa to avoid disappointment for future travelers. The food was excellent there. Our view was of a courtyard that was very pretty but several in our group had a view of the roof or no view at all. This is very disappointing especially after the first two places. This hotel was switched out at the last minute for another because the first choice was under construction. It was a let down after the Regina Palace for sure. The hotel in Venice was perfect. Great location, comfy beds, and welcoming staff with a great breakfast. The Lake Maggiore Cruise was disappointing because Isola Bella was closed. That was pretty much the whole reason we added this on was to see that island. Instead we saw a free public park and got 15 minutes on the lake. When I mentioned this to Luigi, he got us a refund and a free gondola ride in Venice. This was above and beyond what i would have expected and spoke to the quality that Collette represents. The transfer company that you used to pick us up from home and drop us back off was WONDERFUL! I am considering using them for my daughters wedding transportation. Just fabulous! The only serious negative feedback would be for Anne in your 24 hour service desk. MaryAnne and Elaina from our group went to Albany airport and could not check in because their flight had been cancelled. They called me and I called the 24 hour line and had the misfortune of getting Anne. The options that she offered were to get them there a day late OR to have them somehow get a ride to JFK to meet us instead of leaving from ALB. Collette cancelled these flights. So, I told her that i was not ok with those options and asked for others. They told me that they did not have anything else. I told her that, if she could not get them transportation to JFK or get them on another flight that I would be happy to call Christian at home and see if he could come up with anything else. I should not have to drop an executive's name to get this resolved. After telling her that, miraculously, they found them a flight on United and rebooked them. I thought things were all fixed and the ladies were thrilled as they have status on United. They ended up in the back of coach in separate sections, not seated together for a 12 hour flight o less than ideal but they got there within a few hours of the rest of us. That would have been the end of it, but on their flight home, Mary Anne got a call from the driver who was waiting for them at the airport. They were still in Newark. Anne had never followed up to be sure that their flights were updated with the transfer company! I called in to the 24 hour line again. Unfortunately, I got Anne again. She remembered the ladies and said that she had sent the request but never gotten confirmation back from the transfer company. I said, ok, so we need to get her a ride home then. Her reply, "worst case, they will take a cab and we will reimburse them". I told her that was not an option. These ladies have been traveling all day. They booked a 4 star luxury vacation and they needed a ride home like they were promised. She replied, "What can I do to make you happy?". At this point, I was tired and angry and had enough of Ann so I was less than polite. I told her that, short of turning back time and not screwing up my clients flights to start with, you can get them a driver to take them home from the airport." She said that she would try but she was not sure if it could be done. Again, I said, ok well let me know if you cannot and I will reach out to Jaclyn or Christian and see if they can help. Again, only at this point did she actually get a ride for my clients from the airport. I own my own agency and I would not want someone like this working in my 24 hour desk. She told me that she works in the air department. I would not have this person taking calls from travelers with an issue. The Anne situation aside, we had a fabulous trip! Villa Il Leccio (which was a last minute sub) wit Giada and Paulo was a highlight, as was Oira and Mario. These small, private gatherings are what i love about Explorations Tours. As I said, we have already booked for next year with tour of southern italy and sicily for june 2-13th. My only request would be to take a look at feedback for the hotels for that tour because I have and a couple of them are really not good. I just want to be sure that we have great properties to stay in. See the feeback from a couple of those below and maybe have product take a look. Super excited to bring another group to Italy with Collette. Feel free to call with any questions or clarifications. Thanks! 2nd hotel for the southern Italy and Sicily tour - read the recent reviews here - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g675638-d577986-Reviews-Baia_di_Ulisse_Wellness_SPA-San_Leone_Agrigento_Province_of_Agrigento_Sicily.html The MH Matera gets very mixed reviews. Lots of mentions of rude staff and hard beds. The rest of the properties on the tour look like they are first rate. Just wanted to point out the all the negative reviews so product may want to reconsider these mentioned above. From the minute I booked this tour almost a year ago, Jen Roser and Todd Bridges have been absolutely wonderful! I love working with this company and the professionals that represent it. Meeting Christian and Todd at the Affluent Traveler symposium in Florida was wonderful and they are so passionate about the company, the product and really seemed to care about us as advisors and our clients. That reflects in the quality of product you offer. Thank you for giving me something that i can sell confidently and know that my clients will always be well care for (unless Anne answers the phone :)) I was representing NEST and Affluent as an Elite agency in NY and just missed Jaclyn. I look forward to meeting her in person soon.

Great accommodations, good experiences in food wine. Tour guide was wonderful

Great accomidations. Outstanding tour guide.

Well organized, nice variety of sites/activities. Tour Manager was knowledgable and efficient. Our stay at the charming villa in Tuscany, with the side trips to Sienna and Lucca, was my favorite part of the trip.

The food and wine were exceptional except for the last night. I felt that the plating and choices of the 2nd course fell short compared to what we experienced at the beginning and middle of the tour. It would have been nice to have a beef or pork dish offered.

We saw a lot of beautiful places, had excellent food experiences, all led by a wonderful guide. I loved Bologna street market.

Cooking class and visit to the locally owned vineyards was a great experience. All but one of the local guides in the cities we visited were very engaging and knowledgeable.

Amazing selection of locations, experiences, and a wonderful Collette guide.

Each day, well organized, open time provided,and Dario provides other options

So many favorites. I guess Venice pretty incredible. At the same time loved the lake area with the backdrop of the alps and Italian Riviera / Cinque Terre.

The Villa Lecchi in Tuscany! The people, Scenery, food and accommodations.

excellent tour manager. She was knowledgeable and managed the tour with grace and humor.

I cannot single one thing out as every day was perfect!

Absolutely fantastic, a trip we'll never forget.

Our stay at The Villa Lecchi in Tuscany was living in PARADISE! The Food! The View! The personal attention given! Bella! Bella! Bella!

Besides our amazing tour manager, Antonella (who really made the trip), my favorite place was Stresa and the small town of Oira. It was so intimate and I loved seeing the simplicity of a medieval town.

The kindness of Antonella allowed us to relax enough to be able to enjoy the whole experience. Because of that attitude, I was able to completely take in the trip.

Everything was fantastic .

Lake area was beautiful. Sergio made our whole experience perfect

The highlight to our trip was the four night stay @ Villa Lecchi in the Tuscany region. The villa, the owners, the staff and the food were top notch. We were treated like family! Regarding the trip rating, I cannot give the tour an overall five star rating because of the improper classification of a "3" activity level which is documented in the 18/19/20 brochures and online. Based on this rating, I booked four passengers on this trip (ages 74-85) who in the end, really couldn't handle the pace and the exertion required to fully enjoy the tour because it should be rated as a "4". This is an issue that should be reviewed by management and corrected in future publications so that travel agents and travelers can make the right travel decision. It's important to note that because of this "classification error" some of my clients are unlikely to return to Collette for future travel. As for me, although I continue to be impressed with the quality provided by Collette, I no longer feel confident in their activity level ratings which is critical when dealing with the population that can afford this type of trip.

I loved Stressa, Lucca, and Tuscany, especially at Villa Lecchi. I could have stayed there for a week. The family was so wonderful and charming, We should have been told Italy has no railings on steps - in the US they are everywhere. And no grab bars in the bathrooms. Dangerous for seniors, We were all afraid we would fall down the steps while in Florence especially.

Staying at Villa Lecchi was like staying with family in a beautiful villa. The food was wonderful and it was nice to have a home base for four days.

I love that we had at least two nights in each hotel and four days in the villa in Tuscany.

Every day was filled with new trips. I loved Luca,Sienna the five star hotel in Stressa . The Villa in Tuscany was delightful, terrific breakfasts and the views were amazing. So many highlights for me too many to tell you. It was amazing everyday.

Veniceee previous statement

Provided great overall experience and favorite memories are all equally enjoyable

Loved that there were so many dinners and tastings included. Each one was truly an adventure.

See the previous comments

Four days spent at the villa in Tuscany

Loved the little quaint places we visited even more than the major cities. It gave me a real feeling of the Italian culture.

There were so many wonderful experiences that is is hard to single out one - Cirque Terre, Sienna, Lucca and a surprise addition of San Gimignano where we had the best Gelato. We propose that it should be included in the itinerary.

We have travelled previously with Collette and this trip was by far the best. The ability to stay in one hotel for more than one night and make trips from that base was more effective than moving every day. The smaller group allowed people to interact effectively and move more quickly.

I loved the gondola ride in Venice!

Previously discussed. At the pasta making demonstration the woman/cook had a magnificent singing voice which was an exceptional treat.

Arriving at the gorgeous Regina Palace in Stresa and meetung our tour guide and traveling companions.

Really liked going to the BellaDonna winery, making noodles, meeting the owner, and the meal.

Do to the rains, we were not able to go to Cinque terre. I became ill. None of these were the fault of Collette but made the trip less than stellar.

Tour guide was great. Hotels were excellent especially in stresa

The itinerary was very well thought out. Accommodations were good to excellent. The tour director was outstanding.

Great all over tour. Would highly recommend.

There are many special memories. Dinner al fresco in Venice. The breathtaking view from our villa in Tuscany. A cooking class in a beautiful winery snuggled in the country. Walking along the shore in Sestre Levante. Sipping cappuccinos in many town squares. Incredible paper sculptures in Lucca. The antiquity of the buldings and how carefully they have been preserved. The pride Italians take in their homes and their everyday activities. The consistent attention to clean fresh linens, glassware and cutlery on the tables at every cafe and restaurant. Nice to see a total absence of throwaways!

I loved Venice, the lakes in northern Italy, and the Tuscan area. I also loved the day spent in Cinque Terra.

All places we went to, Maria and local T M's all again were fantastic.

The small towns were a delight. From our first hotel in Stresa to our last in Venice, the accommdations were great.

Staying in Tuscany in the Villa Lecchi as a home base for 4 nights allowed us to experience the beauty and food of the Tuscany countryside in the morning and evening, while seeing the sites in Florence, Sienna, etc.

A tour with 20 people is great. Our tour guide made the trip a truly memorable experience. The bus driver, Maurizio, was excellent! Could have done without Bologna. A boat to the Cinque Terra would have been better to get the experience of seeing it the way it appears in your ads!

Venice- San Gimignano- Cinque Terre

My favorite experience were the tastings, wine and food, fabulous!

The hands-on cooking, making pasta then touring the winery. Ate what we had made, a great experience. Lots of fun!

The Food The senery The people

Would have liked to have more meals included; however, I was pleased with all the meals and venues visited.

Staying at the Tuscan Villa was a beautiful and wonderful experience.

There were so many! The esthetic beauty in so many areas, the feeling in body, mind, spirit. The people, the food, the service, the fun!

Went to cities I never would have thought to go and they were wonderful. Guide Michela Lombardi was FANTASTIC, accommodations (except in Venice) were wonderful. Loved every minute once we got there and except for Venice-too touristy. And Linda the tour guide on the first island was very hard to understand and too into details of art work instead of history of the building.

Aside from a minor glitch on our first day (attributable to hotel staff, not Collette), we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our trip. This was our first time visiting Italy, and our first time with Collette, but it certainly won't be our last! It is difficult to name just one memorable experience, but the highlight for us was the four days spent in Tuscany, and specifically at Villa Lecchi. We felt like part of the family and couldn't believe the beautiful scenery in every direction. The food throughout the trip was unbelievable! Another memorable, and touching, experience was an unplanned stop at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial just before Memorial Day. It gave us a small glimpse into the appreciation felt by the Italian people for America's role in liberating the country from German oppression.

Our Fellow Guests and Michele and Mirko made Trip

We chose the Italy's Treasures trip. Also called the Food, Wine and Art tour. Best decision we ever made. Tuscany was hands down our favorite!

It was a small and fun group, with a tour guide of exceptional energy and knowlege

This was an amazing tour. Each hotel was memorable for different reasons. From lakeside elegance to Tuscan country villa each hotel chosen lived up to its promise. Making pasta for our own lunch was an experience and an achievement.

Missed some of it but enjoyed what I was able to do.

We loved our recent tour. The stay at the Villa in Tuscany was great. So relaxing and a beautiful in the Tuscan country-side. The owner was remarkable and the food was exquisite. Our tour hostess was outstanding. Everything was taken care of. All of our adventures were wonderful.

Gondola in Venice. Seeing David in Florence

It was all so memorable!! I loved the Tuscan countryside, the magnificent lakes, Cinque Terre, Venice, visiting local wineries, glassblowing... Truly truly wonderful!!!

My only regret is I never saw Venice! I will go back!

Every town, village and city were remarkable with their architecture and art work from hundreds of years ago. We loved Tuscany and staying in a villa, making pasta, tasting wines in so many places. The activities and restaurants included in the tour helped make this adventure a extremely memorable experience. We loved the gondola ride in Venice also.

Siena was absolutely breath taking! Venice was so unique and beautiful.

Would have rated higher but tour bus was awful. Way too small and uncomfortable. Suggest you include tips in cost so you're not having to constantly worry about tipping. Really enjoyed Sienna and Venice. Cinque Terra has been ruined by all the tourists. Enjoyed the wineries and the inclusion of wine with meals.

Italia...fantastico.....The tour was well paced, very educational and included a wonderful group of fellow travelers and awespme tour director.....Eccezionale!

Our favorite stop was the first few days at Stresa. Of course we would like to go back to all of the places, but Stresa was out favorite.

The tour was everything we hoped it would be.

Great group of people on the tour! Liked the small group--24 people. Again, the tour guide, ***** and the bus driver, ********** were the best of the best!!!

We feel that the dollars spent on this trip was worth every penny. Our expectations were truly exceeded in every way from the experienced guide, Pilar, to all of the accommodations that were included and the many experiences. Did I mention the food? Unbelievable!

Hard to pick one; each town was unique and wonderful on its own. I'd have to say that Tuscany was great, especially the winery and medieval town that we visited.

The whole tour was great!

Every day was wonderful and full of new places and experiences. The 4 nights in Tuscany were my favorite. The views from our hotel were magnificent. Loved the Tuscan countryside. It was just as I imagined it.

None. Too much down time and the time of the year is too hot and too many tourists.

Living the dream of beautiful Tuscany.

fantastic hotels and villas in beautiful settings

Just a little to much walking. Could have done with another half day of freetime.

Enjoyed everything about the tour. The culinary experiences and tastings were a wonderful added touch.

ate our way thru northern Italy

Overall the tour was awesome. We took this tour because it was going where we wanted to go. We really liked the small travel group. One reservation, though. Wish Pisa was part of the itinerary. Can't imagine going to Northern Italy and NOT going to Pisa. We found a service to take us and a local guide to assist us once we got there along with 10 additional travel companions. Several days there was too much "free time" for shopping. The time could have been better spent with a guide. Many many memorable experiences. Our guide spoke great Italian and the local guides were all excellent. Our coach needed some cleaning. A few days the smell was hard to take. We would recommend this tour to those who want to go to northern Italy. Food and wine tasting experiences were above and beyond.

Poor value for price paid, overall, and hotel in Tuscany was a penal colony, absolutely nothing to do during down time except by pricey cab ride away (20€). Swimming pool /sauna cost 20€ for 1 use!

Sights and sounds of Italy.

Day at the winery inTuscany

Loved Siena, Lucca, winery tours, provided dinners. Gondola ride was overpriced ($75/each).

Our visit to Cinque Terre was very disappointing. I expected beautiful vistas and instead got souvenir shops

Just a grrrreat trip. The Tuscany region is just beautiful. We couldn't find a bad bottle of wine, nor a bad meal.

Overall great tour. Favorite outing for me was organic farm dinner. Favorite town was Senna. Our tour guide was so good she made Italy come alive.

I felt this tour was well planned, though I question the value of including the Cinque Terra, as it is so crowded. Loved all of the other included tours, enjoyed having free time. Tour manager was literally a fountain of information and history, but, treated the group a bit more like seasoned travellers" , which many were not! Could improve emphasis on meeting times and places, but other than that fine.

My most memorable experiences I did on my own...a boat tour to Cinque Terre and we took a taxi to San Gimingano....really the bus driver couldn't take us there? It was about a 10 minute ride from our Villa. The Tuscany landscape was beautiful...it would have been nice for bus driver to stop for pictures of lavender field, poppies and sunflowers, as well as picturesque hill top towns.

My favorite part was touring the agritourisimos and tasting all of the wonderful wines and organic foods they grew and made themselves. The group of people on our tour made it amazing. Loved them all! Miss you!

Favorite memorable experience was the boat ride to the Chicque terra that was not part of your tour.

my favorite experience of the tour was staying in Stresa - I loved that town and will go back. I also really enjoyed the visit to Lake Orta and the "Way of Silence"