The best trip to Italy!!

Italy | Oct 16 - Oct 29, 2023

Lancaster Hotel was very nice with a few quirks. The keys were like heavy Christmas ornaments that you had to leave with the front desk anytime you left the hotel. Staff was great and friendly. Breakfast included everyday. The only negative is that the location is a bit far to places you want to see such as the Duomo.

Small boutique hotel right in the middle of things. Can't get a car all the way there (narrow roads), but the walk isn't far. Near great restaurants, bars, and paths.

Hotel Davanzali was great!! Staff was super friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Breakfast and happy hour every day. Th only negative was you had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the lobby. Some in our group were a bit out of shape, so they had a bit of trouble with this. That said, I'd stay here again next time I'm in Florence.

Prior to Agriturismo Il Cerreto, we were in the hear of the cities. Now we're out in the country. What a wonderful change. Did a tour of the farm and then to San Giimignano - this is a very special place. Il Cerreto was a bit hard to find (we were driving on our own at this point in the trip), but worth it. A very unique experience. Once again, there was a set of steps to walk up to get to our rooms.

Wow, this is a luxury hotel right where you want to be in Citta della Pieve. We only had one night here and wish we had more. Grounds were beautiful with easy parking.

Very nice - right in the middle of everything. Rooftop bar with great views. Modern and old at the same time.

This was not really worth the effort. Because of the rain, we didn't get to walk the vinyards. Staff was nice, but this was at a restaurant and not really setup for a wine tasting. They poured the wine, but no real insight given. Almost seemed like they were doing the minimum needed to meet their obligation.

Very crowded, but worth it. The location to meet our guide was just a few blocks from the hotel. Our guide took us through the skip the line and the museum was amazing.

Well it rained the whole tie we were I Cinque Terra. Weather happens. So we didn't really get to walk the trails. We did use the train - easy walk from the hotel. Lots of restaurants and shops.

Easy to find the guide from the hotel. He was personable, knowledgable, and took us to places we have never known to go to. Food was delicious. Great insights into traditional Florentine food.

This place was a true experience - in a great way. Grounds are beautiful and KimKim added truffle hunting to this experience. Truffle hunting was one of the highlights of the trip. After truffle hunting we had wine tasting and lunch - everything was top notch. Food was wonderful - especially the lasagna. Wines were great - we ordered several bottles and they ship home for no additional charge.

This was an amazing day. A long walk but worth it. Our guide was just the best. Very knowledgable and open to all questions. You see so much in a day its can be overwhelming in the best possible way.

A bit out of the way, but worth it. Took a tour of the castle and winery. Follow that up with a private chef for a cooking class to make bruschetta, tagliatelle Bolognese, a second main dish that I can't remember the name of, tiramisu and then eating everything al fresco overlooking the vineyards with th wine produced onsite. A really nice experience.

Went to the home of the cesarine, Christina Rossi. Met her husband and daughter and the cooked our dinner with Christina's guidance and supervision. This was a lot of fun and great conversations and moments to practice our Italian.