Rita Pagano

The highlights of the trip were the cooking class and the wine tasting. The hosts were very knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make our experience enjoyable.
The olive oil tasting was a bit difficult to follow. The host didn’t speak English but there was a translator. The issue was that the host would speak for long periods before the translator would translate. I would suggest having the host speak only a minute or two and then have it translated .
The day in Sorrento and the Amalfi coast met with some difficulties with land slides. We had about 1 hour at each location which gave us little opportunity to explore. I’m not sure if there would have been more guidance on what to see had more time. The driver was great with dealing with the issues though getting us around road closures.
The Naples food experience was disappointing. There was no pizza! The food choices were fair with the exception of the dessert. The wait was long at some places. Although I appreciated the host I wish there were more details about Naples and the food keeping us engaged while we waited.
All of the hotels were in great locations making it easy for us to explore.

Hotel Reviews

Palazzo Alabardieri

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trulli Holiday Albergo Diffuso

Alberobello

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dimore di Brando

Polignano a Mare

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

From Market Stalls to Street Food: Discovering Naples

Naples

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hands On: Cook Like a Neapolitan

Naples

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Organic Winery Experience in the Apulian Countryside

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, we had a very good trip to Sardinia and came home with some wonderful memories. The basic itinerary was well planned, and there were several highlights that we truly enjoyed.

Our first hotel was excellent, and San Pantaleo was probably our favorite town of the entire trip. We absolutely loved it and would happily return. The sailboat excursion was also very enjoyable and a beautiful way to experience the coastline. Our only disappointment was that the captain spoke no English, so we missed having any commentary about where we were going, what we were seeing, or the history of the area. That would have added a great deal to the experience.

The cooking class was another highlight and was very well done.

The drive to Santa Maria Navarrese was beautiful, but it was much farther than we would have preferred. Unfortunately, the Lanthia Resort was the biggest hotel disappointment of the trip. The staff was very good and the food was excellent, but our room was not at all what we expected. There was an enormous green bathtub in the middle of the room, something we had not anticipated from the photos we had seen beforehand. When I later looked again at the hotel website, I still did not feel the photos adequately conveyed what the room was actually like. The hotel had no alternative room available, so we could not move.

Accessibility was also an issue. Reaching our room required navigating cobblestones and stone steps with our luggage, and there were no porters available to help. At our ages, this made arrival and departure unnecessarily difficult.

The drive from Santa Maria Navarrese to Alghero was again quite long—longer than we would have chosen for this trip. Once we arrived, however, we loved Alghero. It was a delightful town, and our hotel there was wonderful.

The one experience that I feel was a serious mistake in the planning was Neptune’s Cave. I had provided our ages and explained that my husband is dealing with cancer, so I was very surprised that this excursion was recommended for us. Reaching the cave involved 654 steps down and, of course, 654 steps back up. Inside the cave, the walking surfaces were also quite slippery. We did complete it, but I felt it was inappropriate for us and potentially unsafe. Had we been given an accurate description of the physical demands beforehand, we absolutely would not have chosen this excursion.

Despite those issues, we really enjoyed Sardinia and would definitely visit again. If I were planning the trip over, I would keep much of the northern portion of the itinerary but eliminate the long drive south to Santa Maria Navarrese. I would have preferred to stay in northern Sardinia and find a comparable catamaran or boating experience there. That would have reduced the amount of driving considerably and made the trip feel more relaxed.

There was a great deal that was done very well, and we are grateful for the experiences we had. I think the biggest opportunity for improvement would be to consider not only what is interesting to see, but also the distances involved and whether particular hotels and activities are appropriate for the travelers’ age, mobility, and circumstances.

Hotel Reviews

Villa Las Tronas

Cagliari

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lanthia Resort

Santa Maria Navarrese

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Suera San Pantaleo

Olbia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Splendide Royal - The Leading Hotels of the World

Roma

Great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Italy -Important Trip Information: Please Review Before Departure

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day at Sea: Sailing Experience in the Gulf of Orosei

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Authentic Sardinian Cooking: Pasta & Seadas

Olbia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Boat Day to the Protected Marina Reserve of Tavolara

Italy

it would’ve been helpful if the boat captain had spoken English

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was planned perfectly- there is no way we would have seen or done as much as we did without Rita and Manuela!
The trip was perfectly tailored to my children’s age and I would not hesitate to use this service again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Politeama

Palermo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taormina Panoramic Hotel

Taormina

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Be Mate Apartments

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Clark Hotel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Giafra Sicilian Luxury Rooms

Agrigento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Pompeii with an Archaeologist

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Family Day in Ancient Rome: Colosseum & Forum Experience

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Taste Palermo: Market & Street Food Experience

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Neapolitan Pizza Making Class

Naples

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Vatican Unveiled: From Vatican Museum to Sistine Chapel

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Big Mama was the best with the kids!

Rita put together the trip of a lifetime! This was our first trip to Italy (won’t be our last). My family and I thank you!

Activity Reviews

A True Taste of Tuscany: Olive Oil & Wine Tasting

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuscany at Sunset: A Wine & Dinner in Chianti Vineyard

Italy

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pasta Cooking Workshop & Wine Tasting in a Countryside Estate

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had guided tours of Milan, Verona, and Venice. All the guides were knowledgeable and gave excellent tours. We particularly enjoyed the guide in Verona and Venice.

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

This was a nice hotel tucked away in a quite part of town. It was perfect for our visit to Venice. Breakfast was good. The room was clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Garni Snaltnerhof

Ortisei

We enjoyed this hotel. It was in a great location. The room was sizeable and comfortable. Breakfast was very good. We were not expecting the public transportation ticket that came with the room. This came in very handy and we used public transportation for 2 days with ease. It was a super perk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Briosa

Bolzano

This hotel was very unique and reminded us of Ikea with the more modern style. The room was large and clean and the shower was great. Breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Indigo Verona - Grand Hotel Des Arts

Verona

We enjoyed this hotel. It was close to the main train station for easy access. We didn't realize the room bar was included until arrival but it included only 1 beer and some water and juice - not really a great perk... The room was sizeable, clean, breakfast was really good, the shower was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antica Locanda dei Mercanti

Milan

We really liked this hotel. We were not aware before hand that you have to enter a hallway to access the hotel. When we arrived we entered the hallway and someone came and closed the large doors behind us. It was a little scary for a moment until we found a stair case leading up to the hotel and were greeted by hotel staff. The room was comfortable and large and the shower was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Venice: From St. Mark's Basilica to the Doge’s Palace with Terrace Access

Italy

Our guide was excellent and knowledgeable. We were able to enter the Basilica and Palace and the guide added valuable information to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Art of Fresh Pasta: A Hands-On Venetian Cooking Class

Venice

This was a fun experience. The explanation and directions of where to go were lacking some details. The experience was in the upper most floor of a building that had to be accessed by ringing the doorbell. While we figured this out easy enough it would have been easier to have that information up front. The cooking class was fun and the chef was fun and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bolzano Food Walk: Flavors of the Dolomites

Italy

This was a fun tour of the old town of Bolzano and to learn about some of the history and the food. The guide was excellent and was local so took us to very unique and great stops on the tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

In the Footsteps of Romeo & Juliet in Verona

Italy

Our guide was excellent and we enjoyed walking through Verona. The tour did not include many entries so be aware of the fact that you will just be walking by most of the sites. This was fine for us since our time in the city was short.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Best of Milan Guided Walk

Italy

The tour was a quick overview of the sights in Milan. It did not include any entries and that was a bit disappointing but okay for the time we had to spend in the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

not applicable

We had a very flexible itinerary with one pre-arranged event and it worked out really well for us as we could adjust as we needed to to fit our schedule and energy level (after having just come off an organized tour). Rita did a great job putting it all together. We didn't get to stay in one hotel location but the team was proactive in quickly getting us another accommodation before our arrival. We were especially appreciative of having contacts while we traveled to address things or answer questions if needed. We were also very appreciative of parking suggestions and mapped locations for the towns we visited.

Activity Review

Puglia’s Liquid Gold: Olive Oil Experience and Lunch at a Historic Masseria

Italy

Beautiful location and knowledgeable employee who gave us some good understanding of the olive trees. The olive oil tasting and lunch were very nice.

A very well executed trip and we returned home ready to plan another international trip. Both guides in Rome from LivTours were Great and would highly recommend them to our friends. Colosseum, a lady..Solevia(?) and Giovani for the Vatican. Same with St. Marks & Doges Palace, Pizza class, Amalfi Coast with Vinny from New Jersey. In Naples & Veiled Chryst was a terrific local professor, she was great too. A hiccup for Pompeii with finding our now larger group ended up with another terrific guide in Thomas, Tom or Tomas so this also worked out although waiting for all the others in that group took an hour. Our Trekking in the Chianti Hills was an ‘experience’ and I should have asked more questions…we were not prepared for a 10 mile up/down hike so we called it early and were picked up after 6.4 miles. Dealing with trains was easy after the first one. Hotels were good, only hotel with a washer/dryer for laundry was our first stop…Numo. Not a big deal but we had read that some of our hotels had “laundry” but it ended up as a service only, to send clothes out to have laundered. So we did clothes in the sink and hung up to dry the rest of the trip to stay fresh. We searched & found several restaurants that did not have a ‘Carnival barker’ outside trying to bring you in. And we found good food and deserts. We did 15K - 25K steps each day and lug our two carry on suitcases over the streets and through neighborhoods so we got immersed in each city from the get-go.

Hotel Reviews

Condominio Monti Boutique Hotel

Rome

Roof top breakfast and evening bar was pretty great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais Della Porta

Naples

No view since there as scaffolding surrounding the hotel and the large door was surprisingly noisy with outside sounds easily coming in. Part of the renovation maybe. Terrific breakfast, nice staff and interesting set up in the room. Very tall ceiling, 2nd floor master, made it difficult the have the temperature comfortable for day time and sleep time. But we were not in the room much accept to sleep so it worked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Really great staff and breakfast. Great location and would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Temperature was controlled at the main desk…very interesting but we made it work.

Liassidi Palace

VENEZIA

Very nice with a great breakfast and great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Numa - Vici Rooms and Apartments

Rome

tight space but well appointed and had a Washer/Dryer available. Would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Naples: Guided Walk & the Veiled Christ

Naples

She was amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sorrento, Positano & Amalfi: A Day Along the Coast

Italy

Vinny from New Jersey was great… funny, smart, forceful when necessary and a great guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Guided Visit Inside Pompeii’s Ancient Walls

Italy

A bit disjointed getting to Pompeii but once there Tomas, Thomas, Tom was terrific. We loved him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neapolitan Pizza Making Class

Naples

Wanted to try this, expected a larger group rather than 2. Still had fun and the food was good and the chef and guide were great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A Walk Through Chianti’s Timeless Hills

Italy

Was not prepared for the experience although it was good…I should have asked for more details. Not anything I would do again since it was simply a hike

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence on Foot: Michelangelo’s David & Duomo

Italy

Like our fist tour in Rome the guide, she was informative, enthusiastic and forceful to give us a quality tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Venice: From St. Mark's Basilica to the Doge’s Palace with Terrace Access

Italy

Excellent guide….

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover the Vatican: From the Museums to the Sistine Chapel

Italy

Excellent…Giovani was the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Get Inside the Colosseum with Arena Access

Italy

Our LivTour female guide was great…articulate and forceful with necessary to get us to the best places.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you, Rita, for the trip you set up for my Granddaughter Maddie, Grandson Nate, and me. Everything worked as it should. All the accommodations were great, especially Matera. You had very nice drivers for us and wonderful guides here and there. Roberta at Pompeii was so informative and that was a great experience for Nate and me. Maddie and I enjoyed the experience cooking with Madia done through Loliv.com and Claudio, and the golf cart experience at Alberobella. i have already recommended both to friends who are traveling to Puglia in May and in October. The October couple has used KimKim in the past -- in fact, they were the couple who recommended the agency to me years ago. It was great fun to explore --an amazing experience to be with Nate driving the Amafi coast (!) -- so wonderful to be in Puglia with Italians, rather than tourists from all over the world. And I learned that I can, indeed, get myself through airports, trains and cities by myself when I have to . Altogether a satisfying trip for me, one I hope the grandkids will remember fondly, and one that has taught me that I will be able to travel without my late husband. Thank you for all your input, planning and execution!

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Rome Airport Hotel

Fiumicino

It was a Hilton Garden Inn. Good for the night before travel. shuttle every 15 minutes to the airport. Not much airport traffic noise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dimora Storica Muratore

Lecce

Fascinating to be here. Location was right next to the old city and had a peaceful garden surrounding the villa. Hostess was wonderful, especially when she saved a little breakfast for my sleepy granddaughter!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boston Hotel

Bari

Well located business-type hotel right next to the old part of Bari. Comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel and Spa

Matera

Wow! great place with fabulous ambiance! Loved seeing the construction of a modern hotel in old caves right in the middle of old Matera.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Miramare Sorrento

Sorrento

Very pleasant place away from the crowds but within walking distance of all the shops, restaurants and activity

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Unico Relais

Napoli

Very nice once inside. the street entrance was not well labeled and took some scrutiny

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Experience in Alberobello: Trulli, Countryside & Picnic

Italy

Great fun to move around with the golf cart. The guide was on a Segway, and had grown up in the town. He had wonderful stories and experiences to share. Have the transportation made is possible to see just about the whole area in the 3 hours, as well as stops for a little shopping and lunch. Lunch was at a local's home, with a cooking demonstration and stories about the couple who lived there shared by the guide. We were also able to see the inside of a house that had been brought up to date and was currently a residence on the Unesco side of the town, as well as a house recreating what the former residents had for living space.

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Discover Authentic Apulian Cooking with a Local

Italy

Restaurant had exceptional character, and a wonderful, charismatic owner who taught us to make some Puglian dishes. Very patient with me -- I had a hard time mirroring her quick hands making orecchiette. The story of her place and strategy in having a vegan restaurant was so interesting. Having someone there to translate made a huge difference to what turned out to be a very genuine experience. Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great conversation on the way

Explore Pompeii with an Archaeologist

Italy

Excellent Guide named Roberta. Very informative, very impressive to see the engineering of the place, so much more that I expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Naples: Guided Walk & the Veiled Christ

Naples

Excellent guide, great fun to walk around Naples

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rita is the absolute best! She thought of everything to make our trip so special abroad. The first trip we took in 20 something years and everything was thought of on her end. From train tickets to the best hotels to private drivers and extraordinary tours. I would never hesitate to recommend Rita or this group to anyone traveling abroad. I can’t say enough about the service we received and the ability to reach out with any questions no matter how big or small and receive an immediate response. If I could give more than five stars I would. We definitely plan on using this group again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Rivage

Sorrento

I’m not certain that I would stay here again and that it is truly a three star hotel. The lobby area and the dining area were exceptional. The pool was beautiful. The rooms however, are very very poor in their furnishings. One of our rooms, even smelt very musty. But the location was wonderful. Again, the exterior of the hotel was really pretty and the staff was so kind and nice in the restaurant area. One night we even ate at the hotel and the food was so delicious. For us it was just the rooms that were terribly lacking in comfort and decor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Orto de' Medici

Florence

This is a definite five star hotel not a four star. It is beautiful inside and the staff is so very helpful. The location is perfect as well. We will definitely stay at this hotel again in the future. Very luxurious very beautiful. And we enjoyed our aperitifs before we headed out for dinner. The person in charge of the bar area was so kind and gave us beautiful history of the resort in the area. A definite asset to the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Domus Volumnia Country House

Perugia

This is a very small place, but the staff is so kind and helpful. It is very peaceful, although a bit out of the way from the center of Perugia. If you are looking for a peaceful, quiet, clean place to say I would recommend this holiday house for sure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eitch Borromini Palazzo Pamphilj

Rome

Truly, one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever stayed at. The hotel staff was exceptionally kind and helpful. The location was terrific and the hotel itself simply beautiful. We will definitely stay here again when in Rome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sailing the Amalfi Coast: From Sorrento to Amalfi & Positano

Italy

If I could get this experience more than five stars I would. It was just the best day that we’ve ever had in a long time. The boat crew showed us so much and also made us laugh. It was just a really happy fun easy day. The stops were great in Amalfi, Positano, and another area which name escapes me that is where we stopped for a very authentic delicious lunch. If you’re looking for a wonderful day on the Mediterranean please look no further than this boat trip. I cannot recommend it enough!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence on Foot: Michelangelo’s David & Duomo

Italy

Another wonderful tour with Liv tours! Our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable, showed us the off, beaten places. We learned so much through her about the city of Florence. Would definitely recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Vatican: From the Museums to the Sistine Chapel

Italy

Our Liv tour guide was exceptional in her knowledge! We learned so much that otherwise I don’t think would ever be possible if you went on your own or with a group. This was a wonderful private tour and we definitely recommend this tour group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome on Foot: Spanish Steps, Pantheon & Trevi Fountain

Rome

This was an amazing tour by a Liv tour guide. We were able to learn a lot about Rome and experience the Trevi fountain away from the crowds. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and kind. I would definitely do this private tour again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our travel agent was Rita. She was fantastic! When we were getting ready to officially book the trip, my father passed away. I told her we needed to pause the planning while we were grieving and mourning him. She expressed her sympathies and said just to let her know when we were ready to move forward. When I reached out to her she was ready for us. I loved the communication. While leading up to the trip I would think of a question and she would answer it quickly. She sent us an itinerary and we wanted to scale it back a little and she did. The tours she set us up with were fantastic and small group size for the Colosseum and Vatican. That was a huge plus! Part of me was a little nervous to use a Travel Agency that was strictly online but my cousin recommended them and I have no regrets. Rita and the contacts we had while on our trip were close to local time and knew the areas so that was so helpful. I would definitely book a trip with them again!

Hotel Reviews

The Glam

Rome

Great location! Walking distance to Trevi Fountain and Colosseum. Near lots of shops too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

Loved how quaint and quiet it was! All of the staff was friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right near a water bus stop.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover the Vatican: From the Museums to the Sistine Chapel

Italy

Lots to see and lots of walking. Very crowded but that’s why having a small group was so nice. We had 6 of us in our group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the City by Gondola

Venice

So cool! Definite must do when you are in Venice. Got to go down canals you can’t get to by foot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get Inside the Colosseum with Arena Access

Italy

Loved that it was just a group of 6 of us. So much information and got to see so many different spots around the arena.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

We did all the walking. However where to meet was not correct I’m glad I reached out to be sure where to meet.