Private Tour of Rome, Florence & Venice

This was possibly the best trip of my life!

Once I arrived in Venice and put myself in the hands of Zicasso’s tour company, I was supremely well taken care of.

I left my passport on the plane, so I was held up in the airport for probably two hours. This was the first time I used the emergency number (or the chat app). The communication was answered immediately and we were able to let my first guide know I was being held up. I thought the first person who helped me was just someone to get me to the hotel, but she was also a guide in the sense that she described many of the things we saw on the way to the hotel. A very pleasant and gracious guide who made sure also that I was prepared for where to be the next day. It was a very great first experience of the tour company’s service.

Throughout this adventure, the guides were outstanding, the hotels were located practically on top of the interesting sites (especially in Rome) and very pleasant to be in.

Also, I continued to use the emergency number or the chat app multiple times. They were very responsive, very pleasant, and perfectly helpful each time. I don't know if I was high-maintenance compared to other clients the tour company has had, but though I felt like it in my mind, I was treated completely graciously each time.

I loved every destination and I loved having a structured tour, combined with a good portion of free time to explore on my own. Perfect.

I was very well guided on each travel day, being met by drivers to drop me off and to pick me up, and the train travel was very fun.

I think there was only one guide who I thought was just going through the motions, but all the other guides were the height of professionalism. I loved being met by our guides at Doge's Palace, which was absolutely outstanding. Walking around old Florence was great fun! The drive out to San Gimignano and Siena was well-planned and well-guided! In Rome, the guide who took us to the Colosseum and Palatine Hill was outstanding, and it was a great outing. (I had also already pretty much visited all the sights since my hotel was practically in the middle of it all.)

The trip to the Vatican was a whole other story. Unfortunately, I forget that guide's name. This guide was also excellent—entertaining, informative, approachable, and professional. The trip to the Amalfi Coast was a long train ride, followed by a very long car ride, but it was worth it. What a beautiful setting! My trip to Capri was absolutely fulfilling and I was a little sad to say goodbye to the guide—we connected with him so well. The next day was our boat tour from Sorrento to Amalfi and Positano. I absolutely enjoyed being guided by our guides! On the way back after that beautiful excursion, we were just cruising along the water, 1970s music playing, wind rushing by and I had a peak moment of happiness. Truly.

This trip was as if the tour company had read my mind and provided even more than I had imagined. I come away deeply grateful.

When we started planning our trip to Italy, I knew I wanted to work with a travel agent—specifically, someone who specialized in Italy and was based there. After reaching out to several agencies and reviewing their responses, we chose Zicasso and, more specifically, our travel agent. She is based in Milan and from my very first interaction with her, I knew we had made the right choice.

Our trip could not have been more perfect. Our agent put a lot of thought into every location and planned activity. At the outset, we had a few discussions with her about what we wanted from the trip and, after that, we were happy to leave most of the details in her capable hands. Our goal was to explore mid-to-northern Italy and everything—from the hotels and tours to the free time and transportation—was beautifully organized.

Our 11-night trip started in Milan and ended in Florence, with overnight stays in Milan (one night), Lake Como (three nights), Venice (three nights), and Florence (four nights). Initially, I was hesitant about staying at Lake Como for three nights, but our agent encouraged me to do a little research. I’m so glad she did, as it turned out to be incredible. We had more self-guided time at Lake Como, which was perfect as we adjusted to the time change. In Venice, our itinerary became more structured, but we still had plenty of time for our own explorations. By the time we reached Florence, we had activities and tours planned for every day, which was just what we wanted.

A highlight for my family was a full-day trip into Tuscany, where we visited San Gimignano, an organic vineyard in Chianti, and finished with a tour of Siena. Our day trip to Rome allowed us to see the main attractions and we concluded the journey with a tour of Florence and the Accademia Gallery. Every tour our agent arranged was spot on.

Throughout our trip, she was wonderfully communicative—always available when we had questions, but never intrusive. She even helped us with a couple of last-minute requests: booking a hotel in Milan for one night and arranging train tickets to Verona for an impromptu visit to Juliet’s balcony. Whenever we needed something, she was there.

When we return to explore the mid-to-southern part of Italy, there’s no question that we’ll be asking her to plan our trip again. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a seamless, thoughtfully curated Italian adventure.

Zicasso’s travel company and every single guide and driver were stellar. All four hotels were good or excellent. There was one error on the schedule for the day outside of Florence when we had a driver to take us to the Siena region. The schedule stated three hours, so we paid for tickets to the Pitti Palace/garden, which turned out to be wasted money as the driving tour was actually nine hours. It was a beautiful day, though.

The travel professionals at Zicasso’s travel company worked with us for over a year to plan the most amazing 14-day tour of Venice, Florence, and Rome. They were beyond patient and kind, fielding my endless questions and providing assurances for every detail. Every day was jam-packed with guides and travel. Well, one really doesn't know until you get to Italy, right?

Upon our late-evening arrival to Venice, we had our personal escort waiting for us at the airport, with private transport to our hotel in Venice. She did not leave until we had our bags in the lobby. I knew right then and there we had made the right choice with the travel company.

We found that everything was taken care of by the travel company, down to the smallest detail. Every guide, and there were many, came to our hotels to greet us and escorted us back to our hotel upon conclusion of our tour. Every single guide was a treasure. We never had to hail a taxi, which to me was the most amazing thing, as the travel company had private drivers picking us up or waiting for us at hotels and train stations.

Upon leaving Venice for Florence, our personal escort from the airport was waiting for us at the hotel, with a water taxi to the train station. She walked us through the train station and showed us how to find our gate for our train to Florence. Upon arrival in Florence, we had a private driver waiting for us for transport to the hotel. Same from Florence to Rome, Rome to Naples (for Pompeii and back to Rome).

We had multiple food tours and they were all amazing. We spent every day with private guides. Believe me, the travel company knows the very best guides in Italy. They are there 24/7 for you if things don't go as planned. Trust me on this.

In Venice, our tickets for St. Mark's Basilica that were reserved for our guide disappeared. There we were, no access. Our guide tried to secure tickets on her own and access was sold out. She called the travel company, which somehow secured access, even to the second level, where we could visit the four bronze horses.

Did I mention our day in Tuscany? The travel company insisted we were spending too much time with tours and insisted we take a day in Tuscany. We visited a vineyard in Tuscany for what turned out to be a private tour and lunch hosted by the vineyard owner. We had a table set up overlooking the vineyard and indulged in what may have been the best food we experienced in all of Italy. Everything was made on-site and perfectly paired with the vineyard wines. We were entertained by her three wonderful dogs, two of which were lovable and goofy Labrador retrievers. What a perfect day!

Without a doubt, the travel company is the finest travel agency we have ever had the privilege to work with. As I said earlier, everything was taken care of, nothing was missed: drivers, trains (business class), guides, food tours. The best vacation we have ever had.

Zicasso's travel specialist organized an amazing 12-day series of private tours, taking us from Milan to the lake regions (Como, Maggiore, and Garda) and down to Bologna. Our days were filled with visiting churches, museums (including the Ferrari and Enzo Ferrari museums), a winery, parmigiano, prosciutto, and traditional balsamic manufacturing, a cooking class, boat tours, and food tours.

Along the way, we saw testing at the Ferrari track and a small portion of the women’s Giro d’Italia. With all that, we still had sufficient downtime to search the streets to find our own gems.

Our trip coordinator checked in with us daily to confirm the daily itinerary and transportation. When we had questions or needed to make a change due to the weather, she was thorough, attentive, and responsive in a way that was reassuring and comforting. She was simply amazing.

I would highly recommend using this travel specialist and team for any of your Italian travel needs.

The trip was awesome. The accommodations were very nice. We just did not realize how much walking we would do, but we managed. There were a few hiccups, but nothing major.

Our transport from the airport to the hotel in Venice went smoothly. We definitely appreciated the private transfer after seeing the crowd on the public transportation. My sister was a little disappointed that the gondolier did not sing to us in Italian, but she thought the ride was very relaxing. The tour guide for St. Mark's was very knowledgeable and informative. Venice was a lovely and unique city. We were surprised by the narrow walkways/streets and canals; but came to appreciate them. It gave Venice its charm. The transport from the hotel to the train station was right on time and the guy at the train station was great. He explained exactly what we needed to do to catch the train to our next destinations. We really appreciated his help.

The transport from the train station to the car rental agency was okay. The driver spoke little English and the A/C did not work in the vehicle. The driver did try everything to work the A/C and did apologize that it was not working. The driver dropped us off at the wrong spot at the rental car place. He dropped us off where you turn in the cars.  We had to walk to where you rent the cars with our luggage. The car-rental line was extremely long and somewhat confusing. There were no instructions to take a number. We only knew because a nice couple informed us to do so. And there were so many other car-rental places with no lines. 

We explored Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Florence during our time in Impruneta. We really enjoyed the cooking class and winery tour you scheduled for us; our guide was a great teacher. Driving in Florence was a little confusing with the ZTLs, but I think we did okay. Little did we know how much we would appreciate the ZTLs while walking around in Florence. We walked and shopped in Florence. We even did a tour at the Accademia Gallery to see the statue of David. 

Returning the vehicle was way easier than renting it and our next transport picked us up right where we were dropped off. We felt very comfortable navigating the train station for our train ride to Rome, thanks to the train station lesson we received from the guy in Venice. The train rides went very smoothly. The transport from the station in Rome to our hotel went very well. He literally dropped us off right in front of the hotel.

Rome was different. It had the narrow, quaint streets between buildings which made Rome very walkable. However, we did not expect cars/motorcycles to be driving down these narrow streets as well. It made for interesting walks. We really enjoyed our tours with our guide. She was very knowledgeable and informative. She also allowed us to go at our own pace. Needless to say, our pace became slower than usual from all the walking we already did in Venice and Florence. Our feet were starting to hurt, even though we wore comfortable shoes the whole time. We also enjoyed the Vatican Necropolis. I was extremely humbled that I was able to kneel and pray before the actual remains of St. Peter. I am very grateful we were allowed to get into that tour. Although Rome was different, it was very historical and a lot to take in. There was just so much history everywhere you turned. Rome was really inspiring.

Our transport from the hotel back to the airport was on time and went very well. The driver spoke very good English and gave us some additional interesting facts while on our way to the airport. We were ready to go home, but also sad to be leaving.  

Thank you for putting the details of the trip together. The trip would not have been as great as it was without you.