Custom Tours & Vacations

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.

Our Zicasso travel specialist did a fantastic job planning our family vacation for five adults.

Each hotel was top-notch. At the villa in Taormina, the rooms were luxurious, with unbelievable views of the bay and Mount Etna from private verandas. The staff were gracious and the restaurant's breakfast buffet delicious. Lunch and dinner were top-notch. The hotel in Agrigento was modern and the grounds were exceptional. It was close to the Valley of the Temples, with amazing views of the ruins from each room and the beautiful infinity pool. The hotel in Palermo was old-fashioned luxury with up-to-date facilities and close to the old town.

Our tour guides and drivers were excellent.

My only regret is that we only had 10 days to explore Sicily as there was so much more to see!

Our agent did a yeoman's job helping us plan this trip.

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.

We had a fabulous time in Sicily. It was our first visit and Zicasso’s travel company planned an excellent itinerary, with great recommendations on the cities and towns to visit that felt like a truly local experience. (Other agents focus on the big cities of Palermo and Taormina, but the travel company recommended we spend more time in Syracuse/Noto, Ragusa, and Modica.)

We loved our primary driver and the boutique hotels they selected for us. Communication and documents were all easy to follow.

The only piece we wish might have been curated a little more was the recommended dining options. There were too many and not necessarily great restaurants.

My girlfriends and I had a wonderful trip to Florence, Pisa, Radda in Chianti, and Rome. Zicasso’s travel specialist was so great to work with! Her planning made our travel a seamless experience. Our local contact provided timely updates and contact information throughout the duration of our trip. I would definitely work with them again!

Overall, I loved all that was planned for me by the travel specialist. She did a great job planning the transfers, tours, and activities we discussed during our planning. In particular, I loved my tour of Modica, the winery visit, my visit to Agrigento, and my visit to Noto and Marzamemi. I also loved my hotel in Ortigia - the location, the architecture, the views. I wish I had requested a sea view for my Taormina hotel, as not having that felt like a miss. I did not like at all the hotel in Rome (in spite of its convenient location) - it was a miss after such a glorious trip.

Every single tour guide and driver was excellent, knowledgeable and reliable. The initial personal fast track transfer in Rome was also excellent, and I requested the same service when I was leaving.

I would have liked the food and wine tour in Taormina to be a bit more elevated, given I am a foodie with elevated tastes. The local Sicily organizer, was very responsive overall. I just found it strange that she did not follow through on her offer to pay for a dinner because I chose my own venue.

The reason I am not giving this trip a 5 is because of a few issues: the room in Taormina and the hotel in Rome. The trip started strong with the transfer support and I wish it had been included at the end - I paid an additional fee for it. I also paid a significant additional fee for a private tour to Mt. Etna, which was given by the same person who drove me there. I feel like I overpaid for that tour. I canceled the Etna Food and Wine tour and wish I had gotten some consideration for that.

Stepping back, I am grateful for the trip and all the detailed organizing that went into it. I will look more closely at hotels offered so I avoid being disappointed.