Francesca and her family were wonderful: they made us feel not only like members of the family, but like friends, too. It was as though we were the non-Italian-speaking American cousins, come back to be squired around the high points of the ancestral homeland. (And what a remarkable thing it is to have dined so well – and to have gained no weight!)

Our tour in Gran Paradiso was wonderful. Giuseppe worked hard to make our experience outstanding while helping us to stay within our comfort zone. Yet he provided us with the best opportunities to see the beauty of Gran Paradiso, even when we had to work a little harder (it was worth it!) He drew our attention to the quiet wildlife. He also explained some of the history of the region. During one hike, he took us on a side trail to a rifugio (not in use) and we saw 18 ibex of various ages. We felt confident that Girosole would take good care of us, and it was even better than we anticipated. We would definitely recommend Girosole to others.

Thank you so much for the arrangements and accommodations that we enjoyed this past week. Everything was wonderful, the transfers were smooth and well organized and we especially enjoyed meeting and being with Giuseppe–he is a great guide, very knowing of the places we visited, and a lot of fun to be with. The hotel accommodations were just as we had requested, and the restaurants that Giuseppe took us to and recommended were excellent. We also enjoyed the companionship of Fabio, our driver for most of the transfers and trips–he has an outgoing personality and was great fun, and made the driving around that we did really special. I imagine that it was an extra cost to you to have Fabio as often as we seemed to need him, and we are grateful to you for arranging for Fabio and his vehicle. Thanks again to you and your staff for a wonderful family vacation.

We have returned to Iowa and settled reluctantly back into daily life, but we find ourselves wistfully dreaming of our days in southern Italy! We didn’t really know what to expect when we took a leap of faith and booked with Girosole tours after studying many options on the Internet. Believe me, the experience we enjoyed was above and beyond any fuzzy expectations we had, and we could not be more enthusiastic about our adventure!

We had a group of 4, all 60somethings, and a main concern was whether we would be able to handle the physical demands of the hikes. Both Ulisse and Luigi were very in tuned to our fitness levels, and at the end of the day, we were amazed and proud of what we accomplished, and we could still climb the stairs of Positano to enjoy dinner!

The annoying details of travel were all handled quietly and efficiently by Girosole. Local drivers were personable and fun, as well as skilled on the Italian roads! Luggage was moved from place to place and showed up magically in the trunk of the car! Transfers at the end of our tour were all arranged for us so we did not have to figure it out. The meals included within the tour were spectacular. Our first genuine Napoli pizza (we must have consumed dozens during our 2 weeks in Italia!), the Food Feast during our Path of the Gods hike (never to be forgotten…ever!) and the amazing final night at Ristorante Mediterraneo with fabulous food and entertainment…that was a highlight for sure!

Without a doubt, our two Girosole guides were the key to our enjoyment of the whole experience. Having Ulisse, a Napoli native, share his city with us, and Luigi, a Capri native, guide us around his island, made the experience very meaningful and interesting. Both men are extremely knowledgeable, professional, and fun to be with! Each day of hiking was a new adventure full of challenges and natural beauty beyond description. It didn’t hurt that we had perfect weather also!

Your suggestion of Ischia was just perfect as a destination for our final 5 days in Italy. We located a very cozy property minutes from the harbor in Forio, where we relaxed and enjoyed a slower pace, beautiful sunsets and a lot of wine, limoncello and gelato!

So… THANK YOU to Girosole for orchestrating an adventure that introduced us to Napoli, Pompeii, Sorrento, and the amazing beauty of the Amalfi coast as well as the warm and wonderful people who live there.

Keith and I feel this trip will be hard to ever top. Getting to talk with farmer and shepherd and guy mushroom hunting was quite unexpected and would be hard to duplicate. Can’t say enough good about [guide] Roberto, but he was exactly the person I would want on a tour because of my interest in the built environment and history. I feel lucky that we found your company. Food was wonderful! Hotels were nice. We can’t say enough good — wonderful trip and enjoyable travelers. Hope to see you again with the rest of our mates!

The trip was GREAT! Loved the places we stayed, especially Montalcino, Montepulciano, Siena, and Rocca d’Orcia. The hotels were more like bed & breakfast which gave it a really nice personal feel. Rocca d’Orcia had the best and friendliest restaurant! Montalcino had a small village feel with very unique handmade local items. Montepulciano had the most shopping opportunities, and Siena was the best start to the trip with 2 great hosts in each of our hotels. Nice personal touches.

We all agreed that this was the best trip any of us had ever been on, and we all have travel extensively. It was also the most unique and relaxing trip. I will definitely keep this company in mind for future trips and have and will continue to tell people about our Journey through Tuscany!

We had the most wonderful time. In great part this was due to the beauty of the Lakes and the Alps. However, it was also due to the guides that we had. So much of the experience had to do with those two men. In very different ways they were lovely. Giorgio led us a little off of the established schedule because he wanted us to see his beloved mountains and the time was very well spent. Giuseppe was a wonderful guide, very educated and gentle and gave us a real sense of what hiking – serious hiking and mountain climbing – might be like. They both added to the pleasure of the trip. We changed our return plans a little and Giorgio was very helpful there and worried about us like a mother hen. Very sweet, actually.

In summary, it was a delightful trip. It is a beautiful country. Thank you.

We had a wonderful time in Italy. Alessandro was an excellent guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area and very flexible. I told him it was the perfect combination of history, nature and culture. We really enjoyed seeing a more “authentic” Italy, not so crowded with other tourists. Also, as you know, I was very excited to go to Abruzzo because of my family’s history. Well, at Hotel Due Monti in Ateleta we discovered the manager/owner, was one of the record keepers for the town. He was able to give me information about my family tree and even was able to show me some birth and marital records of my family. Before leaving the town, we stopped by the Civic Center which was closed, but the Mayor was there. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I can speak a little Italian, but Alessandro was extremely generous with his time to help me speak with the locals about my family. I will never forget it.

This is our second time traveling with Girosole. Thank you for helping us with another amazing trip!

My husband and I absolutely loved this trip. Luca was a fabulous tour guide–humorous, knowledgeable and dependable. The best part about the trip was that we saw no other tourists while on the trails (only another group of hikers for the whole 5 days, and encountered other tourists in some of our bed & breakfasts). We definitely enjoyed taking in the Italian lifestyle: relaxed pace, wonderful food and wine, and gorgeous scenery. We thought the pace and distance was just right. Challenging enough, but not difficult to the point where it seemed impossible. The route took us through some very small towns, each with its own character and charm. We enjoyed walking through forests, hidden trails, and over mountains. The accommodations were all comfortable, clean, unique, and set in beautiful and convenient locations. Our favorites were in Bibicci and in Gaiole in Chianti. The food was wonderful. The best lunch at a restaurant was in Lamole, at Ristoro di Lamole. Our packed lunches included enough food and we did not go hungry. We loved our trip and it was extremely memorable. We would definitely recommend this trip to our friends.

The Chianti trek with Luca was the best hike/trip I have ever had. Luca was excellent. He created an incredible hike and great scenary plus he kept us going even when we were tired and hot. It was challenging but we all made it and it felt great! I am going do another trek with Luca in the Italian Alps next year! He is wonderful. Thank you.

We had a real adventure and perhaps it was a bit too adventurous, it was very strenuous, two of the party who have been to Everest base camp from the Tibet side said that this walk was harder. It was a wonderful experience, the mountains are truly spectacular, the food was great (and we really needed it) and the accommodation was fine, sometimes very basic and sometimes quite chic. We all agreed that we wouldn’t have missed it for anything