The Complete Guide to Traveling in Italy with Excite Experiences

Italy is roughly the size of Florida. It produces about twice as much wine as the entire United States.

That comparison comes from Marco Lori, the sommelier who travels with our Tuscany group, and it is the fastest way to explain something about this country that most first-time visitors underestimate. Italy is small. What is packed into it is not.

Which is why we do not run Italy as one trip. We offer two very different Italy group tour itineraries, and choosing between them really comes down to what kind of traveler you are.

We run an Amalfi Coast and Rome itinerary that moves through Naples, Positano, Pompeii, the Vatican, and finishes in the Tuscan countryside. And we run a Tuscany food and wine immersion that parks in one agriturismo for the week and spends its days in cooking classes, cellars, olive groves, and hill towns. Same country. Completely different trips.

This guide covers both, and then it covers the part nobody tells you before you go: what traveling in Italy is actually like once you are there.

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Italy Group Tour Option 1: The Amalfi Coast and Rome

"Naples and the Coast"

The trip opens in Naples, and it stays there. Same hotel every night for the first stretch, which matters more than it sounds. Because the group returns to the same place each evening, every single day of the itinerary is optional. If you wake up and decide you need a day by the pool instead of a day on a bus, that is a legitimate way to do this trip. Just tell your guide.

The first night is a group dinner at Zia Teresa on the waterfront. Not because it is on a checklist, but because eighteen people who have just flown across an ocean together need to eat, and because it is a good way to stop being strangers.

From there the days spread out along the Amalfi Coast. Ravello, high above the water. Positano, which is the postcard, and where your afternoon is genuinely your own - swim, shop, sit at a bar, walk to the beach, or do none of it. A pizza-making class in the city that invented pizza, taught by people who take it more seriously than you are expecting.

Pompeii gets a guided tour, and it deserves one. Walking a Roman city that stopped in place in 79 AD is not something you get much out of on your own.

There is an optional boat day out to the Isle of Capri, guided, with free time built in. Nearly everyone takes it.

"Rome"

Two and a half hours north, and the trip changes character entirely.

We go into the Vatican on private group tickets, which is the difference between moving through it and standing in a line. There is an included group lunch, and then the rest of that evening is yours.

The following day is a full Rome walking tour. Off and on your feet, roughly thirty minutes of walking at a stretch, all day. If you have already done Rome and would rather not do it again, stay back at the hotel. The group reconvenes for dinner that night either way.

"Into Tuscany"

The last stretch of this itinerary crosses into Tuscany, and this is where the trip slows down on purpose.

A winery visit and tasting on the way. Free time and a late lunch at Porto Santo Stefano on the coast. Then check-in at Casa Bianca, a Tuscan agriturismo with a pool, and dinner together on the property.

Then Montepulciano, which we do backwards from everyone else. The coach drops the group at the top of the hill and you walk down through the town. Every other tour parks at the bottom and climbs. There is a tour and included lunch at Icario Winery, and then back to the resort by late afternoon.

Siena the next day, on a walking tour of roughly two and a half hours. Siena is built into a slope steep enough that the restaurants have chairs stepping down the hillside. The city is organized into neighborhoods that families are born into and compete between, and once you understand that, the whole town reads differently.

The last full day is a half-day cooking class, an afternoon at the resort, and a farewell dinner on the property. Then Rome, and home.

Italy Group Tour Option 2: The Tuscany Food and Wine Immersion

This one is built differently on purpose.

We run 126 bus tours a year, and our whole approach sits somewhere between a vacation and a tour. This trip sits at the far vacation end of that range. It is planned, but the amount of time that belongs to you is significantly higher than a standard itinerary. It is meant to be food, wine, and not being in a hurry.

"The Agriturismo"

The group flies into Florence and stays at Le Terre dei Cavalieri, a countryside agriturismo, for the entire trip. Ten days, one suitcase, unpacked once.

If the word is new to you: an agriturismo is a working countryside property that also hosts guests. Stone buildings, converted barns, a pool, a restaurant on site with a chef cooking a menu that changes based on what came from the market that morning. It is not a hotel and it is not trying to be. Staying in one is a genuine part of the Tuscan experience rather than just a place to sleep.

Group size runs from 15 to 45. On smaller departures the group travels in mini buses rather than a full coach, which is not a downgrade: some of the hill roads this itinerary uses cannot take a full-size motorcoach at all.

"Marco"

Marco Lori travels with the group for the entire week.

Excite lists him as an Italian Sommelier and Master Winemaker. He is born and raised in Rome and has worked professionally in wine since 1995. He came to it by way of a father who made wine at home, which Marco describes as the worst wine he has ever tasted in his life. He learned something from it anyway.

For this trip he went out to the property in advance, worked directly with the chef, built the cooking class, and chose the wine for every pairing dinner on the itinerary. He is with the group through the days, not just at dinner.

His view of Italian wine is worth arriving with: this is a country with more than 300,000 wine growers and 45,000 producers, and the region this trip covers is among the best in it for reds. His view of which wine is best is simpler. The best wine is the one that is already empty.

"The Week"

The days are built around food, wine, and hill towns, in roughly that order.

The trip opens with Siena on arrival day, including lunch in the historic center and a walking tour of the Gothic architecture around the Piazza del Campo, before continuing to the agriturismo and a welcome dinner with Marco.

From there the days alternate between hands-on work and hill towns. A cheese-making and cooking class at Fattoria Bistecca, eaten as a farm lunch with local wine, followed by an afternoon in Cortona. A day on Lake Trasimeno with a ferry across to Isola Maggiore and its lace-making heritage, lunch on the water, and the hill town of Castiglione del Lago, closing with a wine pairing dinner where Marco connects each pour back to the places you stood in that day.

An olive oil tour at Frantoio Burraschi, then Montepulciano, where you descend into the De Ricci cellars beneath the town for a private tasting of Vino Nobile. Prosciutto making at Pratomagno Prosciutti, the frescoed city of Arezzo, and a private tasting at Villa La Ripa, a villa winery overlooking the countryside.

A chocolate factory in Perugia and the Pian di Massiano market, where what you buy becomes the cooking class back at the agriturismo that evening.

And a Brunello day at Fattoria dei Barbi, where the wine has been made for generations, with lunch paired to their vintages, then free time in Montalcino and a stop in Pienza, the UNESCO town known for its pecorino. The farewell dinner is that night, hosted by Marco.

The final full day is Florence, with a guided city tour, reserved entry to Michelangelo's David, and the Duomo, then free time before an evening at leisure and a flight home the next morning.

And if what you actually want is to sit at the resort with a glass of something and not get on a bus at all, that is allowed. We have had a guest spend an entire week on that property with cigars and wine and no regrets whatsoever.

What Traveling in Italy Is Actually Like: Customs, Tipping, and Daily Life

This is the section most guides skip, and it is the one that changes how much you enjoy the trip.

"Dinner takes a long time, and that is the point"

Your server is not ignoring you. Nobody is going to check on your table every seven minutes, and nobody is going to bring you the check until you ask for it. You are meant to sit there. You are meant to talk to the people next to you and have another glass of wine and let the courses arrive when they arrive.

American travelers routinely read this as bad service on the first night. It is not. It is the entire experience, and once you stop fighting it, it is one of the best parts of the country.

Dinner also starts late. Seven at the earliest, often later. Bring snacks, especially on the first day when everyone is jet-lagged and hungry at four in the afternoon.

"Tap water, ice, and drinks in Italy"

Drinks do not come with ice. If you want it, ask, and it will usually turn up, but it will not be the amount you are used to.

Tap water is fine to drink throughout Italy.

"Do you tip in Italy?"

You do not need to leave twenty percent. You do not need to leave thirty or forty euros on the table. Rounding up or leaving your change is normal and appreciated, and nothing bad happens if you do not.

If a meal is included in your tour, gratuity is already handled. You do not need to add anything.

Bus drivers are the exception worth knowing about. They work partly for tips, and a good one has earned it by the end of a week.

"Do you need euros in Italy?"

Do not go to your bank at home and order a stack of cash. Do not use the exchange counter at the airport, which exists to make money off people who did not know better.

Use an ATM once you arrive. That is the best rate you will get, and there is no shortage of them. Your guide will tell you when and where. You will not need cash on your travel day anyway.

Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere. American Express is a coin flip.

"Italian hotel rooms, agriturismos, and air conditioning"

European hotel rooms in general are smaller than American ones. No enormous bathroom, no walk-in closet, no separate seating area. This is not a quality problem, it is a different standard.

Air conditioning in countryside properties is limited or absent. The buildings are stone, which holds cool the way a basement does, and fans are provided. It works better than it sounds. If you sleep hot, a small USB fan runs about ten dollars, is quiet, and packs flat.

"Older buildings have older plumbing"

In older properties, nothing goes in the toilet except what came out of you. Everything else goes in the bin. Nothing catastrophic happens if you forget once, but it is their standard and it exists for a reason.

"What to wear to churches in Italy"

A shawl or a light sweater covers you for church visits and folds into a carry-on. You are unlikely to be turned away without one, but it is the respectful thing.

"Is Rome safe? Pickpockets and common sense"

This is not a reason to be anxious. It is a reason to be sensible.

You do not need your passport on you every second of the day. You do not need every credit card you own. You do not need all of your cash. Bring what you need for the day, keep it in a front pocket or a money belt, and leave the rest in the hotel safe. This is as much about not leaving something on a bus after a wine tasting as it is about theft.

"What to wear in Italy"

Everything on tour is casual or business casual. You do not need to dress up.

Cobblestones and stilettos do not work. This has been tested.

And nobody on the trip remembers what shorts you wore four days ago. Rewear things. Mix them up. You do not need a different outfit for every day.

What to Pack for Italy and How to Prepare

"The one thing you cannot replace"

Your passport. People leave them in the printer at home with genuine regularity. Everything else you forget can be bought in Italy.

"Carry-on essentials"

Medications, always. Nobody at security is going to give you trouble over your prescriptions.

One change of clothes, in case your checked bag has a slower trip than you do.

No water bottles. They will be taken.

"Skip the jewelry on travel day"

Every necklace, watch, and heavy belt comes off at security and goes back on afterward. Wear something comfortable and simple. You can get a blanket on the plane.

"What plug adapter do you need in Italy?"

You need a European plug adapter. Buy a universal one so it works on your next trip too, and get one per person so you are not negotiating over a single outlet.

Be careful with hair dryers and straighteners. American units are built for American voltage and will burn out on European current. Most of our properties provide hair dryers, and your guide can confirm before you pack one.

"Using your phone in Italy"

An international plan is not required, but it is worth it, and it is cheap now - around ten dollars a day on most US carriers. Check with yours.

At minimum, one person in your party needs a working phone. Group communication happens by text, and Italy is a place where plans shift. A bus cannot reach a meeting point, a town is busier than expected, or you have had one glass of wine too many and cannot find your way back. That last one has happened, and being reachable is how it gets solved quickly.

Every hotel has Wi-Fi as a fallback.

"At the airport"

Arrive ninety minutes to two hours before your flight.

Find your guide before you go upstairs. We will be in the branded shirts, near the check-in counter for your airline.

Do not put your phone in airplane mode until you are physically on the plane. We may need to reach you that morning. It will not crash anything.

When you land, you will collect your bags, clear customs, and exit - there is only one way through. Your guide will be waiting past that exit.

"Delays happen, and they are handled"

There are about forty-five people working behind the scenes at Excite Experiences, and during a tour some of them are watching flights, tracking delays, and rerouting people. If something goes wrong, we will usually know before you do.

The best illustration we have: a Christmas markets departure left during a snowstorm with travelers flying from five different airports. People were stuck in Chicago, in Florida, and some had already landed in Italy. Every single person made it, and the trip was a blast.

Grab a coffee, grab a beer, be flexible. You will get there.

"Travel insurance"

Worth a second look even if you have already decided against it.

The gap most people do not think about is weather. If a storm cancels your flight, the airline does not owe you a hotel. We will arrange one, but the cost is yours. Insurance covers exactly that kind of thing, and if something does go wrong, we help you with the claim.

Full details on the Excite Experiences Payment Protection Plan and travel insurance options are at excitemytravel.com/payment-protect-program-travel-insurance.

Buying and Shipping Wine Home from Italy

You are going to visit wineries and you are going to want to bring bottles home. Here is the honest advice from someone who overdid it the first time.

Drink it there.

The temptation is to buy a case at every stop and ship it all back. But most of what you taste is available in the States, and shipping takes a long time - months, in one case. What you actually want is the bottle you cannot get at home, or the one attached to a memory. Buy that one. Ship it, or check it in your luggage.

Everything else, open it while you are sitting somewhere in Tuscany with the people you have been traveling with all week. That is the version you will remember.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Our Italy Tours

Do I have to do every activity on the itinerary?

Mostly no, with one limit. On days when the group is based at the same hotel and returning to it that night, activities are genuinely optional. During the Naples portion you sleep in the same hotel every night, so if you would rather skip Pompeii and spend the day at the hotel, that is a legitimate choice. The Tuscany trip works the same way, with one property for the whole week. We have had a guest spend an entire Tuscany week on the property with cigars and a drink in hand and skip nearly every excursion. The exception is a travel day, when the group is moving on to the next destination and you need to be on the bus. All we ask otherwise is that you tell your guide, so nobody is looking for you.

How physically demanding are these tours?

Our own guidance on these tours is direct: they require walking on cobblestone streets, various modes of transportation, and uneven terrain, and you should factor that in before booking. You will also need to handle your own luggage.

In practice, expect real walking at a manageable pace. The Rome day is on and off your feet all day, typically in stretches of about thirty minutes. Italian hill towns are the bigger factor, because Montepulciano, Siena, and Cortona are built on genuine slopes with cobblestone and uneven stone rather than sidewalk. We plan around it where we can, including dropping the group at the top of Montepulciano so you walk down while every other tour climbs up. Comfortable shoes matter more than any other packing decision you will make.

How much luggage can I bring?

One checked bag is included, plus your carry-on and a personal item. Pack lighter than you think you need to. Between the fact that nobody notices repeated outfits and the laundry options below, most travelers come home wishing they had brought less.

Can I do laundry during the tour?

Yes. At some point during your tour you will be at a hotel offering laundry service, which is a paid service you arrange at the property. The critical detail is timing: send it out on your first day at that hotel, never your last. If you hand it over the night before the group moves on, you will leave before your clothes come back.

How do I get my daily itinerary and schedule?

Through the Trip Plans app. You download it from your app store, then go back to the itinerary email and click through again, which auto-populates your trip into the app. It takes two steps rather than one, which catches people out. If the app is not for you, we will send the same information as a PDF, and your guide can set it up with you in person once you arrive.

What happens if my flight is delayed or canceled?

We handle it, and there is a good chance we know before you do. Around forty-five people work at Excite Experiences, and during a tour some of them are watching flights and rerouting travelers in real time. The clearest example we have: a Christmas markets departure left during a snowstorm with guests flying out of five different airports. People were stranded in Chicago and Florida while others had already landed in Europe. Everyone made the trip. What we cannot do is cover a weather-related hotel, because airlines do not reimburse those, which is the strongest single argument for travel insurance.

Will someone meet me at the airport in Italy?

Yes. You will collect your bags, clear customs, and exit, and there is only one route through, so you cannot take a wrong turn. Your guide will be waiting past the exit. If you booked your own flights or arrive at a different time, we arrange your meeting point with you in advance. Nobody gets left standing in an airport wondering where the group went.

What is included in the tour price?

Airfare is included, along with elevated accommodations, original meals prepared for the group, motorcoach transportation, a professional tour director for the duration, and a homemade chocolate chip cookie, which is not a joke and has its own icon on our tour pages. Gratuities and travel insurance are not included. Meal counts vary by itinerary, so check the specific tour page for the exact number.

Can I travel with you if I book my own flights?

Yes. If you book separate flights, let us know your arrival details and we coordinate your meeting point with the group. On the return, we make sure you are at the airport in time for your own flight rather than the group departure.

The Two Things That Matter Most

One of our guides puts it better than we could. The two things you need most on this trip are a sense of humor and patience.

Everything in this guide is small. Adapters, ice, the pace of dinner, when to get euros. None of it is the trip. The trip is a hill town at the end of an afternoon, a table that nobody is in a hurry to leave, and a group of people who did not know each other two weeks ago.

Show up flexible and the rest takes care of itself. That is our job anyway.

How to Get on the Next Italy Departure

Our Italy tours fill early, and they usually fill from people who traveled with us before and told someone about it. If a departure you had your eye on is already closed, that is normal, and it is not the end of the conversation.

Italy comes back around. We run these itineraries year after year, and the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany trips described here are close to the same each season, with the details refined based on what worked the last time.

The best way to get on the next one:

Get on the newsletter at excitemytravel.com/newsletter-registration, which is where new departures get announced first.

Or skip all of that and call 402-293-9282. If Italy is what you want, tell us, and we will let you know the moment dates open.

Questions before you commit to anything? Our frequently asked questions are at excitemytravel.com/FAQ, and details on the Payment Protection Plan and travel insurance are at excitemytravel.com/payment-protect-program-travel-insurance.