Italy small group tours are a relatively new option with many tour companies made available in the past few years. You could always customize a trip to Italy with your own driver and guide, but many guests still wanted to travel in a group setting, recognizing the value, safety and opportunity to socialize, but did not want to travel with 40 to 50 guests to feel like they were being herded around like cattle. In response, tour companies have launched specialized small group itineraries that keep group sizes limited to anywhere from 14 to 26 travelers.
If you are considering traveling to Italy, there is no doubt that there are distinct advantages in taking Italy small group tours. The schedule is much more flexible with a smaller group, and the tour guide can be more spontaneous. Limiting the size of the tour group means you get a more personalized experience from the guides and obviously, the group can move faster. Bathroom and meal breaks take less time for example, allowing you to experience more included sightseeing and unique experiences. You engage in activities such as after-hours visits to museums, cooking classes and wine tastings at private vineyards, things that once again would be difficult to do with a larger group. You also tend to have more free time on these trips, and stay in either very upscale properties or unique boutique hotels and villas. Included meals are usually at local restaurants with wine and do not have a set menu. On some itineraries, you may travel by train, go hiking, have a picnic or even bike ride in Tuscany. You get the value of traveling with a group, with the added benefit of experiencing things you cannot schedule on your own. On an Italy small group tour, you will surely get an intimate and unforgettable journey through Italy. There are various price points to choose from for Italy small groups, from budget to luxury packages.
If this sounds like something that would interest you, there are lots of choices for Italy small group tours.
Here is an overview of popular options for Italy small group tours
Collette Tours Explorations are created specifically for travelers who want to explore in small group setting with 16 to 28 travelers. Adhering to their traditional ideals of quality and service, these tours offer a more personalized travel experience as well as stays at charming villas, classic “boutique” hotels, and breathtaking resorts. In Italy, Collette offers a 11 day trip called Italy’s Treasures: Art, Food & Wine of Italy and an 10 day Tuscan and Umbrian Countryside 2021.
Deluxe tour operator Tauck tours has taken their popular 14 day Classic Italy and will offer small group departures April through October. Small groups will average 24 guests for a more intimate travel experience and stay at chic, smaller hotels in fabulous locations. Exclusive experiences include an after hours guided tour of the opulent Doge’s Palace in Venice, including the legendary Bridge of Sighs and after hours guided visit to the Vatican Museum and Sistine chapel.
Tauck Culturious also offers small groups averaging around 20 culturally curious travelers. Culturious is designed for those seeking a small-group, active travel experience. And the rewards are priceless. Tauck Culturious has an 8 day Tuscany & Cinque Terre as well as an 8 day The Heart of Italy: Venezia, Firenza and Roma. Unique experiences include private tours, wine tasting, bike riding in Lucca and dinner in a mansion.
Another Italy small group favorite is the 8 day Italy….Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice. This tour never travels with more than 24 guests and includes private access to a workshop that produces costumes for the Venice Carnival, a tour of the Uffizi Gallery with an artist, pizza making with a local chef and more. If you want to visit Sicily, the 10 day Sicily: From the Mountains to the Seas is a wonderful option for traveling from Taormina to Palermo, with stops in Catania, Ragusa and Sciacca.
