Review: Luxury Italy Anniversary Tour, Rome, Positano, Capri, Montalcino, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Vatican, Cooking Class, Sailing

My husband and I just returned from an incredible trip to Italy celebrating our 20 year anniversary.  Our agent with this Italy travel company planned a trip that was exactly what we were hoped for: stress-free, full of activities (but not overwhelming), romantic, and beautiful.  On a trip with so much details there are plenty of opportunities for something to go wrong but every tiny aspect was handled perfectly!! Within five minutes of stepping into any car, the driver’s phone rang.  It was one of our agents making sure everything was fine and there were no problems. Our agent made our trip incredible!  His attention to detail, vast knowledge, and ability to read people to figure out what and how to plan their trip allowed my husband and I to enjoy each other and our surroundings.  

We spent the first two nights in Montalcino.  I imagine it is challenging to make a castle cozy and charming, but they succeeded!  The castle was more than we could have ever hoped for with an interesting history, beautiful pool and views that were out of this world.  The staff was friendly and helpful; the rooms were tastefully decorated and roomy.  The castle's restaurant served us the most incredible meals with wonderful wine.  We went cycling through the vineyards, enjoyed the wine tasting room, experienced a cooking class by the head chef that was entertaining as well as informative.  We actually replicated his meal within a week of arriving home.  

We left Montalcino for Rome and spent four days exploring the city.  We had a private tour guide for Vatican City and Ancient Rome.  With the large amount of people, everywhere, I can not imagine trying to navigate, enjoy, and absorb so much history and space without someone to help.  He was full of information; it was obvious he loved the city and the history.  We spent our time where we wanted to be, not trying to figure out how to get there or how to get around the masses of people. The hotel we stayed at is in a great location.  The hotel was nice but it was all about the location.

We departed Rome for Sorrento where we dropped our suitcases at the hotel.  Our room was beautiful with lots of room and a view that we ran to see every morning. Their patio overlooks Sorrento Bay and we enjoyed every sunset with a drink and beautiful sights.  The staff at the hotel were very helpful with suggestions and a friendly smile. Our favorite place to eat was Donna Sophia, a restaurant that is located up a very narrow, scary but exhilarating street.  We found the ride and the restaurant to be lots of fun with delicious food.  We spent one day with a private driver and guide in Pompeii and Vesuvius.  The next day we had a private driver that took us on the most beautiful drive to Positano where we again enjoyed the views, beach, and shopping.  Unfortunately there was a wreck that blocked the road and we could not continue on to Ravello and Amalfi. Instead we spent a relaxing afternoon by the pool. 

Our favorite part of the trip was a day spent on a private charter boat.  It was amazingly scenic and beautiful while relaxing and peaceful.  We enjoyed swimming, checking out caves,  a lunch that was out of this world, and champagne while drinking in the sights. We ended our boat trip on Capri Island.

We spent two nights at the hotel there.  It was absolutely breathtaking! The view from the balcony of our room can not be adequately described.  It was truly the most magnificent sight I have ever seen. The staff went out of their way to be helpful.  We had a small issue with a clothing store that was suppose to deliver a package the night before we left.  When we woke and still had not received our goods, the staff at the front desk handled the situation beautifully and resolved our problem.