Intimate Small Group Tours to Italy
Experience Italy with our small group tours and take a journey of discovery! Dive into the beautiful coastlines of Sardinia and the Amalfi Coast, relish Italy’s rich culinary heritage like in a cooking class in Piedmont or a wine tasting in Sicily, and let our expert local guides bring to life hidden elements whether it is Matera or Lucca.
We strive to connect our guests to the roots of Italian culture by taking them to places where large groups cannot go and letting them interact with local hosts that one would hardly find by themselves.
Our carefully crafted itineraries are expertly guided by some of the best local guides and tour managers available in the industry, providing an intimate and pampered tour experience with no more than 12 guests.
When designing a trip to Italy, our mantra is “less is more”, referring to slow-paced itineraries, where group activities are well balanced with enough free time to take in the real vibe of the destination and enjoy it at your own pace.
When possible, we avoid excessively long bus rides and prefer to stay at least two nights in each place, if not longer, limiting unnecessary packing and unpacking.
Small Group Tours With Only 6 -12 Guests
With only 6 – 12 guests, our luxury small group tours offer a unique and personalized way to experience Italy’s enchanting charms.
We gain access to remote farmhouses, restaurants, scenic routes, and other off-the-beaten-track experiences where large groups can’t fit.
Consequently, our guests get to know local hosts in small villages and go beyond the surface where most tourists don’t go. As an example, the cheese refiner in Piedmont, passionate winemakers from Puglia to Tuscany, and families of farmers who carry on the tradition. At the end of each day, you will feel like a local, not a tourist!
When we visit large cities like Palermo, Florence, or Naples, the limited number of guests in our groups is key to skipping the lines, avoiding crowds, and reaching hidden gems. We visit even the largest cities in a safe, friendly, and pampered way.
At the end of the day, the intimate atmosphere fosters connections among participants and allows for a more tailored experience. The smaller group size ensures that guests receive individual attention from knowledgeable guides, enhancing the overall experience and allowing for a deeper understanding of Italy’s history, culture, and natural beauty.
One of the standout features of our luxury small group tours to Italy is the carefully curated itineraries that showcase the best of one region at a time. Every detail is meticulously planned, from accommodations in charming boutique hotels to exclusive dining experiences that highlight local cuisine with balanced menus, so that every day we eat something local and different than the day before.
Enjoy Authentic Experiences and Local Cuisine
A huge effort is put into letting our guests partake in authentic Italian cuisine, rather than stereotyped Italian food.
Indulging in delicious regional cuisine is not just about eating but an opportunity to delve into the roots of the ingredients, and the origin of a recipe and compare traditional meals with other modern approaches.
The ultimate deeper understanding of Italy’s culture and history involves food. Whether it is a renowned restaurant of Montalcino, in Tuscany, a Michelin-star chef of Ostuni, in Puglia or the home-cooked meal in a Sicilian farmhouse, the culinary inclusions on our small group tours to Italy are top-notch.
Grandma-Like Authentic Meals and Michelin-Starred Chefs
What is a trip to Italy without great food? One of the things that our guests take home for good is that the definition of “Italian food” does not exist.
Italy is divided into 20 regions, and each feels like a separate world, with its own culture, traditions, dialect, and food!
When you travel with Meet Piemonte, be reassured that a lot of energy and generous budgets are put in place to provide authentic culinary experiences that showcase the food specific to the region that we visit.
We love exposing our guests to contrasting dining settings, like a family-owned trattoria where grandma’s recipes are still prepared with dedication. Then, the next night we are off to a fine dining experience.
In most of our trips, we include either a Michelin-star restaurant or a chef mentioned on the Michelin guide to savoring local and seasonal ingredients presented with a twist of creativity. And that is usually a chance to dress up a bit for a night and enjoy five-star service!
Charming Boutique Hotels in our Small Group Tours to Italy
Our small group tours include accommodations in handpicked, high-end boutique hotels across Italy. From a luxurious Tuscan villa to modern resorts in Sicily, from historic small inns in Piedmont’s vineyards to a country-chic farmhouse in Puglia, each hotel is carefully selected to provide you with an authentic Italian experience whilst allowing you to kick back and relax after a day of exploring.
We allow enough time to enjoy these beautiful boutique hotels with some leisurely mornings and longer hotel stays, avoiding wasting time packing and unpacking.
A Balcony on Lake Como
One of the advantages of our Lake Como, Piedmont & Portofino Tour is the chance to stay in one of the very few boutique hotels built right on the water.
As most of the other hotels on Lake Como have a busy road separating the property from the water, our guests can sit on their balconies and only hear the noise of waves or boats passing by.
Waking up in the morning overlooking the lake and enjoying the sunset twilight over the Alps is a long-lasting memory that guests will take home.
Exclusive Sea-View Rooms in Positano
Guests who previously joined our Naples, Positano & The Amalfi Coast Tour agreed that the view from their hotel room was an unbeatable plus.
With five nights in the middle section of town, where only smaller vehicles can get, guests can experience what Positano is all about. These rooms would cost much more to the independent traveler and we have to secure them over a year in advance, considering how small the hotel is.
The colorful ceramic tiles and the traditional décor of the room make guests feel the destination from the very first moment when they open their eyes in the morning.
Moreover, one can sit on a balcony and admire the maze of steep staircases and narrow alleys that run down toward the beach.
While Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast boast a large range of hotels, only a few visitors get to sleep in Positano, while most tourists come here only for a few hours during the day. Waking up and enjoying the sunset in one of the most spellbinding towns of Italy is one of the unbeatable values of our tour to Positano.
A Century-Old Tuscan Villa
In our Grand Tour of Tuscany, one of the main highlights is staying in a luxurious villa where our group of twelve guests takes up most of the rooms.
Our home is a century-old villa, renovated with great care of detail and surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. This is the departure point to explore the towns of Montalcino, Pienza, Bagno a Vignoni, and other hidden treasures.
Here and there we leave time without scheduled activities so that each guest can decide to experience the villa at their own pace. Some guests rent an electric bike and follow our tour guide on a ride on the rolling hills of Tuscany. Some enjoy a late breakfast and read a book by the pool.
This is what we call a vacation: a guided tour of Italy with hours of free time to do what is important to you.
Next, we spend two nights in a luxurious Palazzo, wisely renovated with exquisite details in the heart of Lucca, one of Italy’s most elegant cities. These spacious accommodations are an oasis of peace where one can relax, enjoy a drink, or read a book before going out and experience Lucca’s vibe in the evening when tourists are gone.
A Luxury Resort in Agrigento and Elegant Rooms in Siracusa
Considering that Sicily is the largest island of the Mediterranean, there is no choice but to change four hotels during our tour of Western Sicily & Siracusa. With a two-night stay in each property, we make sure the accommodations contribute to the travel experience, rather than being just “a place to sleep”.
In Agrigento, we wake up in the morning with a view of the Valley of Temples, overlooking the blue Mediterranean, pampered with the latest amenities of a modern luxury 5-star resort. Equipped with a small private pool on each patio, these rooms make you feel relaxed, and ready to explore the surrounding countryside and centuries of history.
At the end of the tour, in Siracusa, we stay in the heart of Ortigia so that one can walk in the morning on the waterfront, and enjoy the shopping and the cozy restaurants of this charming small island. The elegant accommodations feature marble floors, and top-notch amenities and are located in a historic palace transformed into a welcoming hotel.
The Value of our Small Group Tours of Italy
Our small group tours include luxurious activities and services that booked independently would require a much higher budget.
Think of the cost of a private boat on the Amalfi Coast from Positano to Capri, or on the Italian Riviera to Portofino. Or a private guide on Lake Como who points out villas and lakeside villages from a Venetian-style boat. Lastly, the cost of private drivers available throughout the tour is another example of pricey services that are split among the participants of our small group tours to Italy.
Therefore, if one expense gets split among many people it will be cheaper for everyone. There is a reason why most travel companies on the market do their best to fill in a 50-seat bus!
Experienced independent travelers know that booking on their own each service included in our small group tours, would result in a much higher final price.
Whether it’s a private sailing ship to the Maddalena archipelago on Sardinia’s northern coast or a private tour with a speleologist in Puglia’s caves, these exclusive opportunities create unforgettable moments that will last for a lifetime.
Experience Italy with our Small Group Tours and you’ll realize that the real value of your vacation is much higher than the price paid for.
Pre-Trip Assistance throughout the Planning Process
In addition to the information regarding the tour that our guests book, we provide them with tons of information regarding all things Italy and the international travel requirements.
In 2021, when international borders were reopened after the pandemic but strict travel requirements were in place, we constantly monitored the situation.
We kept our guests informed of both the paperwork and certificates required to enter Italy as well as the requirements needed to travel back home. We arranged free-of-charge trips to testing facilities at the end of the tour.
When booking a small group tour of Italy with Meet Piemonte, guests get personal attention from the first video call until the last paperwork is sent before the beginning of the tour.
Many customers who joined our tours in the past, benefited from expert travel advice to extend their vacation in Italy. We arrange pre and post-tour extensions and customized tour packages.
Nonetheless, we provide our customers with a detailed guide full of information, tips, and suggestions about all things Italy: even seasoned travelers find it a helpful reminder about those cultural differences that can add stress to the vacation if not handled properly.
Experience Italy with our small group tours and enjoy it to its fullest, with zero stress! Everything is taken care of from trip logistics, to things to know to survive in Italy on your own.
