I love to travel, and Northern Italy was an excellent choice for my first guided tour with Collette Travel. I hope you enjoy the second in my series of Italy’s Treasures.
This is a sponsored post for Collette Travel, all the opinions and images are my own.
What is a Guided Tour?
Guided tours are usually all-inclusive group travel experiences led by a local guide following a specific itinerary. You can find these types of tours with destinations around the world that fit your lifestyle and budget.
Guided group tours are a great way to see a destination without having to do any of the leg work required to make your trip memorable. Guided tours are convenient and include local guides that have a wealth of knowledge about the area you’re traveling to. Your hotels, most meals, and travel to and from locations are all taken care of your tour company, which can make your travel experience more enjoyable (especially when they schlep your luggage from place to place).
Are All Travel Companies the Same?
The answer to that would be a big no! And that’s why it’s important to find a reputable company that has glowing reviews. For years I steered clear of tour groups specifically for that reason.
You might think I’m promoting Collette Travel simply because they sponsored my trip to Italy. But you’d be wrong; I chose to travel with Collette Travel because I trust them.
I get frequent emails from companies asking me to work with them, but the truth of the matter is I turn them down due to their reviews or lack of reviews. You have to be careful where you spend hard earned money; it’s easy to fall prey to misleading advertising and false promises. And I won’t promote a company or service I haven’t tried and didn’t believe in.
So Who is Collette Travel?
This year Collette celebrated their 100th anniversary as a travel company. That’s quite an accomplishment for any business, especially in the travel industry. It’s easy to check for yourself, just Google, Collette Tours, Collette Travel, Collette Vacations or Guided by Collette to see what people or saying.
Or you can click on my link for Collette Travel and let them help you make your travel dreams come true.
If you want to Experience Italy as I did, they have just the tour for you, along with many other Italian adventures to choose from. Can’t you see yourself at the beach in Vernazza or one of the other beaches along the Cinque Terre?
As a chef one of the perks of traveling to Italy is all of the amazing food I get sample along the way. And it’s not just about pasta.
These pork chops were not only tender, moist and delicious; they were a work of art. Perfectly plated food always tastes better!
One of the great joys I experienced on my trip was staying a Villa Lecchi.
You’ll fall in love with this Tuscan Villa surrounded by a beautiful vineyard and olive groves with a cypresses-lined drive. Located upon a hill in the Chianti area, overlooking the outstanding landscape of the Elsa valley it’s just a few minutes from Siena and about an hour from Florence.
And if you ask nicely, they might prepare you a lunch including their own cured meats and homemade cheese from their neighbors. Now that’s what I call living!
Of course, it isn’t just about the food. Who am I kidding its all about the food! And it’s not just about the meals; it’s the out of the way places you visit on your tour.
Touring can take a lot out of you and from time to time you need a snack. From pasta to pizza you can snack on all the flavors that Italy is known for. Have you ever had a Quattro Fromage Pizza?
Traveling with a knowledgable local guide and good traveling companions makes all the difference in the world.
Our guide Maria Angela even suggested restaurants she knew I would like on our free evenings. Good food, good wines and good company made for an exceptional trip!
We visited places of legend, Unesco sites that have been in existence for millennia. Haven’t you always wanted to ride down the canals of Venice in a gondola? Or seen Michelangelo’s David in Florence. Collette can make it happen and so much more.
You’ll see churches that are architectural marvels like the Cathedral in Sienna.
Visit local neighborhoods in Venice.
And enjoy the serenity of a small fishing village.
This is just one of the many guided tours you can take with Collette. Where would you like to go this year? Don’t wait forever to work on your travel bucket list, time is something you can never get back.
Click on this link to read my first post and learn more about my trip with Collette.
Click on this link to visit the Collette Website.
If you enjoyed my post about traveling through Italy please leave a comment, I love hearing from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels, Twitter and Facebook.
Lisa Jo
It’s a good idea to start with a tour company for my first time visit. I’ll definitely check out Collette!
Hola Cheska
Very informative blog post! Love the pictures with food! LOL I would love to visit Italy one day, but first I have fiji. So many places to visit with such a short life.
Claudia Krusch
Can’t wait to go back to Italy! Loved your pictures! That pizza left me hungry! Yummmm
Sara
What an amazing experience! I have always wanted to visit Italy; I’ll have to check out Collette travel!
Monidipa Dutta
My man is from there. And I believe every place is beautiful there. I love this post and will share it with him.
Julie
What a lucky guy! Sounds like Collette Travel is a great company. I’m looking to expand my blogging, to include travel. Any tips you can give me?
Nina
Collette definitely seems like a reputable tour company. I have been to that exact spot from the photo in Vernazza. It’s such a beautiful place. I really loved visiting it.
Preet
I never really thought about going to Italy before, it looks beautiful though. May need to add it to my want to do list.
Fatima Torres
I’ve always assumed all travel agencies were the same. Good to hear that there are those who are working to set themselves apart from the rest.
Bethany Stout
This looks amazing, looks like you had a great time. Some dislike guided tours but I have always enjoyed them, every one I have been on was hosted by locals who gave us so much more information, hidden gems we would have never discovered on our own, and culture and history you don’t get on your own.
Tiffany Barry
This makes me want to go there right now. It’s so cold and dreary here! This looks like the perfect getaway.
Catherine Santiago Jose
This is such a great travelers experience to post and give us a very good glimpse of what this place has to offer. I love every content of this guide for this place especially the food they all looks delicious and very tempting to look at.
Lorilea
I am going to Italy in 2020 – thank you for the amazing all encompassing write up! The photos were gorgeous!
Chelle Dizon
I totally agree that your local tour guide can either make or break your vacation so it is very important to choose wisely. Those foodtrips are the best whenever you will travel somewhere. What a fun adventure!
Sophia
The food looks amazing and so does the view. I would love to visit there.
Jasmine Hewitt
i’d love a guided tour of italy! it looks like a great experience
Kara
I do enjoy guided tours as you very often miss things when walking past yourself
Yeah Lifestyle
I love guided tours and I’d love a guided tour around Northern Italy. It is somewhere I’ve wanted to explore more so a tour like this would be great and so much fun.
Chad
I’ve never been to northern Italy!!! A must see for sure…I can’t get enough of Italy i can’t!!!
Chad
Becca Talbot
I have been on a couple of guided tours over the last few years – but the food hasn’t been nearly as nice as the stuff you were offered in Italy 😉 x
Joanna
Yes, Italy is all about the food. Your post reminded me of my numerous trips in Italy and the amazing food I have has there. No matter what other people say, the Italian food is the best. Even the bad one still tastes fantastic!
Elizabeth Weitz
What an amazing adventure you’ve had! And It seriously gives me a case for wanderlust! I need to go here!
Dean of Little Steps
Your photos makes me want to hop on a plane to Italy right now. It’s really cold in the UK at the moment, and this has made me yearn for summer!
annick
i used to go on guided tours a lot but now that I’m older I definitely prefer exploring on my own. Italy is such a beautiful country with equally amazing food
Catalina
This is the perfect way to visit Italy! Italy is not only the biggest cities like Rome or Milan. Italy is Chianti, is Cinque Terre, Italy is all about local food and borghi!
Ricci
I would love to travel to Italy one day!! I think a guided tour would be fun!!
Alexandra
This sounds very interesting and informative! I will be back in Europe later in the year – I will have to look into this. Northern Italy is one of my favourite places to visit!
Nancy at Whispered Inspirations
OMG, it is my dream to go to Italy one day. So much to see, eat, and experience. It really is a beautiful place and on my bucket list.
Denay DeGuzman
It sounds like a wonderful vacation in northern Italy! Reading your post has given me feelings of wanderlust.
Stacie
I love guided tours. They’re one of the best ways to see any city. The guides always know the best spots.
Pam
It looks like you had an amazing time and ate lots of good food in Northern Italy. I really enjoy guided tours so I don’t miss anything important.
Sonal
Thanks for sharing the blogpost on guided tours. I think that they are the best when in a foreign country.
Heather
I would love to go to Italy one day. It’s on my list. Hopefully when the kids are in college, we can sneak away!
Alyssa
What an amazing trip!! I’m drooling over that food. I’ve never really traveled with a guided tour group but Colette sounds fantastic!
Terri Steffes
What a lovely trip. I want to go to Italy so badly. Most of my family has been there so there isn’t a high interest in going, so I need to get my friends together for such a trip.
Beth
It looks like you had a wonderful trip! Collette Travel seems like a great company.
Tasheena
This looks like an amazing experience. This really has me wanting to do a guided tour for our next adventure.
Marcie W.
Wow, it looks like you had quite the adventure! Italy is one of the top destinations on my travel bucket list and I think a guided tour is a great way to enjoy an immersive experience.
Melanie
Italy would be a fantastic place to visit. It is on my travel bucket list for sure. Your photos make it all the more desirable!
Ashley
I’ve been to Italy a couple of times… and the FOOD is always my favorite part! Of course the countryside is gorgeous… but the food and wine is so worth it!
Jeanette
I want to go to Italy so bad. And I cannot wait until I actually can. I am going to go to all of these places that you mentioned. It looks so cool.
Amber Myers
I would LOVE to explore Italy. I wouldn’t mind a guided tour. That way I don’t get lost and I learn more about the history. I would want them to guide me to all the pasta 😉
Chubskulit Rose
Whoa that’s a lot of luggage right there. This place is so inviting, I wish I could travel right now that it’s freezing right here in my neck of the woods.
candy
Italy is on our list of countries to visit. We don’t normally do a guided tour but it is something to think about. Beautiful country.