The main thing that differentiates Nancy Aiello Tours is that unlike traditional tour operators, we’re not a cookie-cutter travel company. This means that every trip we design is unique. We live and work in Italy, and we have an outstanding network that ensures we’re always in the know. What’s more: We don’t rely on secondary sources. We get to know all of our offerings firsthand.
Yes. We are a fully licensed and bonded Italy based Tour Operator & Travel Agency Authorization GR131559 Issued by the Region of Lazio, Italy – Insurance RC by Allianz Global Assistance n.731693168
Nancy Aiello Tours calls Italy home. Based in Italy we focus solely on our home country where we offer unique and immersive experiences through our first-hand knowledge and tight-knit relationships.
We have options to suit every travel taste. You can plan your own trip or one of our specialists can take care of the planning for you. Go on one of our epic package adventures or simply book single services. We cover it all.
Private tours: you have your own personal tour guide and/or driver just for you, dedicated to the interests of your party.
Custom trips: built from scratch with considerations for your personal tastes and preferences, who you’re traveling with, what your budget is, what you’re interested in doing and seeing, your ideal pace of travel, and so much more.
Yes. We typically arrange in-country transportation (by private car and/or fast train). Additionally, we coordinate local guides, private activities, tours, excursions, and anything else you’d like our help with.
Nancy Aiello Tours is a luxury tour operator, which means we work with both direct clients as well as travel agents. If you have a relationship with a travel agent, please ask them to contact us for more information. If you do not have an existing relationship with a travel agent and prefer to work with us directly, we will put you in touch with one of our specialists.
Our guides are a network of local specialists in a variety of fields including art history, archaeology, architecture, and cuisine. They hold a higher degree (MA or PhD) in any of the above disciplines or an equivalent credential and are licensed to lead tours as required by cities or venues. All of them are deeply in love with their cities and share our values in uncovering hidden gems. Finally yet importantly, they have the ability to connect with people of all ages.
Specializing in family travel to Italy, we pride ourselves in having an outstanding team of kid-friendly tour guides schooled in the art of storytelling committed to involve and educate our younger audience. They also use iPads throughout the tours to keep things clear, engaging and entertaining.
Because our professional local guides are born and bred in the area they are showing you, you will have a new guide for each city or region. Though your guide may change, the quality of the touring will be consistent, and you can count on the guides to always be friendly and knowledgeable.
We use only luxury vehicles with licensed and insured drivers who can stay with our guest’s personal items at all times. The types of vehicles vary according to the size of your party. We use air-conditioned Mercedes Benz E-Class and S-Class Sedans for up to two passengers. For larger families or groups of friends we provide air-conditioned Mercedes Benz V-Class MPVs or MB Sprinter minibuses. Because of the small sizes of the vehicles, most times we can access the historical centers of towns, which larger vehicles cannot.
We do not offer group tours. All our experiences are 100% private and can be 100% customized.
No. We do not offer bilingual tours. You would need booking two separate tours –one with an English-speaking guide and one with a Chinese Mandarin-speaking guide – that run concurrently with different guides.
No because there are not Cantonese-speaking licensed tour guides in Italy. However, we arrange Chinese Mandarin-speaking private tours in Venice, Rome, Naples, Pompeii and Florence with licensed professional local guides.
Nancy Aiello Tours does not book flights. It’s simply not our area of deep expertise. However, based on your itinerary we are happy to provide suggestions on most convenient arrival & departure airports.
From a simple airport or cruise transfer to a sightseeing drive with frequent stops, we can handle any transportation need in Italy. We also arrange boat services.
Yes, absolutely. Nancy Aiello Tours strongly recommends purchasing comprehensive travel insurance as soon as any trip deposits or full payments have been made. Travel Insurance is a vital part of your travel arrangements. It protects you, your trip and your travel investment in the unlikely event of a cancellation prior to or during your trip.
We have an in-depth consultation where we ask you a few questions about your preferences (interests, budget, preferred pace of travel, etc.). From there, your personal trip designer will custom-build your dream trip until it meets all your expectations.
Great travel is the result of great planning. When you work with us, we will pass our firsthand expertise along to you. You can find out more about our custom trip planning service here.
No. All of our trips are private and built from scratch, so we do not offer set itineraries nor scheduled departures. Travel dates are flexible and can be tailored to your availability. Our trip designers are happy to consult with you on the best places to visit during the period of time you’re available to travel.
To give you the best possible trip, we must be aware of what you want, so that we have all the information we need to plan the right itinerary. Be as detailed as you can providing us with the details on the trip you are considering and the activities you’d like to engage in.
It depends on a variety of factors (i.e. how far in advance of the trip you contact us, hotel availability, complexity of the itinerary, changes you may decide to make along the way). We’ve planned trips in as little as a week, while others have taken months to finalize. The more advance notice we have, the faster and easier it is to plan a trip.
Yes, we can and we do frequently. Indeed members of our team have firsthand experience of LGBT travel within Italy.
Over the years, we developed an amazing list of tried and tested accommodations that satisfies our high standards for quality. We only recommend hotels we have personally approved and think you will love.
As not two trips are alike, we are unable to provide exact costs. Price of our private, tailor made trips typically start at Euro €600-€900 per person per day and up (based on a 2-person trip). This typically includes all hotels, ground transfers, guided excursions, and Nancy Aiello Tours trip planning services and support as follows:
Expert & customized insights. Insider recommendations for immersive authentic experiences.
Accommodations. All of your accommodations selected based on your taste and priorities.
Private tours & experiences. Unique private tours and experiences with local experts, curated around your interests — along with as much free time as you’d like.
Transport. Your in-country transport, and expertly-planned logistics for peace of mind and convenience.
Essential pre-departure information. Customized information to help you prepare for your trip, and answers to any questions you may have.
In-country support. Personalized assistance during your Italian vacation.
Obviously, the final price of your trip can change based on the itinerary itself, the aspects of your trip you want us to take care of, along with factors such as your travel days and dates (for example, during peak seasons pricing may be higher), and the number of travelers in your party.
Every trip itinerary indicates a list of inclusions and exclusions, such as accommodations, in-country transportation, experiences, meals, and so on. That being said, there are some things that are generally not included in your trip price such as travel insurance, flights, visas, city taxes, tipping, personal expenses and most meals.
Certainly! Handcrafting experiences for families is our specialty. Since 2009, our travel designers have helped 1000’s of families turn their dreams into reality. As parents/travel experts, they have personally tested, vetted, jetted, and indulged in the very best of Italy with their children, and have all the answers to help you create the perfect getaway.
Each tour is unique and created on a family-by-family basis with itineraries considering children’s ages, current school curriculum and personal interests to engage, educate and (most importantly) make sure the whole family has fun.
If you want us to explain the general breakdown of costs we’re always more than happy to do so and we’ll let you know how much you’ll save or increase costs with different hotel, experience and transportation options. However, we don’t break our prices down to the minute level as behind the package price is a complicated web of taxes and micro costs such as guiding fees, entrances, mileage calculations, bonding and more. We’re not hiding anything and we’re proud of our overall value, but we keep things simple with a top line cost.
Absolutely! If you don’t see what you’re looking for among any of our existing itineraries we can create a trip just for you! Our local travel specialists have decades of experience designing custom tours. You provide the inspiration by telling us about your dream Italy vacation and our specialists will use their knowledge and passion to create an itinerary custom-tailored to you specific interests, budget and needs.
Yes. We will plan and arrange your trip according to your needs. If you don’t need assistance with accommodation we’ll still help you plan the rest of your trip.
Because Italy is one of the world’s most popular destinations, we recommend travelers to Italy book their trip between 6 and 8 months in advance. If you prefer to travel during the high season, we suggest booking your trip 10 months or more in advance. This timeframe can give you a better opportunity to secure your preferred accommodations and activities. Last minute planning is possible and your travel designer can still help you have an extraordinary experience.
We understand that local cuisine is an important component of a trip. Everybody has different tastes and we have found that our clients enjoy the spontaneity of discovering restaurants on their own. As a result, we intentionally do not include all meals in the itinerary. We will usually include breakfast on most days and occasional lunches and dinners. Your final itinerary will indicate which meals are included on your customized tour.
Yes. All of our private tours include skip the line access as standard. This means that we pre-reserve timed-entry tickets to avoid the lines.
Tipping is always appreciated although not mandatory. If you feel like you received exemplary service from your guide, you can leave a tip at the end of the tour.
We strongly encourage you to bring your confirmation email and present it to our representative on the day of your tour, as it contains all the booking details including the meeting point.
Browse the tours we offer and choose the ones you would like to book. Complete the request form. We will respond you within 24 hours with a personalized proposal. Once you confirm the tours, we will send a request to proceed with the payment for booking.
We will do our best to accommodate your last-minute request however, it may not be always possible due limitations in guides, ticket availability, etc. We strongly encourage you to book as far in advance as possible in order to avoid disappointment!
Yes, absolutely. We will purchase your admission tickets as soon as you book for your tour with us.
As soon as we receive your order, we will request our guide’s availability, as well as availability for any relevant museum tickets. Once we have reconfirmed the service, we will email you a voucher document. The voucher will include all the service details, such as time, date, description, and meeting point with the guide. You will use the voucher to redeem the service in Italy.
You can expect to receive your voucher within 3 business days of placing your order. Please note that the processing of some tours may take longer. It is best to book at least 4 weeks before your departure date.
The meeting point depends on the particular tour chosen. In some cases, it will be at your hotel; in others, it will be at the first site on the itinerary. The meeting point and instructions are explained on the tour voucher, which you’ll receive once the service has been confirmed.
For tours where an advance museum reservation is required, the cost is included in the tour price, and Nancy Aiello Tours will take care of reserving the spots. For places where it is not possible to make an advance reservation (such as churches or other small sites), you will need to pay the ticket costs on location.
Private walking tours do not include transportation. If you would like to add a car and driver to your itinerary, we are happy to provide you with a quote for the additional service. Please include the request in your initial email inquiry or contact us directly.
We do not have a set schedule of tours; all our guided services are designed as private tours for you and your traveling party. As soon as we receive your order for a specified date, we contact our extensive list of specially vetted guides for their availability.
Once you are happy with the itinerary we’ve designed for you, we collect a confirmation deposit of 30%. Full payment is required 90 days prior to travel. Our Terms & Conditions outline the payment details.
Private day tours and shore excursions are confirmed upon receipt of full payment. For further details, please read our Terms & Conditions.
Payment can be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). We use industry leader Stripe for all card transactions. We also accept bank transfers. For payment details, please read our Terms & Conditions.
Your card will be charged once we have confirmed the availability of our guide and any museum tickets for your requested date and time. If for some reason we are unable to confirm your tour, we will notify you and your card will not be charged.
Churches in Italy and other religious sites have a dress code that requires shoulders and knees to be covered. This means no sleeveless shirts and no short skirts, dresses or shorts. During the hot summer months, ladies can keep a scarf in their bags to drape over their shoulders and men should wear longer shorts.
Vaccinations are not normally required to enter Italy. However, please check with your government’s health authorities for their latest advice, especially in light of the ever-evolving Covid-19 situation.
Depending on your nationality, you may need visas to enter Italy.
Yes. For entry into Italy, your passport must have at least six months validity remaining beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area. It is best to look at your passport’s expiration date before booking your travels.
The simple answer is anytime! Italy is truly an excellent destination year-round and we usually recommend taking advantage of any opportunity to visit, regardless of the season. Generally, we personally feel the months between March and May, and the months of September and October are the best all-round times to visit. The off-season months between November and February can also be great options to experience our country with fewer crowds. The downside at this time is that some coastal properties in the Italian Riviera and the Amalfi Coast are seasonal and close down for the winter. Beginning of June through August are the busiest time of the year.
Italy’s contribution to the art world is immeasurable. If you’re keen on arts tours or cultural vacations, you can’t go past cities like Rome, Florence and Venice.
We recommend at least a week, if not longer. With 7-10 days, you can get a good introduction to Italy and with 2 weeks or longer you can experience even more.
When possible we recommend devoting as much time as you can to your trip, so you can visit more places and minimize rushing around. On the other hand, even with a limited schedule you can have a profound, fulfilling trip. For travel inspiration, here are some trip ideas.
Rome & Vatican
Venice
Florence & Tuscany
Napoli & Amalfi Coast
Sicily
Calabria
Matera & Puglia