Absolutely brilliant personal tour with Giacomo today. Easy to arrange and cover payment, great…read morecommunication before the tour and then we met up on time at the right spot. There was no communication boundary at all, Giacomo was friendly and personable. Giacomo and I spent three packed hours together touring the best spots in Milan including the Sforza Castle, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Duomo and more. Along the way, interesting sights were pointed out that I would otherwise have completely missed. We did not stop for lunch or snacks, but the best restaurants and little grocery spots were pointed out including the gelato at Ciacco and the cheese at Peck. I had an absolutely fantastic time and rate this as five stars. [Review 10687 overall, 455 of 2019.]

My husband and I had only 2 days in Milan en-route to Cyprus and boy did we make the most of our…read moretrip! Thanks to Giacomo and his wonderful tour of the city, we felt so much more satisfied with the little time we had in Italy and enjoyed it so much more. When he first told me the WALKING tour was 3 hours, I thought, wow, is that nearly enough time to see the city on foot and thankfully it was. Just enough to see the castle, the famous Brera district, the City Center, and lastly the Duomo cathedral. Giacomo kept us highly entertained with his skillful knowledge of the city, it's rich history, it's current status and even tips on where and what to eat to get the FULL cultural experience of Milan. We were jet lagged and probably not the best guests, but he was a great communicator.... kind, friendly, great English, good listener. He even asked us which metrics we prefer for him to use! If you want to have a very PERSONAL tour experience and leave a city knowing so much more than a book or article can offer, I'd highly recommend Giacomo's Milan Tours company. We kept walking by the larger tour groups with their headphones and flags and thought, wow, why pay the same amount for such a lesser experience?!?!? I will be using Giacomo and/or his colleages again. Perhaps when we come back home through Milan to go to Lake Como.

Be careful to read the fine print of your tour booking and ask questions before paying. I booked a…read morepricey private tour but due to airline changes, I had to modify - there was no availability for a different time or day. Although a private tour, it was apparently not a private tour that fell into the 50% refund category. So, an unfortunate and bad experience not of my own making. The customer service was less than helpful, did not attempt to accommodate in any way.

We planed a one day tour for our first full day in Milan. We connected with Tiziana Lo Castro and…read morehad a fabulous 1/2 day tour. We started with the Monumental Cemetery near the AC Hotel Milano by Marriott where we were staying. There were an amazing number of statues from VIPs and their families buried there over the last 300 years. Tiziana had many stories about the various Italian families and individual who were buried there. We then flit about Milan walking through the fashion district (seeing many beautiful people) and ended up near the Duomo. She shared quite a bit about Italian history and the city. We enjoyed our time together.

We spent two great afternoons touring with Micaela on Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta. Our tours were…read moreprivate and personalized. Micaela booked our boats and amazing lunches, then led us on fun, informative tours of Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Orta San Giulio. Micaela's knowledge of the history, art, and gardens is amazing- we definitely recommend!!

We were only visiting Stresa for two days and really wanted to make the most of our limited time…read more From several past trips to Italy, we have found hiring a local guide to be an excellent way to maximize the time and get the most of your vacation and Macaela ranks near the top of the many guides we've used in Rome, Tuscany, Positano and throughout wine regions of Italy. We found her online (here) and are so glad we did. Her English is top notch and communications with her by email for booking was very easy. She offers a number of tour options from full or half-day trips, with or without private boat transfers. We ended up booking the full day excursion with private boat transfers and were SO glad. With the private boat-there was absolutely no waiting to go from island to island as our captain Allesandro was always ready to go when we arrived (having been alerted by Michaela at just the right moment to come by for us). By the way, the typical boat seats 30 and is covered but was dedicated just for the two of us. This is an option- you can hire her without private boat but then you rely on the ferries and have to deal with the crowds. Even though the temperature was soaring into the 90s we had a wonderful day. It started with her meeting us in the lobby of our hotel that fronted the lake and we simply crossed the street to the lake where the boat was waiting and we headed out to our first island -Isola Bella. Machaela is versed in history, art and botany (some) and we spent 2 hours touring the palace and gardens-so much better than a canned audio tour. She gave us the full history of the Borromeo family, important historical events, discussed the art and identified all the interesting plants and trees throughout the day. Next we headed over to Isola Pescatori (fisherman island) for a stroll through town then a couple hours free time for lunch. She guided us past some of the more tourist spots and recommended several of the better places. We had a great lunch at Ristorante Belvedere. After lunch it was on to the third island, Isola Madre and a tour through the botanical gardens, renaissance villa and some time visiting the colorful peacocks and pheasants. We headed back to the hotel around 3:30, were dropped off in the same spot just across the street, made payment to Michaels (cash only, at the trips end) and headed in to jump in the pool. A perfect day.

PROS: very informative tour. The tour guide, Philip, shared very interesting historical and…read morerelevant information. We went on a mini hike, saw some ibex, great views! He even had chocolates for the kiddos. I liked how he had everyone state what country they were from-we met a lot of people this way. CONS: huge group of 25-30 people!

From the owner: We want to show our guests the REAL Interlaken. Because we only have local guides, it's guaranteed…read morethat we are able to get you to great hide-aways off the beaten path, that we can tell you about what to do in town and to tell you the history and legends of this magical spot in a fun and insightful way. Come and join us young locals and experience the REAL Interlaken...

Amazing experience to watch a match for the A Series in Italy; a LOT of food trucks outside the…read morestadium even some with coffee espresso machines! Truly a great experience that we can only hope to see again! Forza Milano!!!!!!!

We took a bus tour in Milan two days ago. I changed seats twice to find one where the audio track…read moreworked. I finally got a clear one. Probably 70% of the tour was devoted to scratchy music. When we did get audio guidance, it was out of sync with the tour, so we had difficulty figuring out where we were and what we were seeing. Unfortunately, there was no person handling the tour who could explain what we were seeing as we approached, and answer questions. As I expressed to my partner, I'd have gotten more joy had I simply lit a 50 euro note on fire and watched it burn.

What a complete waste of money. Today I took a ride with them on one bus that had their logo across…read morethe window making it impossible to see the city. Their audio track was not set correctly to the point it would say things like "on the left at #41" and I would look and we were at #49 and going up. So you're telling me about something we already passed. I missed it. Thanks. Switched to another bus to see a different part of the city and get a better seat to discover 1) same problem with the audio we were 2-4 min past things when the audio told us about them. 2) the bus went off the route and the guide wasn't sure why so we missed some sights. Then 3) the air conditioning didn't work. It was 34C (93F) and we were in traffic so it was a sweat box. When I complained I was told "well this bus has a problem with its system" stop talking. Do not put us on a bus in this heat that you know doesn't have working AC. Still I was told "it's not our fault it's the bus" I'm sorry whose bus is it? Oh yes yours. Am I blaming you the tour guide? No. Am I saying your company should know better and do better? Yes. Do not use this company. Absolutely a waste of money. I got out and paid for a taxi to somewhere else in the city to see sights.

Been here many times. The last time together with my students. It's right in the heart of…read moreBellinzona and can't be missed. You either can walk right up or take the elevator from the piazza on the bottom where you will also find a Migros in case you need some groceries for a picnic. The Castelgrande is the oldest and largest of Bellinzona's three iconic castles, earning UNESCO World Heritage status for its spectacular medieval fortifications. Perched on a rocky hill settled since the Neolithic era, the fortress was heavily expanded by the Dukes of Milan in the 13th to 15th centuries to control strategic Alpine trade routes. Its striking skyline is dominated by two massive medieval structures: the 27-meter White Tower and the 28-meter Black Tower. Today, the site features a masterful modern restoration by architect Aurelio Galfetti, housing an archaeological museum and a panoramic elevator carved directly into the bedrock. You really get some nice views from up here. You can walk some of the walls and climb a tower. All free of charge. Only the small museum has a fee. There's a big lawn to picnic right in center and another huge area just on the other side of the wall including some picnic tables. The day we went the Giro d'Italia was in town. Lots of things going on. Including some live medieval music right here on top. Something you won't see every day. It's a great place to take in some history or just to enjoy the views. The best views of the Castelgrande itself you will get from the Castel Montebello. That one is only a short walk away from here and shouldn't be missed as well.

Can't believe I'm the first to review Castelgrande in Bellinzona This was probably my fourth visit…read moreand it was just as lovely as the first. Although, I must admit that I especially enjoy it in October when the leaves are changing, the temperature has dropped and the tourists are nowhere to be found. Tip: grab a pastry or drink from Migros at the base of the castle and bring it up with you for a picnics with a view. My fondest memory from Castelgrande was sitting on the top overlooking the mountains eating a rhubarb tart with my mom. A few fun facts about Bellinzona's treasure: -it's free to visit (fee for the museum) - received unesco heritage site status in 2000 for cultural significance -there's an elevator to the top helping this spot serve everyone -there are plenty of steps to be had if you're hoping to go to the "top top"

Pietro is simply the BEST! I was planning to travel to…read moreItaly, and didn't really have an idea of where to go or what to do, but Pietro-did! I met hIm thru a mutual friend and we hit it off! Pietro usually takes hard core bicyclists anywhere they want to go, and the roads he chooses are often stunning, breathtaking views that leave you in awe. You can always go at your own pace, or push yourself. I was not a biker on a bike. I rode a Vespa as I did not have the motivation or the energy to physically "ride a bike". I did follow along and had some great conversations with Pietro along our rides together. He is truly a gem! He knows where the best food is hands down, takes you to many different cities to explore, he knows the history of all of the towns and villages he brings his patrons to...and believe me the food he picks OMG!!! Every meal was truly magnificent. Pietro often delights in telling stories of his adventures as he is a very good athlete, he has seen it all. He is charming and funny-and truly wants to share his love of his country with others. You can't find a better tour guide! If you need an amazing tour guide to take you from town to Town, to help you book hotels and suggest meals, shop for that special Someone, or even go Wine tasting-Pietro will give you the full experience and he speaks the language so you are always going to have fun. I don't drink wine so that is lost on me but...) if you like wine-he knows what to pick as well for Tasting purposes. Lake Como Cycling is not just for cyclists, it is also a business that allows you, the costumer to choose where you want to go. What you want to do. He has a big van that he uses to carry your luggage and get you from town to stunning town. He finds picturesque villages, and amazing food, he can arrange for you to book cooking cLasses-which is what I did and I LOVED it! You can't go wrong with this guy. If you want to "Experience" Italy, pick Pietro! You will laugh a lot and truly enjoy the trip of your life. Tell him I sent ya! Lake Como Cycling is THE BEST!!!! And he does Know where George Clooney lives in Lake Como !!! FYI.

From the owner: Lake Como Cycling is the original and premier Cycling Tour and Bike Rental establishment in the…read moreLake Como region. We are pleased to offer a variety of cycling experiences for all level of rider. We maintain a collection of over 100+ bikes from top-of-line Pinarello to E-bikes and everything in between!