If you’re planning a trip to Italy and looking for fun, interesting and affordable activities and experiences, look no further than Towns of Italy. Towns of Italy is a nationwide company that specializes in authentic Italian experiences, ranging from cooking classes with expert chefs to countryside Vespa tours, to art tours and more. Town of Italy guides are passionate, educated and ready to share the best of Italy with you!
Maggie and I were fortunate to be invited by Towns of Italy to take part in their first Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was created for travel content creators in order for us to experience some of Towns of Italy’s top tours and experiences across the country and to share our thoughts with you!
Below are our honest thoughts after spending a week exploring Italy with Towns of Italy and taking part in a plethora of incredible experiences across the country.
Note: Maggie and I were guests of Towns of Italy for a week. All of the opinions and reviews in this post are our own. Use the code SISTERS15 to get 15% off any experience you book with Towns of Italy.
Towns of Italy, Grand Tour Locations
Rome
The Grand Tour of Italy started in the bustling city of Rome. Rome is a fantastic first stop on any trip to Italy as, firstly, it’s an incredible, historic city, but also has a major international airport with daily flights from numerous US cities.
When in Rome, you cannot miss the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Vatican. Towns of Italy offers guided tours for all of these major sites, and the best part is that their tours include “skipping the line.” This is essential when touring these sites, as they are always packed with tourists. Being able to skip the line will save you tons of time and allow you to see more each day.
I will preface this by saying I’m not usually a fan of walking tours that involve using earpieces/radios to hear the guide. However, in the case of major attractions like the Colosseum and Vatican, this is absolutely essential. Because these sites are so packed and, therefore, very loud with visitors and other tour groups, having headphones to hear your guide is necessary.
Being able to hear my Towns of Italy guide without background noise from other groups really allowed me to learn more about these sites with fewer distractions.
I’ve visited Rome multiple times, but before the Grand Tour with Towns of Italy I’d never taken guided tours in the city. Having an expert guide to share the history and importance of these iconic sites was game changing and absolutely allowed me to gain a better understanding of their significance.
Rome, and all of Italy, is definitely a place for foodies! So while you’re exploring Rome, don’t miss out on a walking food tour or a cooking class. Personally, I would recommend both, but definitely try to fit at least one into your itinerary.
Towns of Italy Tours in Rome
- Small Group Walking Food Tour of Rome by Night
- Skip-the-Line Vatican Museums Tour with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica Visit
- Skip the line Colosseum Small Group guided Tour with Arena Floor and Roman Forum
Sicily
Palermo
From Rome, we hopped on a short 45 minute flight and headed to beautiful Sicily. We flew into Palermo and had the opportunity to explore the vibrant city and take part in a cooking class, market tour and walking tour. There is so much history throughout Palermo and the culture and food are both fantastic.
Something I love about Palermo is its unpolished charm. The buildings are beautiful, but not overstated, and the streets are often hectic and busy, but so fun to explore. I personally loved seeing the incredible churches (especially Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria), and really enjoyed the views from the rooftops.
Palermo is also home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Palazzo dei Normanni (Norman Palace), the Cappella Palatina (within the Norman Palace) and the Cattedrale di Palermo (Palermo Cathedral) – just to name a few.
Palermo is a great place to start a trip in Sicily! Come hungry, because the delicious and unique Sicilian food is a major draw to this city. Towns of Italy’s Cooking School in Palermo offers such fun classes with highly trained chefs.
We loved learning how to make arancini and cannolis! At the Towns of Italy Cooking School we learned so many new skills and the food was delicious.
Towns of Italy Tours in Palermo
- Cooking Class in Palermo with Market Tour
- Palermo Sky Walk- Guided Tour of the City with Access to Panoramic Terraces
- Small Group Walking Tour of Palermo UNESCO Sites
Taormina
After spending a few beautiful days exploring Palermo, checking out the markets and marveling at the stunning churches, we took the the 3 ½ hour scenic drive to Taormina.
Taormina, in addition to being the location of Season 2 of White Lotus, is more importantly very closely situated to Mount Etna volcano. Taormina draws you in with the beautiful town, beaches and views, but don’t miss out on the opportunity to hike the volcano!
Going on a guided hike to one of Europe’s most active volcanos is really a unique experience. Don’t worry, partaking in a volcano hike doesn’t necessarily mean you have to hike the whole thing – as that’s reserved for experienced hikers who are prepared for 6+ hours each way.
Instead, going on a guided hike with a Towns of Italy guide allows you to take part in an easy to moderate trek with incredible views, all while learning about Mount Etna’s history, the significance for the area and its latest eruptions. If you’re lucky, you may even hear Mount Etna rumble!
While in Taormina, don’t miss out out on the opportunity to stay at the beautiful UNAHOTELS Capotaormina. Although located a little outside of the main town, this hotel has incredible ocean views, a private beach, an ocean front pool and so, so much more. The views from the rooms are truly some of the most beautiful I’ve seen at any hotel.
From the hotel’s balconies, gardens and restaurants you also have truly epic views of Mount Etna! This is the perfect place for a few days of rest, relaxation and gorgeous views.
Towns of Italy Mount Etna Experiences
- Immersive Trek and Taste Full Day Tour of Etna
- Half day Etna Express Tour
- Full Day Ebike & Taste Tour on Mount Etna
Florence
After hiking Mount Etna, we took the one hour drive to the airport in Catania to catch a flight to Florence. Catania to Florence is just over an hour and a very easy trip. Once landing in Florence, we hopped in a car and took the 35 minute drive to the beautiful Relais Villa Olmo, a stunning wine and olive oil boutique resort in Tuscany. The hotel is a former farm dating back to the 1500s, and while the historic charm remains, it has been modernized to be a traditional yet luxurious place to stay.
Relais Villa Olmo is a fantastic place to spend a couple days relaxing in the countryside. They have beautiful grounds to explore, the hotel is walkable to the quaint town of Imprunetana, and is a great location for a variety of tours offered by Towns of Italy.
For example, in Tuscany, closeby to Florence, you’ll find:
- Tuscany Vespa Tour
- Siena and San Gimignano Tour with Dinner
- Private Hiking Tour in the Tuscan Region of Chianti with Typical Local Picnic
Towns of Italy Tours in Florence City Center
From Relais Villa Olmo, you’re only 30 minutes from Florence city center, so it’s easy to head back into the city to enjoy a day full of activities before returning to the secluded countryside for the evening.
- Florence Walking Tour in the Footsteps of the Medici
- Small Group Uffizi Gallery Tour With an Art Expert
- Duomo Skywalk Small Group Tour in Florence
Milan
Train travel in Italy is easy and convenient. For our last stop on our Grand Tour of Italy we hopped on a train in Florence and took the two hour ride to Milan. Once we arrived in Milan, we checked into the beautiful Milano Verticale hotel for our last night in Italy!
This hotel is located about 25 minutes walking from Milano Centrale train station and 30 minutes to the old city center, where you’ll find the famous Duomo di Milano. While the location of this hotel isn’t perfect for sightseeing, the hotel itself is modern and beautiful – which for me is worth being a bit of a walk from the city center.
It’s also more affordable than many hotels that are located directly in the city center.
While in Milan, you cannot miss visiting the incredible Duomo di Milano. While the inside of the church is beautiful and absolutely worth a visit, definitely don’t miss out on touring the roof. The roof is simply stunning and the views are incredible as well. Towns of Italy offers a guided tour where you can learn all about the Cathedral and its significance while also visiting the iconic rooftop.
Another cultural activity that can’t be missed in Milan is going to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper mural. This mural was painted in 1495 and remains one of the most visited sites in the city. Towns of Italy offers a skip the line tour where you can see this masterpiece and learn all about its creation.
Lastly, Milan is, of course, a fantastic city for foodies! Taking a cooking class and/or going on a food tour is another fun activity to take part in while in Milan. Coming home from a trip with new cooking skills and easy dishes you can prepare after your trip is definitely ideal!
In Conclusion
And that’s a wrap on our experience as travel creators on Towns of Italy’s Grand Tour! This tour around Italy and having the opportunity to partake in Towns of Italy’s incredible and unique experiences was truly wonderful. Towns of Italy offers authentic experiences with highly trained local guides that really allow you to immerse yourself in the culture of the city you’re visiting.
Remember to use the code SISTERS15 to get 15% off any experience you book on the Towns of Italy website!
Thanks so much for reading, please let us know if you have any questions! Happy travels to Italy!
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♡Kate and Maggie
The experiences in this post were offered to us for free in exchange for Instagram posts and an honest review on our blog! All opinions are our own. Read our disclosure here.
