How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Adrienne, our tour leader, was lovely.   She took the time to chat with everyone in the group, joined us for dinner most nights and was very happy to share her knowledge and love for good food and wine.  

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

I have no hesitation in recommending this trip.   It was lovely to be based in one place so no concerns about packing and repacking your luggage every few days.   The walks were delightful and thought had gone into ensuring that there were frequent water stops and lovely picturesque points to stop and rest, have lunch or just admire the views.  

Do you have anything else to add?

I've had a great holiday.   I've enjoyed excellent food and wine, soaked up some Autumn sunshine, increased my knowledge of Renaissance Art, walked aplenty to burn off the pasta calories and, perhaps most importantly for me, I feel truly refreshed and rested.   

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Not really suitable for an adult group. She didn't appreciate that we were adults and travellers and weren't school children. Spoilt the trip for me.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Tuscany is beautiful and the sights just as lovely you would imagine from books , films and TV if not more so. It is expensive so you will need plenty of cash. Look for the market in Florence- great leather bags and other items at good prices.

Do you have anything else to add?

The trip fired up my enthusiasm for Italy and will return several times I'm sure.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Our tour leader was superb.  He had an intimate knowledge of the region and a passion for all that is Tuscany.  He paced the holiday and flexed to meet our group needs.  He managed the balance of fun and responsible really well.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Expect a relaxed easy pace, superb villa facilities and great coffee and Chianti!

This trip excelled my expectations.  Tuscany is stunning and well worth travelling to.  The villa where we stayed was amazing. Exclusive to EXPLORE so was really imformal  as it was only us staying there.  lena is the house keeper, she was truly lovely and made the most scrummy breakfasts served on the terrace..what can be better than eating breakfast in the sun taking in the tuscan countryside..FAB!!!!! The villa also has a pool a luxury Im not quite used to with Explore :-)  The walks were well planned out and there was a nice mix of gentle walking then stopping for a piece of cake or the compusory ice cream tasting!!!!  The day trips to Floence and Siena were well worth it too. In all a really well thought out weekand   thats up there with my favourite destinations...Ive fallen in love with Italy and Im sure you will too. Oh and one last thing...The local restaurants are brilliant so expect to come back with a few pounds more around your middle...walking or not :-) (LTY - 1st May 2011)

This week in Tuscany really was a touch of magic.  A perfect combination of activity, culture and relaxation, walking through picture perfect Tuscan scenery with rolling hillsides and miles of vineyards and olive groves.  The tour also takes you into some of Tuscany’s wonderful historical towns such as San Gimignano (best ice cream in the world sold here!), Siena and Florence.  Of course there is a chance to sample some of Chianti’s famous wine alongside your traditional Tuscan dinner! You really do get the best of both worlds on this trip, culture one day, walking the next, and if on another day that doesn’t appeal, well there’s always the Villa’s pool! (LTY - 28th May 2011)