Private Tours - Personal Guides

There was a time when there were no organized trips, tour operators or cruises. Interrails and Erasmus stays were unthinkable and young Europeans had only one way to get to know the world: to leave for the Grand Tour. This particular journey was undertaken by young people from good families around the age of 21. Just like the modern Erasmus and or a sort of gap year, the Grand Tour served as a rite of passage from youth to the adult world. Accompanied by a tutor, the future rulers, artists or writers went to discover the culture of their continent, through the works of art of past centuries, the finds of antiquity or by coming into contact with great men of science. During the trip, the young man had the opportunity to learn about life outside his court, learn new languages, commission portraits or buy works of art.

For the young scion, the Grand Tour was also an opportunity to get to know the outside world: participate in lavish city festivals, mingle with the locals and get to know the wilder side of life. The final destination of the journey was usually Italy, with its countless traces of past civilizations and the impressive number of paintings, frescoes and architectural works. The obligatory stops were Venice, Rome and Florence, but there were those who took place as far as Naples, to discover the ruins of Pompeii or even further down, to Sicily and the remaining signs of Greek culture.

The illustrious names who have decided to undertake the famous journey are many: Montaigne, Stendhal, John Ruskin, the poet Keats and even the writer Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. But those who have left the greatest traces of their passage are perhaps the famous writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the English poet George Gordon Bryon. Their Grand Tours will have very different itineraries and also diametrically opposed motivations. If for Goethe it is essentially a journey to Italy to discover the artistic and historical beauties, for Byron it is a more turbulent journey, which starts from Portugal, passes through Venice, but reaches as far as dangerous Constantinople and extraordinary Greece.

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With us you can relive the glories of the ancient Grand Tour but with a keen eye on new forms of art and recent archaeological and scientific discoveries.
Be inspired by our itineraries or send us a message to compose your Grand Tour!
You will have the opportunity to structure your stay for a medium / long period, for example we have created 11-day itineraries only for the Campania region or even 15 days for the whole of Italy.
Our team of historians and archeologists as well as licensed tour guides will be able to advise you in the best possible way by providing you with the necessary information on where to stop, eat, sleep and what to do.

We are here for you.