Our tour guide Marianna was incredible and made the trip so enjoyable. She was super sweet, easy to approach, and eager to share everything about Italian culture. Throughout the trip and group dinners, she was more than happy to share about her backstory like her great experience with Rick Steves, and all the incredible things about her home country. She was also thrilled to listen to all our stories from our lives back home, travel stories, or just casual pop culture. She was excited to soak up all our thoughts and passions as we were on Italian culture and atmosphere. Her recommendations about everything from the shops to the best places to eat were top notch and held true to her word. When we were in Florence, she gave great recommendations for a sandwich restaurant for lunch and a amazing leather store to buy jackets and bags from.

Once in Volterra at a wine tasting, I was bored and began to sketch on a scratch piece of paper. After the tasting, she noticed my drawing and kindly gave me praise. Two days later, I got a gorgeous leather-bound sketchbook from her that she bought for me with a small amount of money Rick Steves tour guides have and can choose what to do with it. It was an authentic Italian sketchbook with paper from Florence that I could use as a memento that I could use to write and draw my Italian adventures in. Caught off guard by the thought and care she put into this gift for me, I was very touched by this act of kindness. This is a perfect example of the fantastic tour guides that Rick Steves appoint, and how they are kind, informative, and helpful while also making sure to make a personal connection with their group members, making sure they have a fun and memorable trip.

from Wesley