On a Best of Europe in 21 Days tour, we are admittedly getting just a quick introduction to the greatest sights in Europe. But this route (with eight days in Italy) is clearly the best of the best, and we get the most travel thrills out of every mile and minute.
Here's a montage of the types of experiences we wrangle for our groups as we enjoy Venice, Florence, and Rome. As you watch, imagine the joy of being a guide who is connecting a wonderful gang of travelers with all this travel fun.
You'll see: me dutifully holding up the Venice map as our local guide Elisabetta tells us the story of her city; an artisan sharing the Venetian tradition of mask making; how we cap our day with a convoy of gondolas gathering on the Grand Canal for a serenade at the Rialto Bridge; our Florence guide bringing meaning to Renaissance art in the Museum of the Cathedral; images of our night walk through Rome and an unforgettable dinner in Trastevere; a rare chance to actually enter the Colosseum through the "gladiators' gate"; and finally, orienting our group to the quintessential Italian hill town, Orvieto. This montage shows how going on a Rick Steves' Europe tour is as much fun for the guides as it is for our tour members. Italy!
(Follow along on my travel blog and on Facebook as I guide the Rick Steves Europe Tours Best of Europe in 21 Days Tour.)
(This post originally appeared at blog.ricksteves.com/blog/tour-guiding-in-italy.)