Menu
Signing on for a tour is a big decision and naturally, you want to know what you’re getting yourself into! Here are the most frequently asked questions to help you understand what it’s like to travel with us.
We live in Allerona, a small, picturesque village in northwestern Umbria, near the border with Tuscany and Lazio — which means that’s where you’ll stay during your tour with us. We house our guests in the walled medieval village, the origins of which date to the 1100s. From Allerona, we explore some of the most beautiful and fascinating sights in this little corner of Italy with a roughly 50-mile radius, including Orvieto, and locations in Tuscany and Lazio. Some of our tours include days in Rome, Venice, or on the beautiful coast of Tuscany.
When you choose a tour that includes overnights in Rome, Venice, the Tuscan Coast or other destinations, you’ll stay in comfortable 3- or 4-star hotels that are locally owned and managed and fully vetted by us. We can also recommend hotels for your pre- or post-tour travels.
We feel strongly that staying in the medieval village of Allerona is part of the charm of traveling with Villaggio Tours. But if your party is interested in something more rural and private, we also work with a country house near town and can arrange for your group to stay there.
That’s what we’re here for! Liz or another guide will translate for the group when necessary. And communicating with Italians and making friends across language barriers is a big part of the fun of traveling with Villaggio Tours.
We provide plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options, and there’s never any pressure to drink wine or other alcoholic drinks.
We can accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free diets though with gluten-free, we cannot guarantee against cross-contamination. Vegan diets are more challenging, but not impossible!
In all cases, please advise us in advance to your dietary restrictions and preferences, so we can be prepared when you arrive.
We take care of tips for all restaurants and guides. If you wish to leave something for hotel cleaning staff or for your driver at the end of the trip, it’s entirely optional and will certainly be appreciated.
We try to leave you some downtime every day, whether that’s to rest, read, go for a walk or enjoy a glass of wine in our village bar. Some mornings we’ll get an early start and other days, you’ll be able to sleep in for a while. Our Umbria tours allow for a free afternoon of shopping and sightseeing in Orvieto, and when we visit Rome or Venice, you’ll have time on your own to explore those cities (in addition to our scheduled experiences).
The short answer is yes! Our small group tours include a maximum of 12 guests and are suited to solo travelers, couples, and groups of friends or family members. We welcome kind, friendly travelers of every background to join us. If you’re traveling solo, we’ll make sure you don’t feel left out.
Our current slate of tours includes long lunches and dinners, wine tastings, lots of walking and guided tours, and are geared to adult travelers. If you want to include your minor children in a Villaggio Tours experience, contact us to develop a customized itinerary for a personal tour for your family only. In the future, we plan to offer special family-friendly itineraries with great activities for all ages.
If you see a tour here you like but the dates don’t work, let’s talk! We may be able to arrange customs dates for your small group. Alternatively, in partnership with a great boutique travel agency, we can help you plan an unescorted tour anywhere in Italy, where we look after the following:
In the unlikely event that we have to cancel a tour due to lack of enrollment or other reasons, you will receive a complete refund of your tour fees. Villaggio Tours will not assume any other liability and is not responsible for any personal expenses as a result of a tour cancellation, such as airline tickets or personal hotel reservations — another reason we strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance.
We strongly, strongly encourage our guests to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes CFAR (cancel for any reason) coverage, including compensation for canceled or delayed flights that may affect your tour. We do not recommend a particular insurer, but you can compare policies and costs at InsureMyTrip.com. When you decide to buy, be sure to read all the fine print and fully understand the coverage.
We say that traveling with Villaggio Tours is like coming to visit your friends, who just in happen to live in an enchanting medieval village in Umbria. Our tours are in tune with the rhythm of daily life in small-town Italy — in fact, we know of no other tour company in Italy that offers guests the chance to really experience life in a medieval village and get to know local families, merchants and townspeople. Expect to be welcomed like friends and embraced like family when it’s time to say “arrivederci.”
While the term “authentic” does get overused in relation to travel, Villaggio Tours and our tiny village of Allerona are the real deal. Many of the people who live here are our near or distant relatives, and still more are family friends. The community is invested in fostering sustainable tourism, and people are very welcoming. That means when you travel with us, you really are going to our aunt’s/cousin’s/sister’s house, and really being treated as if you were our extended family. The people you’ll meet aren’t in the service industry or working for tips — they are local residents who are happy to welcome new friends for a few days or a week. There’s no distinction between “tourists” or any other kind of visitor here. When you’re with us, you’re one of us.
Other questions? Ask away! We’re always happy to chat about whether Villaggio Tours is right for you.