You guys…it’s been a year since I wrote a new post for the Italy Intel section of the Villaggio Tours website. A year! I’ll allow that as I get busy with other tasks, posting content to the site is something that I tend to push to the back burner—but I never intended for the pot to simmer there for 12 months.
At least I can say I wasn’t idle last year. We ran five scheduled group tours and several private, custom tours, and I helped a colleague lead a tour in Sicily. I hosted travel journalists in Allerona and gave them a taste of our tour experience. In-between tours, I spent time in Torino, Venice, and Florence, and made numerous jaunts to Rome. I even made a brief visit to the US.
So as I get back on a routine of posting regular updates and news from Villaggio Tours and Italy more broadly, consider this a 2025 highlight reel of sorts:
All roads led to Rome...
We ran our first Immersive Umbria with Rome tour. I’ve traveled to Rome more times than I can count, and I’ve led friends and family through the city and shared my favorite experiences with them. This was the first time I accompanied a Villaggio Tours group. I’m happy to let the licensed tour guides do the guiding, and with their expert help, we had an introductory tour of the city via golf cart, went to several underground sites, including the Domus Aurea, or Golden House of Nero, toured the Galleria Borghese with an art historian, and did an early morning walking tour. Pizza, pasta, trapezzini and of course, gelato were all on the menu.
This tour starts in Allerona and ends in Rome, and we’re running it again this April—and we still have a few spaces left if you’d like to join us!
A few days at the sea...
We set sail on our first Coastal Tuscany & Umbria tour. We were super-fortunate to have a family of seven book this tour, which included three nights on beautiful Giglio Island, just off the coast of Tuscany, and four nights in Allerona. There were many highlights here, including jumping into the crystal clear Tyrrhenian Sea. But tops among them for me was a hike through Giglio’s scrubby terrain that culminated with a special reward—a private lunch in a vineyard overlooking the sea. Coming down the path and seeing the beautiful table set for us, the shady pergola, and the chilled wine waiting…it’s an experience we hope to recreate year after year.
This tour offers a really special combination of the beauty of this lesser-known island and the warm embrace of Allerona. Are you ready to dive in this September?
Off-season Venice...
More boat rides were in store in Venice, where In another first, I finally got to lead a small group of guests for our Fall in Umbria & Hidden Venice tour. Bringing people to Venice for the first time, as I’ve done with my family, friends, and now this small tour group (whom I now count as friends!) is something I’ll never tire of. There’s just no way to prepare yourself for the overwhelming beauty of La Serenissima but fortunately, our November tour dates ensure you can avoid the overwhelming crowds. In a tour with many high points, a favorite memory for me was a water taxi ride after lunch on a particularly sunny day, and watching my guests revel in the scenery of the Grand Canal—it was as special a moment for me as it was for them.
This November tour starts in Venice, makes a pit stop in Florence, and then ends with our signature experiences in Allerona, including the olive harvest.
And finally, the dust settled!
Of course, the biggest event last year was the opening of our Six Keys Guesthouse in Allerona. The final push—more like a mad dash—happened in July and August. As Paolo and his crew took care of the heavy lifting, I pitched in wherever I could be helpful: sanding, staining and sealing beams, refinishing furniture and painting walls. I comparison-shopped for desk lamps, toilet bowl brushes and comforters, and flopped on at least a dozen mattresses before finding the right ones. Since we couldn’t set up furniture and fittings until the last minute, our living room and front porch were the holding areas for all my finds, and boxes were stacked to the ceiling. It was unbridled chaos, but we did it, thanks in no small part to all the friends and family members who volunteered to help—there’s no way we would have met our September deadline without them.
It’s deeply satisfying to create a space so intentionally, knowing it will soon hold conversations, shared meals, and moments of rest, and have the results be so beautiful and inviting. Our tour guests now stay at Six Keys, and when we’re not running tours, the guesthouse is open for overnight stays.
So, there you have it. I may have been a poor blog correspondent, but at least I have a few good excuses. One of my many objectives for 2026 is to post more frequently, share more news and small vignettes about life in Allerona, and more updates about new tours—I have a few exciting additions in mind for 2027.
As we turn the page on a year of firsts, one thing feels clearer than ever: the magic of Villaggio Tours is in the sharing of places, meals, walks, and laughter with people who are curious, open, and ready to fall a little bit in love with Italy. Whether it’s your first time abroad or your fifth trip back, we’d love for you to experience it with us—at our table, on our paths, and under the Umbrian sky. Take a look at our upcoming tours and come join us for what’s next.
Let’s make some memories together.
