Welcome to Italian Links Tours

Rachel Kaplan's Italian Links Tours specializes in exclusive, luxury Tours throughout Italy. We work with knowledgeable, multilingual licensed guides in Venice, Florence, Rome and other parts of Italy, as well as premier chauffeur and transportation companies in each market. Rachel Kaplan is the author of the critically acclaimed Little-Known Museums in and around Rome (Harry N. Abrams).

We offer half-day, full-day, and multiple-day tours and all our Italian Tours are custom tailored to suit your needs and interests. We work with you to design your perfect trip.

Note: Prices are estimates and do not include entrance fees unless otherwise stated. All tickets and admissions can be pre-payed through Italian Links to avoid lines.

Rome

Early Morning Vatican Tour (Get there before the crowds) Starts 8am

How would you like to visit the Sistine Chapel with no more than ten people in the room? The tour will start with the Vatican, home of the most astonishing art collection in the world which ranges from Ancient to Egyptian, from Etruscan to Contemporary Art, and consists of 4 miles of corridors depicting some 2100 years of art. The highlights will be the Laocoon, the Apollo, Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's frescoes. Then on to St. Peter's Basilica to see Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's work. As you enjoy breathtaking masterpieces and see the true miracle of the Renaissance and Baroque ages come to life, you will also discover the artists and the Popes who made it all possible. The tour ends in the famous St. Peter's square, decorated by Bernini from which you can look at the Pope's private residence.

Starting Price: 550€(4 hours)

Rome of the Gladiators and Emperors

Travel back in time to live the past grandeur of the Roman Empire, its tragedies and love for entertainment, and also discover some of its famous citizens, such as Julius Caesar, Emperors Augustus and Nero. The itinerary will begin from the Capitoline Hill, the most important of the seven historical hills, then proceed into the Roman Forum, from where the Romans ruled their Empire. There you will marvel at the ancient ruins of the temples, and Basilicas. This fascinating visit will continue inside the glorious Colosseum to get the feeling of the past.

Starting Price: 400€ (3 hours)

Borghese Gallery

No trip to Rome can be complete without seeing the Borghese Gallery, one of Europe's most extraordinary art experiences and one of Rome's greatest patrician collections. Villa Borghese was built in the 17th century as a pleasure house surrounded by parks and gardens and it served as a retreat where the art were cultivated and guests were received. Its masterpieces were commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, who was a passionate art lover and an obsessive collector. He assembled works by the finest talents, Bernini, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and many more. None of the great periods of art history are lacking in this immensely valuable assortment of works which are also enhanced by the refined taste of the displays. Within these walls the Rome of history and myth, of Emperors and Popes, of artists and cardinals lives and breathes showing the “ queen of the world's private collections ”.

Starting Price: 400€ (3 hours)

Florence

Full-day tour in Florence and Pisa

Our superb driver/guide will drive you to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and we will make sure that you have tickets to the Tower booked in advance. Since only 10 people at a time are allowed to go inside the Tower, it is imperative for us to pre-book tickets to this exceptional monument. In addition, Italian Links will arrange for a local guide to show you not only the Tower but the Pisa Cathedral and Baptistry as well. After your visit you can either stop for lunch in Pisa or return to Florence where you will continue your guided visit.

In the afternoon, your personal guide can take you on a tour of the following highlights of Florence: Piazza della Signoria, Brunelleschi's Hospital of the Innocent, the Medici Palace by Michelozzo, the Duomo and the Baptistry, as well as the Piazza Orsanmichele, which had both a civic and spiritual function. Here you will discover the city's largest outdoor sculpture museum including the Rape of the Sabine by John of Bologna and Benevento Cellini's Perseus Holding the Head of Medusa, two original sculptures that have remained unchanged since they were first produced.

Starting Price: 1250€ (8 hours) with driver/guide

The Uffizi and the Accademia

With this tour, you will visit the Uffizi and the Accademia where your personal guide will introduce you to five centuries of treasures. You will learn why such artists like Giotto, Masaccio, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo and others changed art history thanks to the wealth and taste of the Medici Family. Following this, you then explore the Palazzo Davanzati (14th-16th century) where you will learn more about the power, the taste, the fashion and the daily needs of the middle and upper classes in Florence.

Starting Price: 550€ (4 hours) with driver/guide

Livorno (Florence/Pisa) Itinerary - Read More (.pdf, 396kb)

Tour Livorno, Florence and Pisa, Italy with a personal, guided driving tour with Marco. Experience the Italian countryside, see the leaning Tower of Pisa and explore these three historic cities with a knowledgeable, friendly guide personally chosen for your tour by Rachel Kaplan and French Links. Here is a sample guided driving tour itinerary with Marco.

Starting Price: 1450€ (8-10 hours) with driver/guide

Venice

Venice for Beginners

This three hour private walk of Venice will introduce you to the beauty of Venice and its rich history. This morning you will discover St. Mark's Square ("The finest drawing room in Europe..." Napoleon), St. Mark's Cathedral including its fabled treasure and Byzantine horses (a big hit with kids) as well as the interior of the spectacular and awesome Doge's Palace and the nearby Bridge of Sighs. If there is time, you will walk or take the vaporetto to the Rialto Bridge and the wonderful food market. We will also visit some of the less travelled areas of Venice where Venetians live and which are away from the congestion of the St Mark's area, discussing the treasures, oddities, and artistic and architectural heritage of this unique city.

This is a great walk to take when you first arrive in Venice so that you'll have a good feel for the city and be able to plan the remainder of your too short holiday. Your guide is happy to provide additional sites and shops to explore in the afternoon. I highly recommend visiting the newly restored La Fenice opera house, which now has an excellent English-language audio guide.

Starting Price: 475€ (3 hours)

Artistic and Political Venice

Venice is a city rich in contrasts and this tour allows you to visit places in Venice that day-trippers from cruise ships never get to see. In the morning, your guide will take you to the magnificent Frari Church with its stunningly restored Titian masterpiece and tomb of Antonio Canova, followed by a visit to the glorious Scuola Grande with its ceiling frescoes by Tintoretto and its amazing carved benches. Following lunch, you will visit the Campanile of Santa Giorgio (it has an elevator and good cross ventilation), and the unique Peggy Guggenheim Museum and garden.

If you wish to prolong this tour over several days, we can arrange tours of the spectacular Accademia Museum known for its Carpaccios, Veroneses, Canalettos, and Titians. We also provide tours of the Ca Rezzonico an 18th century palace with the finest examples of Venetian furniture, painting, porcelain, and glass chandeliers. It is a unique chance to go back in time and discover Venetian art de vivre in all its glory.

Starting Price: 980€ (7 hours)

Contemporary Art in Venice

Following on the pioneering heels of the late Peggy Guggenheim who opened the first museum in Venice with works by Jackson Pollock and Max Ernst, François Pinault has inaugurated two splendid showcases for his contemporary art collection: the Palazzo Grassi and the Dogana (the former customs house, next to the Church La Salute). Italian Links Tours is now organizing art tours of these two unique venues, as well as tours of the International Biennale.

Starting Price: 475€ (3 hours)

Note: This is just a sample of what you can arrange through Italian Links Tours. We also arrange customized programs in Tuscany and on the Amalfi Coast, as well as in the Lake Como district. We are happy to make restaurant bookings, travel recommendations and transportation arrangements.