The Best Italy Tour Companies

Explore Italy with a highly ranked tour operator. (Photo: Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images )

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Italy ranked third on the list of the world's top-10 most-visited tourist destinations in 2009. Many visitors explore Italy's myriad historical and cultural attractions with the help of tour companies. With so many companies vying for your business, choosing the best guide for your trip can prove challenging. Travel specialists such as Conde Nast Traveller, National Geographic and Travel + Leisure evaluate and rank tour companies based on factors such as reliability, immersion, flexibility and service.

Conde Nast Traveller Specialty Tours

Italian tour providers ranked highly on Conde Nast Traveller's 2009 Readers' Travel Awards for specialty tour operators. These include Citalia (citalia.com), which operates throughout Italy and offers a number of customized tours. Customers can choose which destinations they wish to visit, from cities to coasts, lakes to family-friendly, opera to train travel. Other high-ranking operators include Scott Dunn (scottdunn.com), a UK-based company with tours that include perks such as stays in luxury Mediterranean villas with private chefs and nannies. Scott Dunn tours offer Italian destinations such as the Amalfi Coast, the Dolomites, Sicily and most major cities.

Conde Nast Traveller Tour Operators

In 2010, the Conde Nast Traveller Reader's Travel Awards included several Italian tour operators. The UK-based Seasons in Style (seasons.co.uk) ranked high on the list for its first-hand knowledge of destinations. Seasons in Style offers luxury stays in boutique hotels, villas and palazzos throughout Italy in destinations such as Lake Como, Venice, Portofino and Ravello. Other highly rated tour operators include Carrier (carrier.co.uk), a U.K.-based company ranked for reliability and service. Carrier's Italian tours include scenic, historic and culturally significant destinations, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Greek Theatre in Taormina to the Tuscan countryside.

Travel + Leisure World's Best

Austin-Lehman Adventures (austinlehman.com) came in second on Travel + Leisure's 2010 World's Best Awards for tour operators and safari outfitters. This Billings, Montana-based company specializes in adventure and family travel. Tour members can walk, hike and bike through Italy, stopping for wine tastings, private tours of historic sites and local cuisine along the way. Other highly ranked companies include Butterfield and Robinson (butterfield.com), which offers guided walking and biking tours appropriate for families or adults. Destinations include Tuscany, Puglia and the Amalfi Coast.

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