Private trips and tours for Italy 2024

Unlock the essence of Italy with our personalized approach to travel. Insider’s Italy specializes in crafting bespoke experiences tailored to your preferences. With our custom Italy tours, we work closely together designing every aspect of your journey.  As your customized trip planner, I ensure that your vacation reflects your individual style and interests.

Plan your trip

Why would you choose Insiders Italy?

• Italy-based, meticulous personal planning
• Special attention to outstanding accommodations, behind-the-scenes itineraries and wonderful food and wine
• Since 1989, bespoke Italy experiences tailored to your preferences. 

1. Step 1

   Fill in our travel survey

2. Step 2

   We shape and refine your trip

3. Step 3

   Defining your custom requests

4. Step 4

   Your Plan

5. Step 5

   Traveling in Italy

Unique planning experience of custom Italy tours

Insider’s Italy is a luxury Italy trip planning company run by a family that has always loved Italy. For four generations, my family has made Italy our home, sharing it with friends and visitors. The doors into Italy that I open for you were opened for me by two generations of family before me, and then by my own lifetime of Italy travel with my own family.

About us

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Jessica Haymaker 
 
2024-05-06
 
 
  
Grazie mille doesn't begin to cover it. Marjorie provided us with the honeymoon of a lifetime. From start to finish the trip was full of beauty, charm, and history (and of course delicious food!). From the moment my husband started working with her to plan our itinerary, she listened to our wants/needs and made sure to ask questions to fill in the gaps. Her recommendations could not have been more spot on and she was able to grasp exactly what we hoped to accomplish during our two weeks in Italy.

Our lodging was five star with amazing staff and management throughout our stay. The staff at Villa Rosa was AMAZING; Paola created wonderful dishes for us on the nights we stayed at the villa and was an excellent resource for our day trips. The villa itself was stunning with beautiful architecture surrounded by the Tuscan countryside. We traveled between two different regions and Marjorie was able to make the travel seamless and ensured we had transport available when necessary. Our second lodging was Hotel Corona D'oro in Bologna and again the staff was kind, welcoming, and gracious. They were readily available to answer any question and made sure to accommodate any request we had during our stay. We were so well taken care of and spoiled by her contacts/friends it was difficult to return to our everyday lives.

The excursions Marjorie planned for us were top notch, from cooking classes to cheese tasting to winery tours. We couldn't wait to try all the food Italy had to offer and Marjorie did not disappoint! Our Vespa tour through the countryside with a stop at a local farm for a picnic lunch will be fondly remembered, as will the pasta making class with the sfoglinas! Our tours of Parma, Ferrara, and Modena left us with full bellies and curious minds about the nobles of Italy and the awe inspiring architecture of centuries long ago. Our tour guides were full of both interesting tidbits and historical facts about the buildings, as well as the history of the city and the best spots to stop in for an aperitivo!

It was a truly magical trip and we are so grateful to Marjorie and the many friends of hers we encountered along the way. We are already talking about planning our next tour of Italy and can't imagine using anyone else to guide us!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Rachel Howard 
 
2024-04-02
 
 
  
Insider’s Italy was absolutely perfect for our Italy getaway to Rome and Amalfi. The notes, history and planning were all perfect! Would highly recommend to anyone traveling to this beautiful country!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Barry Wolpa 
 
2024-04-01
 
 
  
I learned about Marjorie Shaw and Insider's Italy more than 30 years ago after she planned an amazing Italian adventure for my brother. The following year, I asked Marjorie to plan a trip for me and a friend. The questionnaire we had to fill out about our interests and desires was very comprehensive and the our trip was AMAZING in every way. That was only the first of many Italian adventures that Marjorie planned for us. These Insider's Italy planned trips that took us all over Italy during 30 years are what led to us now having a home in Lucca and Italian residency. Many people can plan a trip. But, no one, anywhere, can plan custom itineraries that are truly customized for individual travelers like Marjorie Shaw! Everything from perfect accommodations to the best gelato to wine, food, tours, must sees, tourist traps to avoid, best shopping and more! SIMPLY THE BEST!!!!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Patty Todderud 
 
2024-02-09
 
 
  
My husband and I took our first trip using Insider's Italy over 27 years ago.  We have since used Marjorie Shaw's expertise with planning our trips to Italy making sure everything goes smoothly. My husband and I have always been pleased with the personal touch she lends to our experience!  Unlike other travel sources, Marjorie immerses us with local experiences.  For example, she arranged a cooking class with a local Italian lady who lives in Amalfi, right in her home! This is something we could never find on our own! In addition, when choosing accommodations, Marjorie personally knows the staff at the hotels she recommends and makes sure we get the best rooms with the best views at a good rate. We have learned so much from the private guides Marjorie arranges for us as well.  We are currently planning another memorable trip to Amalfi that Marjorie Shaw is helping us with! My husband and I have recommended Marjorie and Insider's Italy to many of our friends.  They've all been very happy with her as well! We are currently planning another trip to Amalfi with Marjorie; it will be another wonderful and memorable experience!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Robert J Reynolds 
 
2022-08-07
 
 
  
We are thankful to Marjorie Shaw and to Insider’s Italy for encouraging us in our early explorations of Italy.  We know that our lives and the lives of our four children have been forever enriched due to what we were able to see, learn and experience during those early family travels to Italy. Marjorie Shaw and Insider’s Italy helped us organize most of those first trips there.  And as a result of those amazing trips that Insider’s Italy helped us organize, we became hooked on Italy.

My wife and I credit those early excursions with our young children with many positive aspects of their development.   Each has learned to speak languages beyond English and each of our now grown adult children have traveled extensively on their own steam as well.  Two of our four children now live and work abroad in Europe.

Our family is truly grateful to Insider’s Italy for helping us start this process rolling forward nearly 30 years ago.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Myn Adess 
 
2022-07-25
 
 
  
Marjorie is an extraordinary planner for a trip to Italy. She knows all the best accommodations, restaurants, and guides, and she brings a depth of experience that only an "insider" can have. In additional to providing wonderful background on each place we visited and making arrangements for in-country travel by rail and private car, Marjorie was responsive every day when we had to change plans or adjust a reservation, and even suggested hidden cafes for an afternoon break and her favorite breakfast places. With Marjorie's services, we had a worry-free trip.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 mariadenise acampora 
 
2022-07-20
 
 
  
Insiders provides unique travel experience in italy from north to south. I have used this service for veneto, sicily, rome and puglia and have been delighted every time with the intimate details provided including out standing guides, drivers, restuarant and museum recommendations. Access to the popular  sites is  made easy and, perhaps more importantly, information and access to off the beaten track locations. Highly recommended; saves time and money and makes for a delightful experience.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Dr. Christie Brown 
 
2022-07-20
 
 
  
Insider’s Italy provided exactly what we needed to ensure our recent trip to Italy was perfectly planned.  We got so much from her service ! Marjorie spent generous amounts of time getting to know our interests and created a schedule that suited us beautifully.

Our itinerary included stays in several cities with day trips to nearby towns. Marjorie provided Insider's information for each place. She is not creating a guidebook.  The notes are up to date and witty. We enjoyed reading them to one another as we considered a pastry at a charming bakery or her favorite gelato around the corner.   It is as if she is walking with you and whispering in your ear. For Marjorie,  travel is not a checklist. It is sharing her passion and love for Italy.

One stop we made was in Ravenna at a first class bed and breakfast Marjorie chose for us. It was perfect – well located so it was walkable to most sites. The accommodations were charming and comfortable. The owner, because we were Marjorie’s clients, helped us with last minute restaurant suggestions and reservations for meals.  We appreciated the insightful information Marjorie provided about the sites, when to visit during the day and so on.

Another stop was in Trento where we had a few hours to explore the museum in a medieval castle. Marjorie told us to buy the extra ticket for the tower tour. She knows we enjoy historical art. The tower is a gem! We would have missed it without specific direction from our guardian angel. So many times we got the feeling she was with us, telling us just what we needed to know to add special bits to our days.

There were a few incidents where we called Marjorie as a lifeline – one being a rental car mix up. It can be a challenge in another country to figure out who to call and what to say. We called Marjorie and she solved the issue and helped us reconfigure our plans. Whew!

We have traveled extensively over the last 40 odd years, typically planning our own adventures. We realized how much Marjorie’s tips, historical and artistic knowledge enhanced our experience and joy of traveling in Italy much more than any guidebook reading and internet researching would ever give us, even if we planned for months and months.  Insider’s Italy provided a phenomenal service, and meticulously designed trip.  We’ll be using the company again in October for the Campania region and cannot wait to travel with Insider’s Italy again.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Eileen Grasso 
 
2022-07-19
 
 
  
Marjorie Shaw has planned now a total of 4 trips to Italy for our family, each one a treasure box full of special experiences, beautiful accommodations and the best, most authentic dining. Two of these trips were with several young children, and each time Marjorie made sure we had the right guides and schedule of activities to meet their needs and satisfy the grown ups as well. A spectacular villa in the Tuscan country side, a comfortable, well-located apartment in Rome, a tucked-away jewel box of an inn in Pienza, a unique cave dwelling in Matera and an old world hotel in Venice overlooking the Rialto Bridge, all were handpicked and curated by Marjorie and made our travels richer and and more fun. My husband and his family still talk about a memorable meal, among so many, at a tiny family restaurant run by a mother and daughter that cannot be found in any guide book, but is known by Marjorie because she seeks out and vets these places herself. Italy is such a fantastic destination, but to truly get the most out of your precious travel time, put yourself in the very best hands with Marjorie Shaw's Insider's Italy. Grazie, Marjorie!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Lawrence Goodall 
 
2022-07-18
 
 
  
“Insider’s Italy” is for the adventurous and the curious..

Marjorie’s advice is the stuff of a passionate gatekeeper to the Italy that we dream about but which is lost with mass tourism . She’s bilingual and bicultural.   Her enthusiasm and love of the language and culture encourages her guests  to share the passion; to share the adventure; to share the secret treasure.

For the last five years my wife and I have used Insider’s Italy to find an abandoned village in Abruzzo that is now home to a hotel “diffuso”  (rooms spread among the ruins of the village).   We’ve been to beaches that can only be reached by boat and villages that can only be reached by foot.   On our recent trip Marjorie set us up with a visit to a farmer that grew the sweetest lemons.  We ate them, rind and all, right off the tree.   Insider’s Italy is currently planning our next trip where we will hike  with the sheep on their annual migration from summer pastures in the mountains down to the lowlands for the winter.

If trips are precious to you.  If you want personal attention.  If you want more than the usual, then Insider’s Italy is for you.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 16 reviews