The alumni associations of many large American universities, like UC Berkeley, the University of Michigan and Boston University, sponsor top-quality travel programs that are open to the general public. The tours take advantage of the expertise of college faculty and staff and their connections abroad. Most tours feature special lectures. Specific trips change yearly, but Italy is always a popular destination with multiple tours every year. Examples of past trips include "Italy's Magnificent Lake District," "Sicily: Syracuse and Palermo," and "Chianti and the Italian Riviera." The websites of most major colleges and universities detail the trips to Italy their alumni associations have for the upcoming year.
The Italian-American Perillo family started its company in 1945 by organizing tours back to the old country. Perillo has grown since then to offer trips all over the world, but Italy is still the most popular destination. Options include a "10 Day Vesuvius with Venice Visit" trip, "9 Day Rome and Amalfi Adventure," and a two week "Italy North Continental" tour that visits places like Florence, the island of Capri, and Lake Lugano. Perillo's tour guides have worked with the company for many years and give their groups a taste of "authentic Italy."
Perillo Plaza
577 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677
800-431-1515
perillotours.com
For a lot of Americans, their first exposure to Italy came during World War II. American soldiers participated in the invasion of Italy and came back home with a love of the country. Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours offers an "Italian Campaign" journey led by a full-time historian and local guides. The tour visits general interest sites likes the ruins at Paestum and Pompeii, the city of Sorrento and the Vatican. The trip appeals to WWII buffs with stops at the sites associated with the Battles of Monte Cassino and San Pietro, the landing site in Anzio, the Museum of the Allied Landing and the U.S. Cemetery. The company also customizes tours throughout Europe for private groups.
Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours
P.O. Box 19354
New Orleans, LA 70179
888-903-3329
stephenambrosetours.com
Ciclismo Classico is an American company that specializes in bike tours and walking and hiking trips. Specialty journeys include a "Colavita Olive Harvest Tour" that cycles through the Molise region during the harvest and samples culinary products from the region, an eight-day "Piedmont: Land of Barolo and Truffles" and a nine-day spin through the "Italian Alps and Sud Tyrol." Meals and food and wine tastings are an important part of all of the tours, and visits to churches, museums, and historic sites are included.
Ciclismo Classico
30 Marathon St.
Arlington, MA 02474
800-866-7314
ciclismoclassico.com
Rick Steves is a guidebook author and host of the PBS travel series "Rick Steves' Europe." He has declared Italy to be his favorite country, and his tours focus on introducing Americans to its culture and history. Groups never have more than 28 participants. The "Sicily in 9 Days" tour visits the sizzling Mount Etna volcano, the ancient ruins of Taormina and Syracuse, and neighborhood walks in Palermo and Cefalù. The two-week "Village Italy" trip visits cities like Ravenna and Assisi, small hill towns and villas and teaches about truffle-hunting and pottery-making. Other tour offerings include a comprehensive "Italy in 17 Days" tour and "Venice, Florence and Rome in 10 Days."
Europe Through the Back Door
130 Fourth Ave. North
P.O. Box 2009
Edmonds, WA 98020-2009
425-771-8303
ricksteves.com
