Reviews
Our tour manager for Classical Sicily was outstanding and we have experienced many directors and managers on our travels over many years. Flavia possesses all the qualities and strengths needed for an outstanding, successful tour leader. She has great knowledge of and passion for her country and she passes that on to her tour group. I cannot think of any way in which Flavia let down her group members. She was prepared and sincere. She knew the ropes and worked extremely hard to make each day of our tour perfect for one each of us!!
Victoria B.Although we've taken 30 Gate 1 trips over the years, this was our first walking tour. This trip was an incentive for me to go to the gym and get my arthritic knees stronger so that I could do the hikes. I felt the trip was very well organized. Generally we would hike in the morning have a lovely lunch usually at an Agroturism, (sometimes hike a little bit more in the afternoon )and then have a visit to a nearby town or village. The hikes were pretty much as advertised, easy to moderate. The guides were really excellent. Both Susanna, and Michele were very knowledgeable and sensitive to the different hiking levels within our small group of seven people. For example, there were short stops at the top of a hill to catch your breath and get a sip of water. Michele (last name?) was also very good at pointing out different plants and trees, etc. as well as other bits of interest such as spots where the wild boar would dig for food. They also were aware that this was our vacation and didn't want anyone to feel like they were on some sort of forced march offering options to have a more down day, but not miss the sites. We very much liked being in one hotel and not having to change hotels every day or two. It made for a nice relaxing evening so we could rest up for the next day. The hotel itself was also very nice, the rooms were a generous size which is always appreciated. The bathroom was quite large as well but the shower was tiny. I'm pretty small myself and it was hard to bend over or turn around. My only complaint (and this was no one's fault,) was that there was a large group of teenagers in the hotel for two or three nights who would stay up late talking and laughing on the outdoor patio. Susanna spoke with the front desk, who in turn spoke with the parents and that situation improved. Overall, this was an A+ tour. Well organized and well thought out. The food was the best I've ever had the Agroturismos really came through.
Carolyn V.Buongiorno! This was an amazing trip--10/10! My son and I had the adventure of a lifetime, and we enjoyed every minute of our time spent in Italy. Our tour guide was the most amazing guide we could've hoped for. Bravo Myriam, we love her so much (our Mama). She created a family out of a group of strangers, and we all loved her. She guided us perfectly through our adventure and was loving, funny, educational, and fully informed. Additionally, our guides in each of the cities we visited were phenomenal! We learned SO much and they are all so well informed and impressive with their knowledge of local areas. This was my first Gate 1 trip, after previously having traveled with Go Ahead Tours once before and I have to say, I will NEVER go back to anyone but Gate 1 from now on! I am already looking for my next adventure with your company! I have also convinced my sister and her husband to switch from Go Ahead to Gate 1 because you get SO much more for your money. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience. I will DEFINITELY be back!
Beatrice N.Our tour guide...what can I say about Enrico except, WE MISS HIM ALREADY! He was AWESOME! He was informative, engaging, funny, accommodating, knew every answer to all of our questions. My husband John temporarily thought he lost his passport but as panicked as we were, Enrico stayed absolutely calm (which calmed us down) He just began planning what needed to be done in Rome. Thankfully it was just in a pocket which was not checked so our time in Rome was not interrupted. Enrico made sure we continued to enjoy our visit. I honestly can't say enough good things about him! He even taught us a lot of Italian which I find myself using still now. We wish we could request him for our next visit (and there will definitely be another visit!!) My favorite place was Venice and my husband John really enjoyed Florence. But everywhere, included in our tour, left us in awe and Enrico answered every question we had. This trip not only met but exceeded every expectation we had! We have been recommending Gate 1 to everyone who viewed our pictures on Facebook and Instagram. We met and formed friendships with several couples in our tour group. We exchanged numbers and emails and vowed to plan another Gate 1 vacation together for next year. Whether that happens with them or not, John and I are currently trying to decide our next Gate 1 destination. We only wish Enrico could be our tour guide. To say this experience was AMAZING seems like such an understatement and we largely credit Enrico for such a memorable trip.
Francoise P.Our Tour Manager, Marianna, was absolutely the icing on the cake. The vacation was outstanding, but Marianna's attention to detail, professionalism and friendliness made up feel safe, informed, and having fun as if we were traveling with a family member. Our group had 39 people in it, and we all gelled together with Marianna's leadership. Thank you, Marianna, and Gate 1, for a wonderful trip to Italy. We made memories that will last a lifetime!
Valerie D.We just completed the tour of Italy last week, and I wanted to take a moment and call out how impressed and what a great job Mariana did as tour guide. She was outstanding at every level from managing the group to taking care of everyone's personal needs. Not an easy job, but I thought she was absolutely great at what she did. You should be very proud to have her as an employee.
Frank M.It was fantastic. I would like to thank our tour manager Flavia, for taking great care of everything. We had something planned every day and the group that travelled with us was so friendly. I now have a few more great friends. All the excursions were planned perfectly, I seen a lot and did a lot of things I would never have thought about doing. The food, coffee and wine were delicious. I will use Gate1 again.
Cathy F.Thoroughly met my need. I was to attend a dinner meeting at the college I attended in Rome in the 1960's. I had already made my reservations when I discovered Gate 1 had an independent tour that covered the exact time I had to be in Rome. It was much less expensive than I would have paid otherwise, and with better airline accommodations. Everything worked out beautifully.
Francis G.Best ever, Kathleen was very attentive, knowledgeable, and very caring. The tour was perfect, all the cities and events were great. Every detail was taken care of, we didn't have to worry about a thing, we just enjoyed our time.
Gary V.It was a great trip, exceptionally well organized! Connections right on time and most courteous drivers and reception. Our Guide, Flavia, was absolutely amazing. knowledgeable, attentive, and very informative...do not let this ambassador of Gate 1, ever leave! Meals, side trips and various activities well organized and appreciated. No negatives and a most enjoyable experience.
Gordon R.We have just returned from our Italy trip - an awesome experience, from start to finish. The hotels, stops, meals, guides, and support were all wonderful. What was so amazing to us was just how seamless our entire trip around Italy was, given the mechanics and dozens of details required to move 37 people from place to place over two weeks. it was the perfect experience to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary, and we are especially grateful that Gate1 was flexible so that we could stay for several days after our tour to visit my grandfather's village outside of Napoli along with some historic spots in the city. We will definitely use Gate1 again My husband and I offer our most enthusiastic accolades for our travel manager, Francesco. From the trip's beginning to the end, from morning (sometimes really early) until late evening, and from city to city, Francesco's energy, his warmth, and his comfort with solving almost any issue never flagged. Whether we needed directions to a Pharmacia, a restaurant, a historic site, or when we didn't know quite what we required, he always had answers and suggestions along with so much knowledge. Everything he did illustrated his consummate "people skills." I studied some intensive beginning Italian before the trip, and he constantly helped me to improve, and not once did he raise his eyebrows at my silly mistakes. We know that Gate1 selects its on-the-ground staff members with care, and indeed, the several other Gate 1 leaders that we bumped into were excellent and always helpful. However, we are more than grateful for the opportunity to travel with Francesco. He is a remarkable young man who does remarkable work connecting travels with the Gate1 experience.
Martha W.It was an amazing trip. I purchased the ticket on all the must-see places of Italy I missed on a shorter trip. Even though it was a larger group, the group was pleasant, friendly, and open to learning how to travel the Gate1 way. The tour manager, as usual, was incredible personable, orderly, helpful, and full of charm. The bus driver was a skilled driver on challenging roads. The Hotels were adequate for the purpose with each one holding a particular strength, either location, access, or luxury. Thank you again for a wonderful and memorable trip. This was my 19th adventure with Gate1, and you guys always bring it and I still love it.
Marlon L.We had the most wonderful trip to Italy. Our tour director was fabulous (Guiseppe) and he did such a great job with all the details of the trip. He was very caring and gracious all along the way. Our bus driver, Ivano, was great, too. This is our second Gate1 trip and we hope to do another trip in the near future. The places we stayed in were all very nice. The route of our tour and the places that we got to go to were fascinating-I love the rich history of Italy. Thanks for arranging these wonderful trips.
Marie P.My trip was AMAZING!! Christopher was a fantastic tour manager - knowledgeable, friendly, professional, humorous, and most of all caring about each and every one of us on the tour. The trip was well-organized. Hotels and meals were top-notch, as were the local tour guides in every city we visited. This was my first Gate1 tour, and I hope it will be the first of many.
Bernadette N.Our entire experience with Gate1 in Italy was absolutely amazing. Our tour manager Antonella was one of the best parts of the whole trip. She was so incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and organized. Her ability to get 40 people where they needed to be in a timely manner and in a complex environment was incredible. She was available and prepared at every moment and above all of that, she very obviously truly cared about our experience, safety, and enjoyment. We were a little nervous going into a group tour bus experience, but this was above and beyond what we hoped for. The bus was super clean and comfortable with excellent window views, and Antonella's policy of rotating seats ensured everyone had a fair experience. Our driver Miguel was so professional and friendly, and the planned stops were perfect. Our local tour guides were all amazing. They were each so knowledgeable and passionate about the locations and subject matter. I wish I could remember the names of all of them, but I want to give every single one a 10/10, 5-star rating. We will absolutely be recommending Gate1 to our family and friends, and plan on traveling with you again. Thank you!
Gray K.This was our first Gate 1 walking tour and will definitely not be our last. It was the most amazing and fantastic experience we could have ever imagined! Our tour manager, Alessandro, was exceptional and did a phenomenal job with his knowledge of the area and was great at directing us and making sure that every day was better than the previous day's tour. Our Tour Guide, Gaia, was from the Sant'Agata area, she was so extremely knowledgeable, incredibly personable and was like a textbook given her in depth experience and knowledge and always made sure we were able to take in every possible view imaginable. Alessandro and Gaia made a great team and worked very well together to ensure our trip was the best. We also have to give a huge shoutout to our driver, Gaetano, he was so professional and definitely well-experienced to tackle all the roads and places we traveled. The hotel was the perfect location with the most amazing views and gorgeous sunrises, and we fell in love with the small town Sant'Agata and all the local restaurants. We were happy we made the hotel our base, it gave us the opportunity not to lose any time traveling during our time. The hikes were exceptional with so many extras we did not expect. Our group was also amazing and we enjoyed spending time and getting to know everyone. The food, wine and, of course, spritzes, were out of this world! We do not have enough words to describe our first experience to the fullest and the pictures just do not do it justice. The hikes were exceptional and everything was truly planned to perfection. Thank you (Grazie, Grazie) for such an amazing and memorable experience.
Lori B.We just love our main tour guide Francesca so so much. From the first moment we met, she made us feel welcome. Without any doubt, she is by far the best we have ever had! She is professional, knowledgeable, an excellent communicator and always greets us with a warm cheerful smile. She gave us great insights of local Italians life and lots of fun stories that made our tour so relatable. Despite having a very large group, she skillfully managed to resolve all the different issues that came up. She was above and beyond and helped us arranged our Naple hotel for our extra day and all the transfers that made our travel worry free all the way home. She was helpful to everyone and created a great atmosphere that is carefree, fun, and enjoyable for all of us.
Chiu M.Our trip was amazing! Francesca was the best tour guide organization was excellent we saw so much all guides were so knowledgeable and show us beautiful Italy. We also enjoyed all those dinners and wine tasting so now we have so many memories and hundreds of pictures. Thank you very much and one more time special thanks to Francesca for making this trip a great experience well, looking forward to our next vacation with gate one thank you!
Ida B.Giuseppe was by far the best tour guide I have ever had on any trip! He was outstanding, spectacular, kind, considerate, intelligent, and most of all was extremely concerned about our overall well-being, enjoyment, and safety. He is absolutely exceptional and should be highly rewarded for his attention to detail and overall love of his job. I cannot commend him enough! The entire group, there were 18 of us, loved him!!. I hope he is able to see this review. Thank you. I would also like to commend our fabulous bus driver, He was superb!
Patricia E.It was our first time traveling with Gate 1 (or any tour group) and it was an amazing trip. Loved having people waiting for us at the airport for arriving and leaving. Our bus driver was incredible navigating through the streets and highways of Italy. Franco was fantastic in his organization, information, humor, and bonding all the people together throughout the trip. So many great sites and great memories. Local guides were so informative and passionate about their cities added greatly to the walks. We will recommend Gate 1 and will most likely book through Gate 1 again.
Paul O.Our trip was amazing. Montecatini was the perfect location to stay. The location had easy access to many great places in Italy. The hotel was wonderful, and our car was a Jeep Renegade perfect for driving in Italy. Thank you!
Melissa K.Bonjour, the trip was wonderful. For the three cities we visited, my husband and I love Venice. The explanation of how the local operates in water. The wine tasting was surprisingly good not only a sip of wine but 6 bottles. Francesco the guide is very knowledgeable about food, location, and everything in between. He made sure we knew where the taxi stand was after the tour ended. Some of us even call or text him about something on his time off, he responds immediately. Overall good trip, good group and definitely wonderful guide. This is not the first time we have been with Gate 1. We have already booked two trips with you.
Jessica L.Amazing!!! We will definitely be using your services again!! Great trip for the price, everything top notch!!!
Donna S.This was my 7th Gate 1 tour and I wanted to note tour leader Lorena organization and preparedness was second to none. She consistently provided individual maps with key information and locations highlighted, and all of them had Lorna's phone number printed in case we needed help. Her personality was consistently cheerful and warm with everyone. Further she was constantly offering help with everything and anything. Above all, she really provided a local flavor by offering information about our destinations - that you can't just learn about from a book.
Maureen C.Our trip to Italy was fantastic, as we expected with Gate 1. Christopher was an excellent tour guide. Knowledgeable, patient, great sense of humor, organized, approachable, and was a reason the trip was memorable. Nice hotels, good food, excellent tour guides in each city, safe bus drivers, and a sensible order to visiting the cities included on this tour. Great weather, too!
Priscilla L.I really enjoyed my very first escorted tour. This trip has totally changed my life. I have already booked another trip for next year. Our tour guide Christopher was excellent, approachable, warm hearted, very respectful, responsible, all of us agreed in the tour that he really cared how much we are enjoying. I am so thankful to be part of his tour group. Everyone agrees it is tour manager who sets the tone of the group cohesiveness. We were blessed with Christopher.
Elizabeth G.Our trip was incredible. It was our first Gate 1 Travel Trip and both my wife and I were thoroughly impressed with our tour guide Chris. We felt so fortunate to have the best on our first trip. Chris is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful, kept the group together and shared so much valuable information that he made each tour and meal exceptional. He also paid close attention to those who may be under the weather while on the tour, ensuring the tour was not moving too fast.
Donald G.We just took the 9-day Affordable Sicily Tour. It was a great tour, and we all had a great time. We specifically want to thank our excellent tour manager, Maria, a very caring, warm, knowledgeable, funny, and thoughtful person who went above and beyond her duties to ensure that everyone had a great time and enjoyed the trip. We also want to thank our driver, Franco, who was very friendly and helpful. A million thanks for these wonderful memories! We highly recommended this tour to our friends, and they just booked for March 2025. Looking forward to our next Gate 1 trip to the Baltics with Krakow in October 2024!
Adele M.From your assistance to my return home everything was great! I did a solo independent tour and never felt alone. The tour guide on my excursions was excellent and the hotel (Number 11 St Julian) was perfect for me. Thank you!
Patricia D.The tour trip to Sicily was probably the best we have experienced with Gate 1. Mauro and the driver were informative, skilled and approachable. The guides plus Mauro contributed so much information about what desert seeing but also history and personal information. The hotels were perfectly located and operated. We seriously thought we hit the lottery on this trip. We have highly recommended on our posts.
Leslie H.The trip was super! The guide Maurizio was the best we've had. He put together a great packet of info and a colored map of Sicily...super start. He very focused on the group and supporting us. The itinerary was good, we enjoyed the options.
David C.We just completed our third Gate 1 tour. While the tour managers on all of our trips have been excellent, I would like to call out Maurizio as being superb. I truly believe it is the quality of the tour manager that makes or breaks the tour. It is people like Maurizio who make us come back to Gate 1. Not only was he knowledgeable of everything about Sicily, he is very organized, considerate of all in his group but above all very warm and personable. By the end of the trip, I felt we had made a friend. We would gladly take another Gate 1 tour just to be with Maurizio.
Brian B.It was great! I didn't have any expectations for an Independent Tour. It was really very nice. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
Carol B.Was our first Gate 1 experience. First trip to Italy and Europe. Our tour guide Francesca made our experience the best trip ever. She went over and above all of our needs and expectations. Cannot say enough positive things about her. Best tour guide ever! Great experience! Great way to see Italy for the first time.
Brenda H.Our trip was wonderful. Once again, I always wonder if our Guide will be as good as our previous one as usual, they are. The food on this trip was outstanding. And Andrea went above and beyond to make sure everyone was always happy, and he constantly looked out for our safety. GREAT Trip. Looking forward to our next one.
Joseph H.This was our first time abroad and with Gate 1. Our trip was wonderful. Our tour guide, Carmine, was EXCEPTIONAL! He made the trip exciting.. Thank you.
Louis F.This was our first time traveling with Gate 1 and this trip exceeded our expectations. Our tour manager, Carmine, kept everything running smoothly and went above and beyond for our group. My husband and I decided to add an optional tour on and without hesitation Carmine accommodated our request and purchased any necessary tickets for our entry. We would love to go back to Italy and have Carmine as our tour manager! All of the other guides we had on our trip were fantastic! They answered our questions and made our tours fun and informative. Gate 1 made traveling to Europe for the first time feel accessible and approachable. We are excited to book another trip!
Julie L.We had a wonderful time. The others in our group were extremely nice and I believe we've made new life long friends. Anna our guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable. The itinerary excellent.
Dennis H.This was an adventure of a lifetime, our 23rd tour with gate 1. Our tour director, MAURIZIO, was an invaluable factor in making it so. He was the epitome of professionalism, equipped with technical competence, managerial savvy, and people skills. Moreover, he was always a gentleman, ever-ready to lend a helping hand. He was very caring and sincere. His passion for his work and his love of Sicily, we could witness each day. He tried and actually did his best, exceeding our expectations as he found serendipitous ways to enrich our experiences. He ennobled us, as well. I must say he is a tour director par excellence. Please share these comments with him and his colleagues. My husband and my brother who traveled with me share the same gratitude to and appreciation for Maurizio ; the same feelings and feedback we are granting to gate 1 for giving us such a professional, both competent and caring, as Maurizio.
Maria C.This was our first European trip and Italy has always been a bucket list trip for me as I am almost full blooded Italian. Mercedes and Isabella & Luigi were ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!! Mercedes specifically made our trip so easy and memorable! She thought of everything and even taught us some Italian! She even purchased little gifts at each city which are so memorable and we will never ever forget!! I would love to travel with her again! She had great suggestions, was always concerned about our safety and made every day fun!
Lynn A.The trip was excellent! I was worried about how it would go because I never booked a trip with a company before. As soon as we arrived to our first hotel all my worries turned into relaxation. I look forward to booking with your company in the future. Thank you for a great service. We flew emirates airline, and that was hands-down the best flight we have been on. All in all 10/10
Michael P.It was absolutely Amazing! Francesca was by far the best tour guide we had ever had. She was fun, went above and beyond for us, gave amazing recommendations for each spot we visited in terms of shopping, eating, things to do, etc. You can tell she really loves what she does and loves her clients. I want to book another trip in hopes to get her again!!!
Bradly T.Everything about this tour was beyond my expectations. Our guide, Giuseppe, went to great lengths to provide us with experiences much beyond expectations. The local guides were enthusiastic and engaged us with many historical stories. Our bus driver, Luigi, impressed us with his ability to navigate tight spots and arrange a fast tire repair when we got a flat on the way to Pisa. The accommodations were wonderful and the food/wine events truly memorable. We cannot thank everyone enough for such a great experience.
Dayna C.I just wanted to take this time to let you know that our group absolutely loved Marisa, our tour guide. By the end of the trip, she was like family to us. We were even sad that the trip was over and that we were leaving. We told her we would come back to Italy and do another tour with her. Marisa was very kind, attentive, funny, and patient. She quickly got to know know each of our names and even started to know our personalities and would even make funny jokes about each of us. We just felt like she wanted to get to know us. She was generous to give us small treats like candy so that we could try it. She even gave us little souvenirs like the Pinocchio toy and the red horn from Naples. Marisa was very knowledgeable and educated. Her tour was thorough and yet there was free time to go shopping. She was always helping us by giving us tips and suggestions. We were a group of 12 and for many of us, this was our first time in Europe. It was a busy itinerary, but yet Marisa made each day enjoyable. I just wish she was our permanent Gate 1 tour guide for all the tours you offer!!! Please let Marisa know that we miss her so much. She is now a part of our family and we will remember her forever. We hope to come back and do the Sicily tour with her in 2026.
Lynda J.The trip to Malta was amazing!!! Our guide for all of the options, Josette, was fantastic and shared the history of Malta in such an exceptional way. The pace of the trip was relaxed with plenty of leisure time and although it was an independent trip there was a lot of bonding within the trip with the fellow travels. Seeing Malta during winter was wonderful as the crowds were none existent and there were still so many beautiful Nativity Cribs and Christmas decorations still present to see. This was an amazing trip at an exceptional value and I am so glad I we were able to visit this amazing country. It was not a place on our travel bucket list, but the value of the trip made it hard to refuse and I'm so glad we got to visit and learn about the history and culture of Malta. Thank you Gate1 for another wonderful travel experience!!! You have never disappointed us and we tell everyone we can about your wonderful company!
Margaret H.We just came back from an independent by rail Italy trip which was excellent! We had travelled on the escorted trip before and thoroughly enjoyed this independent version. The instructions provided to find the railway stations, hotels, tour meet up sites were impeccable and easy to find. Thank you Gate1 for a memorable vacation!
Diane A.Our recent trip to Italy was everything we hoped for. Every aspect of the vacation was perfectly planned. Our meals and side trips were all spot on. Each of our guides in the visited cities were extremely knowledgeable, interesting and a pleasure to spend time with. Having said this let me say a few words about our Tour Manager Lorena . Lorena absolutely made our trip as great as it was. Lorena at every aspect went well above and beyond to make sure that all the planned activities were perfect. She made us feel so welcome like we were part of her family. I would certainly recommend to any friends and family to use Gate 1 for their future travel plans.
John P.My wife and I went to Dubai with Gate 1 at the end of April this year and I thought that nothing could top that. I was wrong! Our recent trip to Italy by way of Gate 1 was absolutely wonderful! Neither of us had been to Italy before and I cannot imagine how this trip could have been better. The accommodations at each location were beautiful, like 5-star hotels (which I suppose they were). I must say that the most impressive thing about the entire trip was the tour guides. They were very knowledgeable about the areas that they were showing us through. They were all very passionate about their country and the sights we were seeing while we were there. Despite my hearing problem, they were able to get their messages across to me with complete understanding. We will never forget Italy, especially Rome, after this visit. We have been telling everyone we know to check out Gate 1 for any travel needs. I cannot imagine that anyone could do better (probably no one could do as well) than Gate 1.
William G.It was amazing! I went because of Palermo but I stayed for everything amazing about Sicily! I'm a Greek/Roman geek and every day was filled with discovery and new treasures --the last one -the Roman villa -- was the most incredible collection of mosaics I've ever seen! Our guide was incredible - funny, smart, self-effacing and able to "mother" us into being on time every time. I am so grateful that you helped me get there!
Kathryn C.Thank you for asking. Our Italy experience was awesome! Francesca, our tour manager was knowledgeable, personable, courteous and prompt. From hotel accommodations to our tour itineraries we're top notch. All of the local guides were excellent in terms of their knowledge. This was our 5th tour with Gate 1. I am yet to find anything to complain about. Thank you for making the whole experience a pleasant one.
Asha P.