Hello travelers!

Your Italian adventure with DivoraDestinations is tailored specifically for you, ensuring a truly unique experience. While our culinary journeys often kick off in major cities, we also venture to charming, off-the-beaten-path villages. Don't worry about the logistics; we've got you covered from the moment you land!

Upon request, our private drivers will whisk you away from the airport to your luxurious apartment or villa. Consider it your safe, clean, and comfortable home away from home for the week. A delightful collection of happy hour libations will be waiting for you, perfect for unwinding as you unpack and settle in.

Your week of culinary and cultural immersion begins the very evening of your arrival with a relaxed and easy gathering, allowing you to unwind after your flight. The next morning, our true adventure commences! Based on the personalized itinerary I've crafted for your specific tour, we'll dive into an unforgettable week of experiences.

Let's go experience the true culture of Italy together!

~ Alice

6 Steps: From planning, to touring, to returning home

Note: Each Divora tour is unique. Below is an example of a typical week-long stay with us, but your tour will be tailor made, of course

 

Step 1
Flights

Flights are plentiful. As long as you get to Rome, by all means, use any airline you prefer, however, I do highly recommend just one layover, as it makes your trip that much more quick and comfortable. We prefer you to arrive in Rome as well rested as possible so we may hit the ground running ;) If you need advice and assistance, I can help you navigate through the myriad flights available to Italy, so that it is as brainless as possible for you to reach me.

Promotion: One of the benefits of choosing (and sticking to) one airline, is the miles and points you accumulate as you fly with them. You get even more benefits if you use their dedicated credit card to make purchases. I have my trusty Delta Airlines American Express Card. This referral link will take you to the card’s application page which, upon approval, will gift you with numerous extra miles: Delta Airlines American Express Card

 

Step 2
Pre-trip meeting

Part of what I offer you as a Divora traveler, is the pre-trip planning sessions in person (or over the phone, Zoom or email, for travelers who are not in my location). Our final meet-up usually happens around 1 month prior to departure, when plans will have been set and ready to be revealed. This will fully prepare you for the trip as I will provide maps, travel information about our area, helpful phone numbers and addresses, the full itinerary showing our exact activities for the week and much more. One months later, we’ll all meet again in Rome!

 

Step 3
Your arrival

Once you land in Italy (the exact airport will be based on your chosen tour) you will take an licensed taxi (lined up outside of arrivals) or private driver (which I will have to arrange for you should you choose this upgraded option). Your destination address will be our lodging.

Remember that check in is normally in the afternoon so plan your flight accordingly, or prepare to wait in a caffe’ for your lodging to become available (I will help you get comfortable, don’t worry). Upon entry into your lodging, if we are stying in an independent apartment or villa, you will be received by a generous spread of meats, cheeses, fruits, breads, water and wine, so you can settle into your home-away-from-home and recharge a bit. If your lodging is a hotel, on-site staff will take care of you as you settle in. Once in, you’ll relax and rest up until we meet for our first easy-going happy hour and dinner.

Living like the locals, immersed in the culture, is one of the key elements of my Divora adventures! You'll feel like you're part of the local culture and people in no time, as you explore it alongside myself and your traveling companions. If you choose a city-focused tour, your lodging will be located in the historical center, walking distance from all of the beautiful streets and piazza, museums and sites, restaurants and shopping. If you choose a country-focused tour, your lodging will be either set in the historic center of towns/villages or in a fully furnished villa with working kitchen for in-home culinary activities. Regardless, your space is private to you, comfortable, clean and typical of where we will be.

 

Step 4
Culinary fun

Throughout our week, you will experience the culinary world Italy is famous for, by touring on and off-the-beaten-path eateries, alongside myself, native Italian and your personal guide. Be prepared to experience hands-on cooking classes taught by myself and/or my trusted local chefs, as well as deliciously prepared dining experiences in local restaurants and enoteche (wine tasting establishments). We will also visit nearby off-site locations for foraging of ingredients, wine tastings and sightseeing. All transportation within our week together is included in your tour, of course (this includes trains, metro, busses and drivers).

 

Step 5
Sightseeing

As an example, I’ll mention ROME here: Rome center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and as such, is an "open air museum" and offers thousands of famous and less known archaeological and historical sites (and world-class museums). You’ll have plenty of time to visit some of these special sites, guided by knowledgeable and licensed local history experts. The sites are your choice, I will simply help arrange the tour with trusted licensed guides, and you will enjoy on your own. Have you wanted to enter the Colosseum and see its basement trenches at night by the light of the full moon? You can! How about touring the little known (and newly opened Domus Aurea (Nero's Golden Palace) only visitable with archaeologists working on site, with hard hats and special permits? You can! I'll organize it all for you, as your personal Italian-speaking concierge, and you'll leave Rome ewe-struck (and wanting more). Any cultural/site/museum tour is an extra option not included in my culinary tour, however, I will leave plenty of free time during our itinerary, for you to visit these places on your own time.

 

Step 6
Getting home

I never want my adventures to end! After one full week (or more) of cooking, eating, enjoying wine, sites and each other’s company, you may have decided to extend your holiday onto a new location in Italy on your own, or to fly back home. Regardless, I will ask you if you need a taxi or private driver to take you to the airport or train station (an added cost but well worth the peace of mind to know your ride is professional and secured).

Check out from your lodging is always at 10:00am in Italy. Most flights back to the USA leave early or mid-morning anyway, so the 10:00am check out time is not so bad after all ;) We say out goodbyes in Italian which is ARRIVEDERCI (it means “until we see each other again) <3

SITES IN ROME

Some of the sites listed here should be visited with the help of an expert guide. You learn so much more about each place with a certified archaeologist or historian leading the way! Simply let me know which site you are interested in, so I may reserve the perfect tour for you (I can easily be reimbursed via Venmo).

Alice@DivoraDestinations.com | (503) 989-8968 (SMS or WhatsApp) | Or message here

 
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Ancient Rome

(Guided by an expert)

I recommend the tour of all three locations at once for an in-depth walk through the very beginning history or Rome. You are certainly welcome to split the locations into three separate tours, fo course, but they do go hand in hand historically, so touring them on the same day may be more interesting. There are daytime tours of all three, as well as night tours of the Colosseum:

  • Colosseum

  • Roman Forum

  • Palatine Hill

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Borghese Gallery

(Guided by an expert)

This is usually a 3 hour tour of the important works of art that I am sure you’ve seen in books at some point in your life. Works of art by Bernini, Caravaggio and Raphael to name a few. So incredibly beautiful and informative with a guide:

  • Borghese Gallery

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Vatican

(Guided by an expert)

There are various tours that take you into the Vatican. Some are early in the morning (to avoid the massive afternoon crowds), some include just about all important areas at once, while others are quick tours of just the essentials:

  • Vatican Museums

  • Sistine Chapel

  • St Peter’s Basilica (this is accessible for free and anytime as well, since it is a church, but a guide will show you secrets you may not notice otherwise)

  • Spiral staircase to the very top of the dome in the Chapel

  • St Peter’s tomb underground, underneath the altar in the Chapel

 
Catacombs of San Callisto, Rome

Catacombs

(Guided by an expert)

This is a bit macabre and not to everyone’s liking, but touring the underground catacombs (of which Rome is full of) might interest you as well. There are crypts that contain bones of ancient capuchin monks. There are daytime and night time tours as well:

  • Catacombs of San Callisto (Ancient Christian burial tunnels containing 3rd-century frescoes & the crypts of martyrs & popes)

  • Catacombs of Santa Priscilla (A 13km network of tombs & chapel dug into volcanic rock richly decorated with stucco & artwork)

  • Catacombs of Domitilla (Tours through 15km of catacombs with a sunken church & 2nd-century fresco of the Last Supper)

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Castel Sant’ Angelo

(Self-guided or by an expert)

This site is SO prominent and important to the Roman empire and the Catholic Church in Rome, yet it is one of the least visited. Consider touring this beauty at some point too, the tour usually is coupled with one or two of the ancient Roman bridges around the site:

  • Castel Sant’ Angelo (Hadrian’s Mausoleum) (Circular, 2nd-century castle housing furniture & paintings in Renaissance apartments)

Pompeii

Day Trips

(Self-guided or by an expert)

Day trips north or south or Rome are usually a full day experience since it involves a van or a train ride there and back. So incredibly worth it. The Florence day trip is via high-speed train:

  • Pompeii / Herculaneum

  • Amalfi / Positano / Sorrento

  • Florence (Uffizzi Gallery and more)

  • Orvieto (ancient hilltop town with delicious wine and an imposing Duomo)


Walking around Rome and visiting nearby sites


Many of the sites listed here are free and open to the public. These are piazze, churches, certain monuments and courtyards of palazzi that we will simply walk through when exploring the various Rioni (neighborhoods) or Rome.

Basic knowledge of the statues, the fountains, the buildings and the churches is something I am happy to provide to you, though I am not a formally licensed tour guide in Rome... I simply know my way around my city! :) These are places we will be walking through during out week in Roma (all or most of them, anyway).

Others in this list have a minimal entry fee that can be paid at the time of the visit. All are well worth considering, when you’re walking around Roma. So much to see in this gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage City!

Pantheon, Rome, DivoraDestinations, DivoraRoma
Capitoline Hill, Capitoline Museum, Rome, DivoraDestinations, DivoraRoma

FREE to visit:

• Pantheon (Iconic temple built circa 118 to 125 A.D. with a dome & Renaissance tombs, including Raphael’s) (Rome may charge €3 soon)• Piazza Della Minerva (Elephant sculpture and obelisk so loved by Romans)

• Trevi Fountain (Aqueduct-fed rococo fountain, designed by Nicola Salvi & completed in 1762, with sculpted figures)

• Piazza Navona (Elegant square dating from the 1st century A.D., with a classical fountain, street artists & bars)

• Largo Argentina (Archaeological site close to where Julius Caesar was killed, also home to a colony of cats)

• Circo Massimo (Green space & remains of a stone & marble arena that could seat 250,000 Romans for chariot races)• Giardino Degli Aranci (on the Aventine Hill)

• Piazza Di Spagna and the Spanish Steps

• Isola Tiberina

• Gianuculum Hill (This historic, well-known hilltop terrace offers panoramic views of Rome)• Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere (the oldest Church in Rome)

• Fontanone Dell’Acqua Paola

• Piazza Del Popolo

• Il Pincio

• The staircase of Ara Coeli and the Basilica or Ara Coeli at the top

• Campidolgio (Hilltop square designed by Michelangelo, lined with museums & offering views of the Roman forum)

• Via Appia Antica (3,400-acre park along 16km of the Roman road preserving important ancient Roman tombs & villas)

With an ENTRANCE FEE:

• Capitoline Hill Museums

• Baths of Caracalla (Ruins of a vast rectangular-shaped Roman thermal bath complex used from around 216 A.D. to 537 A.D)

• Aurelian Walls Museum (Well-preserved sections of the walls built 271–275AD under Roman emperors Aurelian & Probus)

• Bocca Della Verita’ (The Mouth Of Truth) (Carving of man's face on ancient manhole cover, a popular attraction due to the myth)• National Museum of the Etruscans (Villa Giulia)

• Villa Doria Pamphilj (the stunning format gardens are open to the public)

• Ara Pacis

• Villa D’Este (a short drive away)

• Villa Adriana (a short drive away)

 

Examples of our Lodgings:

Your homes away from home are beautiful. They are clean, stylish apartments and villas or hotels (depending on the tour location and current availability), all with private king bedrooms, private bathrooms, and whenever possible a beautiful terrace or balcony and stocked kitchen. The three examples below are three of my favorites: 2 in Rome and 1 in Naxos Island, Greece. Remember, your lodgings are included in any Divora package! :) Join us!

 
 

Via Giulia
Rome Apartment

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
humongous terrace facing west
gourmet kitchen
elevator (top floor)
Via Giulia in Rome


Spanish Steps
Rome Apartment

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
sweet balcony onto the walking street below
rustic kitchen
elevator (first floor)
Via Della Croce (Spanish Steps) in Rome


Naxos island
Greece Villa

multi family villa complex
at least 2 bedrooms in each villa
at least 1 bathroom in each villa
1 swimming pool for each villa
perfect for large groups in Naxos, Greece

 
 

JOIN US ON OUR ADVENTURES

Below are the upcoming culinary tours available, with many more being added regularly. Return to this page often for updates, or send us a message for a completely custom destination you would like us to fully create and curate for you and yours. See you in Italy!

2026:

JUNE 1 to 8:
Umbria “The Green Heart of Italy” (Summer in Umbria!)
8 days / 7 nights starting from $3,400 per person
Lodging, meals, culinary activities, transportation included

JUNE 10 to 18:
Complete Rome (Hidden Corners and Wine Country)
8 days / 7 nights starting from $2,600 per person
Meals, culinary activities, transportation included

JULY 1 to 9:
*Special* Island hop Three Islands (Ponza, Ischia, Procida)
9 days / 8 nights $4,600 per person
Lodging, meals, culinary activities, transportation included

JULY 15 to 23:
*Special* Snorkeling, Kayaking, SUP, Boating (Sperlonga & Gaeta, Lazio)
9 days / 8 nights starting from $3,800 per person
Lodging, meals, culinary activities, transportation included

SEPTEMBER 1 to 8:
Puglia “The Heel of The Boot”
8 days / 7 nights starting from $3,600 per person
Lodging, meals, culinary activities, transportation included

SEPTEMBER 20 to 18:
Palermo Sicily & Surroundings
8 days / 7 nights starting from $2,600 per person
Meals, culinary activities, transportation included

October 5 to 11:
*Special* Michelin Star Rome and surroundings
7 days / 6 nights starting from $3,400
Meals, culinary activities, transportation included

OCTOBER 15 to 22:
Umbria “The Green Heart of Italy” (Autumn in Umbria!)
8 days / 7 nights starting from $3,400 per person
Lodging, meals, culinary activities, transportation included

 
 
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ADVENTURE DETAILS

Some of the adventures in the calendar above are listed in detail below
Custom dates and locations are always available as well, of course

 

Glass Hostaria, Rome

* Michelin Star ROME + Surroundings *

MICHELIN STAR ROME

Special Culinary Tour of Michelin Starred Cuisine of Rome. With casual Roman meals as well, of course. This is a delicious comparison study of classic dishes I grew up eating with friends and family, and their artful interpretations by brilliant modern chefs.

INCLUDED:

  • You select your own lodgings in Rome (we will assist in selecting the perfect area of the city to make sure you are in a walkable, safe and easily accessible location)

  • Transportation in private car, train, taxi to and from FCO (airport) and during all of our Divora activities (we will visit nearby vineyards and sites during out adventure together; some of our dining experiences are just outside of Rome)

  • 8 dining experiences during our 7 days together:

    • 3 dinners and 3 lunches in the city and/or surroundings

    • 1 cooking class with lunch

    • 1 vineyard wine tasting with lunch

  • 1 archaeological/museum tour of your choice within Rome

  • Ample time for you to roam around freely for shopping, sightseeing and relaxing


Casale Delle Querce, Giove, Umbria

* Southern Umbria *

UMBRIA SMALL HILLTOP TOWNS

Special Culinary Tour of the peaceful and picture perfect hilltop villages in the region of Umbria. Umbria is considered the “Green Heart of Italy”. Filled with beautiful Etruscan and Medieval villages on top of hills with a delicious meat/truffle food culture. Wines are delicious too! Join us for our Umbria adventure and feel at home in your own 16th century stone farmhouse villa with pool (CasaleDelleQuerce.com)

INCLUDED:

  • Lodging for all nights in a beautiful private 1700s farmhouse with pool in lush greenery (3 private bedrooms with private on-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, olive grove, acres of land, large terraces for outdoor dining, fully equipment kitchen for cooking, and more!)

  • Transportation to and from our local train station called Attigliano/Bomarzo (we will assist you with this, of course) to our lodging, and during all our Divora activities while in Umbria

  • 9 dining experiences during our 7 days together:

    • 3 restaurant dinners and 3 restaurant lunches in the villages

    • 1 cooking class with lunch

    • 1 vineyard wine tasting with lunch

    • 1 in-villa chef’s dinner with professional sommelier wine pairing

  • Ample time for you to roam around freely for shopping, sightseeing and relaxing


Private cooking class in Palermo, Sicily

* Sicily *

SICILY

Special Culinary Tour of the sunny and otherworldly island of Sicily (specifically in the Palermo area). A complete experience of this beautiful island that is dear to my heart (and from which I have ancestors). Discover fishing villages, ancient Greek temples and delicious olive oil (not to mention its wine culture!). June is a wonderful tine to visit sunny and warm Sicily… join us!

INCLUDED:

  • Lodging for all nights in a beautiful apartment in the center of Palermo (or in a typical farmhouse outside of the city - depending on needs)

  • Option to not include lodging for you to choose your own place (with our guidance in locations of course)

  • Transportation from Palermo’s airport to your lodging in Palermo and during all our Divora activities

  • 9 dining experiences during our 7 days together:

    • 3 dinners and 4 lunches in the city

    • 1 walking tour of the famous open air markets and history of Palermo (with various tastings of foods for lunch)

    • 1 vineyard wine tasting or olive oil tasting with lunch

  • Ample time for you to roam around freely for shopping, sightseeing and relaxing


Capri

* 3 Italian Island Hopping *
(Ponza, Ischia, Procida)

ITALIAN ISLAND HOPPING

10 days in early summer, when the temperatures are high during the day and pleasant during the evenings, making our beach & island experiences absolutely perfect for basking in the bright sun, swimming in the clear waters, and enjoying local vino enveloped in the warm sunset light. Pack light and be ready to experience our beautiful Italian early July summer days and nights, in some of the most beautiful Mediterranean islands! Be prepared to ride on trains, ferries, sail boats, cars, but also to walk around in each island… the best way to explore and immerse into the culture. Islands will be mostly concentrated on a fish/crustacean/mollusk diet (it would be rather difficult to avoid it if allergic)

INCLUDED:

  • All transportation (from when you arrive in Rome on check-in, until we end in Naples on check-out

  • All but 3 lunches and all but 3 dinners (to give you time to explore on your own in each island)

  • All hotel/villa/apartment rentals for each of the 10 days / 9 nights on our adventure

  • All beach lounge chairs/boat rentals/guided excursions/cooking classes/wine tastings scheduled by Divora during our 10 days

  • Alice as your personal guide and travel companion, translator and deal maker, photographer and friend


Forte Dei Marmi, Tuscany

* Coastal Tuscany *

COASTAL TUSCANY

Special Culinary Tour of the luxurious and beautiful Coastal Tuscany ending with two nights in Florence. Forte Dei Marmi is near and dear yo my heart as it is a place for cruiser bike riding along the long coast, delicious Michelin dinners and fresh seafood in beautiful settings, high end shopping for those among us who love high fashion, as well as lots of history regarding Carrara Marble and it’s quarries (still active today after 600+ years of being in use). “Marmi” means marbles. W3 will end our coastal Tuscany adventure with two nights in Florence for a little taste off the Renaissance. Click on the Coastal Tuscany link above to see the details!

INCLUDED:

  • Elegant and private lodging in Forte dei Marmi (Tuscan Coast)

  • Elegant and private lodging in the center of Florence (the last 2 nights)

  • Transportation during our Divora activities

  • 8 dining experiences during our 7 days together:

    • 3 dinners and 2 lunches on the Tuscan Coast

    • 1 dinner and 1 lunch in Florence

    • 1 vineyard wine tasting with lunch

  • Ample time for you to roam around freely for high end shopping (Dolce, Armani, Fendi, etc!), sightseeing and relaxing


Roman Forum, Rome

* Rome *

COMPLETE ROME

Discover the true Rome, as I know it. I was born here, grew up here and have my entire family here to this day, ready to greet you and show you far beyond the tourist spots. You will experience the true Roman culture of dining out, cooking at home, and daily life with casual walks in the city center, afternoon gelato and aperitivi, and much more, including a wonderful day trip to the “castles” outside of Rome to enjoy local hand made wine and country scenery.

INCLUDED:

  • Lodging for all nights in a beautiful apartment for all of us together in the center of Rome

  • Option to not include lodging for you to choose your own place (with our guidance in locations of course)

  • Transportation from FCO (airport) to your lodging and during our Divora activities

  • 7 dining experiences during our 7 days together:

    • 3 restaurant dinners and 2 restaurant lunches

    • 1 cooking class with lunch

    • 1 vineyard wine tasting with lunch

  • 1 archaeological/museum tour of your choice within Rome

  • Ample time for you to roam around freely for shopping, sightseeing and relaxing


* Puglia *

PUGLIA

INCLUDED:

  • Lodging for all nights in a beautiful masseria (traditional farmhouse)

  • Transportation from Bari or Brindisi airport (we will direct you to the best airport to land in when we begin to plan our adventure) to your lodging and during all our Divora activities

  • 7 dining experiences during our 7 days together:

    • 3 restaurant dinners and 2 restaurant lunches

    • 1 cooking class with lunch

    • 1 vineyard wine tasting with lunch

    • 1 olive oil tasting

  • Sightseeing throughout our stay in private car

  • Ample time for you to roam around freely for shopping, sightseeing and relaxing


Bucharest, Romania

* Romania *
Dates & Details coming soon. Check back!

Majestic castles perched on high mountains, the meandering Danube river emptying in the Caspian Sea as it has for millennia, a modern culture filled with ancient traditions originating from their rich history of of empires coming and going. The language and the culinary traditions are a combination of Mediterranean, Baltic, Northern and Arabian, making their foods not only delicious, but unique as well. Join my guest host Alexandru (a native Romanian) and myself as we explore his beautiful and off the beaten path country.

INCLUDED:

  • Lodging for all nights ranging from private homes to quaint hotels along our way

  • Transportation from (OTP) Bucharest’s main airport to your lodging and during our Divora activities

  • 6 (restaurant) dinners and 6 lunches

  • 1 cooking class or cooking demonstration

  • 1 Danube river tour with local guide

  • 1 walking tour with local guide

  • Ample time for you to roam around freely for shopping, sightseeing and relaxing


Food & Wine pairing experience with our Sommelier

 

Are you looking for a simple 2-hour Wine Tasting and Food Pairing in Rome and/or surrounding countryside while you are in Italy on your own? We can certainly do this for you, too. Divora’s in-house Sommelier, Alex, is a full-time resident of Rome and is eager to show you how to pair specific foods to specific Italian wines. Wines you may recognize as well as small producer wines that are as delicious, albeit not internationally exported. Learn about our local wine culture and our delicious foods on this one-on-one educational and fun food & wine experience! Wine and foods and necessary transportation included, of course. Gratuity not included.

 

* Meet Alex in central Rome explore 1 local wine emporium and eatery for wine tasting and food pairing ($120 per person)
* Meet Alex in your rental apartment for a private wine and food pairing experience in the comfort of your own space ($190 per person)
* Meet Alex in central Rome and be whisked away in a private car to a nearby vineyard for wine tasting and food pairing ($270 per person)

 

Contact us for details!

Alice@DivoraDestinations.com
+1 503 989 8968
+39 333 7678 522