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The tour and the guide were really spectacular. His knowledge of Florence, Tuscany, art was amazing. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour and Paul as the guide. Bravo!!

Donna Sacks
Original Florence Walk
October 31, 2009

The tour was wonderful & Paul was amazing! He was informative, warm & interesting. His knowledge of both facts and anecdotes ensured the tour was never dry or boring. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour!

Allison Sacks
Original Florence Walk
October 31, 2009

Sarah was our guide and she was wonderful. In addition to pointing out the highlights of the city and providing historical facts,  she painted a picture of the city for us by providing  insight and color through stories and anecdotes. The result was not simply a dry recitation  of facts but a vivid and lively portrayal of the city that was very  entertaining. She was an excellent source of information and could answer all of our questions. I would heartily recommend Sarah and this tour to others.

Michael & Elizabeth Stein
Original Florence Walk
October 23, 2009


Elizabeth was awesome! She was very knowledgeable, informative and friendly. This tour was one of the best parts of our Italy trip!

Anne Jones/Lisa/Melissa/Kim/Amy
Original Florence Walk
October 17, 2009

Splendid tour. Kept a 15 year old boy interested and a lesson in Art History appreciation. Exactly what we wanted!

Flora & Alec Deverall
Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery Tour
October 14, 2009

Made Florence more endearing by learning so many interesting facts and different periods explained + pointed out in the city's architecture. Uffizi tour was made so much better by the tours' picking highlights to focus on. The DAVID (sculpture) was incredible & all of the information shared about Michelangelo made it so much better. Guides were well understood and very personable. We'll leave Florence with a much better impression because of these tours. We loved our "Best of Tuscany" and Douglas made it that much better. We will recommend these tours to others!

Robert & Cathy Fowler
September 22 - 23, 2009
Florence In One Day Package & The Best of Tuscany Tour

Outstanding tour!
Elisabeth was articulate, interesting and injected personality and humour. She gave a unified "story" that really helped provide the bigger picture, not just details about each piece. This was the high point of our Firenze visit.

Rick Schwartz
September 8, 2009
Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery Tour

Both guides were brilliant.
These were fantastic short tours that provided a great introduction to the history of Florence. The length was perfect- much better than doing a full day tour that is just padded out with irrelevant activities/information. The information provided was fascinating and relevant- would not change a thing. The two guides were definately outstanding- knowledgeable, friendly and approachable.

 

Heather was an excellent guide!  She was enthusiastic, kept our tour at a good walking pace, and had good insight into the history of Firenze.  She kept our attention with general art and architecture history, while injecting fun anecdotes.   We appreciated her restaurant suggestions also.I would highly recommend them to anyone and would actually do each of them again; there was so much information I couldn't absorb it all in one sitting.  I would take it over the two days and then be able to stay at the Uffizi Gallery longer.

Debbie Archibald
Florence In One Glorious Day Package
July 15, 2009

First let me say that we absolutely loved all of our 7 other tours that we took with you
in Venice, Florence and Rome. The guides were all informative, animated, entertaining, knowledgeable and professional. I can highly recommend them to others. I was worried about bringing my 12 year old son for such a grown-up set of walks and lectures, but he really enjoyed it, asked questions and learned so much. In particular, we enjoyed most Ms. Romeo in Venice and Christine at the Uffizi Gallery. Thanks!

Wendy Sawasaki
Florence In One Glorious day, Venice In One Glorious day & Rome In One Glorious Day
July 15, 2009 

I traveled with my husband and daughter age 16 and son age 21. 
We all did the Florence in One Glorious Day tour and it was fabulous.  We had two different guides.   The second was especially beyond our expectations.  She really helped us to appreciate the art that we encountered.  I am sure that I would have looked at the statue of David, for example, and moved on.  With her careful eye she helped me to see the work in such a way that it truly moved me.  She performed the same magic in the Uffizi Gallery.  My whole family speculated that she must be a scholar sho keeps her hand in the field beyond just doing these guided tours. 

Patti Zucca
Florence In One Glorious Day Package
July 2009

Wonderful! Compared to visiting Florence 2 years earlier and feeling like I had missed something (by trying to see Florence on my own…), these tours were the highlight of our time in Florence this year!

Bill Reynolds
Florence In One Glorious Day
July 19, 2009

Outstanding experience! Tanya was an excellent guide to introduce us to the architecture and history of Florence and the Renaissance. Her knowledge and presentation style were engaging and informative and all members of my family (my husband, my 10 year old son and I) found the tour one of our trip's highlights!

We were left wanting to read books about the Medici family and spend far more time in Florence than our time allowed! Christine did a fantastic tour of the highlights of the Uffizi! She was extremely knowledgable and her sense of humour and ability to make so many connections between the art and the history of the time was fantastic! I had been to the Uffizi previously (unguided) and know realize how essential a good guide is to a collection of that importance.

My son, who is just acquiring a taste for art and the subtle (and not so subtle) elements in a painting, loved the tour (as did my husband and I!) and it ranks amongst the top of his tour experiences during our two week stay in Italy.

Our time with Elizabeth at the Accademia was also very informative. She pointed out a number of interesting things about Michelangelo's sculpting style and we felt it was of great benefit to have the background when trying to appreciate his work. Our greatest regret on our trip wass that we had not booked more tours through Artviva (particularly in Venice!!). It is a great incentive to return to Italy and make better use of the excellent tours you offer!!

Megan McColm
Florence In One Glorious Day
July 2009


Wonderful tours, all 3 of them.
Enjoyed the depth of knowledge of the guides and their passion for their work.  Would love to take another tour with either one of them anytime!!  Bravo!

Laura Jackson-Jahnke and James Jahnke
Florence In One Glorious Day

The Florence walking tour started great.
The woman who was doing the tour was very friendly and gave some great little tidbits along the way.  She pointed out nice shops and the rooftop restaurant she recommended for lunch had fantastic views of Florence.  Unfortunately I got separated from the group when we took a break and missed the last half of the tour.  I walked back to the office and was given the opportunity to take the tour again the next day but I had other plans for the next day.  I enjoyed the tour and all my best to the guide.  She was pregnant at the time.  Hope all goes well with her and her baby. 

The David tour was interesting.  I’m glad it started at your tour offices because we were able to hear interesting stories and see things along the way.  The tour guide was informative and friendly.

I just loved the Uffizi walking tour.  It was by far the best one.  I don’t recall the woman’s name but she was fantastic.  Her enthusiasm was contagious.  You could tell she enjoyed what she was doing.  I believe her background was art history.  She had the whole group laughing at times.  I have been to many museums and have taken many different tours but this was different.    She brought the art work to life.  Fantastic!!! 

Thank you

Carol Barno, 2009
Florence In One Glorious Day Package
June 16 & June 17

Our tour guide was great! She was very knowledgeable and witty. This tour was informative and not boring at all!! Thanks for a fabulous tour! I will use your company again in our futures travels. 

Josette Madlambayan
Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery Tour
June 2009

Wish we had more time but covered a lot of territory with your tours. 
I knew we needed the structure of a guide to see as much as possible in a short time.

Robert Green and Jaqui Reilly, 2009
June 12, 2009


We really lucked into your company. All the Florence and Venice tours were exceptional. Artviva provided knowledgeable and personable guides who made the tours a very pleasant experience. I felt like we got a lot extra out of our visits to Florence and Venice due to our Artviva guides. I wholeheartedly recommend Artviva tours.

RCWTexas,Jun 13, 2009

 
We heard about you via the internet.
We did the half day walking tour ending with the Academia and David.   Lizbeth was our guide.  The date was sometime around June 6. 
Lizbeth was wonderful and we all enjoyed our tour very much.  We learned so much about the history of Firenze and it’s people.  The information and the way it was presented at our viewing of David was perfect.  We loved our visit to Italy and Firenze, and hope to visit again some day.

The Dyl Family
June 2009


I liked the tour, and the guide was very good.

Grace Kessenich

Excellent tours with knowledgeable enthusiastic guides!

Rachel Brown, 2009, 7th June


Wonderful and informative. We only had a short time in Florence.  Had we not booked these tours, we would have missed so much.  Your guides are very knowledgeable and interesting.  Would definitely recommend you to a friend. 

Carmel Rickenbach, May 8, 2009


All 3 of our guides for the Florence in One Day tours were excellent.
They were very knowledgeable and did a good job explaining as we went.  We thought the people in the office were very cordial and helpful as well.  We would recommend these tours to anyone. 

Howard and Linda Feldmesser

 
Just wanted to say thanks for your fast, friendly and efficient service...
I realized completely that it would be a shot in the dark to get a Florence tour on such late notice. When Sylvia told me that the tourists have dropped in number by about 40 % I thought WOW, how difficult your jobs must be from April to November!! I am sure I have no idea as to the stress involved in dealing with hundreds of people that want the perfect tour but don't always present the best circumstances (like us!)
 
Anyway, thanks. Sylvia was great. Obviously knowledgeable, friendly, professional. You are lucky to have her. I will try to convince my parents to use your company (and Sylvia, if she's back to work) next spring. I know they would love the tour.
 
Take care and I hope to see you again next June! And I'll call ahead!!
 
PS-I should have told you my mobile was a Kuwait number. SORRY.

Tanya Sweeney

I can't remember the name of our tour guide for the Uffizi.
It was an unusual name she said was of Hungarian descent.  All 3 of our guides were excellent.  They were very knowledgeable and did a good job explaining as we went.  We thought the people in the office were very cordial and helpful as well.  We would recommend your tours to anyone.  Thank you. 

Linda Feldmesser, May  15, 2009



My cousin who lived in florence had heard of your tours.
I actually did not find you tours on line  - even tho i was looking  - until after i  was given your name. our tour guide was heather for both the 3 hr walking tour on mon may ii and the Uffizi on tue may 12. Her energy and presenation were wonderful . She was very knowledgable and we loved being with her.  The size of the groups were not too big. Everything was excellent! thank you and say hi to Heather for us.

Margie and Eduard Hurwitz
        
Both girls were fantastic – knowledgeable and entertaining.
Christine’s narrative through the Galleries was particularly informative and colourful.
Well done!

David, Penne & Charles Pruden, 11th/12th May, 2009 

Your staff/and guides were amazing, professional, very knowledgeable, entertaining.
I can't say enough about how please we were. Thank you

Carol, May 20, May 21, May 22, 2009


 
I am
Margaret Muncie and my daughter, Caroline Bolle found Artviva.com though an internet search seek a small intimate group tour that "skipped the entry line to the Uffizi."

We thought that the reviews of Frommers and the History Channel were good recommendations.

We toured the Uffizi in Florence/Firenze on Sunday, May 17 at 1:30 PM.
The guide for our small group of 9 was Sylvia.

The experience was excellent as the biggest plus was being a small group and NOT having to wear earphones. We could hear Sylvia and interact with her on a personal and informative basis. Sylvia was interesting and well informed. My daughter has a minor in art history and when asked if she was learning - she responded YES!

The pace of the tour was excellent. I have some small difficulty climbing stairs so when it was appropriate Sylvia showed me where the elevator was as not to slow down the group. Very considerate. The only problem was that it is difficult to find your clean and well staffed offices. Otherwise all was excellent and I have shared my feeling with others here in South Carolina.

We arrived home safe, sound and happy after a wonderful near 2 weeks in Italy.

Thanks

Peggy Muncie


I had already sent an email saying what a terrific tour it was
(we did the evening walking tour with tasting) and how terrific Stefan was. He made us feel like we had made a friend in Florence. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and learned a lot. It was one of the best parts of a really wonderful trip.

I heard about your company on Trip Advisor. Sorry, I don't remember the exact date.

Jil Picariello
Original evening Walk


She did a fabulous job and was extremely knowledgeable of the history of Florence.  We thoroughly enjoyed her and all the sights she took us to...would definitely  recommend her and your company for tours. Thanks for a great tour!

Mr. & Mrs. William  Bynarowicz
May 18, 2009



These tours helped us not only to enjoy Florence,
but to get educated as well!  We would highly recommend this organization to anyone who will be visiting Italy.    Our guide made the visit to the Uffizi outstanding with her knowledge and helped us to appreciate the art in a way we couldn't have on our own.  Visiting the Castle with our Chianti Castle Wine Tour guide was like going with a friend

Mary Porcelli 


We enjoyed the tour very much.
It was informative and just the right length of time.  Sarah was very personable.
We would highly recommend the tour!

Ed and Mary Kelly
May 15, 2009


She did a wonderful job.
There were (4) in my party, everyone had only the highest praise for the tour.
Her information was fascinating and relevant and her delivery style was engaging.  We loved every minute.   Thank you

Mrs. Winter-Behn
May 8, 2009



Buona Sera, Our walking tour on May 1, 2009 with Elizabeth was fantastic.  Her knowledge of history, art, architecture and literature gave us so much good information.  We enjoyed the entire time with her and her sense of humor helped with the Labor Day crowds and musical bands as they passed around us in Piazza della Republicca.

Dale Leach
May 1, 2009


Heather was an excellent guide and was very knowledgeable.
We asked many questions ... the answers were very informative and interesting.  Heather knows  Florence history extremely well, she was very patient, personable, and professional.  Heather seemed to be passionate about her work and it showed in her enthusiasm. I would not hesitate to recommend Artviva and HEATHER in particular.  When we return to Florence we will definitely be calling Artviva for additional tours (we hope Heather will be available).
We don't want to overlook Paula either: She was also very knowledgeable and informative.   

Glenn/Maureen Marfell
May 7, 2009


The walking tours were a terrific way to acclimate myself to the city and to learn fun facts about Florence and the Medici I had never known before. The guides were good, had great stories to share. My favorite was the Night tour of OtraArno with the wine, olive oil tasting at the end. I recommended the tour to several people who arrived after I did. 

Marlene Nice
May 1, 2009


Thank you!I also wanted to write one more time about how wonderful the tours were!  All four of our guides were amazing with our students.

Thank you!
Nicole Cerone
The American Intl School of Salzburg


We did the Original Florence Walk, Uffizi Gallery and Evening Walk tours on one day, Wednesday, April 22ndWe used several tour companies on our trip and all three of these guides were the best.  It was obvious that they loved what they did.  They made everything come to life.  Without their insights we would have missed a lot.  We appreciated their knowledge and enthusiasm for their work.  Beyond the info they share on their respective tours, the restaurants and shops they referred us to were all wonderful and accommodating.

David Steitz


All tours were spectular. We would not have known much about what we were seeing if we had not experienced these tours.  Such knowledge about their subjects, art, history, theology, philosophy and sooo passionate!  It was so exciting !  I am especially happy to have seen tour guides who speak perfect English - made it so much easier.  Thank you so much ArtViva!  
 
Lisa Longoria
May 11, 2009


Our daughter, Tracy Palermini, made our tour reservations for us. Her family had taken tours offered by your company a few years ago. My husband and I took your original Florence Walk and Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery on April 26. The guides for both were excellent and and we enjoyed both tours very much. We wish that we'd had time to participate in other tours that you offered. We would recommend your company to others.
 
Karen Olsen

 
I and my spouse had taken three of your tours in and from Florence earlier this month. Both of us enjoyed it a lot. Specifically we liked the "The Best of Tuscany Tour" an the "Florence in a day or two Tour". A special mention of the tour guides Stephan who accompanied us to San Giminano and Siena and Paul who was our guide for the walking tour and the uffizi. Stephan made the trip very lively and Paul was very informative. We are sure on our next trip to Italy we shall be needing your assistance again.
 
Gayatri


As was anticipated, it was excellent.
My husband and I had done it before (which is why we booked with you again) but the other 4 people traveling with us were new and they really enjoyed it, too. Heather was excellent...professional yet personable; qualities that are difficult to have in most people doing this kind of work.  GOOD JOB!  We will definitely be recommending ArtViva for anyone who asks for suggestions.  Grazie mille!

Elfriede Schmidt
April 19, 2009