

4.7
Excellent# of trips
N/A
Type
Global operator
Service level
luxury
Travelers age
5 — 65
Trip prices
$0 — 0
Tour languages
English
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Play the gameSTORY Land & Sea (Ceased Operations) Reviews & Ratings
BAD
This company knew we weren't going to be able to take our trip to Italy in May of 2021, yet they led us on, took our money and refunded NOTHING !!! BAD CUSTOMER SE...
Unscrupulous
This company went bankrupt and we lost $20,000 we didn’t get one penny back. They didn’t even have the decency to contact you by phone. They just sent out an email. ...
Marie
Jul 2020
This was the trip of a lifetime
was taken care of. This was the trip of a lifetime and can't say enough about how wonderful this trip was. Tour directors, Jodie, Ryane and trainees Ann & Lisa ...
Dawn
Mar 2020
had the most amazing trip
We just returned from a 10 day trip to Italy on Story’s Treasured Cities tour and we had the most amazing trip. We were not part of one of the group tours as they ...
Jim
Mar 2020
Highly Recommended
Best.Vacation.Ever. We just returned from an amazing tour of Italy. Our Tour Captain handled all of the details behind the scenes, leaving us free to enjoy our cul...

Editoral Review of STORY Land & Sea (Ceased Operations)
Story Land & Sea® is a travel company known for true small group tours up to 16 guests, called adventurers. Story was founded by Mark Story in 1988 and after much success, expanded to a full operation in 2008.
It remains family-owned in Centennial, Colorado and prides itself on providing unique world-class experiences based on the family's values, which they reflect in their services.
What Makes Them Stand Out?
Story Land & Sea distinguishes itself by its main focus on small group tours. With no more than 16 people on each tour, Story Land & Sea establishes an individualized and memorable experience. The company also utilizes the multiplicity of activities in each location, providing a wide-range of things to do in each itinerary. This also encompasses their pricing options which vary from luxury to affordable.
Who Travels With Them?
As mentioned above, Story Land & Sea provides a well-rounded pricing range. Prices start at about $3,900 and can reach to about $15,000 depending on the desired tour. Individuals who choose Story Land & Sea average between 35-55 years of age. Story Land & Sea also provides discounts for groups of 8 members or more.
Where Do They Operate?
Story Land & Sea operates in Western Europe, Africa, Mexico, Australia and the Pacific. The company does offer specifically focused tours of Italy as an area of expertise.
Why Travel With Them?
Those who want to feel culturally immersed in their surrounding should travel with Story Land & Sea. The fact that each tour group does not extend past the count of 16 means that each individual is able to get a more personalized experience.
The “tour captains” are Americans who work hand-in-hand with the local expert native guides and this provides a pristine expertise of the subject matter while also a very comfortable experience for their mostly North American clientele. Story Land & Sea prides itself on putting the guest first and exceeding their expectations.
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More Details
Solo friendly
Activities
About the company
Our History
Mark Story, the founder of QueensLander, now Story Land & Sea®, began leading and hosting groups of people on tours and cruises starting in 1988. After many successful years of creating exciting group adventures as a part-time proprietor, Mark expanded the company to a full-time operation in 2003. When you travel with Story Land & Sea® your travel event is covered by our Tour Operator Professional Liability Insurance which includes a 1 million dollar "Errors & Omissions" policy. We require proof of liability coverage from our partner suppliers as an extra means of protection.
We choose to offer our guests only the finest in quality Italian hotels, and clean, comfortable economy hotels on certain itineraries. We offer select and a la carte dining in off-the-beaten-path restaurants owned and operated by Italian. We provide unique entertainment in the Italian cities and feature more admissions than other leading tour operators as well as gratuities on most of our Story branded travel events. We've found that our guests prefer our gratuities for our Tour Captains to remain optional and therefore they are at your discretion. Every trip is under the guidance of your travel host, the Story Land & Sea® Tour Captain. Your Captain is there to ensure your Italy tour is truly the vacation of a lifetime. They are friendly, service-driven professionals who care about your satisfaction throughout Italy!
By going the extra mile in providing outstanding service, knowledgeable guides, great menus and amenities, we believe you'll come back to us again and again.
Compare us with the larger companies and you'll see the Story Land & Sea® difference: personal service, genuine caring individuals who go the extra mile...we call it, "The Story Way."
I'd like to know more about your experiences in travel both with us and with other companies. Please drop me a line at Mark @ StoryLandSea . com (no spaces).
A Family of Brands
In addition to our luxury brand, Story Land & Sea®, we also operate Savvy Affordable Tours®, Walks by Story®, and premiering in 2017, Story Africa® and in 2018, Story Small Ships®.
Why should I go with Story Land & Sea® over other leading brand names?
Other than the size of our group, the variety in our itineraries, the location in the Italian cities and quality of our hotels, the type of Italian dinners we include and the service-driven nature of our tour Italian and American staff...hmm, what else is there? Oh yeah! You'll never be on a large bus, you'll never scamper after your tour director who is 40 plus people ahead of you, and you'll always be treated as our guest throughout your Italian vacation.
Our Philosophy is Service-Driven
We strive to provide a personal service unmatched in the Italy touring industry. From our pre-trip conversations and consultation, to on-tour experience in Italy, and to our follow-up after the tour: service-driven is our goal.
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