Italy Luxury Short Cruise Tours & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"Guides went out of their way to be helpful, fun and engaging. The itinerary included numerous fascinating cultural exchanges and experiences. Accommodations were lovely with lots of character and charm. Meals were delicious, too. Cuba faces many challenges but we returned home with great appreciation and respect for the courageous Cuban people and their rich culture."

What travelers are saying

"We were very happy with the trip and how we worked together with you to plan everything. All of the places we went were amazing. Rome had amazing ancient history, art, and architecture as did Pompeii, and Florence had amazing Renaissance history, art, and architecture, while Milan had a little of both but also with the feel of a modern city. The Amalfi Coast and Lake Como were beautiful. We loved Positano (where we stayed) and Ravello best of the places of the places we visited in The Amalfi Coast because they had the most charm and beauty and the least people. In Lake Como, we stayed in Bellagio, but everyplace we visited in Lake Como was beautiful and charming. However, Bellagio, drinking wine and watching the sunset in Varenna, and the boat tour of the lake stood out as our favorite activities. The food was also amazing everywhere, from local places to fine dining the food was fantastic and memorable. We loved Italy. It’s beautiful, and we’ll definitely come back. All of the travel arrangements were excellent and everything was easy. The drivers were friendly and spoke good to excellent English as well as Italian. And having the extra phone was a nice convenience. We didn’t have any stress or difficulties during the trip about the details as they were all taken care of with excellent results. Our favorite drivers: Naples to Positano and back (and Pompeii) Salvatore was excellent. Driving with him was like being with a friend or family member. He was very concerned with our comfort and always suggested places to stop for pictures or a view and had great knowledge of the Naples and The Amalfi Coast. He was also a gentle driver and never made us uncomfortable. Florence Day Trip – I apologize but his name escapes me (maybe Giorgio?), but he was excellent for all the same reasons we liked Salvatore. He even took us to his favorite Gelato shop near his home town and it was so much better than most of what we tried, and since he grew up there he had lots of really interesting local history Milan to Bellagio – I apologize I also forgot this gentleman’s name, but he was a good driver especially around all the curves to and from Bellagio. Not as talkative as the other two, but very friendly and a gentle driver Our favorite guides: Vatican / Franchesca – Interesting personality and very different that the usual guide experience, but we enjoyed her character. She did what we were interested in doing and never let anyone forget that we (and she) were VIP! Pompeii – I apologize I forget her name, but she was very nice and attentive and very interested in what we wanted to know and see and learn more about. It felt tailored to us and what we wanted, which is why you hire a private guide! All of the other guides and drivers were good but the ones above were the best and most memorable. Thanks again for the great trip! We would definitely recommend you to friends, and in fact we already did recommend our friends Derrick and Lorena to you."

What travelers are saying

"No travel with then completely desaster First and last Hotel accommodations really cheap, they mix you with 40 people in the same bus"

What travelers are saying

"No travel with then completely desaster First and last Hotel accommodations really cheap, they mix you with 40 people in the same bus"

What travelers are saying

"Just returned from India & Shimla solo travellers trip. A fantastic time was had by all, we did so much in 2 weeks. Thank you to Riviera for your great organisation and always there to help if needed. Special thanks to Matt our tour guide for all the laughs, information on the places we were seeing, keeping us all in check (if he could ha ha) and his great organisation and compasion if needed. I would greatly recommend Rivera Travel and cannot wait for my next trip with them in September to the Kerala Backwaters. Keep up the good work all."

What travelers are saying

"No travel with then completely desaster First and last Hotel accommodations really cheap, they mix you with 40 people in the same bus"

What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

What travelers are saying

"No travel with then completely desaster First and last Hotel accommodations really cheap, they mix you with 40 people in the same bus"