Heart of Italy Photo Tour

October 3-14, 2022, USD $6,925

In collaboration with Wayne Hoover Photo Tours

Join us on this photo tour to discover the true heart of Italy, the fabulous locations that inspired the Renaissance painters, a landscape of soft, verdant hills crowned by ancient walls and towers.

These are the places where the Italian civilization reached its highest peaks, where Giotto, Leonardo and Michelangelo were born, where Saint Francis preached, where Italian as a language developed. This is the heart of Italy, both geographically and culturally.

To complement all of this, we'll start in Rome and end with a few relaxing days by the seaside, along the famed Amalfi Coast and on the island of Capri.

This tour is organized in collaboration with Wayne Hoover Photo Tours, a leader in the photo tour industry. Thanks to their experience in running photo tours, they know how to make things run smoothly and comfortably for everyone. I will be the guest pro on this tour, putting my knowledge of the places and my skills as a photographer and as an educator at your service during the whole time.

This tour is open to photographers of any skill level and carrying any time of equipment, from smartphones to full-fledged DSLR systems. My aim, during the entirety of the tour, will be to create the best conditions for you to get the images of Italy that you've been dreaming of. I love my country and all it has to offer, have been photographing it for decades and learned what it takes to make it really shine. Now it's your turn to capture your everlasting memories of Italy.

I am also passionate about the culture and history of Italy. Ask me about it and you might discover some historical facts that few people know about.

Find all the details and get your booking in at Wayne Hoover Photo Tours Heart of Italy tour page.

What Sets Us Apart

Many tours of Italy aim for breadth and are designed for those who are visiting Italy for the first time and don't want to miss the most famous locations, like Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Amalfi, Naples. There is nothing wrong with that and, in fact, I lead similar tours on other occasions. The Heart of Italy tour instead aims for depth. 

Those who have already been to Italy and seen the usual places will appreciate discovering locations a bit more off the beaten path, during a season when the tourist crowds are much thinner, cities are quieter, and the light is softer. Even if we briefly touch Rome and don't include Florence, you will be surprised by how much beauty lies in those "minor" centers.

For those who are visiting Italy for the first time and would like to include, for example, more days in Rome, we can offer an optional extension, depending on the number of people interested. Get in touch with us and we'll discuss the possible options.

Who Is This For?

This tour is recommended for every kind of photographer. Beginners and advanced amateurs will have lots of opportunities to learn new techniques, while even seasoned professional photographers will be able to take advantage of my knowledge of the country.

If you'd like to be taken care of by a team skilled professionals throughout your journey and pampered so that you don't have to worry about lodging and transportation hassles, then this tour is for you.

Even if you are not a photographer, but can appreciate beauty, you are welcome to join us on this tour and snap away happily with a smartphone or not. At the end of the tour, all the guests will receive a 100-page coffee-table book with the best photos taken during the trip.

Itinerary

Most of the locations we will visit during this tour are contained within a relatively compact region, with the exception of the Amalfi coast. This will allow us to avoid excessively long transfers and to explore in depth areas that have an incredible wealth of disparate locations inside a peaceful countryside, dotted with farms, villages perched atop hills, and fascinating medieval cities, rich in culture and history.

Days 1 and 2: Rome

Our tour starts in Rome. Upon your arrival, you will be greeted at our hotel in the center of the Eternal City. If you land in the morning, there will be time to do a little stroll in the neighborhood and start some sightseeing. In the evening, after all the guests have arrived, we will have a welcome dinner in a typical Roman restaurant, savouring the local delicacies.

The second day will be dedicated to a tour of the best Rome has to offer. Get on your most comfortable walking shoes and dress in layers. October in Rome can be the sweetest time of the year, with warm but not too hot days and cool mornings and evenings.

If the weather is promising, we will start with a sunrise shoot from a location overlooking the Ancient Forum and end the day with a sunset and blue-hour shoot near the Vatican.

On the morning of the third day, we leave Rome, bound for our next stop.

Days 3-6: Tuscia, Southern Tuscany, and Umbria

We'll make our base for the next three days in a lovely resort nestled amongst the cypress-dotted hills of southern Tuscany, in the vicinity of Siena. From here we'll take daily excursions on a private van to explore an area that few tours of Italy include in their itineraries, but that can be so incredibly quaint and beautiful.

The Val d'Orcia

Row after row of cypress trees ornate the roads and the hilltops of this region, for the most part characterized by a minimalist landscape that lends itself very well to creating stunning graphical compositions. The main towns in this area are San Quirico, Pienza, designed in the Renaissance as the model of the ideal city, and Montalcino, home to the best Italian red wines.  

Of course, we will have the opportunity to visit Siena, with the amazingly well-preserved Piazza del Campo, home to the famous Palio, and its huge gothic cathedral.

The Tuscia

This less well-know area lies just south of the border of Tuscany, in the direction of Rome. It is characterized by striking tufa hills, atop which rise ancient hamlets, like Civita di Bagnoregio and Pitigliano.

Umbria

Umbria is a small region deeply steeped in Italy's historical and religious roots. Assisi is of course world-renowned because of St. Francis and because of Giotto's frescoes in its Basilica, certainly one of the most impressive examples of medieval art in the whole world. But Umbria has so much more to offer, starting with Italy's greenest landscapes and some very well-preserved medieval towns, including Perugia, Todi, Spoleto, and Orvieto.

Days 7-9: The Chianti

The Chianti occupies the area between Florence and Siena that was made famous by its prestigious wines, the historical towns and the elegant villas. Among the locations we will visit, we can mention San Gimignano, with its forest of stone towers, Colle Val d'Elsa, Montiriggioni, still enclosed within its pristine medieval walls, Volterra, Certaldo, and more.

We'll base ourselves again in a resort in the countryside, close to all the locations we intend to photograph.

Days 10-11: Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and Capri

On the evening of the 9th day we'll take a high-speed train from Florence to Naples and then a connection to Sorrento, our base for the remainder of the tour.

From there we'll take a tour of the Amalfi Coast on a private van, touching the eponymous city, together with Ravello, Atrani, Furore, and Positano. On the second day we'll take a fast boat from the port of Sorrento that in about 20 minutes will take us to the striking island of Capri. As this is not high-season anymore, we'll have ample opportunities to photograph its beauty without the huge crowds.

Day 12: Return to Rome

On the last day of our tour, after breakfast, we'll take the fast train again, bound to Rome, where you will be able to catch a flight back home or to extend your stay in Italy, if you wish.

The Tour at a Glance

• The tour will be 12 days (11 nights) long, starting in Rome on October 3 and ending again in Rome on October 14.
• The tour price is USD $6,925 per person based on double occupancy. A single room premium of $500 (if available as single rooms are limited)
• Breakfast is included everyday as is a welcome dinner in Rome and a farewell dinner in Sorrento.
• Transportation with a private van and a professional driver is included.
• You will be accompanied by two professional photographers for the whole duration of the tour.

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