WINKITALY

Despite being Italians we decided to request a service for a custom tour in Sicily. We didn't know the region and the only thing we decided to do ourselves was booking the flights from JFK to Palermo Sicily. From there Winkitaly Staff (mainly Silvia) organized for us everything from the NCC / Black Cab for the full week to the accommodation @ Hotel Cetarium in Castellamare del Golfo. They did a flawless planning and organization, everything went smooth from late nite pick up at the airport to the perfect room in this boutique hotel really kids friendly. Feel free to reach out/comment here if you want more details about the Agency but - TLDR I would highly recommend to arrange travels with them.

Thank you Winkitaly for the amazing Florence experience. Every detail of the trip was done perfectly. Anna my tour guide took me around the city and we explored a bit of everything. Winkitaly is the prefect vacation if you are looking for something spectacular. Luxury travel at its best!!!

I don't normally use a travel agency, when I go abroad, but decided to use WINKITALY on a recent trip to the Dolomite mountains in Italy. I'M SO GLAD I DID!
Silvija and Gino are a dream to work with - and they accomodate even for the needs and wishes, I did not know I had. They designed a tour for me that was highly detailed - and managed to take my breath away at every twist and turn it had. I can't wait to go on new adventures with them!

Thank you Gino and the entire Winkitaly team for planning us such a wonderful trip through Florence and Rome! Every detail was covered from our hotel and train tickets between cities to even the meeting spots for our private tours that included Tuscan food and wine, The David and even The Vatican. This trip would not have been as magical and enjoyable without the help of Winkitaly!

Thank you Gino & staff for another wonderful Sicilian adventure. This was our 2nd trip that Gino organized for us (myself & my 2 sisters). We have diverse interests so putting together an itinerary that would please all three of us is a challenge. Our trip began with a wonderful stay at the Tenuta Regaleali wine estate/Tasca D'Almerita where we enjoyed wine tastings, cooking classes and the experience of living at a vineyard. Then on to touring some areas that we weren't able to see on our last trip. Our drivers and guides were so professional and knowledgeable. What a delight to tour Greek & Roman ruins with a guide who has a Phd in
Archeology! Every aspect of our trip was seamless. From restaurant recommendations and hotel bookings to wine tastings and discovering new cities everything was very well thought out. We are already thinking about where Gino should send us when we return to Sicily for our next adventure.

Thanks to Gino and WinkItaly, our Ponza trip was made all the more special with an all-day private boat tour of the breathtaking Ponza and Palmarola Islands. Aboard the Zannone 1954, a typical wooden Gozzo, our captain, Claudio had an energy and love for his native island that was contagious! Every detail of our itinerary was carefully curated and carried out perfectly. I can't wait to discover more of Italy with WinkItaly, and recommend everyone to do the same!

My spouse and I did the Truffle Experience, which was indeed an experience since we knew little about truffles or truffle hunting. We were picked up at (and later returned to) the place we were staying in a car that was large, comfortable and clean. Nadia, our driver, was prompt, professional and knowledgeable about the area we drove through. She handed us over to Marco, our guide, and Luca, the truffle hunter, with his trusty truffle-tracking dog, Willie. We left the luxury car and climbed into Luca’s workhorse Jeep, a must-have vehicle for the drive on the uneven and deeply rutted roads through vineyards on steep hillsides. The sights were breathtaking and certainly not explorable without someone like Luca and his Jeep.
We arrived at a terrace overlooking steep rolling hills covered with vineyards, a postcard-worthy vista. A table set with water and wine refreshed us before we began our trek through vineyards to the nearby forest where truffles were hiding.
When we arrived at the forest, Willie went to work. It was amazing and fun to watch him scurry around, nose to the ground, searching for treasure. As soon as he indicated a find, Luca would ferret out the truffle and Willie would get back to work.
Returning to the terrace after the hunt, we found wine and an array of truffle hors d’oeuvres waiting for us — truffles on a mild local cheese and mini toast squares topped with truffle butter and a truffle spread.
From there we headed to Luca’s home for dinner with his family. Among the delights served were an exquisite salad topped with truffles, a creamy pasta with truffles and an over-medium egg topped with truffles. All showcased tastefully and beautifully the black beauties. The dinner began with locally made salami and ended with dessert.
Things you may want to keep in mind when planning your truffle experience.
Our experience involved black truffles, not white truffles, which are more valuable but are in season only in the fall and only from this area (Alba area). We are fairly sophisticated diners, but whether black or white made no difference to us. Someone more knowledgeable about truffles may want to know which are involved and plan accordingly.
We are senior citizens and one of us can’t do strenuous walking. We made that known to Winkitaly and our limits were appropriately — and thankfully — taken into consideration when planning our itinerary to ensure maximum enjoyment for us.
We enjoyed this Truffle Experience very much and recommend it to anyone interested in food, local sources and related traditions.