1. Small group travel - the maximum number of participants is 14 - gives you a highly personalized and unforgettable experience that you won't find on a large group tour with 40-50 participants.
  2. Unique itineraries, all personally designed and experienced by us. Our itineraries are a wonderful blend of the major sites and delightful places that we've discovered off the beaten path where you'll find fewer tourists.
  3. All included - no optional hidden cost excursions.
  4. Best value – our lower prices and high quality make us a great choice for small group tour travel. All of our departures are guaranteed so you can book with assurance.
  5. The best historic hotels, most are 4 star or 5 star, many housed in structures dating from the 13th to 19th centuries, located inside historic districts to maximize your free time on tour.
  6. The best small restaurants with carefully chosen menus and great wines - all included, as much as you like.
  7. Exceptional native tour managers and local guides – experienced, informative, attentive and fun!  Seeing Italy, Spain and Portugal with Italian, Spanish and Portuguese tour leaders is essential to an authentic experience!
  8. Leisurely pace – your average day on tour begins at 8:30 or 9 am and there is ample free time for your own explorations daily.
  9. Minimal coach time – we want you to experience your destinations on foot, not from the highway. On average we spend two hours a day or less traveling, along scenic roads wherever possible. Our coaches are all very comfortable 20 to 28 seat air-conditioned Mercedes.
  10. International groups – most of our tour participants come from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England and Ireland which makes for a very entertaining mix! Read what they say about us on our Comments page.
Amber Road Tours About Us

Amber Road Tours is an award winning U.S. tour agency with 20 years experience providing the best small group tours in southern Europe. Our intimate knowledge of the areas we travel is an advantage that our tour guests have enjoyed since 2003. All of our itineraries are personally designed by us, based on our experience of living and working in countries that offer an extraordinary wealth of history, culture, art, architecture and natural beauty, not to mention incredible food and wines.

Amber Road Tours was founded by Jonathan Bassett, who emigrated to Italy in 1995, and Sonya Conti, an Italian from a small town near Lake Como. They have administrative offices in Spoleto, Umbria while  customer service and operations are managed from Florence, Italy.  Amber Road Tours, Inc is registered in the state of Florida.

J&S 2014

In 2021 we teamed up with Luca Renzini of Best Private Tours to assist with operations from his office in Firenze. Luca has been a tour manager for Amber Road Tours since 2005 and has run his own agency since 10 years. He has a master’s degree in languages (French, Spanish, English) from the Università di Firenze. Originally from Umbria, Luca has lived the past 25 years in Florence, Madrid and Cádiz, Spain.

Luca-renzini-2022