Context/Rome is hard to beat.

Food tour with Walks of Italy in Rome! It was the highlight of our vacation last summer. Links and report here: http://rovingrichards.com/travel/italy-2014/food-tour/

Context vs Walks of Italy? GO!

I concur with the Walks of Italy Rome food tour was great-a really fun experience if you enjoy food. The cheese shop alone was worth the tour :)

If you are looking for a great day trip into the hill towns, we spent an amazing day on a Tuscany Car Tour. We left early in the morning from Florence, and saw Sienna, San Gimignano, Monterrigione, and ended the day with a fantastic Chianti winery tour/tasting. It is a bit pricey, but was well worth it to get a taste of the region. We would do it again in a heartbeat.

As for the 5T towns, we were there this past summer and enjoyed Manarola and Monterosso much more than Riomaggiore (personal preference I guess). We based in Portovenere, which was much more like a small town (with a great swimming hole!).

Enjoy your trip-sounds amazing!

Re. Rome, in addition to all the obvious places, consider the Villa Borghese. The Bernini sculptures are breathtaking, and the surrounding grounds/park are beautiful.

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