We specialize in small private groups that want to explore Italy with the experts. We take pride in showing where we are from and in taking our guests to charming and authentic places.
We are experts in the destinations where we run tours and we have several decades of experience in all facets of the adventure travel industry.
Tourissimo is a deeply authentic Italian-American travel company whose mission is to provide active travelers a unique way to experience the natural and cultural wonders of the magnificent country, which is Italy. With its highly focused niche approach, Tourissimo aims to become the number one active travel company in Italy for custom and private tours by designing, creating and implementing exclusive programs for individuals and small groups, intimately presenting each region with a strong focus on “insider access” and special personal connections to maximize sense of place. Understanding that most travelers today want to be fully engaged and seek memorable and meaningful experiences, all Tourissimo journeys include breathtaking scenery and activities, gourmet food and wine and a range of accommodations that together create an unforgettable taste of Italy.
Tourissimo was founded in 2015 by the Italian-American, husband-wife team of Beppe Salerno and Heather Dowd. Beppe was the former general manager at one of the industry’s leading companies and since 2000 has carried out (both as a manager and as a guide) hundreds of tours throughout Italy and amassed outstanding experience and knowledge in the field of active adventure vacations in some of the most inspiring destinations throughout Italy. Heather has worked in the adventure travel industry doing sales, marketing and customer service for over a decade. She has lived, worked and studied in Europe and has Italian roots (her maternal grandparents were from Calabria). She is also a certified yoga instructor. Beppe and Heather share a passion for travel and adventure, and they bring this passion to their work at Tourissimo. They split their time between Italy during tour season and the USA when they are not running tours.
Tourissimo began with a handful of destinations including Piedmont, Puglia, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and Cinque Terre; new destinations are added each year and each itinerary is a carefully balanced mix of physical activities, cultural immersion and authentic learning experiences.
The Tourissimo Experience
Tourissimo provides turnkey, fully supported programs primarily serving small (8-14pp) private groups both directly and through outbound tour operators, travel agents, and private organizations, such as cycling clubs and affinity groups. All tours are designed to provide extraordinary educational hiking and bicycling in geographical areas where Tourissimo has outstanding expertise. These carefully crafted programs are active immersions into local culture and delicious cuisine for energetic, highly curious, young-at-heart travelers of all abilities who love the outdoors.
Tourissimo’s Magnifica Tours are ready-to-book programs of six or seven nights offering three activity levels: recreational, active and athletic. The cycling tours allow riders to choose a performance road bike, hybrid bike or even an e-wheel (electric-assist wheel that can be put on their hybrid bikes). Custom tours are also available, whereby Tourissimo specifically designs programs in any Italian destination based on the individual or group’s specific interests and preferences. Custom tours may include things like kayaking, learning to make ceramics from local artisans, making handmade pasta from scratch or literary city tours in the footsteps of Dante, just to name a few.
Tourissimo’s Chef Tours are special edition tours that showcase the best food and wine that a region has to offer. Chefs from the USA join guests and help them to experience the landscape through the eyes of a chef. The goal is to link the local history and culture to a region’s gastronomy.
Tourissimo also works with travel agents and outbound tour operators:
Rates typically range from $450 to $750 per person per night, including accommodations, meals, all transfers, daily cultural activities and two or more professional tour leaders. Programs are usually a weeklong in duration, but there are no minimum number of nights on custom tours. Reservations can be made via www.tourissimo.travel or by calling +1 857-997-0051.
