what our guests have to say

“The vacation was a dream come true once-in-a-lifetime experience that exceeds everything I’ve experienced in life to date and likely exceeds anything I’ll do in the future.  Thank you so much for putting this together and sharing the villages of the Sannio with us.  What an incredible trip!”
-Jim Lisehora

“Maria, your focus, resourcefulness, efficiency, kindness and love showed through in so many ways, for all of us.  (Can’t imagine the true time and effort it took to pull this off) Bravo, indeed!”
-Terry Ballard

“This was an amazing trip of a lifetime. Organized and executed by two wonderful people, Maria and Dan, who shared their love and enthusiasm for the beautiful local Italian culture. We plan to take the trip again in the near future.”
-Marlene C.

“If you want to understand and appreciate the Italian culture, don’t go to Rome or Florence or Venice, join Maria and Dan on this adventure. You get to make pasta and cheese, taste olive oils and wines and much more. You also get to meet the owners. Their graciousness is only matched by the quality of what they make. It was the best vacation I have ever gone on. Looking forward to doing it again.”
-Eric C.

“I had the pleasure of attending the Vita Villaggi trip to the Sannio region this past June.  This was truly an unforgettable, one of a kind experience.   Maria and Dan put together a full week of activities for us, to experience the culinary delights of this region of Italy that is rich in history and not yet over crowded with visitors.   I particularly enjoyed the hands on cooking classes on how to make pizza, cavatelli, bread, taralli, lemon rice balls and potato croquettes. Dinner in the courtyard of the palazzo Rainoni, where we stayed, was enchanting.  The restaurants, from the local trattorie, to the more upscale establishment served local grown and raised food.  The guided excursion through some of these history rich towns were informative.   If you want to experience southern Italy authenticity, Vita Villaggi, is the way to go.   Maria and Dan, have thought of everything, and everything from all the meals, the excursions, the accommodations and the gratuities were included in the price.  I would definitely go again to experience the fall tour to experience the grape harvesting and the wine making!”
-LN

Vita Villaggi’s 1 week all inclusive tour is a fantastic, once in a lifetime, experience -exploring a beautiful region of Italy, and providing a deep dive into the culture, architecture, history, food, farms, art and the people…who opened their doors to us as family! Maria and Dan are the best of the best of tour leaders – warm, funny, kind, accommodating, informative, organized, and so attentive to everyone’s needs. They also have made such genuine connections with all the people we visited that it feels like a reunion of friends and family with each encounter. Maria, who was born and spent her childhood in the area of exploration, speaks fluent Italian and her seamless translation of any conversations make the experiences so authentic. The hands on of cooking local food and more importantly of eating the most delicious local foods was a highlight that will be long treasured and remembered. The food was spectacular as was all our wine tastings of award winning wines. Vita Villaggi is exactly as it says – curated, authentic, but also so much more!
–ML

Our trip with Vita Villaggi was amazing. The program was truly unique and showcased an area of Italy that could not experienced on one’s own. Maria & Dan curated a week of interesting activities ranging from making pizza with an award winning pizza maker, picking olives/watching the pressing/feasting in the grove with the producer’s family, learning about curing prosciutto, tasting wine with a noted wine maker, and sampling local specialties. It was such a treat to visit an area not frequented by tourists and to meet local craftsman, who could not have been more welcoming. We stayed in an historic palazzo in the beautiful town of St. A’Gata. Maria & Dan were generous and accommodating hosts. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an authentic taste of Italy.
-Explorer162505

We had a great time traveling in an undiscovered part of Italy with Maria and Dan. They are truly special travel guides. We were introduced to many wonderful local artisans. The food was excellent. Maria took wonderful care of all of us in our group. We recommend it without hesitation.
-Lynn D.

Most amazing tour with VITA VILLAGGI , Maria & Dan! Fabulous food & hands on cooking experiences right in the homes /restaurants of the village people. Each family,
,treated us like family,It was so heart warming. Enjoyed making pizza, pasta, bread, taralli ! Ate till our tummies were bursting pastas, bread, pizza, fish, prosciutto,salads, fresh fruit & plenty of wine!Maria has a wonderful way of combining farm to table meals , along with Gourmet restaurant, there is something for everyone. Had a RARE opportunity to enter the convent to meet the cloistered nuns. A reunion of laughing loving & photo taking. Frank showed us a stunning church in Cerreto & a rare visit of the underground cript. From there we met the BEST potter Pierro followed by the towns festival parade carrying St Anthony.
Russ & I are world travelers, this by far was the BEST tour we ever took!!! Thank you Maria & Dan!
-Sherry M.

I loved everything about this tour. Maria and Dan’s small personalized experience made this trip very relaxing. The tour included hands on pizza, taralli, bread, potato croquettes and cavatelli making to tasting of street food to gourmet dining. I found the small towns in the Sannio region, out of the busy hustle and bustle of busy cities, to be a welcome and refreshing way to experience Italy and its rich history.
-Donna F.

I wanted to discover the real Italy – far from the crowds and tourist traps – and Vita Villaggi tour was everything I could hope for and more.

From the moment we arrived in the charming small town of Sant’ Agata dei Goti, tucked in a mountainside and untouched by mass tourism, we were welcomed like familia. The pace was perfect – slow enough to soak in every detail, yet everyday brought something new and exciting.

What truly made this trip unforgettable were the tour guides, Maria and Dan. Knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely warm, they weren’t just guides – they were storytellers, historians, and cultural ambassadors all in one. Whether it was leading us through cobbled streets, introducing us to local artisans, or translating lively conversations with winemakers and nonnas, they brought the region to life in a way no guidebook ever could.

This was more than a tour. It was a cultural immersion. You leave not just with beautiful photos, but with a deeper connection to the place, its people, and its traditions.
-Jenni Lopez

A week with Dan and Maria in the Sannio region of Campania in the province of Benevento is not simply a tour but a slow meander into the heart and soul of Italy. If you’re looking to experience a slice of real Italian life, then Dan and Maria are your perfect hosts!

Together, we spent our days as both observers and participants exploring wine cellars, vineyards, ancient churches, family run establishments that make prosciutto, mozzarella, bread and pizza, and lush fields of mela annurca apples that grow only in this part of the world. Spending the entire week in the Palazzo Rainone Mustilli located in the medieval town of Sant’Agata dei Goti where time is marked by church bells gave us the opportunity to experience each day freely.

But what truly makes Vita Villaggi so special is the care and warmth that are woven through each day. Dan and Maria have curated a microcosm of Italian life where the ancient embraces the modern all connected by a feeling of family, humor, and joy. And Maria, a native speaker of Italian, translated each experience for us with such vitality and enthusiasm, that even if you didn’t literally “get it,” you “got it”.

Whether you are a seasoned traveler or a first-time explorer, your week with Dan and Maria will be a vivid lifetime memory.
-Diane Della Croce

Fantastic guides who have developed personal relationships with people in this region that allow you to get to understand and experience the culture and food. The Sannio has not been spoiled by over tourism. The food was local and wonderful. Olive oil the best I’ve ever had. Travelers need to be able to walk on cobblestones and do stairs. Thank you Maria and Dan!
–Pamela Horst

Traveling with Maria and Dan was a pleasure. They are great guides and showed us a beautiful and as yet undiscovered part of Italy. We were introduced to many wonderful local artisans and the food was excellent. Maria took wonderful care of all of us. We had a great time and our traveling companions were lots of fun. We recommend it without reservation.
–Robert Dennison

I recently partnered with Vita Villaggi to bring a retreat group to Italy, and the experience was absolutely exceptional from start to finish. Every detail was thoughtfully curated — from the stunning accommodations and authentic local experiences to the seamless logistics that made travel effortless for our group.

Maria and Dan, the Vita Villaggi team, went above and beyond to ensure everyone felt cared for and inspired. Their deep local knowledge and warm hospitality gave our retreat a richness and authenticity that’s hard to find. Whether it was sharing hidden gems off the beaten path, arranging incredible farm-to-table meals, or coordinating transportation flawlessly, everything ran beautifully.

Our participants were blown away by the balance of relaxation, culture, and connection. It was the perfect blend of adventure and serenity — and truly a transformational experience for all.

If you’re planning a group retreat or simply want to explore Italy with heart, intention, and ease, I cannot recommend Vita Villaggi highly enough. They bring the spirit of Italy to life in the most genuine and memorable way.
-Jessica Demers

The best group tour and experience of the Real Italy! Both Dan and Maria with Vita Villaggi give you the genuine Italian experience in the Sannino region of Italy (just Northeast of Naples), and I am so grateful for their knowledge and experience.

The group of 11 of us went to a vineyard to pick Fallanghina grapes, learned how to make artisanal bread at a local homestead, practiced our skills in making pizza dough and creating our own pizzas, and those are just a sliver of the activities we did together over 7 days.

Maria and Dan are a wealth of knowledge for the area, and their passion for Italian culture shines through all aspects of their tours. They arranged all accommodations at a local B&B, planned and arranged all meals, and transportation within Italy.

Plus Maria is a native Italian speaker so she is a wonderful source of translation and local guidance.

I HIGHLY recommend Vita Villaggi and Dan&Maria for a genuine Italian vacation and experience. GRAZIE MILLE!
-Aly King

Maria and Dan offer an inside view of real life in the heart of Italy, far away from tourism and commercial interests. With them, we lived in a 16th century palazzo, visited a labyrinth of a wine cellar and made pizza with an award winning pizziaolla!

We dined alfresco among grapevines and met local people who shared their lives with us with open arms.

Maria is from the region and 100% fluent in local Italian, so communication was a breeze.

We will return!
-Joel D.