Ciao!
I’m Luca, an Italian tour guide, born and raised in Tuscany.
And I’m Lauren, a native Californian who moved to Italy in 2010, became a tour guide and started Unlock Italy Travel & Tours with Luca!
Here we are:
We’re both official, licensed guides and first level sommeliers and we want to show you the best of Italy by providing personalised tour planning services and private tour experiences that combine art, history, food and wine.
We started Unlock Italy in 2017 when Luca was working as a tour guide in Florence and Lauren as a guide in Rome. We traveled back and forth for years, always on the lookout for off the beaten track places, networking with guides around the country, hotels, restaurant owners and artisans. In 2019, we decided to make Tuscany our home base and although 2020 brought its challenges (big time!) we are still here!
Our aim with Unlock Italy is to provide travellers not only with customised, tailored tours but to round out any visit to Italy with suggestions and insider tips that will make your visit more special. Tell us what you want to see and experience when you’re here and we’ll help put together the best itinerary for you and your family.
With over fifteen years in the tourism industry between us and connections with guides in Rome, Naples, Venice & The Amalfi Coast, we hope to offer our guests a personalized experience that starts with the planning process with Lauren and extends to unique tours that draw on Luca’s “insider” Italian perspective and Lauren’s background as an American living in Italy. If we personally cannot give your tour, we will arrange it with one of the members of our small team of hand chosen guides who have a similar tour style to ours.
Here are some of the types of tour experiences we provide:
- Skip the lines and go in depth at the main sights on your wishlist
- Mix and match food, wine, artistic masterpieces and hidden corners on a customized tour designed exclusively for you
- Along with tours we offer advice on the best neighborhoods to stay in, where the locals eat, the most satisfying day trips and hidden gems to visit on your own.
Want to know more about us?
- Check out our Italy focused Youtube Channel here.
- Read our Unlock Italy travel tips blog here.
- Check out Lauren’s instagram here or our facebook page here where we post our daily finds and Italy inspiration.
- To hear more about how Lauren moved to Italy, check out the Laurenissima blog series, illustrated by Luca.
- And what did we develop in 2020 when we couldn’t meet our guests? Lauren became the founder and editor of the Open Doors Review Literary Magazine (read or contribute here) and the host of the Open Doors Review Podcast (listen on iTunes here) where she interviews artists and writers living in Italy. Luca is promoting his art here and preparing for exhibitions across the country.
Contact Lauren and Luca at info@unlockitaly.com to get started or check out our best selling tours here for inspiration and we will customize each tour from there. If you want to hear what others thought of our tours, read on below for what they’re saying about us and Unlock Italy on Trip Advisor and our Facebook Page. Scroll on to the bottom to see our collaborations and press.
We hope to meet you soon in Italy!
Some of our Reviews
The Best Tour I’ve ever been on
“I can’t imagine a better way to experience and appreciate the story of Rome than on one of Lauren’s tours. My family and I were on our first trip to Rome and needed some help navigating all the amazing sites and its remarkable history. Lauren was the perfect choice.” -Jon W
Amazing and Always a Pleasure
“Luca is upbeat and will wake you up and keep you engaged during the entire tour. From Italian intricacies and nuances about driving in Italy, to the daily life of Italians, to how to negotiate purchases and where and how to do lunch, Luca is simply amazing. There is no other tour guide who comes close.” – mirassou
Incredible!
“My wife and I went on a tour of Florence with Luca. He was the most incredible tour guide ever. He made our best vacation ever even more unforgettable. We still talk about his stories and anecdotes over dinner and to other guests even though it was in 2013 when we went.” – Robert C
Amazing Tour
“I had an incredible time touring Rome with Lauren. She was knowledgeable about the ancient city, helped me take some amazing photos, and was a wonderful conversationist. I enjoyed my tour and deeply appreciate the memories!” – Denise R
Read more of our over 70 full star reviews on our Trip Advisor Page!
Press/Collaborations
Featured in Forbes for how we made the most of 2020 with creativity. Read here.
Read Lauren’s articles on Florence in Romeing Magazine. Read here.
We contributed to Refinery29’s interactive travel destination video. Watch here!
Want to know more about Lauren’s move to Italy? Watch Lauren in Conversation with YouTuber Kylie Flavell here or read her interview for Fab Luxe Magazine here.