Viator Travel Blog

If you’re looking for a local expert (and authentic Italian!) to help make your holiday in Tuscany unforgettable, look no further than Cristina Clavio.

Did you know that Vatican City is about the size of a golf course? Or that Pope Francis is the first pope from South America? Here’s your infographic introduction to Vatican City and its new pope.

For an entire month, starting on April 1, 2013, when you buy two Rome tours you get 20% OFF of a third tour! That’s right – Buy 2, Save 20% on your 3rd tour!

One of the most enduring and increasingly fashionable districts of Venice, Dorsoduro. juts out from San Polo and lies to the South of San Marco with its tip almost opposite the Doge’s Palace.  It also embraces two islands across the canal to the south, Giudecca and the less fashionable, Sacca Fisola.

There is nothing like attending mass in Saint Peter’s Square. It’s the stuff bucket lists are made of. Packed inside the little area are thousands of people from all over the world. This year, Easter mass and the events leading up to Easter will be especially busy in the Vatican.

For those who love experiencing beautiful landscapes, visiting waterfalls is one of the best ways to add some extra beauty to a day in the outdoors. Not all falls are created equal, however. If you want to view some of the world’s best cascades, here are our suggestions.

Most of us are familiar with some of the most famous Carnival celebrations in the world – Rio, Venice, and New Orleans among them. But Carnival is celebrated all over the world in nearly any place that has a strong Catholic background, so there are plenty of places where you can enjoy Carnival festivities even if you’re not in Brazil or Louisiana this year.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, stores are flooded with candy hearts, chocolates and stuffed animals. In the US, shelves brimming with teddy bears and boxes of chocolate are typical Valentine’s Day fare, but not every country turns to greeting cards and heart-shaped candies to declare love. Some exchange wooden spoons and pressed flowers, while others hold a special holiday for the loveless to mourn their single lives over black noodles. Here is a look at how 10 countries celebrate Valentine’s Day around the world.

Born from a centuries-long Roman tradition of offering shelter to pilgrims, a convent guesthouse can offer travelers amenities such as quiet gardens, a chapel, a library, or clean common areas with a TV, refrigerator or microwave. You may find yourself lodging in a grand palazzo or a terracotta townhouse. Many have excellent locations for the Roman visitor, often in the heart of a historic piazza or convenient to Vatican City. While accepting pilgrims and secular tourists alike, the sisters give you a glimpse into often-unseen spiritual lives of monastic simplicity.

Visiting Italy during the Christmas season offers two bonuses – you’ll avoid the high summer season tourist crowds, and you’ll get to see the country decked out in all its holiday finery.