10 Years of Tourissimo: A Journey Close to Our Hearts
Ten years ago, we started Tourissimo with a simple idea: to share the Italy we love (pitfalls and all) with people who wanted to experience it in a different, active way.
Not just to see Italy, but to feel it. To ride its quiet roads, walk through its villages, stop for a coffee in a little piazza, and discover the places that stay with you long after you return home.
Looking back, we realize that this simple idea has taken us further than we could have imagined.
Italy is more than a destination
For us, Italy has never been just a collection of famous landmarks or beautiful landscapes. It's a place best experienced with all five senses, in small groups (read the blog: Why Group Size Matters), or with just your family and friends (over 50% of our tours are private/custom).
It's the smell of freshly baked bread when you walk through a village in the morning. The sound of people talking over lunch. The taste of a wine poured by the person who made it. The unexpected conversation that turns a quick stop into an unforgettable moment.
And some of the best ways to experience these things are by bike or on foot.
When you're moving through a landscape under your own power, you become part of it. You notice the changing scenery, the rhythm of everyday life, and the small details you might miss from a car window. You have time to stop, explore, and let curiosity lead the way.
This kind of travel inspired us to create Tourissimo, and it still motivates us today.
How it all began
Tourissimo grew out of our love for Italy, cycling, discovery, and the connections that happen when people don't feel simply like tourists passing through a place.
We wanted to create trips that went beyond the usual tourist routes, that brought people closer to the places they visited, introduced them to local traditions, and left room for those spontaneous moments that often become the best memories.
We also wanted to share the Italy we know and love: the quiet roads, the small villages, the local producers, the family-run restaurants, and the landscapes that feel like they are right out of a fairytale.
Of course, building a travel company takes more than a good idea. It takes years of exploring, planning, learning, solving problems, and paying attention to details that most travelers will never have to think about.
Over the past decade, we've put our hearts into designing and running trips that bring all these elements together. And we've learned something important along the way: a great trip isn't just about where you go. It's about how you experience it.
The moments that make it all worthwhile
Ask us about our favorite memories from the past ten years, and it would be difficult to choose just a few.
There are the spectacular views after a challenging climb, the roads we can't wait to ride again, and the little places we've discovered along the way. There are the meals that turn into long evenings, the local characters who welcome our guests like old friends, and the moments when travelers discover a new confidence in themselves.
Sometimes it's the person who wasn't sure they could finish a ride but reaches the top with a huge smile. Sometimes it's a group of strangers who start a trip together and leave feeling like old friends. And sometimes it's simply watching someone fall in love with a part of Italy they had never heard of before.
These moments remind us why we do what we do.
We're also incredibly grateful to the guests who have trusted us with their vacations, to the guides and local partners who bring our trips to life, and to the people and communities who welcome us into their world. Tourissimo wouldn't be what it is without them.
Ten years in, we know that the experiences we create are never ours alone. They're shared with everyone who becomes part of the journey.
The care behind every tour
We believe that the best active travel experiences combine a sense of adventure with the feeling that someone has taken care of the details.
That means carefully chosen routes, knowledgeable local guides, welcoming places to stay, memorable food, and the flexibility to make each trip feel personal. It means knowing when to follow the plan and when to take a detour because something unexpected catches our attention.
It also means understanding that every participant is different. Some come for the cycling, some for the food and wine, some for the culture, and others simply want to slow down and discover a different side of Italy. Often, they come for all of these things.
Our job is to bring them together into a journey that feels natural, rewarding, and uniquely Italian.
We want our guests to feel free to explore, challenge themselves, and enjoy the moment, knowing that there's a team behind them who cares about their experience.
That's the work that happens behind the scenes, and it's a part of Tourissimo we're proud of.
Relevant blog: Overtourism in Italy: You’re Seeing Only 1% Of Our Country
Ten years later, the feeling is still the same
A decade has passed, and we've grown, learned, explored new regions, met wonderful people, and created experiences we could only have dreamed of when we started.
But the reason we're here hasn't changed.
We still get excited about finding a beautiful road, discovering a small producer, sharing a meal in a place we love, or introducing someone to a corner of Italy that feels entirely new to them.
And we still believe that the most meaningful travel isn't simply about ticking places off a list. It's about being present, connecting with people, and experiencing a place in a way that stays with you.
To everyone who has been part of our first ten years: thank you! Thank you for riding with us, walking with us, sharing tables and stories with us, and trusting us to help you discover Italy.
This anniversary is as much yours as it is ours.
We're proud of the journey so far, but we're even more excited about what's ahead. There are still roads to discover, people to meet, meals to share, and stories waiting to happen.
We hope you'll join us for the next chapter.
Experience Italy, actively.
Beppe & Heather
Co-founders, Tourissimo
