We are famous for our connections and for being able to open venues and sites that are usually closed to the general public. Thanks to Lucia and her contacts, we are able to obtain direct access through the proper offices and get the required paperwork done as fast as possible. We are experts in dealing with the Italian bureaucracy efficiently. Moreover, we have learned how you can avoid any additional bills at the end of an event that had not been estimated and that sometimes end up tainting the whole experience.

Opening, say the Sistine chapel, just for you, will give you emotions and an adventure that is impossible to describe. Strolling through a royal mansion away from the crowds like the previous kings and queens of Italy, is a unique memory that will stay with you forever. Stendhal called it a syndrome – although don’t worry it is not recognized as such by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – and, while touring Santa Croce church in Florence, he wrote: “I was in a sort of ecstasy, from the idea of being in Florence, close to the great men whose tombs I had seen. Absorbed in the contemplation of sublime beauty ... I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations ... Everything spoke so vividly to my soul.” (From STENDHAL Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio, 1817) This exact mixture of feelings is what we strive to arouse in you during your trip.

Whether it is a private visit to a museum or a church, or whether it is a private event with a special dinner organized in a unique venue, we have many options to choose from. Also in this ever-changing world we continuously review and add venues to our favorites ones and love to try new sites after, of course, dutiful inspection and careful testing.

Remember that anybody can go online and request a special opening, but only a true expert will know the quality and possess the skills needed to transform a request into a lifelong memory.

Trust us to handle your holidays and events in the most successful way.

Privileged Entrances for privileged clients

Even when you don’t have the time or energy to organize a private opening to a venue, there are adjustments and insider tricks that we can provide to enable you to experience the site in the best possible way in accordance with your schedule and the dates requested.

One of the most important things to remember is that if you are coming to Italy during the high season – which is between Easter and Halloween, with additional dates such as bank holidays or Christmas – the sooner you decide which sites you want to visit and you inform us, the better service we can offer you. It is not only a matter of buying fast track tickets online, but also knowing which hours are the least busy and how to navigate our bureaucracy.

Also, please beware of “skip-the-line” sellers. Just like throughout the rest of Europe and North America, security procedures are compulsory, even during special openings. This procedure usually entails a metal scanner for bags and coats, and a metal detector for your person. Our privileged entrance tickets, or fast-track tickets, have a specific entrance time, which has been previously booked and which will grant you access ahead of everybody else through the security check.

In case of last minute requests, we will do our best to find the best solution available or offer suitable alternatives.

Private guides for your special experience

We understand, honestly we do, but please be aware that sometimes Lucia cannot be available for one of your tours. To overcome this eventuality, Lucia has spent many years testing and selecting different licensed tour guides privileging those with additional qualifications such as an MA in Art History, Social Evolution, Restauration Arts or Architecture.

In addition, all of our Exclusive Guides are selected for their linguistic skills and studies. Our aim is to trigger your curiosity and encourage you to deepen your personal knowledge. It would take you many years and books to encompass all the information our guides will share with you during the tours. We realize that accents and occasional mistakes can add color to your experience, but we are also aware of the effort you have to make sometimes when it is not always clear what the tour guide is trying to tell you. Mostly, in activities involving children, it is vital that our guides be perfectly understandable and entertaining for your kids.

According to your specific requests, your age, and interests, we carefully select the proper guide for each city and activity of your holiday. Nobody wants to spend their tour with a boring guide presenting a monologue. We want you to enjoy your time with us and to be intrigued by your experiences and maybe, just maybe, read a book on a specific subject you did not know about.

Why invest on a special opening if then the tour guide does not meet your expectations? Why go on a culinary tour with a guide who is not local and does not know much about the food you are tasting? Why visit a restauration laboratory with a guide who does not know the different restauration techniques applied on stone, canvas, wood, bronze, etc.? You deserve to fully experience your activities with the right people and at the right time.

Our goal is to always create happy people eager to come back over and over again.