About us

Veni, vidi, velcro – I came, I saw, I got stuck! James Hill has been happily ‘stuck’ in Rome and Italy for over thirty years. British-born, his travels began as a teenager visiting his Anglo-Genoese family in the north west of Italy before settling in Rome in his early twenties. After many years of guiding and working in television and travel (as well as gaining a politics degree), James began organising, escorting, leading and co-leading cultural group tours over twenty years ago with UK-based Ciceroni Travel principally in Italy then venturing further afield into Croatia, Slovenia, France, the US and the Caribbean.

Escorted cultural travel has long been synonomous with the eighteenth century ‘Grand Tour’ to Italy when travellers ventured across the Alps to engage with the antiquity of the peninsula, its architecture and decorative and fine arts. Many were led by companiable guides who knew the place backwards, could open doors otherwise closed and reveal the cultural and artistic heritage of the places visited in an appealing and convivial manner.

It is in this spirit that we conduct our gently-paced cultural tours with an accent on hand-picked comfortable hotels in desirable city, coastal and rural locations, excellent food and wine and a superlative level of private access to palaces, villas and gardens and diplomatic residences in the countries we visit.

  • “Happy memories of coming to Cuba with you and in January 2016 which for me was one of my best ever expeditions…” Mrs J, Oxfordshire

    Mrs J, Oxfordshire

  • "I expect that your careful selection of visits, and the great enthusiasm and knowledge with which you ushered us round Rome, will have won you many new fans”.

    Mrs R, New York

  • "This was a lovely visit to the Côte d’Azur. The perfect length and marvellous care from James and Rachel. The hotel was perfect, exactly the right size and a nice friendly sitting area and bar looking out onto a swimming pool”. .

    Mrs H, Wiltshire

  • “As expected, we really enjoyed the Verona trip. Most importantly, your conduct of the tour was exemplary and I am always dazzled by the breadth of your knowledge of all things Italian, your informal lectures make the coach journeys a real pleasure."

    Mr P, London