Meet Samuele, your expert in Florence & Tuscany!
🌍 Lives in: Florence
Regions of Expertise: Tuscany - Florence, Chianti, Siena, the Val d’Orcia, Maremma Coast, and everywhere else in the region!
Experience: 24 years as a guide and tour leader
Languages: English, Italiano
Sam’s Specialties:
Get to know Sam!
A note from Sam
"Hi there and thanks for checking out my profile! I'm Samuele (Sam for short) and I grew up in the area around Pisa. I’ve been in the tourism business for 24 years now and my field of expertise is the city of Florence, a place that I have loved since I was a child.
Back in 2007, after passing the very difficult guide licensing exam, I became certified to work as a tour guide for Florence and the surrounding areas, and I've had the privilege ever since of showing off my city to the wonderful people who come to visit it. Over the past two decades, I've guided all kinds of travelers, including important politicians, CEOs of multinational companies, professional athletes, and even a few Oscar-winning actors!
I work mostly in English, primarily with North American clients, and my aim is always the same: to show off the little-known wonders of Florence, to highlight the great artists and artisans working here today, and to give you a real and genuine Florentine experience.
Read more
My motto is that “a guided tour must be a pleasure!”, and I really mean that. If you're not having fun with me, then I'm not doing my job. So, if you're visiting my city and want to enjoy its different features, such as the arts - both historic works and those being created here today -, the monuments and our hidden gems, the splendid food and drink, a bit of shopping, and maybe even some live music, I'm your man!
Let me tell you a bit more about myself: as I said above, I'm originally from Pisa and I studied at the University of Pisa, getting a degree in English Language and Literature. Apart from being a tour guide, I’ve been in the music business for quite a while and am an actively recording pop singer and song writer.
I've also traveled the world a bit, lived in Cape Town for a while, and have been to the USA many times. I’m a yoga teacher too and I try to incorporate that mindset into some of my tours, showing famous works of art through an esoteric/spiritual lense.
While guiding is my main business, I also love to help people plan their trips to Florence and beyond, so whether you're looking for a tour or just some advice, I'm here to help. So get in touch and let's make your visit unforgettable!"
Italy Travel Consultations
Plan a better trip with some help from Sam
Sit down with Sam for a one-hour planning session to get his expert advice and the best local tips and recommendations.
Our travel consultations are the perfect solution for do-it-yourself travelers who want to plan on their own, but could use some expert local advice. Each consultation is personalized, and Sam is available to help in whatever way you need.
From working on your itinerary and advising on routes and transportation, to ideas for off the beaten path destinations and truly authentic experiences, he's got you covered.
For the best local advice, go ask a local!
Why plan with Sam
Spend 60 minutes tapping into Sam’s hyperlocal expertise to plan a better trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Consultations cost $150 USD.
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Consultations are held over Google Meet.
Once you’ve scheduled your call, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing the link for your video call.
On the scheduled day and time, just click that link to join the call.
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Each consultation is different, but here are some common things that our experts typically help with:
Itinerary planning
Transportation, driving routes, and tips for how to get around
Practical travel information; culture, safety, weather, language, money/tipping, etc.
Suggested hotels/accommodations and advice on where to base yourself
Local recommendations for restaurants, activities, and unique experiences
Advice on reputable tour guides, tour operators, and excursions
Pro tips on how to best visit popular sights and attractions
Ways to avoid overcrowded destinations and tourist traps
Insider ideas on off the beaten path places, authentic experiences, and ways to connect with locals
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What you can get done in an hour depends on your goals for the consultation and how organized you are coming into it.
In most cases, an hour is ample time to create a solid itinerary, answer your major travel questions, get practical advice on how to travel in your destination, and discuss lots of great local tips and recommendations.
To ensure that the hour is used efficiently, when you schedule your call, our pre-consultation questionnaire will ask you what your primary goals for the consultation are. Prior to the call, your Local Expert will review your questionnaire and prepare detailed information addressing those goals.
They’ll come into the call ready to share specific advice, recommendations, itinerary ideas/revisions, and useful links and resources for you to review together.
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Yes! Each consultation is guided by a comprehensive pre-consultation questionnaire that you fill out immediately upon booking.
We’ll ask you a series of 30+ detailed questions that really dig into you, your trip, your interests and travel style, and what you want to discuss with your Local Expert.
The questionnaire will cover things like: the dynamics of your group, the things you enjoy while traveling, your budget, how early you want to start your day and how late you want to end it, whether you want to hit the highlights or roam the back streets, and even what types of restaurants you want to eat at.
Your Local Expert will focus only on your interests and travel style.
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Our Local Experts are seasoned travel professionals who have spent decades working in their countries/regions. While their personal interests may be different from yours, they’ve worked with thousands of travelers and have recommendations and advice for every type of individual.
They know their destinations in-depth and can help plan a trip for every traveler and taste.
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No, this is not a part of our service. Your Local Expert will share lots of links, notes, and other written resources via the Chat Box during the call, but they cannot provide post-call notes, documents, or ongoing planning assistance via email.
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No. Our service is geared toward independent, do-it-yourself travelers who intend to make bookings on their own.
Our goal is not to plan your trip for you, but rather to help you plan a better trip independently. To that end, our Local Experts will give you all of the information that you need to confidently put your trip together yourself.
When Local Experts recommend things like restaurants, hotels, excursions/activities, tours, drivers, etc., they’ll provide you with contact details and links so that you can make the final arrangements on your own.
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Almost every Go Ask A Local expert has at least 10 years of professional travel experience as a guide or trip planner in their country/region.
We work with a vetted team of seasoned professionals who know their destinations inside and out.
Unlike other companies, when you book a call, you’ll always be connected directly with your chosen Local Expert. We never pass anyone on to a junior sales associate or some anonymous back office team. With us, what you see is what you get.
Ready to plan with Sam?
Here’s how to schedule your consultation:
