Choose GiannaLaGuida and Enjoy the journey
Best personalized guided tours in Florence, Rome and the Vatican City, just relax and start your journey
We Care About People
My name is Gianna Mercatanti and I’m authorized and specialized tour guide and tour leader
I was born and raised in Florence but I’ve been living between Florence and Rome for three years. I alternate working in Florence and Rome.Yes,I’m a sort of lucky “long distance” commuter. I’m Italian mothertongued and I do tours in English and French too. I am part of specialized network of tour guides and tour leaders. Upon request I can provide contacts for different languages or guided tours in other Italian cities. I do believe your time is important and your memories as well...that’s why I choose to do personalized tours, for your complete satisfaction.
Authentic local experiences
Off-the beaten track tours and local experiences
Wine, food or beer tastings, cooking classes, how to make an ice-cream. Get in touch with our best artisans, see how they work and get some secrets. Available in Florence or in Rome for leather cloths, bags or shoes, florentine paper, bookbinding, flower decor, mosaics. Send us an email for information and more details.
We're Always Listening
We don’t have clients but hosts
This is my philosophy and my colleagues share it with me. Tours are based on your requests, we’ll go and stay in touch to plan every single detail of your experience, because your days here in Italy have to be something to remember and be missed once you come back home.
Their feedbacks
Cynthia U.S. Washington DC
I must say Gianna is a wonderful tour guide. From the moment we connected she was very knowledgeable and always willing to assist. She suggested restaurants and things to do that I did not think of. Gianna was kind and courteous to all my clients and everyone enjoyed her presence. I was very impressed with her knowledge of Italy and so were my clients. I received many compliments from my clients praising her knowledge of the country. Several clients asked me "how did you find her." If you are looking fora fantastic tour of Italy with a friendly, knowledgeable guide, I would not hesitate to hire Gianni. I look forward to contacting Gianna to assist with my other group trips to Italy.
Their feedbacks
Sheeja and Matthew U.S. New York
Gianna was an absolutely wonderful tour guide for my husband and me in Florence. I would highly recommend her to any group looking for a tour catered to their needs. She was very patient with us as my husband and I would much rather take our time enjoying all the sites/masterpieces, rather than rushing through a tour. We had other tours in Italy with other tour guides and know that sometimes guides can be rushed as they are on a time schedule - she was incredibly patient and was kind enough to even pick us up at our hotel to start the day.
She was also sweet enough to wait for us in the hotel lobby as my husband and I were both about 15 minutes late in meeting her. She then gave us a great walking tour of famous sites in Florence as we walked over to the Uffizi gallery. She was incredibly knowledgeable as we viewed the masterpieces in the Uffuzi gallery and allowed us to take as much time as we needed with the art pieces. She even took us to the best ice cream shop in Florence! She was never rushed in her time with us and had us both fall in love with Florence!
Temporary exhibitions available in Florence and in Rome
No problem!
We are always at pace with most popular temporary exhibitions going on in Florence or Rome. Our tailored tours are based on your interests and curiosities.
Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica
Available as basic, personalized or enhanced tour.
Join our tour and enjoy with skip-the-line tickets, the most famous museums in the world. Our visit will last around 3 hours, the itinerary is implies a moderate fitness level even the path to the Sistine chapel (at the end of our tour) is a bit long but you will benefit of amazing artifact. The classic tour can be enhanced with different itineraries or with breakfast and early morning visit, lunch, aperitivo or a tour in the evening send us a message for availability and information.
The basic tour start from a wonderful terrace to take some great photos of the dome of the St. Peter’s basilica. We will let you take your time and head to the Pinecone Courtyard, designed by Donato Bramante one amongst greatest Italian architects. Next step will be the Octagonal courtyard to admire some great Roman statues like the Laocoön and Apollo Belvedere. Then it’s time for the galleries of candelabras and maps to delight the eyes and look for your Italian origins or your most beloved Italian city or site. Then we will head on to the gallery of tapestries, it was a beautiful, smart and expansive system to decorate walls and preserve heat in a villa or palace. Right after we will visit Raphael’s rooms, halls are in line and they show the mastery of the Renaissance genius. At last but not at least...here we are...the Sistine chapel, silence is mandatory and you can’t take photos. It will be fully described outside in the courtyard with the aid of some panels, in the Sistine chapel you will be allowed to take your time to focus and admire it. From the Sistine chapel we will enter St. Peter’s Basilica. The basilica is the most important Catholic Church, the reference point. We will highlight its worldwide famous masterpieces like the Pietà by Michelangelo, the Baldacchino by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Our time together will be full of anecdotes, tales of intrigues in the Vatican. All will be done at your pace and no rush to get the most pleasant and suitable experience. Even with skip-the-line tickets we may experience some delays due to security checks when entering the museums. On Wednesday the direct access to the Basilica is closed for Papal audiences, in case we are obliged to change our path, we will visit some more alternative rooms. Send us an e-mail, get in touch for more details or info we are at your complete disposal.
Florence, Galleria dell’Accademia
Available as basic, personalized or enhanced tour.
The Accademia gallery is worldwide famous for hosting the authentic Michelangelo’s David. At the very beginning the Accademia building was thought to host and train young artists. In fact, even today, you can find some amazing paintings and statues: surely it’s the best way of teaching....by example. The museum is basically renown for the David by Michelangelo, but once entered the museum, you will enjoy many more statues thought and sculpted directly on marble by the Genius. Then you will find more carving and painting collections dating between 15th-16th centuries. Then we will step up to the first floor to have a quick look to an extensive collection of 14th century religious paintings and incredible artefacts perfectly preserved. Finally we will visit a very interesting section dedicated to musical instruments: here you can have a glimpse on the very first piano built, two violins by Stradivari and more curious instruments. Thanks to some computer programs, children have the chance to interact with many instruments. Send us an e-mail to get in touch or for more information. The Accademia Gallery is closed on Mondays. Also with skip-the-line tickets we may experience some delays due to security checks when entering the museums.
Leather workshop experiences in Florence or Rome
Personal shopping or workshops available in Florence or Rome
Italian leather works are renowned all around the world for their great quality. Italian leather tradition goes back to Middle Ages and today in Florence and Rome there are still amazing artisans following Italian ancient tradition and producing outstanding craft works . You will directly look at their work and have the chance to experience the technique or buy artisanal products. Your experience will be tailored on your interests. Fill our form with your data and requests.
