Rick Steves has just returned from two weeks in Italy, and is ready to share practical tips, personal anecdotes, and gorgeous photos from hiking in the Dolomites to soaking in the ethereal beauty of Venice, the Cinque Terre, and Lake Como. Purely a vacation, this was a trip of experiences: hiking with friends for six days high in Italy’s Alps, exploring the Venetian Lagoon, pounding pesto, sipping wine on Italy’s Riviera, and capping it all off on Lake Como, where he was named “Ambassador to the

28K views · 840 reactions | Day 11 of my Best of Italy in 17 Days Tour — Siena. Details: www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/best-italy | Rick Steves | Facebook

Last year, I finally released a TV special featuring the ultimate one-hour Rick Steves lecture on European travel skills and my philosophy of smart travel. In this sampler (about 7 minutes out of 60), you’ll learn how to plan a smart itinerary that prioritizes real sights over touristic come-ons. For much, much more, watch the entire hour (shot by KQED in San Francisco and post-produced by my ace team here at Rick Steves' Europe) at www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/experiencing