When you’re planning a vacation there are several things you have to keep in mind. You have to think about hotels, transportation, activities, restaurants and anything else you plan on doing on your trip. You have to make calls, send emails and keep track of reservations and these are some things that can take the fun out of a vacation. Planning can be the most time consuming and stressful part of vacationing but Gerry and Adriana Sarmiento have been solving this problem since 2009. Their travel agency, Mezzanotte Luxury Tours takes the weight of planning off of your shoulders and allows you to simply enjoy your trip.
Gerry and Adriana’s journey to starting their own travel agency began in 2009 in their Cypress eatery, Mezzanotte Ristorante. “We have a restaurant we opened 18 years ago and in 2009 Gerry had the idea of visiting Tuscany and going to places and wineries that we were selling wines from at the restaurant.” Said Adriana. “We told a couple of friends and asked for them to join us and Gerry organized everything: the drivers, memorable restaurants, some cultural experiences and we realized we were very good at the planning and organizing.”
Adriana and Gerry continued planning trips for groups of no more than 20, that focused on gastronomy, culture, art, history and leisure. Sometimes, both Gerry and Adriana join the group on the trip and sometimes, they take turns and only one of them goes. “People like that they are not just traveling with a tour director who is completely separate from the group, we are part of the group.” Said Gerry. They have since planned and successfully executed trips to Peru, Argentina, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Mexico. One of their most recent trips was to Northern Italy and this trip, not unlike their other tours, showcased all that Mezzanotte Luxury Tours has to offer.
The Northern Italy Tour started on July 26, 2023 in Milan and ended on August 6, 2023 in Lake Como. The group’s adventure began in Milan at their first hotel, where they all got together for welcome cocktails and a nice dinner. “We like selecting special hotels, not the “Hilton’s” of the world, but hotels with character.” Said Adriana. They spent a few days in Milan, sightseeing and eating and drinking. They visited attractions such as the Duomo, the world’s third largest Catholic church and Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’.
The group then traveled by bus, the main mode of transportation on this trip aside from the occasional ferry, to the Piedmont region. They enjoyed fantastic cuisine, a cooking class where they learned to prepare Piedmontese dishes, acclaimed wines and visits to important wineries during their time in the charming hill towns of La Morra and Castiglione Falletto.
In the Alba region, the group was able to take part in a unique experience…Truffle hunting! Gerry and Adriana like to make sure the tours not only focus on the food and the wine, but on experiences that the group will remember for a lifetime. “We separated into two groups with guides and truffle hunting dogs, went into the forest and we got to hunt for truffles and to try some food with truffles and everyone really had a lot of fun.” Said Gerry. “It was a nice change from the wineries and restaurants!” Adriana chimed in.
The group then made their way to Portofino, where they marveled at the pastel-coloured houses, high-end boutiques and super-yachts before heading to Turin, the capital city of Piedmont, where they enjoyed wonderful museums. The last 3 days of the trip were spent in Lake Como, where the group enjoyed meals on balconies overlooking the beautiful lake, a luxurious hotel and boat tours.
Two members of the Northern Italy tour group had nothing but praises for Mezzanotte Luxury Tours. “We loved the trip. Activities were great, just enough touring and downtime to explore on our own! We really enjoyed the accommodations, they were excellent and over the top and every meal that was offered was a memorable experience.” Said Jeff and Angie.
Gerry and Adriana try to give the group a good amount of downtime on these trips. “We try to combine activities and downtime because we know that people will want to explore for themselves or they might want to rest.” Said Adriana. The group are welcome to go off and explore during their downtime, or to enjoy the facilities of the hotel. “Funnily enough, most of the time when we have leisure time, the group will end up wanting to spend time together, we will go get food together or just spend time at the hotel together. We really become like a family, sometimes members of the groups will even get together for dinner at Mezzanotte after the trips.” Said Gerry.
Mezzanotte Luxury Tours does an amazing job at taking away all the stress of planning when it comes to vacationing. If you’re looking for unique experiences, good food, great wine and to walk away with a great group of friends, sign up for one of the trips hosted by Mezzanotte Luxury Tours.