Testimonials

What a fun, unique, authentic experience making leather goods from scratch ! We met with UpStays in the morning of our cruise’s arrival to Palermo and just such a great time! Thank you for making our visit here truly memorable!

I just wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU again to Davide and Enrico for the most wonderful, adventurous and magical trip for Ron and I. We will highly recommend your company to everyone we know who are traveling to Sicily, It was always on out bucket list to see the home land of our ancestors and you guys made it happen!! You took us to places we would have never found on our own and explained everything more than i could of imagined. Being there during Easter was a special time and so glad we were able to have Easter dinner with you at that fantastic restaurant. Enrico really as we say it... Hit A HomeRun for my husband going to his grandmothers home town and being able to work his charm talking tothe local people to get his grandmothers original birth cetificate and see the neighborhood where she was born. That was a very tender moment because she was very close to us. I hope we will return soon and have you take us to more beatiful places. I hope we can truly say we are friends and hope you and Enrico will come to visit us in Hammonton. Our door is always open! Ciao ciao!!

It was very nice to get a taste of the craft of leatherworking and to gain your first experiences. You learn the first simple steps of the leather craft and are super happy with your own piece at the end. The two guides were super nice and explained everything step by step in a simple and understandable way. At the end there was a small aperitif in a cool bar. We were very happy with the afternoon :) Thank you

This was the most amazing thing we did in our three week trip through Italy. Elena was so passionate about her work and the translator, Davide was helpful and amazing. I would highly recommend to anyone going to Palermo!

I felt like a great trip with a friend. From Palermo, I joined Davide for a private tour of Cefalù and Monreale with lunch/wine included. We visited the cathedrals of both cities. Davide is very knowledgeable about the history and architecture of the areas. Lunch and wine were delicious. The table we were given for lunch had a breathtaking view of the sea. He has a great knowledge of Sicilian wines and provided suggestions on how and where to taste more wines by himself. He was also patient while I made a stop at a couple of shops. He caught the fact that I was amazed by the architecture of the cathedral and on our way back to Palermo we stopped at the Church of the Cathedral Jesus - it’s amazing and we are lucky enough to see a wedding ceremony going on. The conversation was easy and interesting and honestly it seemed to be traveling with a friend.

We have an unforgetable Day today on the Etna with Davide! He made our trip possible, organised everything in a record time and it was amazing.
Grazie mille Davide spero di vederti presto

Davide Cannata and his Team were excellent! They were punctual, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable of the Church and surrounding areas we toured. Lunch was full of local cuisine and incredibly delicious. It was wonderful to learn while enjoying. Highly recommended!

Look no further, Davide from UpStays is the complete package. He will help fulfill any travel needs large or small.
Davide transferred us from Catania to Palermo which not only included a beautiful countryside drive but 2 historical site stops and a 5 star lunch.
We have been traveling for 50 years and I can honestly say upStays is top notch!

We visited "Tonnara di Scopello " and the "Riserva dello Zingaro" with the UpStays Tour. The whole Tour was very well organized and thought out. The Local Entrance and Lunch are included in the price. Still on the Lunch... this took place at a Local Restaurant in

Scopello with extraordinary food and a breathtaking view. The whole experience transcended our expectations! Our guide, Davide, was extremely available and interested to meet our tastes and interests! In this sense, it can provide personalized Tours. He is a professional truly committed to making known the places, culture and history of Sicily .

Along the way made us several surprises! It’s definitely worth it!

Grazie mille ❤️🙏🏽

Ana Luísa and Maria João .

Yes, 5 stars is not enough! i contacted davide to create a sicilian experience for myself, my father, and ma belle sœur. the challenge was my father, who has travelled extensively and has very high expectations while on vacation. davide created a fabulous 3 day itinerary — which promptly went out the window due to weather and mobility issues on our end — and yet magic happened. absolute magic! a plan b was designed behind the scenes, creating an unforgettable experience that my father has not stopped talking about since. we had an amazing time visiting beautiful places, learning about the history of sicily, and enjoying the incredible diversity of cultures through the eyes of a local. the food and the wine were outstanding! we even met davide’s local produce purveyor. it was such a rich experience!
the bespoke service davide provides is incredible. the attention to detail exceeds all expectations. the opportunity to share sicily with my father was priceless. i am so grateful! it was a privilege! grazie! grazie! grazie!

I had the pleasure of experiencing the rooftop tour in Palermo. What a fantastic guide. David was very knowledgeable and shared so much about the city and country.
The locations we went to were amazing, great views of the city, fantastic food and wine! Well worth it!
Really good way to be introduced to Palermo, I done it on my first night and it started my holiday in the best way.
Thank you!!

Upstays Tour Operator's support in Palermo was the best in order to plan exclusive itineraries!

Davide was an excellent guide during our day trip to Cefalu and Castelbuono! I cannot recommend him or his business highly enough. Davide carefully curated our day and his attention to detail was evident in the activities he planned. Based on our interests (beautiful sights, history, and food), Davide planned the perfect day for our group of four. We drove from Palermo with Davide, spending a little over two hours in the car for the day, and our drive with him was just as enjoyable as our time visiting the towns! Davide is so personable, interesting, and easy to talk to. His passion for Sicily and hospitality was infectious! In Cefalu, we strolled the streets with Davide and learned about the town's history, visiting the Cafalu Cathedral, Lavatoio Medievale, and stopping in the plaza for the best coffee granita. He then took us to Castelbuono where we ate lunch at Abbazia Santa Anastasia, a beautiful winery and resort with a focus on organic and biodynamic farming practices. We then toured the idyllic town, visiting Fiasconaro for delicious panettone, and learned about the history associated with Castello di Castelbuono. If you are planning a trip to Palermo, please consider staying and touring with Upstays. Your trip will be wonderfully enhanced and you will leave Sicily with fond memories.

My only regret is that we did not meet Davide and his team at Upstays Tours before starting our trip! During our recent visit to Palermo we used Upstays for a tour of Monreale, the Palermo Cathedral and a four course lunch overlooking the Cathedral plaza.
Their guide’s knowledge of the local area and its hidden gems was remarkable, and they made excellent recommendations for other must-visit sights and dining locations.
Tour services in Italy can be hit or miss. Later in our trip when another tour company cancelled our boat charter the evening before it was scheduled, we gave David a call on a whim and he exceeded our expectations quickly arranging another boat charter and meeting us at the pier the next morning! It was another unforgettable experience.
I cannot recommend this company enough for anyone traveling to Sicily; do you yourself a favor and only use Upstays Tours!

Had a wonderful experience exploring Sicily with Davide! He prepared a perfect itinerary for me visiting Bagheria, Cefalù, Solanto, Castelbuono, Palazzo Adriano and Prizzi, informing me at each stop about the local history and customs as well as providing plenty of information about Sicily in its entirety as well. Davide also went out of his way many times, including arranging a local to meet us in Palazzo Adriano and walk us through the town and Nuovo Cinema Paradiso museum, and finding incredible local restaurants where we had unbelievable fresh meals! I highly recommend UpStays and Davide and leave Sicily with very fond memories.

Davide was an amazing tour guide! He really made our experience at the Opera House so special. We had a personalized shopping event before the theater tour, which was so beautiful! he was knowledgeable and was simply amazing, he speaks several languages! We can not wait to plan our next trip back now knowing, Davide can show us all the local parts!

If I could give Davide six stars I would. Upstays went above and beyond to elevate our trip to Sicily. We chose the day trip to Cefalu and Monreale- beautiful seaside and mountain towns within an hourish of Palermo with two beautiful cathedrals which we toured. He arrange an amazing lunch (included) in Cefalù at a restaurant that locally sources all their ingredients and it was probably the best meal we had the whole trip.

The cherry on top- When we arrived in Palermo our luggage was lost- Davide graciously took us to the airport to look for our lost luggage (after a full 8 hour tour) and waited for us as we went through security to retrieve our bag. He was so kind and generous with his time!

Thank you so much Davide for giving us an experience of a lifetime! Kenny and I will definitely be back to see you soon, Grazie Mille.

We found Davide with Upstays through our hotel and were so glad we did! I was planning a trip to visit Caltavuturo, the small village, where my grandparents were raised. After providing Davide some general information - names and birthdates and our interests, he organized the perfect full day itinerary for a group of 10 -customized to our interests incl. meeting the town clerks who showed original records, walked through town with local historians showing us our grandparents’ place of birth, a small history museum and even a tour of the ruins of the original village from over 1000 years ago. He found a gem of a restaurant that served the most delicious dishes of the region which made us feel that we were invited to a family meal. Through his thorough research he found relatives which made the experience so memorable.
Davide’s excellent language skills and personable style allows him to connect with the guests and the different sources, researchers, restaurant hosts which makes him the best guide I have ever experienced in my 40+ years of travel.

I had relations with Enrico Todaro for a trip to Sicily for 16 people, he was incredibly polite and of a rare availability today; his preparation in this profession makes it a pleasure to organize this type of travel; we were guided in a flawless and efficient way in all organizational and logistic aspects. Thanks Enrico, as I have already told you many times, for your kindness and education as well as for your seriousness.

We had a beautiful time in Sicily thanks to Upstays! All family members had something special according to their needs.

Upstays really collect the best competences in the Tourism sector. I would recommend travelling with them through Sicily!

We have entrusted this new tour operator for the organization of a trip that included several stages: Abano terme, Padua, Venice, Murano and Burano. Excellent hotel in Abano with a fantastic SPA. We visited the most interesting places in each city, from the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua to the Basilica of San Marco with its Cavalli loggia and the Doge’s Palace in Venice. The tickets made in advance have saved us long queues at different ticket offices. Very well organized also the tour of Murano and Burano with guide. Booked also parking in Venice. Tour operator highly recommended!