CIE Tours International has announced its first major expansion into new European destinations, with offerings in Iceland and Italy launching in 2019.
“For 86 years, we have built our reputation on delivering authentic Irish hospitality, leading to a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating with guests who have chosen CIE Tours for their travels in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales,” said CIE Tours CEO Elizabeth Crabill in press materials. “With the introduction of tours in Iceland and Italy, we are building experiences based on those same traits—genuine warmth, approachability, natural storytelling and immersion in local culture—in other parts of the world. In doing so, we can bring back guests who would like to repeat their CIE Tours experience in new destinations, and we can appeal to a broader market as well.”
CIE Tours’ inaugural offerings in Italy and Iceland include the 7-day Taste of Italy itinerary, the 6-day Taste of Iceland, and the 9-day Taste of Iceland and Ireland. The Taste of Italy tour focuses on Italy’s top sights, culinary highlights and hidden gems, with two nights each in Venice, Florence and Rome. Highlights range from famous attractions like the Uffizi Gallery and Colosseum to tours and tastings such as sampling regionally produced ingredients with a local chef and visiting a family-owned factory to taste Italian chocolate—an opportunity reserved exclusively for CIE Tours.
The Taste of Iceland journey takes CIE Tours’ guests to must-see sights from the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon to two national parks, waterfalls, glacial lagoons, black sand beaches and more, with plenty of tours timed around the Northern lights season. Meanwhile, the Taste of Iceland and Ireland combines explorations of CIE Tours’ newly added destination with one of its most popular tours. The Taste of Iceland and Ireland itinerary starts with three days in Iceland, where guests will take a tour through Reykjavik, visit Thingvellir National Park and Gullfoss Waterfall, plus make a stop at the Blue Lagoon and its geothermal spa before heading over to the Emerald Isle.
The Taste of Italy will be offered March through October 2019 with pricing starting at $1,899 pp dbl. The Taste of Iceland tour will run March through December 2019 with rates starting at $2,349 pp dbl, while the Taste of Iceland and Ireland itinerary will cost $2,659 pp including departures from February to December 2019.
For more information, visit cietours.com. CIE Tours has also launched new itineraries that take guests to some of the filming locations of the Netflix series “The Crown,” get the details here.
