Heart of Italy in 9 Days Tour

I haven't done this tour, but it really depends on your family and their interests. Cinque Terre can be very crowded at many times of year, and it is definitely no longer a quiet unknown place. Depending on when you are going it may not be the most fun, but it is a beautiful location. RS tours generally only stay in centrally located hotels. The tour itinerary tells you what you would do in Volterra:

This morning, we'll take a walking tour with a local guide who'll make
Volterra's traditions and history come alive. We'll also visit an
alabaster workshop and tour the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, one of
Italy's best places to learn about this mysterious pre-Roman
civilization. Then you'll have time to poke around the ancient lanes
on your own. We'll regroup later this afternoon to learn about and
taste some of the region's famous wines, followed by dinner on your
own.

I see you've asked about several other tour options, did none of those suit you? Have you considered the family tour which does cater to younger folks and includes Florence (but not Rome)?

We were on the Village Italy tour (somewhat overlaps this tour) which stopped in Volterra for a walking city tour. I really liked Volterra and would have preferred staying there versus Lucca. This tour was mid October and the Cinque Terra was extremely crowded, wall to wall people crowded even on the trail between Vernazza and Monterosso. Relaxing? Maybe if you spent the day on the beach. I’m sure someone else who has done this particular tour can speak to your other questions although RS doesn’t always stay in the same hotels, but they are generally small family run, clean and centrally located.
I also might add, this tour is only 9 days and RS tours usually pack a lot into each day.

Would teens (19 and 17) enjoy this trip?

No idea about your teens but my 19 y/o grand daughter would:; the 17 y/o grandson, unlikely..( just not a 'traveler")

RS touts their hotels being 'centrally located'.; that shouldn't be an issue.

Hi Angela, if you really want to read more about this tour, you can find quite a few detailed reports from scrapbooks people have submitted over the years. Just click on the link of the year and find this particular tour. Usually there are 3+ alums who have submitted their scrapbooks per year. It takes a bit of time, but you can gather quite a bit of input and read about various experiences. Plus some of the photos are wonderful! Hope this helps!

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scrapbooks/tour-alum-scrapbooks

I say just right with the caveat -- for a shorter duration tour. I was on this RST late April to early May, 2019 with my adult daughter and we had already vastly enjoyed VFR, South Italy and Sicily RSTs. The 2-night each stop pacing is bare minimum to me for not feeling terribly rushed even though that IS still fast and it really is a gem of an itinerary, giving you 2 magnificent big cities bookending a renowned Tuscan hill town and the fantastico Italian Riviera. At that time, Monterosso al Mare in Cinque Terre was not overrun with tourists / no cruise ships in port and we walked to Vernazza on a very lightly visited trail. Now, it had rained in early a.m. hours of our walk and the good folks at Albergo Amici in Monterosso (terrific spot in old town) strenuously advised us not to attempt the hike. We were careful and appropriate with our focus and pacing and ultimately had no trouble getting there and back, plus the weather turned out great by the time we were halfway to Vernazza, where we had a great visit to their harbor, got literally beachside and enjoyed an excellent pranzo. Back then our time in Rome included a Vatican Museums visit using the RS audio guide but we actually were guided by local Roman because even though the museum was typically quite busy, it wasn't a ridiculous mob scene. In Rome we stayed at Hotel Museum on Via Tunisi in the Prati rione; entrance to the VM was literally 'right there'. Enjoyed Hotel San Lino in Volterra and loved, loved, LOVED Torre Guelfa (13th-century former palazzo with wonderful rooftop terrace) in Florence. On the way to the Cinque Terre we had a stopover in Lucca and had a ball biking the ramparts. Should your teens be curious and engaged travelers with bonus points for having an interest in arts and artisanal craftsmanship, yes, they will very much enjoy this tour. Food is fantastic, gelato always available and advised and the history, culture, and physical beauty is Off. The. Charts. I vote GO. Have a great trip!

This was my first RS tour. I went with my brother, SiL and their 2 sons, ages 24 and 20. We all had a marvelous time! I wasn’t sure if the guys would enjoy the museum aspects but the guide, Trina, was a fantastic teacher and made it memorable for them. We all loved Volterra including the wine tasting and walking tour. It was a great counterpoint to hectic Rome.

We stayed an extra night in Florence and the guys headed out to a disc golf course for the day.

We also arrived a couple of nights early to Rome which was good.

BTW we chose this tour because the older nephew had exactly 2 weeks of vacation and it was perfect.

Have you browsed through the tour alumni scrapbooks? They will give you a good idea what the tour is like, the places they visit, the food they eat, etc.

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scrapbooks/tour-alum-scrapbooks

I did this 2025 and Volterra was my favorite stop. Your kids will like it if they are Twilight series fans as some filming was done there. Also the best hot chocolate I've ever had was at a small cafe by the city hall. Cinque Terra was crowded and worst hotel. The history is amazing throughout and guides were great.

Hi! I just signed up for nine day tour in September. As a solo. I have done one Rick tour in Irelandwith my sil. It was great. I did Italy on my own in 2011 for two weeks and used Rick's book. Have used Rick's books for all over Europe for almost 30 years. I am now 64.
You and your kids will love this if they love scenery. Cinque Terra is absolutely beautiful. There are four beautiful towns. I hiked it in a day at 50. It was hot in Sept, 2011. Got gatorade. Start early. Use real hiking shoes. Stopped for lunch in the town with the 300 steps. Recommend a hiking stick. My feet were sore at the end and modest shorts or capris OK. Florence is beautiful. I have done it so am famliar with it. Going across the Arno is great for supper. Volterra will be great. Tons of history. Every Rick recommended place has been just fine. Your kids will not be on internet because it is sketch. I am Liz from Missouri.

I am not retired until the end of this year and walking a ton of steps this summer!

Hi Angel,
Every Rick recommended place I have travled in Europe, Italy and Prague on my own or with a friend or family using Rick's books has been great. Not the fanciest, but family owned and nice folks. In the Netherlands, it was in home. One in Italy was in a home or pensione. I was lucky enough to do a travel abroad in college in the 80's and not fancy. College students in a room. If your kids like scenery, adventure and are flexible, they will have a wonderul time. If they are glued to the phones, probably not. In Florence, I stayed at the Rick recommended place right next to the Uffizi. I walked everywhere. Rick's picks are usually central and we do walk. In the cities, no cars in centrum. In Ireland, the weather got really bad. Bring a raincoat. My sis in law and I would not miss anything and I got a rain proof cap and the umbrellas got tossed since blown inside out. n Denmark and Norway last year, I was pretty much on m own since my family member would not get up and go. I had a Rick map and just went all over Copenhagen and Bergin, Norway. I am a huge fan of Rick Steve's trips and very excited about this one.