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Did you know that in 1988 my dad built our world headquarter in New Jersey to resemble an Italian palazzo? Did you know that a former U.S. president had his offices in our building? Come on inside for a unique look at Perillo Tours, who we are and what we do.  Click here  or on the play button below. I’m taking you on a very personal tour!

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Steve’s Bio

Music, Travel, Politics and Fun!

Steve Perillo is the CEO of an international tour company by-day, and a composer by-night.

Steve heads-up PERILLO TOURS, America’s largest travel company to Italy since 1945.  He was a lifelong apprentice to the legendary Mario Perillo, Mr. Italy, and represents the 3rd generation of the family business.

While specializing  in Italy tourism, Perillo also offers vacations to Greece, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and the educational brand, LEARNING JOURNEYS .

Mr. Perillo is carrying on his father’s distinctive style of  TV commercials as CEO/spokesman for the company. In this age of large, impersonal travel conglomerates, Perillo is unique as an owner/operator who personally stands behind every vacation sold.

Perillo’s latest enterprise is ITALYVACATIONS.COM , a do-it-yourself, fully customizable travel booking engine.

Musically, Mr. Perillo’s composition studies were under the guidance of David del Tredici at Boston University.  His works are a colorful and dramatic combination of  pop, classical and 21st Century concert styles.  While eclectic, he maintains a rigorous formal technique.

Mr. Perillo’s catalog includes dozens of piano works, pop songs, a flute sonata, brass quintet, 2 wind quintets, piano trio, string quartet, 8 extended “tone poems” for large orchestra, a piano concerto and symphonies.

Meanwhile, Mr. Perillo is active in Italian and Catholic charitable organizations such as Unico, NIAF and the Sons of Italy. He’s also a major contributor to the Vatican Restoration Project in Rome. He resides in Saddle River, New Jersey.

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The Scoop: What to Know About Perillo Tours

This italy specialist also offers tours to greece, spain, and hawaii..

The Scoop: What to Know About Trafalgar Tours

• Perillo Tours is a U.S.-based tour operator specializing in guided trips to Italy.
• Here’s everything you need to know—updated for 2024—about Perillo Tours to decide if it the tour company is a good fit for you.

Perillo Tours is an Italy-focused tour specialist for travelers coming from North America. Started in 1945 and operated by three generations of the same Italian-American family, Perillo has folks on the ground in both the U.S. and Italy. In more recent decades, the tour company has offers guided tours to Hawaii, Spain, and Greece in addition to its signature Italy tours.

TourScoop Takeaways

• Countries: Italy, Greece, Spain, and Hawaii
• Tour size: Up to 40 passengers
• Tour types: Group coach tours and private group coach tours

Credibility Check

On the USTOA (U.S. Tour Operators Association) and Travelstride site, Perillo gets 4.8 out of 5 . Perillo is not BBB accredited but earns an A+ rating from the organization.

Tour Destinations

Perillo is best known as an Italy specialist, with tours that range from nine to 15 days all across Italy. The company also offers a limited number of itineraries to Greece and Spain. And for 30 years, Perillo has also been hosting guided tours to Hawaii.

Perillo’s group Italy tours focus on either a geographical region or a theme. So for instance, you could opt for a tour that focuses exclusively on Rome and the Amalfi Coast, or Sicily and Italy’s South; or you could choose a themed tour like Renaissance and let the topic take you to cities (like Florence) that were important during the period. Some tours are more food-focused (for instance, Green Heart of Italy) but all Perillo tours are focused on good food experiences.

COMFORT AND STYLE: How to Choose the Best Walking Shoes for Travel

Perillo’s Greece tour itineraries are more limited in number, but most offer a mix of land and sea excursions. The company currently offers just one Spain tour, a 13-day trip that covers much of the country. Perillo’s Hawaii tours focus on multi-island excursions that give travelers an easy way to experience the different islands of Hawaii on one itinerary. Hawaii tours range from about nine to 13 days.

Tour Guides

Perillo uses both tour directors and local guides, and both must pass a rigorous series of written and oral exams before becoming Perillo tour guides. According to Perillo: “This is a very difficult process, with approximately only one in 10 applicants passing the examinations.” And All Perillo guides are trained in the “Perillo style of ‘over-the-top’ guest service.”

Excursions/Extras

Perillo tour prices include hotels, sightseeing with expert guides, transfers, baggage handling, daily breakfast, select scheduled meals, tips, taxes, and complimentary WiFi on all Perillo coach buses. While Perillo does offer competitive airfare, it’s not included in the base price of the tour.

READY FOR ADVENTURES: Best Tour Companies for Older Travelers

There are often additional optional activities offered at (a fair and modest) extra cost during tour free time. Examples of such extras include a gondola serenade in Venice, the Illuminated Rome at Night experience, a Lake Como boat cruise, and a visit to Villa D’Este in Tivoli.

Typical Travelers

The majority of Perillo Tours’ guests fall in the 59-77 age range, and most are from the United States. Perillo Tours are popular with couples, but about 13% of tour travelers are solo travelers.

SOLO BUT NOT ALONE: 10 Best Tour Companies for Solo Travelers

Communication

Perillo communications come via via phone, email and website. Payment reminders and alerts are emailed. Final documents are mailed along with baggage tags, instructions with a travel wallet, and a travel pouch.

Loyalty Program

Perillo offers a discount, a special gift, and best available rooms for repeat travelers.

Private Options

Perillo Tours, offers private escorted tours for groups with a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 people. These tours are popular with multigenerational and extended families, and groups of close friends. Eight of Perillo’s signature itineraries are available as private tours, and all feature hand-selected, immersive experiences like olive oil and wine tasting in Tuscany, private boat rides around Capri, and parmigiano cheese sampling in Parma. 

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Perillo Tours: 70 Years Selling Italy

Perillo Tours, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, has found success by keeping up with the times while not straying far from its core focus: escorted travel to Italy. Founded as a travel agency by Joseph Perillo just after World War II, the then Perillo and Sons began as a general purpose agency, primarily serving Italian immigrants who wanted to take a trip back to their native country. The small family business located in a Bronx storefront evolved into a successful international tour company under Joseph’s son Mario. Travel Market Report recently sat down with Steve Perillo, Mario’s son and the current president of Perillo Tours, to get his take on the company’s past, present and future. What led your grandfather, Joseph Perillo, to get into the travel business? Perillo: My grandfather had gone to law school back in Naples, but he couldn’t practice law in New York. What he did instead was help his fellow immigrants in the Bronx with things like real estate deals and travel arrangements, mostly writing steamship tickets. How and why did the travel agency make the transition to tour operator? Perillo: My father Mario, who joined the agency in 1950, said ‘Why are we doing customized trips? Why don’t we do group tours instead?’ He could see that as a travel agency there was no way to a sell a lot of units of the same product and make serious money. He saw group tours as way to do this. The advent of jet aircraft made this possible. All of a sudden you could get from New York to Rome in eight hours, about the same time it takes today. How does the business look now compared with when your grandfather launched his business in 1945? Perillo: When my grandfather started, it took weeks just to set up a few nights in Rome. He used a telex machine to set up land arrangements. Everything, including the way currency exchange was handled, was extremely slow. Another big difference is that people were less sophisticated. The World War II generation didn’t expect gourmet meals and high-quality hotels. Tours were for 55 people riding a big bus with the luggage tied on the top. Everyone ate in a big mess hall. What travelers want today has not changed all that much. They still want to enjoy the food and wine and see the sights, but they want a better version. They don’t want a mass-market experience. They want authenticity. What do you consider the most significant changes affecting the travel industry since you’ve been in business? Perillo: The two biggest things are jet aircraft and the Internet – they both changed everything. The internet has democratized the whole product side of travel. It’s leveled the playing field between big and little companies. You can Google the words ‘Italy’ and ‘travel’ and find everything out. Back in 1985, your option was to read a travel magazine and learn about a couple of products. Agents were really hit in the beginning by the Internet, but this has reversed. Now the Internet is so vast that people have discovered they need someone to help them interpret it. So agents are back and needed more than ever. In particular, how has travel to Italy changed over the years? Perillo: The places where people want to go in Italy have not changed as much as you might think. They still want Rome, Florence and Venice. The vast majority of Americans have never been to Italy, so they still want the basics. What has made travel to Italy more challenging are the crowds from cruise ships pouring into the destinations. So we put a lot effort into working around the crowds and avoiding the lines. We also strive to provide more authentic experiences – things like private Vatican tours, cooking and language classes. Italy has stayed your primarily focus over the years. Why? Perillo: I swear by having a niche, which is also good advice for travel agents. It’s hard to compete with the big mass-market companies, so you need to become an expert on a specific thing.   We do have a few other destinations – in particular, we’ve had success with Hawaii, Greece and Puerto Rico – which has been good for our repeat customers. But Italy remains at the center. It’s the perfect travel product. It’s incredibly rich with experiences all in a compact area. How do you work with travel agents? Do you also sell directly to consumers? Perillo: Agents have always been the majority of our sales. We do a little more direct business with consumers than other tour operators, but our ads always say “see your travel agent.” My grandfather was into radio early on, even back when the whole idea of direct marketing to consumers was a rare idea. He could see the value of it, despite the expense. You have control over your brand. Most of the time consumers go to the travel agent anyway, but marketing plants the seed in their minds. What new products are you developing? Perillo: Learning Journeys is our most important new venture. The idea is to help people come home with something more than when they left. A few years ago we noticed we were doing a lot of business with schools and businesses that want to learn specific things, especially language classes. So we started thinking about packaging this for the general public. Health and wellness is one focus, especially yoga, which is really on fire now. Cooking is another big one. Language, photography, and birding are others. Learning Journeys is still in its infant stage. We’re seeing which topics are taking off, so we can determine which can be operating as group tours with specific dates. Who is the Perillo customer today? Perillo: We do a lot of multi-generational family travel in the summer, but our big audience is really upper middle-class empty nesters in their 50s and 60s. Our customer base has shifted to the baby boomer generation. We always wondered if they would want to get on a bus and tour around. It turns out they do.

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Rick Steves vs. Perillo Tours

I am an avid Rick Steves fan--although I have never taken one of his tours (I did do an escorted tour of Italy in 2014).

I am looking at revisiting Italy again in 2019, and am considering either a Rick Steves tours or a Perillo Tours. I like Rick Steves tours for the reasons that many of you have listed on this forum before--but I REALLY like Perillo tour specifically for the Vatican/Vatican Museum tour in Rome and the fact that they do Venice/Rome and Amalfi coast itinery (my favorite place in Italy).

My specific question is to those of you that have taken both a RS tour and also a Perillo tour. What are the differences? What were you likes/dislikes?

Thank you in advance!

Have not taken either, but could you do the RS tour and tack on a couple of nights to hire a guide to tour the Vatican/Saint Peter's? And perhaps a couple of nights in Venezia at the beginning of your trip, if the tour you choose doesn't go there?

I am thinking that neither tour will spend enough time in the Amalfi Coast if that's your favorite place in Italy.

I've taken 7 Rick Steve's tours. They appeal to me for a number of reasons: 1) small groups.The largest we've had is 28. On the bus this means you really get to spread out. And it's pretty easy to meet everyone. 2) they are very physically active. Even though we are well into our 60's we are very active, enjoy walking and the RS tours emphasize that. 3) culturally oriented. You get to see many sites and get a great historical perspective. 4) great guides. This is a key point. These folks are tops. Here is what you don't get: 1) tipping-its all included. 2)Optional this and that with more money due. What you see is what you get so read the description. 3) shopping excursions. You will have some time but these are not tours for shoppers. 4) 5 star hotels. The hotels are adequate places to lay your head down and that is about it; some exceptions and on recent tours we've had some real winners.

Hi Robin: I have taken both a Perillo tour (2002) and multiple RS tours (11 and counting). My thoughts will echo many of those posted by Alan, but here goes!

Would you rather be lead around by a guide with 50 people or half that number? With Perillo, you'll follow the umbrella as one of many, recognizing some of your "family" (that is what we were called on our trip), but with RS, you'll be in a group of about 24-28 people who you will meet and talk with and maybe even pal around with during free time. People mixed with each other more with RS than with Perillo.

Do you want to know the price before you take your trip or not? With RS, the price is up front and the only extras are what you choose to do on your own. With Perillo, early on the guide will discuss all the extras and the additional costs ($50-$200 depending on the excursion). That can add up.

Do you want to go-go-go or take it easy? Both give you the option of skipping activities. With RS, typically there is free time built into each day (less so on traveling days) and it is your choice on what you want to do with the time. Some enjoy sitting and people watching while others prefer to see as much as they can. And while you can do some of that with Perillo.....

Do you want to learn how to use local transportation and have your hotel in a location where you actually can get out and see the sights? This is one of the biggest decision points for me. Perillo often will have your hotels farther out from the city, in hotels that are more corporate/generic to appeal to the masses. RS will use smaller, centrally located hotels, filled with quirks. Some people like that and others don't. The RS guide will give an orientation walk, showing you where and how to take the bus/metro and how to navigate and stay safe. With Perillo, people just stayed with the group and guide and didn't venture far away (not that they couldn't).

Agreeing with Alan on the rest of his points. :) Hope this long-winded post helps you decide!

Have you looked at Odysseys Unlimited Portrait of Italy Tour?

It goes to Venice, Rome and Amalfi, among others, and is a small group tour like RS. I have never traveled with them but am considering another one of their tours.

They were staying at the same hotel in Orvieto as the RS group I was in and they seemed very social amongst themselves and the couple I spoke to were enjoying the tour.

Sue, thank you so much for your assessment of the Perillo tours! I have looked at them every now and then but with your observations I can tell they would not be for me.

I agree with Frank. Odysseys has some great tours. We have done 3 with them and 3 with RS. The price for Odysseys includes your airfare. If you book your own airfare, the cost of the Odysseys tour is adjusted accordingly. Neither of them include your drinks except on a rare occasion. Odysseys encourages you to tip the guide. I factor that into the price. Odysseys stays at some really nice hotels. RS hotels are just fine but not as fancy as Odysseys. The guides are top notch with both companies. On RS, you have to handle your own luggage. On Odysseys, we never touched our luggage except at our home airport. Both companies include tips for restaurants, porters, etc. I choose these tours based on the itinerary. Both are small group tours (less than 28 people). You need to be able to walk on both of these tour companies. They can be physically taxing.

Echoing what Sue said above. I have flipped through Perillo tour brochures, but I am now confident I'm good with other options. Thanks!!

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.

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From Fatima to Rome to Ephesus: A Pilgrimage of Miracles

St. Ignatius of Antioch was the first to refer to the struggling Christian movement as the Catholic Church - the ‘universal church’. The tours here follow the fulfillment of this idea through the evangelism and miracles of the Saints, to become the largest faith on earth.

Unlike our scheduled tours to Italy, these are ‘suggestions’ that can be modified to your group’s taste. They have been road-tested by countless groups over our 80 year history.

Pilgrimage tours are usually initiated by your local parish priest. But anyone with faith, friends and a little fortitude can form a group of 12 or more travelers. And the group leader can often travel at a deep discount, or for free!

Perillo’s Faith Group agents are all veterans and will work closely with you before, during and after your trip. The process usually goes accordingly:

• Choose from our itineraries or create your own.
• Decide on your departure date.
• Modify the itinerary, if desired.
• Pay as a group or individually.
• We’ll arrange your group air . . . and we’re off!

The tours are all fully-escorted by Catholic tour leaders and local expert guides. Breakfast and dinner is often served daily with a few ‘free nights’.We can also arrange for Mass to be said each morning in the hotel, or at a local church.

Sure, you can enjoy a beach vacation or a cruise. This is different. We are proposing a life-changing journey that you will never forget.

Steve Perillo CEO Perillo Tours

The Catholic Church Jubilee, occurring every 25 years, is a significant event in the Church's tradition. Pilgrims undertake journeys to designated holy sites, often in Rome, seeking grace and spiritual growth.

The concept traces its roots to the Biblical tradition of the Jubilee Year in Leviticus (Chapter 25). Through rituals, prayer, and charitable acts, the Catholic Church uses the Jubilee to foster spiritual and communal unity, reflecting its commitment to faith, mercy, and renewal.

Following his last great missionary journey, Apostle Paul returns to Jerusalem and faces arrest. Transported to the Roman provincial capital of Caesarea, he undergoes trial and is eventually sent as a prisoner to Rome to appear before the emperor’s court.

The narrative in the Acts of the Apostles vividly recounts Paul's perilous voyage to Rome, including a shipwreck in Malta, supported by rich historical detail. This passage stands out in the New Testament, boasting a compelling evidential confirmation of its historical accuracy.

In Acts 16, prompted by a vision, Paul ventures to Macedonia. In Philippi, they convert Lydia, heal a tormented girl, and face imprisonment, leading to the conversion of their jailer. Acts 17 sees Paul preaching in Thessaloniki, encountering opposition, and seeking refuge in Berea. Trouble persists, and Paul is sent to Athens, where he delivers the renowned "Areopagus sermon." In Acts 18, after Corinthian work, Paul sails to Syria, stopping briefly in Ephesus. His encounters reveal the challenges and triumphs of spreading the Gospel.

A transformative pilgrimage visiting Vatican City's spiritual treasures. Attend a papal audience! Discover Rome's sacred landmarks like St. Mary Major Basilica and catacombs before journeying south to Monte Cassino and San Giovanni Rotondo, the birthplace of St. Padre Pio.

Experience profound moments at Padre Pio's tomb and the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Then, venture to Lanciano and Loreto, witnessing Eucharistic miracles and the Holy House of Nazareth. Conclude in Međjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, embracing spiritual growth and Our Lady's presence atop Apparition Hill.

Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione in 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy, led an extraordinary life marked by mystical experiences and deep devotion to God.

Ordained as a Capuchin friar in 1910, he gained widespread recognition for bearing the stigmata— wounds resembling those of Christ. Despite controversy and scrutiny from church authorities, he was canonized a saint in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. His legacy endures through the global popularity of the Padre Pio devotion and the healing miracles attributed to him.

How did Italy become the home of the Catholic Church? If Christianity was to grow, it had to first conquer the world’s most dominant city – Rome! The deaths of Peter and Paul in Rome reinforced its significance. Peter is considered the first Pope. The Bishop of Rome, later known as the Pope, gradually asserted pre-eminence over other bishops, symbolizing Rome’s centralized authority.

St. John Paul II, original name Karol Józef Wojtyła (canonized April 27, 2014), was the bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005.

Maria Faustyna Kowalska, also known as Saint Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, was a Polish Roman Catholic nun and mystic. Her visions of Jesus Christ inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of "Secretary of Divine Mercy.

Peter baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius, traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity, in Acts 10. Based on this, the Antioch church was founded. It is also believed that it was there that the term Christian was coined. Christianity arrived on the Italian peninsula in the first century, probably by unknown travelers, traders or soldiers. The Letter to the Romans of Paul the Apostle is addressed and attests to the presence of Roman Christians in the first century. Christians in Rome were also in touch with St. Peter and St.

The Passion of Christ is a sacred play performed by the villagers of Sordevolo, Italy, every five years since 1816. The play is an open-air theater that puts on a dramatic presentation of Christ's suffering, death, and trial. The play features actors, extras, musicians, and stage operators, and takes place from June to September, with 400 people participating three nights a week.

A shrine to the Virgin Mary, or Marian shrine, is where an apparition or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary occurred. There are Marian shrines all around the world, but especially important sites are in France and Spain.

Embarking on a pilgrimage through the ancient lands of Turkey and Greece is not merely a travel itinerary; it is a transformative spiritual journey that resonates deeply with Christians. These regions, steeped in biblical history, offer a unique opportunity to trace the footsteps of the Apostle Paul and explore the seven churches of Revelation. We finish with 4-days in Rome, the majestic seat of the Catholic Church.

This pilgrimage offers a profound Catholic journey through Poland and the Czech Republic. Highlights include visits to Kraków's spiritual landmarks, such as Wawel Cathedral and the International Shrine of Spirituality. Day trips to Częstochowa honor the Black Madonna and Auschwitz pay homage to St. Maximilian Kolbe. In Kraków, the Divine Mercy Shrine and Wieliczka Salt Mines deepen our faith.

THE SHRINES WE’LL BE VISITING:

Rome: St. Peter's Basilica: The epicenter of the Catholic Church, housing the tomb of St. Peter.

Basilica of St. John Lateran: The oldest of the four major basilicas in Rome, known as the cathedral of the Pope.

Assisi: Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi: A UNESCO World Heritage site, it houses the tomb of St. Francis and features beautiful frescoes.

Loreto: Basilica della Santa Casa: Enshrines the Holy House believed to be the house of the Virgin Mary, miraculously transported from Nazareth.

St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) undertook extensive travels, forsaking wealth for a life of humility and service to God. His pilgrimage to Rome secured papal approval for the Franciscan Order. Journeying to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade, he sought peace with the Muslim Sultan.

Cyprus was Paul’s first site on his missionary path. The island was ruled by the Ptolemies of Egypt until it was annexed by Rome in 58 BC. Many of its rock-cut tombs follow Egypt’s peristyle fashion. Mark Antony gave the island to Cleopatra as a wedding gift, but it was restored as a Roman province after the Battle of Actium (31 BC).

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