TESTIMONIALS & REVIEWS OF OUR TOURS
David has planned and led tours in Europe for more than two decades. Thousands of happy and satisfied tour alumni have submitted honest and unedited comments about their tour experiences. They appear in chronological order here.
The Scotland /Wales trip was wonderful. Scotland is so beautiful, and we loved the small towns where we stayed. Dave was a great guide and so willing to help us in whatever we needed. Ian was a great driver and so nice. His van was super comfortable. We really enjoyed getting to meet Jan and Bobby on the trip and finding out that they had known you for years. They are special people, and we hope they had an enjoyable time in London.
Thanks for doing the trip for such a small group, and I know we all felt that we were very blessed because of it.
We participated in the Best of Italy tour in June of 2026. This was our first David McGuffin tour, and certainly not our last. We were blessed to have an exceptional tour manager throughout our trip. Ilaria Mercuri was a gem! Not only did she provided insightful information about the places we visited, but she was also very flexible and accommodating to our needs and preferences. She became family! We can't imagine having this unique experience without her. Transportation between and within the cities was flawlessly arranged. We had two drivers in particular that really stood out (Angelo and Enzo). They were very personable and courteous. Each destination we visited was unique and had its own charm. Our accommodations were excellent! The dining experiences were carefully curated to showcase the local cuisine of each region. It took the pressure of "guessing" off, and enriched our experience. Our experience with the local guides began with Giulia, who was truly a wealth of knowledge, as she showed us around the Vatican. This was followed by Annie in Volterra who gave us an unbelievable historical presentation of this unique Tuscan city, culminating in a delightful wine tasting in a local tavern. Our final interaction with local guides was with Paola in Florence, who introduced us to so many incredible facts and nuances of the culture, including our first "wine window" experience. These local experts enriched our visits to this beautiful country. Every time we encountered a new location, it was definitely a "wow" moment for us. David gave us valuable information prior to and throughout our trip. This helped us prepare for what to expect on our trip. It also included important reminders to include when packing. We couldn't have asked for a better experience to commemorate our 32 wedding anniversary! Bucket list... CHECKED!!
We had an amazing time on this tour of London, Paris, and Rome! My husband, our grown daughter, and I loved the combination of guided sightseeing and free time to explore on our own.
The walking tours covered all of the must-see sites in each city, and we learned so much from the guides. A special thank you to our tour directors, Jamie and Leslie, who were absolutely wonderful. They were organized, knowledgeable, friendly, and always attentive to everyone in the group. They made the trip run smoothly and helped create such a fun, welcoming atmosphere. The local guides in each city were also excellent and shared fascinating history and stories that made every stop more meaningful.
We enjoyed delicious meals throughout the trip and appreciated having enough free time to wander, shop, and discover places on our own. We also had the pleasure of traveling with two other families, and getting to know them made the experience even more enjoyable.
The only minor disappointment was that our hotel in Paris wasn’t quite as nice as the accommodations in London and Rome. Even so, it was a small part of an otherwise fantastic experience.
This tour exceeded our expectations, and we came home with wonderful memories of three incredible cities. We would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a well-organized, enjoyable, and memorable European vacation. Thank you, Jamie and Leslie, for making our trip so special!
I can't thank David enough for an amazing trip! His knowledge of everywhere we went was terrific. He also had locals to do various tours and driving either around the island or Pompeii and Amalfi coast. The group was fun and easy going. I think that was my favorite part, we had a schedule, but we weren't over scheduled. It was a great mix of planned activities and time to explore, rest or whatever on our own. David helped to make this a fantastic trip! The best part was I didn't have to plan it or figure out how to get around. Will I use David's company, absolutely!
We took the Sicily and Amalfi/Islands tours back-to-back. Both were outstanding. Every time we saw a line of visitors with headphones following a guide with a flag on a stick we were reminded just how different the experience with David McGuffin's Exploring Europe (DMEE) is from other tours. Our travels with DMEE were very personal. The pace was comfortable and we were able to pause where we wanted to linger, plus we had plenty of time to wander about on our own.
Sicily was Italian, yet different. It seemed each city or area we visited had its own charm. The architecture, customs, people, and cuisine were so lovely. From the backstreet ristorante David knew about in Palermo to the views from Erice, the Dorian Temples in Agrigento, the passiggiata in Taormina, our Sicilian experience was outstanding!
Amalfi/Islands was very interesting too! Ischia has a beautiful castle and gardens to explore. Our group enjoyed a stunning view from the rooftop terrace, where we gathered for some relaxation time together. Procida was packed with stunning vistas, cultural uniqueness, and incredibly talented drivers, navigating the insanely narrow streets. Our favorite memory of Capri was boat ride that circled the island. Just beautiful.
The time in Sorrento included a drive along the world-famous Amalfi Coast Road…which was a great experience. But the best experience we had on the entire trip was our pizza cooking class.
Thank you DMEE for making this a truly once in a lifetime experience. If you’re thinking about a trip to Europe, you must contact DMEE! They treat you like family every step of the way! Ciao!
For my wife and I, this was our fifth McGuffin tour — and we look forward to more. Visiting the great archaeological sites of Greece was even more memorable than we expected. David gave us plenty of time at Delphi, Olympia, Epidavrus, Mycenae and Akrotiri to enjoy the experience at our own pace. And he hired an excellent Greek guide at the Parthenon to help us understand and appreciate the temple (and its amazing museum.) Napflio and Hydra are charming towns where we loved to roam around on foot, and Santorini’s views are unforgettable. As always, David knows how to choose a restaurant for a delicious dinner — plus our hotels were comfortable, had a lot of character, and provided excellent breakfasts!
Thank you so much for such a lovely trip! I certainly enjoyed your guidance and care. The manner of care that you and Charlotte gave us was outstanding in every way. I, especially, appreciated your patience in my being so slow and tiring easily. After having fallen the week before the trip, I was so nervous that I would fall again.
The tours on our day trips to Florence and the other small towns gave such a wonderful insight into the history and culture of Italy.
My favorite place was Marcampo and meeting Claudia and her mom. The cooking class and the evening wine sharing were a highlight. Volterra had so much history I've never heard before. The views were so dramatic. Your selection of good restaurants took the worry out of finding a decent place to eat which all of my meals were excellent.
Your sharing somewhere special to you made the whole experience a lifetime event for me. I felt like family. You both are so very special in just being you!! Thanking you again for such a unique experience!
First, I would like to say that the Best of Ireland 12-day tour we took from October 12-24, 2025, was really fantastic. The itinerary was perfect for the opportunity to see all the “must see” sights in Ireland. The start of the tour in Belfast is a wise choice; it gave us the opportunity to end the trip in Dublin after seeing to country which gave a better perspective of the history of the island.
The hotels were perfect in that they were located in the cities which made it possible to explore around the towns then have dinner and drinks.
Finally, and most important, our tour guide and driver, David Grey, was absolutely wonderful.
I cannot say enough kind words and accolades about David. The tour would not have been as memorable without his sense of humor, great insights and his general caring of us as guests in his country. It was an honor and a privilege to get to know David. David took the time to get to know all his guests and would ask us what our interests and needs were.
David also stopped at a few places not on the itinerary which allowed us a better insight into the country. It was great to see the bridge from the John Wayne movie, The Quiet Man, and visiting St. Brigid’s Well in Liscannor was memorable.
I mentioned to David in passing how I would like to try some poteen after having a drink in Kilkenny. David went out of his way to obtain some local poteen for all the tour guests to have a toast after our memorable Italian dinner. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
It was our great pleasure to travel with David & Charlotte for the 3rd time. Our tour which began in Budapest, Hungary ended in Dubrovnik, Croatia. This tour was atypical as we began w a bus and boarded a yacht halfway through. Budapest was nice, but the Croatian island ports were stunning. Plitvice National Park and the tour with a ranger was a highlight as well. We absorbed a remarkable amount of history and saw vineyards, a century's old winery and midieval villages. We traveled with a group of 8 friends and family which was an added bonus! It was also wonderful to be hosted on this tour by our new Croatian friends, Kruno & Suzanna! Thanks again, David!
My husband and I toured southern Ireland and Scotland. It was a celebration of our 30th anniversary. I know many have mentioned David Grey but he was amazing His flexbility , knowledge and overall character made the trip. We also enjoyed the Scotland driver- Ian who had a wonderful personality . The group dinner selections did not disappoint. Amazing food . We felt like we saw so much of both countries and enjoyed having it all planned where to go .
Accademia Museum in Florence
Accademia Museum in Florence
Bewley's Oriental Cafe - Dublin
Chianti Classico in Greve, Italy
Ristorante Del Duca, Volterra Italy
Dublin Guinness Storehouse
Villa Cooking Class
Pompeii, Italy
Kilkenny Ireland Dinner
Siena Lunch
Sleahead Dingle Peninsula Ireland
Strasbourg Dinner
Triberg Falls Germany
Urquhart Castle Scotland