Quarter in Review: April | May | June

Venice. Best of Italy tour

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Last updated:
01.07.2019

Another quarter of the year has passed, and we meet again to evaluate what was it like to be part of Firebird the past three months. The first thing you would probably notice is the change in the design of the website, which is a good clue of what we have been up to lately.

Also, there are plenty of other questions we should address like which tours were most popular during April, May, and June, or have we managed to surpass the number of itineraries designed in the last quarter. So let's start with an overview of popular programs.

Most popular tours of the quarter

When it comes to popular tours, as much as we'd like to surprise you by announcing that this quarter we saw countries like Croatia or Luxemburg topping our popularity charts, unfortunately, we can't. The chart leaders were the classic unbeatable trio - Scandinavia, Russia, and Italy, with stunning Norway beating the competition.

However, on the bright side, British and Irish tours were on the rise too:

  1. Definitive Norway - The perfect small group tour for all wishing to see the magnificent fjords in Norway and learn about the country's Viking legacy. Are you ready to explore 6 cities in 9 days?
  2. Treasures of Two Capitals - If you are considering traveling to Russia for the first time, this private tour is the best choice for you. Explore all the must-sees and discover Russian heritage in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
  3. Scandinavian Capitals & Fjords - For those who can't decide which country in Scandinavia they'd like to visit the most, we present you the ultimate 10-day Scandinavian itinerary to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
  4. Best of Italy - 11 days, 5 cities, 5-star hotels - these are the numbers you should go for if you are dreaming about Italy. This private tour to Venice, Florence, Rome, the Vatican, and Sorrento is everyone's favorite this quarter.
  5. Scotland Discovery - Whether you believe in Loch Ness or not, visiting the legendary lake is a must for every traveler. Spend 9 days in Scotland and unravel the mysterious beauty of this part of the Kingdom.
  6. Ireland in a Nutshell - From the famous Guinness factory in Dublin to the wild and unforgettable Irish dancing night - experience it all first-hand during the 8-day private tour to Ireland.

Itineraries created: 3.177

If you are reading this blog it means one of the following things. You are either a traveler, who has requested or already received an itinerary designed by one of our travel experts. Or you are a fellow travel agent that has created many itineraries yourself.

In either case, we believe you understand how many hours creating a travel itinerary can take. In the past three months, our team has been breaking a sweat preparing more than 3 thousand travel itineraries for our clients. If we didn't guess right and you have no idea what we are talking about, sign up to receive an itinerary tailored to your interests.

What's new in our tours

Let's cut to the chase, the past three months were extremely active in our Product Development Department, they have rolled out fantastic thematic and relevant tours that undoubtedly need a mention.

There is something for every cup of tea, choose your :

  1. We have launched a new category for tours: small private groups. For instance, Sicily for Your Private Group is designed for the ultimate comfort of traveling with extended family from 5 to 10 people.
  2. Brand new scenic tours in Iberia:
    • Hiking Adventure in Portugal - 2-6 travelers can experience the beauty of Portugal, on a private hiking journey spending 6 days in Porto and 3 days in Braga.
    • Luxury Presidential Train Ride (Portugal) - feel like royalty riding an award-winning luxurious train, offering exclusive gastronomic experience too.
    • Andalusia Luxury Train Journey (Spain) - another perfect tour for train lovers, this time taking you and fellow travelers onboard the Al Andalus Touristic Train to explore the picturesque Spanish landscapes.
  3. Theme tours for Italy have also been added to the current list:
    • Motor Valley Discovery Tour - a treat for a luxury cars admirers. During the 6-days in Italy, you would discover how Maserati, Ferrari, Panini, Ducati, and Lamborghini cars are made.
    • The Best of the Motor Valley - one-day shorter program, but including a stay in the thematic Ferrari Hotel.
    • The Da Vinci Legacy Tour - a program designed in honor of the 500-year anniversary since the great mind passed away. Discover his masterpieces during your time in Milan and Florence.
  4. Latest programs in Central Europe and Germany feature Jewish heritage:
    • Jewish Heritage in Central Europe - get ready to dedicate 11 days to exploring European cultures and diving into the Jewish history in Germany, Austria, and Poland.
    • Jewish Heritage in Germany - Berlin, Leipzig, and Munich are full of monuments to honor the history of the Jewish nation, discover them all in 8 days.
  5. Game of Thrones tours in Spain:
  6. New programs to Central Asia, South East Asia, and Serbia, some of the popular choices include:
    • Best of Vietnam - 9 days exploring Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Ming treasures of Vietnam, include a water puppet show and 2-hour cruise.
    • Cambodia Discovery - see the best of Cambodia during our private tour 5-day to two gems of the country - Siem Reap, Phnom Penh.
    • Gems of Serbia - spend a week touring destination that is at the crossroads of Central Europe and the Balkans.
  7. Last but not least, the trending Chernobyl is now available in Ukraine tour too: Uncovering Kiev and Chernobyl.

Other updates include a new tour in Japan and Scotland as well as couple of small group tour additions for Italy. The updates keep coming in almost daily, so stay in the loop by following us on social media (links are at the footer of the page).

Travel advice shared over the past few months

During the past few months our blog was updated only a few times but with quality travel advice for Sicily with a post titled "Top Things to Do in Sicily". Travelers considering Denmark as their next destination got to learn "What is Denmark Known for?" and those dreaming about Austria had a chance to read a well-rounded post on Austria's most renowned attractions with advice on top things to do, taste, and the places to visit.

While the blog was quiet for some time, our Youtube channel was buzzing with new content. During the last three months, our subscribers watched more than 10 travel guides including popular destinations of Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and others.

Review of the Quarter

Lori Ann came back from a private tour to Sicily and shared their opinion:

"We booked the "Discovering Italy: From Venice to Sicily" with Firebird Tours and had an outstanding experience. Monika our representative really listened to our "wish list" and made our Italy dream vacation come true. Every single logistic detail (hotel/train/plane/driver) was scheduled according to OUR travel plans and was perfect. The hotels selected were centrally located, train and plane tickets were delivered prior to the start of our vacation, and drivers/tour guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and on time. We especially enjoyed the flexibility of scheduling tours through Firebird, while also allowing free days for our own exploration of Italy's wondrous villages. Firebird Tours was able to accommodate our special requests for a stop in Lucca and arranged all the transportation (driver and boat tickets) for a perfect day trip to Volcano Island. It was a pleasure working with Monika, our Firebird representative, and she made certain everything was arranged well in advance. Our trip was outstanding and we are already planning our next adventure with Firebird. " - Lori Ann review on Trustpilot.

To summarize, the past three months were intense, we redesigned our websites, created many new tours, crafted more than three thousand itineraries, and just been going the extra mile to ensure our travelers have the best experience while on our tours. It was nice catching up with you, let's talk again at the beginning of October!