Exploring Italy’s Hidden Gems: An Interview with Travel Curator Danielle Cohen

Discover how Danielle Cohen, a California native turned Florence resident, curates authentic Italian experiences. From hidden gems in Tuscany to mindful travel tips, she offers insights on creating personalized itineraries and digital maps that help travelers connect with Italy's local culture and cuisine.

Liv Coning

Marketing Lead

Exploring Italy’s Hidden Gems: An Interview with Travel Curator Danielle Cohen

Oct 18 2024

Meet Danielle Cohen, a travel expert who brings Italian adventures to life.

In this interview, Danielle shares her journey from studying abroad in Florence to becoming an Italy-based travel curator, her passion for authentic Italian experiences, and offers insights into her curated itineraries and digital maps for travelers seeking to explore Italy's hidden gems.

What was it about Florence during your 2016 study abroad that made you fall in love with the city, and how did that experience shape your decision to move back?

When I was in university I randomly chose Florence, Italy to study abroad for 3 months during the summer. I had never been to Italy before, but felt drawn to it for some reason. Once I arrived, I instantly fell in love with Italy, and traveled extensively around the country, but Florence had a hold on me. There was just something about the beauty, the history, and the simplicity of being able to walk everywhere, the delicious cuisine, and being surrounded by the heart of the Renaissance.

After I graduated university and moved back to San Diego, I continued to travel back to Italy as often as I could, discovering new destinations each time, but always returning "home" to Florence for at least part of my trip. Every time I returned home, I felt myself being drawn to Florence and told everyone I would move there one day, which eventually happened about 3 years later. The city just has this kind of charm to it, and I really try to help my clients have this same experience when they visit.

How did living in Italy during the pandemic change your perspective on travel, and what were some of the hidden gems you discovered during this time of slow travel?

It wasn't an easy transition to move to a foreign country completely alone, and especially moving just months before a pandemic. However, I spent my time alone researching all the destinations I wanted to go and started getting into designing dream travel itineraries. It was my way to burn time but gave me something to look forward to, as a Sagittarius that is never satisfied with sitting still and always has to keep travelling.

When our first lockdown was lifted and we were allowed to travel only within our region, for me, Tuscany, I took the time to deeply discover my region. Tuscany is gorgeous, and one of the most common mistakes people make when visiting Florence, is saying, "I want to visit Tuscany" when they're already there. Tuscany is a region, and Florence is a city within that region. People hear Tuscany and assume that means the countryside, but Tuscany is huge and so I was fortunate to spend that time finding new, off the beaten path places in Tuscany, such as the beautiful islands like Elba and Giglio, that I now go to as often as I can.

During this time of slow travel, I started to make deep connections with my new country, and discovered more local experiences, like visiting a cashmere goat farm in Chianti and wine tasting by hiking through the Chianti wine region. The more we were restricted to traveling only in Italy, the more I continued to fall in love with my new home. I traveled two weeks around Sicily, and two weeks in Puglia, relying solely on public transit, and was enamoured by the flavors of these new regions.

The greatest thing I learned about slow travel is the longer you stay in a place, the more you will learn and find its charm. I think the biggest mistake people make when visiting Italy is trying to hit everything in one week, which is impossible. Italy for example is a country made up of about 20 regions, and each of those regions has an incredibly different cuisine, ambience, and products they're known for, each deserving their own trip.

You've worked with restaurants and travel agencies in Italy through your marketing freelance work. How has this insider knowledge influenced your recommendations for travelers?

After living in Florence, Italy for almost 5 years now, while learning and becoming fluent in the language, I've been able to form strong connections and relationships with locals in the community. I find it so important, with a city like Florence that is daily flooded with tourists, to be mindful while traveling and instead of creating more congestion for locals or falling into tourist traps, to support the local community.

While working with many restaurants and travel agencies, I've been opened up to some amazing local experiences and urge people to stray off the typical path. Don't just eat at viral restaurants you've seen on social media but connect with people living here (especially those - like me - who can help you curate a fantastic itinerary) and book tours directly, not using third party platforms.

I've been on probably over 100 wine tours and I've unfortunately seen many manicured solely for tourists, where people are jam packed into a 50 person bus, and rushed from one winery to the next, where you'll never see or hear from the actual wine makers or their family. The tourists are fed the same jokes and script daily, as the seasonal employees pretend to be the family of the owners, and to me, it didn't seem authentic.

I personally recommend working with small, sustainable companies, who take small groups instead of large tours to wineries where you can actually speak with the winemakers and not pay for a spectacle. Because of this, whenever I have clients, I make sure they are getting one on one time with the winemakers, seeing family run wineries, who produce amazing products. (Plus the majority of the time when you travel this way, you get a private wine tour at half the price of the big companies!)

For someone visiting Italy for the first time, what mindful or off-the-beaten-path experiences would you recommend to help them truly connect with the local culture?

As a foodie myself, I think one of the best ways to connect with the local culture, especially in Italy, is through food. A cooking class or food tour is a great way to see a destination, while learning a lot about its culture and history. For example, many people complain about the saltless bread in Florence, but what you may not realize is this is completely due to Florence's complex history with Pisa, refusing to pay the tax of salt back in the medieval ages.

Danielle Cohen

Available for hire

Where to Eat Like a Local in Rome

Rome is a great place for history, art, but especially for food! After visiting so many incredible sites and walking so much, you will surely gather up a big appetite, and you are in the perfect place for that! Home to the carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and gricia pasta, Roman artichokes, and supplì ‑ you are in good hands if you want to eat. 😋 This guide includes 16 restaurants, 1 gelateria, 1 cafe, and one speakeasy bar (and always updating). These are all delicious and local spots to try in Rome, avoiding the touristy places. I recommend making reservations at these following places ahead of time!

Foodie • Wine

$6.00

$12.00

50% off

Map

Danielle Cohen

Available for hire

Eating in Florence like a Local

Florence is FULL of amazing restaurants, but you need to know where to go. As someone who lives in Florence, it's my job to make sure you eat well during your travels, so save this guide to make sure you eat like a local, instead of ending up at a tourist trap during your time in Florence. Featuring: 64 restaurants, pizzerie, gelateria shops, pastry shops/bakeries and wine bars and always updating!

Foodie • Coffee • Wine • People & Culture

$8.00

$16.00

50% off

5.0

(1)

Map

Danielle Cohen

Available for hire

What and Where to Eat in Venice, Italy

If you're visiting Venice, Italy save this culinary guide on what and where you should be eating. Venetian cuisine is quite unique, and the city itself doesn't always get the best rep, but that's because it's easy to fall for the tourist traps if you don't know where to go and what to order. Enjoy this guide to learn what are the typical dishes to try, and 17 restaurants/bakeries/bars to try them at. I've also included my full guide on "cicchetti" (Venetian tapas), and 24 restaurant/bars where to eat them.

Female Solo • Digital Nomads • Family • Backpacker • Business • Car-free • Couples • Groups • People & Culture • Foodie • History • Wine • Slow Travel • Sustainable/Eco • Relaxation • Luxury • Adventure

$10.00

Guide

I also would really try to avoid large bus tours, and focus on smaller or family run companies. In Italy many cities are protected as a historic center, meaning large tour buses cannot enter anyways, so don't even consider the Hop On Hop Off bus tours here.

I'd also try to see, depending what time of year, what local events are happening in town. For example, if you're visiting Italy in February, what better thing to do, than check out Viareggio for Carnevale - and really see some local culture in action!

Travelling mindfully definitely requires research (or hiring a local to do the research for you), so be sure to see what the towns are famous for and try experiences and food related to that. If you're in Tuscany, why not visit a local farm and do a cheesemaking class or if you're in Venice, see the hand blown glass in Murano at one of the many artisanal factories.

What makes your curated itineraries and digital maps unique compared to other Italy travel guides, and how do you cater to different types of travelers?

I try to ask my clients as many questions as possible to understand their personalities and interests. Italy is amazing because there really is something for everyone. If you're an art lover, or absolutely hate museums, there's still always something to do in Italy.

From outdoor activities, the food scene, the art scene, cooking classes, boat tours, beach days and more, I'm able to adapt my personalized guides and itineraries to any type of traveler, whether budget, luxury, or anything in between.

I'd also say the amount of time I've been living and exploring Italy really sets apart my curated itineraries and digital maps, from others. You will not find "viral spots" on my lists, as I try to give recommendations where you'd find locals eating at, or experiences that locals would also go to. I would never recommend someone to a restaurant that I personally wouldn't eat at.

Do you have any exciting travel plans or opportunities coming up? What's on your current travel bucket list?

I'm super excited to be visiting a few more local spots in Tuscany, one super close to Florence, famous for their ceramics, called Montelupo Fiorentino, and another not so far, called Carrara famous for its marble (Where Michelangelo got the marble to carve the David).

I'm really happy because this year I made it my goal to visit the region of Calabria and Basilicata and absolutely loved it. I've also been dying to go to Parma, in Italy and tour the prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese productions, famous from this area, and recently I finally went and fell in love with their food scene.

If you're a foodie, the Emilia-Romagna region is one to check out. My current travel bucket list includes Portugal and the Balkans, which are on the horizon for later this year. A couple summers ago I went to Albania and Slovenia, and would LOVE to go back and discover it for longer.