We have used Michael for the last 7 or 8 trips we have taken and all have been fantastic! He makes the planning process so easy, gets us our whole itinerary on an app, is super responsive and the trips have been amazing!

I never thought to have Michael plan cruises for me until recently, since I always took his tours in Italy Then I saw that he does full-service travel, especially luxury cruises. When I wanted to take a cruise on Celebrity Cruises, I contacted Michael and he took care of everything. I am so thankful to him for the services his company provides! He puts in so much time, energy and thoughtfulness to make sure everything is just perfect. He is always incredibly easy to contact and responds to my texts almost instantly. I wonder if he sleeps? He even gave me an app for my iPhone, and it had every detail of my itinerary perfectly organized. I didn't have to think of a thing. During my cruise, he contacted me to be sure everything was well, and afterward, he checked in on me to see how it all went. It was fantastic, and I will never use anyone else. Wherever you go in the world, be it on a cruise, a resort, or one of his company's tours, I strongly recommend Michael and his team.

We have been working with Michael on out trips for years. He has handled groups for our travel club for cruises, Europe tours, and my personal travel with my family, as well as my business trips. He is great to work with, and I would swear he never sleeps because he answers my emails and texts so quickly, wherever he is. He leaves nothing to chance is is always there when I need him. What more could I ask for?

We have used Michael's services 4 times in the Last 5 years and are planning a 5th one next year. Every vacation has been a wonderful experience

Michael and his team take care of every detail. All well planned and executed to perfection! We’ve used him/his team for more than 5 trips and NEVER been disappointed. We have our next one set for 2023! Would not use anyone else in Italysnd now Portugal as well!!

I have traveled with Michael three times and I have had an excellent experience with all three trips. All details are taken care of from the moment we arrived at the destination airport until we got back on the plane to return home. The accommodations and locations have been excellent and varied. The experiences with local producers, cooking classes, visits to wineries are like none other….fun, intimate and relaxing. You will feel like family on these trips. Every host has been amazing and so helpful. The communication prior to each trip has always been thorough and prompt with a complete set of instructions and detailed itinerary. My last trip was 10/2021 when COVID was still a huge concern. I was kept up to date on all requirements and changes before and throughout the trip. Michael talked us through it all, promised us a trip to remember and delivered! Return trip testing was also arranged. Truly no worries. My next trip with Michael is already booked for 2023. Can’t wait.

Covid got in the way of my 2020 trip, and Michael told me not to worry, he would take care of everything. He had planned many of our travels in the past, so we had good reason to trust him.

With all of the changing rules, Michael was on top of it, making sure we knew exactly what to expect and how to prepare. He even knew about many of the changes before they were officially announced.

The day before our trip, Michael told me to get tested right away. My airline said it was not needed, but he insisted, and even found the closest place for me to get tested right away. He was in Florida, and I was in Ohio! That night, an email from the airline airline said we needed the test! That would have been too late and we would have missed the flight!

The trip was wonderful, and everything went smoothly. Michael stayed on top of everything & saved us from missing our flight, and made sure we knew every detail of navigating different countries during such a crazy time.

Great communication, great follow-through, responds to my texts quickly and always makes sure there are no problems. A pleasure to work with.

Michael is wonderful to work with. If you plan anything with him, he is always going to give you very honest advice, even if that is something you were hoping to hear. When I travel, I usually have a good idea of what I want to see and do. But he sometimes tries to talk me out of my ideas. Every time I didn’t listen to his advice I wish I had. He has traveled much of the world and describes what my experience will be in detail. He knows many of the unknown places that are so much better than the ones we see in photos. He knows when something that seems to be quiet and relaxed has become crowded and ugly.

Michael is simply outstanding! He communicates frequently with potential guests and is extremely responsive. The information he provided us timely, relevant, and right on point! Michael treats his guests as family and not as clients. On our last trip we experienced a 4 hour travel delay which negatively impacted our Rrival into Portugal. With constant communication spanning multiple time zone, Michael secured transport from the airport in Portugal to our final destination. It truly was a worry free experience. Michael ensures his guests are first and foremost in every decision. He assembles unique travel experiences that are far superior to any other trips I've taken. I absolutely have recommended Michael to family and friends and will continue to do so. I just can't enough good things about him

Great service and always takes care of everything beautifully. Planned my last two cruises and everything was flawless. I will continue to plan with him again and again. I really like the way he sends us our itineraries through an app we can download

Michael and his entire team are top notch. Their group tours are beyond anything you could expect traveling in Italy. Every moment of our trips with them have been well planned and carried out flawlessly.

Michael plans the most amazing vacations! We keep coming back because we know what we will get ourselves into - no cookie cutter vacations here - you get to be involved in the REAL culture!

We worked with Michael on two trips and each went flawlessly! Prices were very fair, all arrangements exceeded our expectations, and follow-up on any details were handled expeditiously. We could not have asked for more!!

It started out as a part of the Bucket List and ended up as a family of 18 people who understood each other enjoyed each others company and respected each other. It is an experience we will never forget. Thank you and God bless! We are your favorite group. I know for sure!!! We are already planning our next one.

Michael has a way of creating experiences wherever we go that end up feeling like home. We have been on several of his trips in Italy and Portugal. He, Rocky and everyone at CDV have also arranged all kinds of other vacations for us, from cruises to an enchanting week for twenty of us based in Bora Bora where we spent time with locals away from the tourists. Their experience in creating a local family feel wherever we go makes all the difference in the world.

Michael is the amazing! He has planned vacations for us every year for theist ten years. Ever one have been phenomenal without a glitch. He knows how to make sure everywhere we go, we meet locals that give us an insider experience and become friends. Even on the cruises we have done with him, it seems like he know someone everywhere that does something with us we could never do unless it was through Michael’s private contacts. If you are planning on going on a trip of a lifetime I would suggest you contact Michael and his team. We will never work with anyone else.

Wonderful to work with. Every attention to detail before, during and after. Truly make you feel like family, and each trip has been among the best of my life.

Our experience working with Michael Kovnick can be summed up as impeccable. Every concern, question, detail and more were always addressed professionally and promptly. Michael has a way of knowing what is going to happen before it happens. His planning has made our trips both organized and allows for spontaneity due to the attention detail that each day has been set up.

We absolutely loved Michael! He helped my husband and I plan our anniversary to Bora Bora. It was so beautiful! He really knew the ins and outs of the island which was very helpful! He is very friendly and so easy to work with! We will definitely use him again for further trips!

I have been on a number of trips with Michael. They were all in various locations in Italy. Cooking traditional local foods is the focus of the trip, but there is also so much more. Numerous side trips conducted during the tour range from educational to historical to whimsical to just plain old fun. Oh, and wine, there is always great wine. All have been wonderful experiences and I am looking forward to travelling with Micheal in the future.

Efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly. Felt like he knew exactly what I was looking for and was able to deliver 3 times over.

I use Michael for our group vacations once per year. He is a very organized travel planner, especially with large and complex groups. He listens to what your desires are for your vacation and follows through regularly with excellent online communication. He goes out of his way to find you the best vacation that perfectly matches the style and budget of every group we have done.

Thank you for providing us with a dream vacation. Your attention to detail, dropping whatever you are doing to provide us with exceptional service was so appreciated. Thank you for treating us like family. You provide such a service that enriches so many lives. Thank you!

It's hard to imagine that each day could possibly be better than the next but Michael and CDV planned a week of activities that was absolutely incredible...the villa was beautiful with a perfect location and lovely rooms. The "staff" (our new family) was so welcoming, warm and gracious and they made the week so much fun...whether we were cooking together, hanging out in the kitchen learning some new tips, singing, dancing and playing instruments in the evening on the terrace with the beautiful night sky as our backdrop, or learning some of the best places to go to shopping for little treasures....they were the best! Sophie, our hostess and guide, was so lovely, organized and such a pleasure...she managed to shepherd the 11 of us to each location, address any concerns and questions we had and just make it a marvelous experience. Each experience made a wonderful memory! Thank you for this incredible experience...I will definitely plan my next trip with you....I can hardly wait!

We were hesitant about going to Portugal. We didn't speak the language or know much about the culture. One (long) discussion with Michael calmed our reservations and encouraged us to experience this new adventure. Where to begin? We were met at the airport and taken to a lovely resort, to relax and recover from our travels. The itinerary looked amazing, including wine tasting, fresh seafood, cooking classes with local chefs and touring the beautiful Douro Valley. We could never have put together such a comprehensive trip on our own but Michael made it all look easy. We will certainly be travelling with Culture Discovery again!

Michael and his staff give you a vacation like no other, bringing the Italian (and now Portuguese) culture alive to travelers. A trip with Michael will leave you wanting more.

Very knowledgeable, experienced and helpful Arranged some if the best trips ever taken

Michael is very easy to work with, responsive and communicates well and with great detail.
He makes sure we are well informed about some hidden issues we would never know on our won when traveling out of the country.

His customer service his excellent. He responds quickly, is very efficient when helping me, and is always a pleasure. He always helps me find the best travel options.

Having read all of Michael's marketing materials, and after speaking with Michael, I had high expectations for our cruise and tour planned by him. Those expectations were far exceeded!!! Well done! Until our next trip!!!!

Perfect again! We have now done six groups with Michael and his company. Every time we think it cannot get any better. But every time seems better than the one before. They have a way of really giving us the most fulfilling insider experiences with our tours, and everything seems effortless. They are like no other.

We just got back from a trip to Italy that Michael and CDV organized. We did one of their culinary tours and a seven day Mediterranean cruise. Michael is wonderful to work with and them team he has behind him is fantastic. You can tell they truly love what they do.

Michael is fantastic. I have been on several group tours he has arranged, and everything has exceeded my very high expectations. Very knowledgeable and reliable.

When they say all inclusive, IT IS!! You are guided from day one and before, if you have questions. Contact is made from point of contact and on. No pages are left unturned. They are the most accommodating before and during the trip.

Excellent! He is very knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive. When I first contacted him, he called me back within 15 minutes and he was doing so from a cruise ship in Europe. HE did my entire first cruise booking while he was on a cruise himself. I recommend him to anyone. Great to work with. Answers emails texts and questions very quickly.

Each day we met new locals on our excursions and they would show up to dinner later in the week. The last night we had over 20 new friends drinking, eating and dancing!!! A wonderful way to see Sicily hands on- immersed in the culture and life, not sitting on a bus or standing in long lines. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MICHAEL'S TOURS!

We loved every minute. A wonderful trip in every way!!!!!!

Michael, as the founder of Culture Discovery Vacations, has made travel so easy and comfortable for those of us who want to explore new areas and experience the “real” Italy and Portugal. This means that you are not just “seeing” things, you are “experiencing” them. I have taken 4 trips with Culture Discovery and every one was special and better than the one before.

Great guy and we even share a birthday. His ability to understand what your looking for is spot on. Available, knowledgeable and fun to talk with makes for a great travel relationship.

Amazing! He goes above and beyond to make your trip the best it can possibly be!

"All-inclusive" doesn't begin to describe the tours that Michael offers. From the minute we get off the airplane until we sadly say goodbye, every detail is planned and executed perfectly. We found travel with CDV is like travelling with your European family, visiting local festivals, wineries and meeting new friends. Leaving the big cities behind, we go to places and do things other travellers only dream about. We harvest sea salt, make ricotta cheese (which we use in cannoli), hunt for truffles in a forest just to name a few highlights. We return every year to explore another region and enjoy new adventures.

From the moment we met we were extremely well taken care of! Michael knows his stuff better than anyone I have ever met. He has handled several group tours for our company incentive trips, and everything has been better than we had hoped for. A keeper for sure.

CDV has all the special events to make you trip one that you will never forget. They make everyone feel a part of their family.

I have worked with Michael on numerous trips to Italy & Portugal and he is the best! He is incredibly knowledgeable and is always laser focused on the customer's experience and satisfaction. I've traveled a lot, all over the world, and the truly immersive experience on the trips Michael planned was unbelieveable and unlike any other trips I have ever been on! I can't imagine traveling any other way now. When you work with Michael, you are not just a client or customer, you are family!!

Michael is great to work with. We have been planning our cruises with him for 10 years and just planned a world cruise with him. He pays attention to every detail and knows our preferences as though they are his own. He is extremely knowledgeable of all cruise lines and knows the ins and outs of what matters to us. He is friendly, helpful, thorough, and a pleasure to work with.

I put together luxury group tours for my community several times a year. We used to use Tauck or Insight for our tours in Europe, then I found Michael’s website. He doesn't resell pre-packaged tours. They are the tour company, and are completely different than the big names. We do many of the sights as others, but he puts us in amazing boutique hotels, and with the normal sights, he incorporates once in a lifetime experiences that are not part of typical tours. The kind of tour they do is a better kind of luxury than any tour company we have used. We get to know locals, we feel part of the place we are in, and there is a bond between Michael’s team, us, and the locals we meet. Plus they never take us to tourist trap stores, they never ask us to pay for anything out of pocket, and they are ALWAYS looking after us. Their prices are close to others like Tauck, but they offer ten times more for what we pay. It is exactly as they say on their website. We become family right away.

Every vacation exceeds our expectations. The literature you provide us with beforehand is always on the mark. The way you prepare for our travel club is always wonderful. Every single thing has been fantastic. With each trip, we feel that we truly have made friends for life and become a part of a new family. Thank you so much!

I have traveled with Michael and his team at CDV many times. Every time I go is the best trip of my life. Until the next one. His whole team is wonderful, caring, honest and authentic. They always say that travel is about the in between moments more than the destinations. They are right and the have a wonderful way of making those in between moments happen every time!

Michael ensured all aspects of the trips were described and explained in detail. All questions were answered promptly.

He was extremely prompt in answering questions, which helped immensely in planning our trip.

Excellent planning, very efficient and great to work with. Will surely continue to use for my travel planning

Just back from a week-long Amalfi Coast tour with Micheal's company, CDV. All I can say is that they changed how I will travel for the rest of my life. I have never felt so at home and I cried as I left my new Italian family and friends. I almost don't want to let this secret out. I am already planning my next trip.

Michael has helped us many times for all kinds of travel plans. He has deep knowledge of vacation destinations all over the world. He knows small things that matter that make your experience more fluid and maximizes your time doing exactly what you want to be doing. HAVING A GREAT TIME. Michael makes sure he has a full understanding of everything we want to get out of out vacations and uses his skill to make the trips happen with our goals in mind. He pays incredible attention to detail. The depth of travel information we receive from him each time through the app he uses is perfect. I can't imagine a better travel pro.

After a couple years of not being able to travel I was itching get get back at it, and Michael put together an incredible bucket list trip for me in Europe with a cruise and one of his tours in Italy. He has been my go to guy for over ten years and every trip gets better and better.

I just got back from the most. amazing culinary group vacation on the Amalfi Coast. Michael put it all together and all I can say is it was bet best vacation of my life! I have never never never had such a wonderful experience!

I’ve been on at least 10 trips that Michael has organized. Some of them with his company in Italy and some that he just planned and managed for me like cruises and resorts stays. He is excellent at what he does and extremely responsive. Highly recommended.

Michael is very knowledgeable, helpful and most of all made the trip so much fun

An excellent trip combining cultural events, cooking activities and world class service with excellent and professional guides.

Felt completely confident in Maggie’s handling of all the details of our booking and pre-trip documents.

Michael and CDV planned a fantastic group cruise on MSC Cruises for me and 15 of my family. He was incredibly knowledgeable, planned everything perfectly, and was always available and quick to respond. I highly recommend Michael and his team.

Just got off of a Trans-Atlantic cruise on Celebrity, and Michael helped me from beginning to end and in between, He was very accommodating with all of my questions, handled all of my transfers and my shore excursions. He saved me money and made sure I had the best experience possible.

All things said the multiple trips have been unreal. We have been 5 times and each trip has been better. We are excited to come back.

Rich has been so fabulous from start to finish and everywhere in between! Rich not only helped me locate solo traveler value, bespoke travel, he helped me aboard the absolutely amazing Emerald Sakara. I recommended Rich and CDV to several of my yacht mates for the value, exclusivity, immersion and the incredible perks of booking through CDV for ALL travel needs. I cannot wait for my amazing CDV trip to Sicily in June.

We were a group of eight family members and had a great time with the help/arrangement made by Rich of Culture Discovery. I would highly recommend Culture Discovery for any of your travel needs.

Great

Great work, helped a lot!

Professional, gets the job done, but also a ton of fun. Tour was a combination of learning, cooking, sightseeing, and just plain fun!!!! Would definitely not only take another tour with this company but we'd take the same tour again.... it was a blast at every twist and turn. Culture Discovery went above and beyond on this trip for us. Thank you!

Michael helped us plan our trip from A to Z. He was able to get us the flights and cruise we wanted. He was right on point with any changes that took place, he assisted with ensuring we got tours and transportation. His app had all our trip details in one place that made it easier to keep track of.

Just returned from a wonderful cruise on Windstar that Michael and Culture Discovery planned for our group. From the first time we contacted them, that have been wonderful to work with. Not only did they plan the cruise, but took care of issues we had with Windstar quickly. They also planned private excursions for us, transfers, and much more. VEry responsive, very proactive, and definitely will work with them in the future.

Excellent service and communication. He made all of my planning easy as can be and took care of ll the details. Highly recommended .

Missy is one of the most wonderful people I know. He really care about me and my travels. He always make sure it is better than perfect.. I have worked with Michael for years. He puts everything into every trip, making sure the advice is accrue and the price is the best out there, even if he needs to refer me to someone else and not take a commission. After my trips, he always wants to know everything about them and loves to hear about what a wonderful time I had. Every time there has been a problem, he has been right there taking care of everything that needed to be handled. Whenever my coworkers, family and friends were look for someone to help with travel plans, I always put them in contact with Michael, and everyone has been extremely happy. He is knowledgeable, he listens to my needs and desires, and he always has suggestions based on his own travel experiences.