Europe Trip Leader

JoAnn Lantz

Originally from Long Island and holding a degree in education from New York University, JoAnn Lantz has lived in Italy since 1988, slowly restoring an old farm house outside of Lucca, learning about the wines of Italy, and continually exploring her adopted home country. Whether she's leading a hike up to the Rifugio Lagazuoi in the Dolomites or to the top of Monte Solaro on the isle of Capri, she has a gift for bringing out the local charm of each place our journeys visit. “I became a Trip Leader to share the wonders of Italy with others,” she says. “The slowness to change and the depth of history that exists here gives people a chance to reflect on their own lives and see what is truly important.” When not guiding, JoAnn nurtures her small olive grove near Orvieto, pruning the trees, picking the olives, and making olive oil for her own use and as a gift for friends.

Our Team

Upcoming Trips with JoAnn

Hiking Puglia and Matera

Apr 22 - May 1, 2025

Oct 14 - 23, 2025

View Trip

Treasures of the Dolomites

Jun 24 - Jul 3, 2025

Jul 9 - 18, 2025

Jul 23 - Aug 1, 2025

Sep 13 - 22, 2025

View Trip

Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites

Aug 27 - Sep 3, 2025

View Trip

Client Testimonials

JoAnn's an outstanding human being as well as a guide: always thoughtful of our well-being, superbly knowledgeable, and incredibly efficient. We just loved her throughout the trip.

Al D.

Twin Lakes, CO
Tuscany, Portofino, and the Cinque Terre

JoAnn is a gem—totally immersed in a life lived in Italy. She knows the trails, the language, the food and wine, and she quietly sparkles.

Barbara C.

Palm Desert, CA
Ultimate Dolomites

JoAnn was the best guide and the perfect hostess! Intelligent, organized, thoughtful, safety minded, funny, and always gracious.

Carole B.

Alta Loma, CA
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn is a professional yet manages to have a smile on her face all the time. She knew the best paths, was aware of potential weather conditions, and kept us fully informed.

Chris R.

West Chester, PA
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn is a superlative guide with keen knowledge and intellect, enthusiasm and sensitivity. She creates trips that have a fantastic balance of the natural world with culture, art, and local people! She leaves no stone unturned, and as a result the group is relaxed and makes for a great adventure for all.

Chris R.

Winter Haven, FL
Hiking Puglia and Matera

JoAnn does a terrific job and is always fun to be with. Her knowledge of the areas we visited, along with letting us sample some amazing food and wine from this region, made the trip very special.

Craig K.

Sewickley, PA
Hiking Puglia and Matera

We have been on numerous biking and hiking trips with JoAnn and she has been by far the best guide we have ever had.

Curt K.

Brainerd, MN
Tuscany and the Cinque Terre

JoAnn is amazing. She has so much knowledge, and stays so positive and upbeat, even while juggling so many logistics and making changes to make us more comfortable. She has a fun sense of humor and does a great job of setting expectations the day or night prior to the next day's game plan.

Dianne D.

Union City, CA

As an Italian resident, JoAnn brought a wonderful perspective to the trip. She has an infectious personality, knowledge of the area, and is fun to be around.

Elaine H.

Verona, WI
Ultimate Dolomites

Joann did a super job of keeping all the logistics in order and making sure the picnics, hikes, etc., went smoothly. At the same time, she was very friendly and found just the right ways to relate to each participant on an individual basis.

Frank H.<br />Tuscany to the Sea.

It was such a gift to have JoAnn as our trip leader. From the smallest detail to the most important items, she was so professional, knowledgeable, and a total expert. It was a pleasure to have her lead us in cities, on boats, in restaurants, well, actually everywhere!

Gail S.

Fairfax, CA
Hiking Puglia and Matera

Jo Ann is a marvel—unflappable, extraordinarily well organized and well informed, and a joy to be with.

Gary B.

Hanover, NH
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn was fun, knowledgeable, and a great guide. She walked at a perfect pace and planned a wide variety of interesting hikes for us. She knows her food and wines, as well as the trails and local history. I would definitely do a trip with her again!

Janet R.

Encinitas, CA
Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites

I have been on many trips and JoAnn is the best leader I've ever had, hands down. She was knowledgeable, thoughtful, skilled, patient and helpful—all one could wish for.

Janet W.

Santa Monica, CA
Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites

JoAnn is the perfect leader, and extremely knowledgeable of all the areas we visited. She was also a very nice person who was genuinely interested in everyone on the trip.

June M.

Montclair, CA
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn added so much information, history, and stories on the area. You could feel her passion for Italy and she was such a pleasure to be around.

Karen C.

New Syrna Brnch, FL
Ultimate Dolomites

JoAnn is a superb leader, flexible and sensitive to the needs of everyone on the trip.

Linda C.

Chicago IL
Amalfi & Capri

JoAnn is fabulous, and having an American guide who lives in Italy and speaks Italian and English fluently is a bonus. I would say JoAnn is a feather in your cap!

Lisa F.

Snowmass, CO

JoAnn was an absolute delight! She is a warm and friendly person, and her knowledge of hiking, history, and geography of the Dolomites and the Italian culture added so much to our experience.

Lisa S.

Sacramento, CA
Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites

JoAnn did a great job in managing our group. She is attentive to the needs of each trip member and has endless patience. She succeeds in finding the best local cuisine and tailors the hikes to fit the day. She is a gem.

Lucy H.

Sunset Valley, TX
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn deals with all questions and challenges in a calm, professional way and makes every guest feel comfortable with their choices. Her knowledge of regional food and wine is remarkable. And, she is loads of fun!

Lucy H.

Sunset Valley, TX
Ultimate Dolomites

JoAnn was a pleasure from start to finish—very professional but very friendly, organized, and attentive to every detail.

Lynne R.

New York, NY
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn was awesome, so knowledgable and organized! She was amazing!

Mary H.

Petaluma, CA
Amalfi and Capri

Joann is the reason we did the trip. She is simply the best guide ever and this was my 9th trip with Wilderness.

Mary J.

Littleton, CO
Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites

JoAnn was simply amazing. Her attention to detail, friendliness, and genuine desire for all of the participants to have a memorable trip made this a wonderful experience. It is clear she enjoys what she does and loves the country she is showing us.

Nathaniel B.

Bedford, MA
Hiking Puglia and Matera

JoAnn is an incredible trip leader! She’s always pleasant, makes great decisions, knows her stuff and is just really fun to be with. Can't wait to travel with her again!

Pam M.

Louisville, KY
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn's infectious enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge of Italy and her calm, warm, and friendly personality made this trip superb. She is a joy to travel with.

Patricia B.

Delta, BC
Amalfi and Capri

Joann is an excellent guide and did a dynamite job of interpreting the food and culture of Tuscany!

Peter T.

Springfield, MA
Tuscany to the Sea

JoAnn is remarkable: resourceful, informative, always gracious.

Robert S.

Brooklyn NY
Amalfi & Capri

JoAnn's unflappable good natured humor and breadth of knowledge about Italian culture was a refreshing, relaxing, and enjoyable fit to this beautiful part of Italy.

Robin H.

Charlotte, NC
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn has so much passion for Italy, hiking, and apple strudel! I think she led our three longest hikes, kept us going to the end each day, made sure we stayed safe and had a good time. She has also built up a huge amount of knowledge about the area, and is another wonderful WT leader.

Sharon C.

Newton Center, MA
Ultimate Dolomites

JoAnn is one of WT's extraordinary guides.

Sue M.

Arden Hills, MN
Amalfi & Capri

Jo Ann is a wonderful attribute for Wilderness Travel. She is considerate, thoughtful, and plans ahead for every contingency. A great trip leader.

Susan P.

Berkeley, CA
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn was a joy to travel with, very well organized, and extremely knowledgeable about the hikes, the food, and the wines in the areas we visited.

Susie W.

Poulsbo, WA
Ultimate Dolomites

JoAnn is a total professional and handled all special requests very well. She was warm and easy to talk with, and clearly loves her role.

Suzanne L.

Sausalito, CA
Hiking Puglia and Matera

JoAnn made this trip! She is a wonderful companion, competent, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and fun!

Suzanne W.

Weybridge, VT
Amalfi and Capri

JoAnn was fantastic. She was the perfect blend of professional and responsible, as well as fun and friendly! She was very approachable with any questions or needs and did a great job keeping everyone in the loop on upcoming plans and making sure everyone was having a good time. She has created a great itinerary and is a top notch trip leader.

Tessa K.

New York, NY
Amalfi and Capri

Book Your Trip Today

Our Area Specialists know every detail about our adventures around the world. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!

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