Jul 31, 2024
Only way to do Rome-in-a-Day from Civitavecci Cruise Port - We came into Civitaveccia on a cruise ship. I arranged in advance, through the website and then in numerous online conversations with Julie, all the details of our day. Julie was super helpful, excellent with follow up and very knowledgeable about all the offerings. She helped me save money and time when possible and made recommendations based on the needs of my family. We settled on a private all day tour of Rome where we get picked up and dropped off directly at our cruise ship. Discovery arranged all of our tickets (and thank goodness because everything is strictly timed). While you do have to wait in line for some things we got skip the line tickets so we could do as much as we could in the day.
Our driver was Marco, who picked us up in a Mercedes Van at 7:30 AM. I had his phone number just in case. He was a safe driver and played tour guide throughout the 90 minute drive into Rome. He was charming and intelligent. First, we saw some stuff from the van. We got to see the Circus Maximus, Pantheon, aqueduct walls, some smaller monuments, and then went to the Trevi Fountain. There, he parked one block away and directed us to the fountain and some other cool nearby areas. We had some time to walk around and take photos. He gave us a meet back time so we could make our first ticketed site. I suggest getting a map program and just dropping a pin where he will be waiting. It was always easy to find him. Next, tickets to the Colosseum to go inside. Huge crowds but we got inside quickly. Had over an hour to visit the site on our own before meeting back up with Marco. Drive towards the Vatican City and Marco pointed out some smaller sites, pulling over the van to explain about their importance. He got us super close to Vatican City ticket entrance and we already had tickets (super specific and if you’re not there on time the tickets are worthless). He suggested we eat lunch and relax before going in and gave some recommendations. Guides aren’t allowed to park near the museum so 3 hours later when we finished lunch, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel, I just texted him and he picked us up right in front. Then, he drove us back to the ship. Very long day. Left at 7:30 am, back to ship by 4:45 pm. We got to see, or visit, all the places we wanted in a day. Discovery, and Marco, did a great job timing everything out so we weren’t stressed about getting back to the ship late. We felt like the two major stops we had enough time where we could enjoy it. Still, it’s the only way we could have accomplished the goal of doing Major Rome off a cruise ship in a day.
Overall, it’s expensive, but worth it. The customer service and honesty was excellent from both Julie and Marco. Tons of pre-trip communication and updates (we were going to go inside the Pantheon but crowds the week before were creating hour long lines so they gave us the choice of just seeing it from outside or waiting in the line). I felt well taken care of, safe, and informed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 16, 2024
Great day in Rome! - Excellent shore excursion with Discovery Tours. Our driver, Massimo, was exceptional as was Claudio, our guide. Everybody was on time and it was a very informative day. All of us enjoyed ourselves. When we are back in Italy we will certainly book with them again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 12, 2023
A great day in Rome. - I cannot say enough good things about Discovery Tours and the people there. Gilberto, the driver, was amazing the way that he could get you right up to where you were going through thick traffic. He genuinely wanted us to have the best possible experience. Kira, our guide at the Colosseum and Vatican was fantastic! So knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She had a tremendous ability to show us all the highlights while keeping us out of the crowds. Giulia, in the office, was a pleasure to deal with and always replied to our questions quickly and with excellent suggestions. If you only have a short time in Rome you should book Discovery Tours and have the experience of a lifetime. We saw more in a day than many people see in a week. In a single day we toured the Colosseum, including going to the lower level, saw the Trevi Fountain, walked the Spanish Steps, and had an incredible tour of the Vatican.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 3, 2023
The best travel experience in all of Europe, ever! - It is difficult to put into words how wonderful this experience was for myself and my parents. Marco was our driver and tour guide, and he was absolutely amazing. Spoke perfect English, was extremely professional, an excellent and safe driver, and created a very relaxed environment. The tour was specifically adjusted for our goals, desires, and abilities. Marco was extremely knowledgable with the history of the specific areas and anecdotal stories. He pulled over at specific locations to tell longer stories and allow us to take in the locations - this was done in a safe manner, but one in which a large tour bus would be unable to do. The vehicle itself was clean, safe, and in excellent shape! We were able to do the main highlights of Rome in one day! We were able to enjoy an authentic Italian meal with a beautiful view of a Square that Marco recommended - EXCELLENT MEAL! Truly a perfect trip and tour that exceeded any of our expectations! Thank you so much Marco!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 19, 2023
Perfect day in Roma - We can’t say enough great things about the day we had exploring Rome with Gilberto. From the second he picked us up at the hotel to when we returned nearly 8 hours later, he was a complete professional. He was truly adaptable to helping us explore everything we wanted to see and also gave us some great ideas and recommendations. We would whole-heartedly recommend this tour to anyone seeking to see a lot of Rome in a short visit.
Review provided by Viator
Aug 24, 2022
Dream trip, thanks to Discover Guided Tours - I cannot speak highly enough about the service of this company from the first email correspondence, throughout planning, to the trip and beyond. Julia helped us create the perfect schedule, and supported us throughout the trip. Our drivers and tour guides were such excellent story tellers, guides, and made sure we were comfortable, and had the day we needed! They took all the think work out of it for us! It was a flawless trip and we can't wait to go back for the next adventure! We visited Rome, Florence, Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and Palermo, Sicily! We felt like we made new friends, and hope we can see them all again some day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 23, 2022
This is the only way to experience Rome when time is an issue. - Our driver picked us up at our hotel promptly at the scheduled time. He was an excellent guide and colorfully described the sights as we drove past. Our Vatican guide Katrina was absolutely amazing and clearly demonstrated and helped us share in her passion for the history of Rome and the Vatican.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 8, 2022
Americans in Roma - Marco was a great tour guide! We learned a lot and were very comfortable with him in the car. He made great conversation and knew a lot about Rome. For any American who really wants to embrace and learn about Roman history, this trip is a must.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 5, 2022
Excellent tour - We had a fantastic day with Marco and our tour guide seeing the many sights of Rome. Marco picked us up where we disembarked from our cruise and drove us to Rome. We met a guide in the old city but Marco picked us up whenever we needed to walk longer distances. He made many great suggestions on how to spend our day and let us make requests as well. The vehicle was very nice and easily fit 6 of us. I’d highly recommend this tour over a large group cruise tour or hop on hop off bus.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 1, 2019
Always Excellent! - We have used Discovery Guided Tours every time we have been to Rome and have recommended them to many friends and family. Gilberto and his team are wonderful. Every detail is tended to properly. to make your holiday perfect! The quality of the transportation is excellent and always on-time. All arrangements are made in advance so that there is no wasted time. Throughout the vacation planning process, Julia from the office, makes excellent recommendations for tours and activities and communicates everything prior to travel. They even made great restaurant recommendations for our large group traveling together. This is a top-shelf company that pays attention to details and has tons of experience . Look no further! We have used them numerous times, and would not look for anyone else in the future, for transportation and tours in and around Rome.
Review provided by Tripadvisor