Perfect tour of Rome from cruise ship. - We had a great tour of Rome with Ernesto. He was standing outside the ship with a sign. He told us what to expect for the day and even suggested we add a couple of things that he thought would be a shame is we missed and he was right. He shared a lot of great information and selected a good restaurant. We had a good guide at the Vatican. Essentially he drove us around Rome for a bit and we went to the wishing well, and a few other places and then we ate lunch because we couldn’t wait until after and we went to the Vatican. He wanted to make us comfortable the entire time and cared about us maximizing our time since you really need at least a week to see Rome. Very comfortable black van.

Best tour in Rome - Marco provided our small group with an unforgettable experience. He made sure we were always on time and got to see as much of Rome as we could. He recommended and made reservations for us to have a delicious lunch. We always felt like a VIP. I highly recommend this tour and especially Marco!!

Worth $$$ spent!!! - Having our great guide, Marco for 8 hours-that knew the area and the fastest routes to get you in and out, allowed us to experience so much in a day. We were so happy with our whole experience. I recommend getting advanced, skip the line tickets and hiring a private guided tour for the Vatican/Sistine Chapel for EARLY MORNING. Also, bring in or buy a water at beginning of tour. We went in afternoon and it was too HOT. Covered knees and shoulders required, however, we saw so many shorts and tanks tops with light shawls allowed. Dress as cool as you can for July. We highly recommend this tour company. Communication was always on point, they were prompt and reliable.

Highly recommend great tour - So pleased we booked this private tour of Rome. We were only there for the day and wanted to make the most of our time in Rome. As it turned out there was a bike race in Rome the day we arrived so all the cruise ship tours were cancelled as buses could not get in and a lot of people on our ship missed out on seeing Rome. We so were so happy we booked this tour beforehand. Our driver (Stefano) and our guide Nicola got us into Rome and see the Colosseum and all the sites. We didn’t have to queue up to see the Colosseum as Nicola our guide had organised skip the line tickets for us which we so appreciated as the queues were so busy. Nicola also provided all the history of the Colosseum and the Roman Empire and gave us a personalised tour of Rome. We then had lunch a lovely restaurant just outside the city centre. Well worth the money would def do this tour again as it was the highlight of our trip to see the history of Rome.

Rome visit - Every part of the trip was memorable. Driver showed us different areas of Rome, guide was excellent, knowledgeable and helpful. Wonderful experience!

An excellent tour - This was an excellent tour. We learned more than I was expecting to in the Vatican Museum tour. Our driver was professional and polite throughout the day. His suggestion for lunch was an excellent choice (our favorite meal on our trip). I would highly recommend this tour.

Perfect Anniversary Splurge! - My husband and I booked an anniversary getaway cruise with a planned excursion to Rome. The cruise itself was okay, but after some of the excursions we had been on, we decided not to risk being herded through the city like cattle and wanted a more intimate experience tailored to our wishes. We found this fantastic tour and decided to splurge on it; we are so happy we did! From booking, through time misunderstandings thanks to the cruise line, Nicola was very responsive to our every communication and made sure we got exactly what we were looking for. Our driver was Marco and he was at the port when we disembarked, he very generously helped with our luggage and then took us to Rome. Marco is born and raised in Rome, and he knows the city (and its drivers) quite well! Marco kept calling himself "just the driver," but that is a huge understatement! Marco's van itself is a lovely piazza, and Marco is the fountain of knowledge that we gathered around and chatted on a sunny day in Rome. From the moment we got to Rome, Marco started telling us interesting things about the history of the city. We started at the top of the tallest hill in Rome with beautiful views of the city. We paused for a moment to take pictures. (TIP: DO NOT let the people put the "free" bracelet on your wrist, they then ask for money and you will walk around all day with an even larger signal that you are a tourist to the rest of the street hustlers.) From there we rode around the city as Marco told us the stories and history behind the things we were seeing. Whenever possible, Marco would slow down or stop at highlights for us, but the police in Rome are quite strict because the traffic in Rome is very intense, so it is difficult in most places. When it was difficult for him to get the van to a particular landmark for photos, he would give us 10 or 15 minutes to do so and would give us a meeting place and time so he could go around the block and not get in trouble. (TIP: Street hustlers and pickpockets are very active in Rome, please take precautions to protect your belongings and be vigilant, Marco will look out for you and your belongings but he's not a bodyguard and there are times when you will be without him in crowded areas. We took the added protection of carrying our important things in bags that were in front of us rather than behind and when in crowded places we did our best to have a good grip on the bag itself too because it is common to have people cut the straps and run with the bag before you even realize it is happening.) He drove us by and told us about so many things it is hard to remember them all; but some of them were the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Anfiteatro Flavio (aka The Colluseum,) and so much more. This tour is really tailored to what you wish to see and do. The highlight of our day in Rome was a visit to the Vatican, but first Marco took us to his old neighborhood and brought us to a wonderful family-owned and operated restaurant which was so far off the beaten path that we were immersed in Italian, and the food was among the most delicious we had in our ten days abroad. After lunch, Marco dropped us off at the Vatican Museum and introduced us to our guide for the Vatican, Alissandra (Ali for short.) Nicola and Ali were able to arrange skip-the-line access to the Museum, which we were very excited to hear because we had been reading online that tickets were no longer available for the day we were going to be there. Marco kindly stayed with the van and our bags while we set off on a 2.5 to 3-hour journey through some of the most important, beautiful, and awe-inspiring galleries and landmarks in the world, pausing to tell us about things along the way. She had two people with walking disabilities and she made sure we really experienced The Vatican's most important treasures at our own pace. (TIP: The holy places in the Vatican require proper religious attire to enter, make sure your knees are well and fully covered, make sure your shoulders are fully covered, and leave your hat with Marco. My husband and I opted for linen shirts and pants, which did offer some help with staying cool, but not a whole lot. People who are not wearing proper attire will be denied a ticket and entrance to those areas.) From the courtyard of the museum, she gave us an explanation of how the museum came to be what it is today, as well as a rundown of the things we were going to see, last she explained where we could and could not take photos and video. Ali is interesting and so very knowledgeable. When she was talking she kept us engaged by throwing in anecdotes, and the occasional, appropriate, chuckle. We felt more like we were being given a tour by a relative who works at a place, than like we were being led around by a guide we just met that day. Ali is certainly an insider though, she seems to know everyone, lol. My husband and I had been jokingly asking our Catholic friends if they could kindly arrange lunch with the Pope for us, within the first 10 or 15 minutes of seeing her in action my husband leaned over and joked "I think if anyone can get us that sitting with the Pope it would be her!" Through several galleries of the museum, Ali told us the history and paused at the important, or interesting things to take pictures. After the museum, and a brief explanation of our next highlight, we were off to be immersed in wonder again as we entered the stunning Sistine Chapel. (TIP: no photos or videos in the Chapel, you will be scolded, and we saw at least one of the guards who caught someone sneaking a picture near us tell the person that they needed to delete the photo and that if they took another they would be kicked out. The Sistine Chapel is not only one of the most majestic works of art ever created, it is also a sacred and holy space. Talking is very restricted, and when it gets too loud they will announce "silence" over the PA and officers shush people. We didn't stay long due to time and walking considerations, but it also gets very crowded and claustrophobic quite quickly.) After the Chapel, we were led out to Saint Peter's Square where we were treated to another explanation of the history of the things we were seeing, how things happen when the Pope is in the Square to give mass, and so many other amazing facts we didn't know. We took some photos and headed into Saint Peter's Basilica to be absolutely awe-stricken by this holiest of places. Ali gave us more wonderful information about the Basilica as we walked around, and left us plenty of time to take pictures. This is where my husband's phone battery died and our pictures ended, but we saw many more jaw-dropping collections before ending our tour in a gift shop adjacent to the museum side of the Vatican wall, where Marco was waiting to do his last act of service... drive us back to our hotel. My husband says that you can't do Rome in a day, but from Nicola to an amazing guide (NOT just a driver) in Marco who showed us around the city, to the wonderous Alissandra, the Vatican insider that took us on the most comprehensive tour she could in the time we had, they made sure we got to glimpse everything we could which will help us tremendously in planning a week-long trip to Rome to have the opportunity to really explore and admire the wonders of the worlds largest open museum. Thank you, Nicola, Marco, and Allisandra for the most memorable one-day experience possible in Rome! We were so happy we decided to splurge on this excursion, it was exactly what we were looking for, and the perfect way to spend our anniversary together!

Incredible Rome, Colosseum and Vatican City Tour! - Nicola and Stefano are TOP NOTCH tour guides and drivers, and we are so glad we decided to book this company for our day around Rome! He took us to places we WANTED to see and places that he knew we NEEDED to see! This tour is a wonderful way to get a taste of all the places that you can always come back to another time (and we will!) and tour longer. Nicola is VERY well versed in English AND knows his history and areas very well! The only way to get an overall tour of Rome!

A Day of a Lifetime - From the first minute we met our driver Gabrielle we knew this would be a day we would never forget. His Mercedes van was immaculate and his manners were first rate. As we drove to Rome he told us about the history of Italy and how it was united by Garabaldi. He explaned the different areas of Italy and how they were alike yet very different in style, food and culture. When we arrived in Rome we met our private tour guide Nicola who was a walking encyclopdia of history regarding his beloved Country. We had front of the line reservations at the Colosseum and Vatican. He gave us insight that we would have never been able to get from a group tour. He would listen to our questions and explain in detail anything we wanted to know. We felt as if we were the only people in world to him during our day. They drove us to a beautiful restaurant where the staff brought us local favorites and the most delicious wine we have ever had. We were able to race through the streets and gain access where no tour bus could reach. They got us to the Cannon of Gianicolo just before noon to witness the cannon shot before midday bells rang. That is a once a day, one second event that truly shows how thorough they are and their attention to detail. I cannot praise them enough, it was a day we will never forget and we recommed it to anyone who has one day in Rome to see all they can. Thank you Gabrielle and Nicola for making the trip so wonderful!

Great way to visit Rome in a day - My wife and I with 4 friends booked this tour while on a cruise. Driver was waiting for us when we docked at 7:30am, very friendly and very nice 7 person van. We drove to Rome, picked up our guide Alessandra and continued on to the Pantheon. Driver dropped us off closer than the big busses could get. Easy walk to and from. Then we went to the Colosseum. Same thing, close drop off, skipped the lines, got a great walking tour. She took us to a great local place for lunch, she new the owner who treated us well. Then we continued on to the Vatican. Same great tour here. The small group made asking questions and setting our pace easy. It couldn't have been a better way to see these places. (Talking to people who did the excursion through the ship, they did a lot of of waiting, walking and loading and unloading of the tour bus. Didn't see as much and took longer to do it) 100% recommend this trip if you're looking to see Rome in a day!