Sep 6, 2024
A tour that surprised a native! - I'm a Roman, and as such there isn't much that can still surprise me about my city. I took Massimo's Emperors tour recently though and I was completely blown away! His passion and knowledge really transport you back in time and can give you insights on bits and pieces that even a full blooded Roman like me didn't know. I 100% recommend his storytelling tours, if you want to avoid the stuffy, same-old tourist activities in Rome.
Whether this is your first time or not, this tour is actually perfect because along with all the great stories on Roman emperors you get to cover pretty much all of the main sights of the city center. Pair it with a Colosseum tour, and you have quite an amazing combo.
After that Massimo recommended I joined him for a tour of the Palazzo Massimo national museum (which I've seen from the outside a thousand times, since it's right next to Termini train station, but I'd never been inside). I've discovered this museum that ended up being a real hidden gem - it is entirely dedicated to ancient Rome, and all of the best antique pieces are actually kept there! If you have the time, I recommend doing all three (Emperors, Colosseum and Palazzo Massimo) to get a complete picture of Ancient Rome.
I've since recommended him and Storytelling Rome to other friends who have taken tours with other guides, Anna and Kylie, who took them through the Vatican Museum and the Colosseum and both turned out to be amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 2, 2024
Review for Massimo - Rome Tour Guide - We had the pleasure of touring Rome with Massimo as our guide, and it was an unforgettable experience. Massimo’s deep knowledge of the city’s history, culture, and hidden gems brought Rome to life in a way that no guidebook could. He was not only informative but also incredibly engaging and passionate about sharing his love for Rome. His storytelling made the ancient ruins, bustling piazzas, and magnificent churches feel vibrant and alive.
Massimo was also very attentive to the needs and. making sure we were comfortable and had a great time. His recommendations for local restaurants and shops were spot on, and he took the time to answer all of our questions with patience and enthusiasm.
If you’re looking for a guide who can offer a personal and enriching experience in Rome, I highly recommend Massimo. His expertise and charisma make him an exceptional guide and a true ambassador of this beautiful city.”
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 23, 2024
An unexpected gift of an experience! Not to be missed! - This tour was absolutely mind-blowing!
Massimo is easily one the best tour guides that I've ever experienced.. and I’ve had the honor and privilege of following many guides during my travels, over the years.
I took the Julius Caesar & the Emperors' Nighttime Stories Tour, together with some friends, and we all loved it! Time flew by quickly, filled with laughter and eyes wide with childlike excitement, awaiting the climaxes of the stories being brought to life of these very real people, in history. We were talking about THIS tour for the rest of our trip and continue to bring up the memorable anecdotes Massimo shared with us, that beautiful evening in Rome.
A storytelling tour is so much more enjoyable than an average, academic tour. When following tours, you’ll typically find two types of tour guides: one, who is very informative but a bit boring, and the other, who can be very funny and charismatic but lacks historic accuracy and detail. Massimo had engaging and entertaining delivery, the level of detail was top notch and historic facts shared could be (and were!) cross checked to be totally accurate. A truly gifted storyteller.
We took this tour in July when Rome averages daytime temperatures of 90+ degrees F/35+ degrees C. It was a highlight of our trip to be out in the comfortable, cool evening, with a drink in hand, and being guided by Massimo through the beautiful Eternal City at dusk. This was a genius idea!
If you're coming to Rome, do yourself a favor and book a tour with Massimo. He's the best storyteller and I promise you… you won't regret it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 15, 2024
Wonderful Stories of Rome - This is the second time I have used Massimo as a tour guide in Rome. I'll never go back again without using him. I have taken 6 tours with him now and they have all been excellent. He not only knows the history of the sites, but also the history of the people who lived back then. While he is telling his stories he takes you back in time so you can almost see the emperors and others who lived in that time. I did 2 Vatican tours with him within a 6 month period while visiting with different family members. Since he knew I had just been there he made sure to tell different stories and show me different things. He made dinner reservations for us at nice but affordable places to eat and genuinely went out of his way to make sure we loved and enjoyed Rome to its fullest. I don't think of him as a tour guide anymore but a good friend. I look forward to going back and taking tours with him again in the future. He is truly one of the BEST!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 15, 2024
An essential for your stay in Rome - This was an amazing tour. Massimo has so much knowledge and made the tour engaging and fun throughout. We did a number of tours during our stay in Rome and this was by far the best. The tour was also incredible value for money in comparison to some of the other tours we have been on.
I would strongly recommend this tour in an evening during your stay
Review provided by Viator
Jul 25, 2024
The perfect "live" complement to a vacation in Roma. - We highly recommend this tour of Rome with Massimo, which makes history live as if we were there. This Guide is both exciting and engaging. He speaks in English but is easily understood by French people who fog the English like us. Its turn relies less on monuments than on historical figures, making it the perfect complement to the rest of a stay in Rome.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 30, 2024
Enthralling Storytelling and History - If you do no other tour in Rome take the Julius Ceasar and Emperors tour! This was one of the very best tours that I've taken in 40 years. Massimo has done deep research into Roman History. he is an amazing, dramatic, comedic storyteller, who has a unique ability to help one feel like they are living history and watching an intimate portrayal of the everyday lives of 6 emperors. He walks you through the less traveled parts of Rome and his tours are interactive. we had 6 family, 3 generations from 72,71, 54, 48, 21 and 16 ages and everyone was enthralled and said Massimo's tour was their favorite part of Rome. He provides resting spots and is very age friendly. I will remember our time with Massimo as long as I live and always be grateful to him! I would take the tour again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 28, 2024
A Highly Recommended Experience - I was visiting Rome with a few friends, and eventually we decided to take some tours of the Highlights of Rome.
That was our best decision EVER!! We had tour guide Massimo for all our 3 tours. We started with "Julius Caesar & the Emperors' Nighttime Stories Tour" which is probably the Best Tour of all Time. The tour was so Engaging, so Fun and so Informative. We loved it. This tour SHOULD BE A MUST for every single visitor who goes to Rome. We had the Best Time Ever. We then took the Highlights of Rome walking tour and the Renaissance Scarlet Ladies which were an ABSOLUTE BLAST. Amazing. Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 24, 2024
Best way to spend three days in Rome - Just spent three wonderful days in Rome and Massimo was a big reason. We spent the first evening taking the "Julius Caesar and the Emperors' Nighttime Stories" tour and became quickly familiar with the history surrounding us and some of the most important figures in ancient Rome. The following day we took the "The Vatican Museum Tour" and we were able to maximize our time by avoiding booths and lines and getting right into the most important exhibits and historical details (I believe there are over 70,000 pieces of art). On our last day, we took the "The Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour" which was amazing due to knowing the details of what we were looking at, the ruins were impressive but without Massimo, we would have not understood what was in front of us. Massimo is extremely knowledgeable and passionate which made the tours a very engaging experience for every member of my family (including my 9 year old daughter). The "Julius Caesar and the Emperors' Nighttime Stories" is a very unique tour offered by Storytelling Rome Tours & Walks setting the stage for the other tours by really digging into the key players and mindset of the people of ancient Rome. I would recommend to anyone to take advantage of the "Julius Caesar and the Emperors' Nighttime Stories" tour to immerse yourself in the rich history of Rome to get the most out of your vacation. As a side note, there are wonderful restaurants directly in the area of the tour that stay open late and Massimo can recommend to you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jun 22, 2024
Excellent experience - a must do! - The tour was excellent, our guide, Massimo, was very knowledgeable and explained the history of the emperors in a fun and accessible way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor