My wife, mother-in-law and I used this company. We were running about 3 minutes late, even though the messaging we received was very clear to be early. My mother-in-law is elderly and getting around with her took more time than expected. Still, we arrived at the staging area and the staff was still very pleasant and accommodating. You can tell they were getting us to hurry because they know the area would be overrun with other tour groups. They really wanted us to have the best time and experience there. And they sat us in a very good spot for the Wednesday audience with the Pope. I would definitely recommend this company. read more

Real Rome Tours - Historical Tours Near Me

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Great tours! We did the Colosseum and Vatican tour. The Colosseum tour was with Ferdinando and his knowledge and passion for what he was showing us was obvious. He is definitely highly recommended. He is an archaeologist as well so he had a lot of fascinating things to share with us. We actually ran into him on three separate occasions in Rome by chance and he was great to talk to each time. The Colosseum tour we took also included the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (both even more fascinating than the Colosseum in my opinion). The Vatican tour was with Claudia and she was equally as knowledgeable and fun! She obviously knew the folks she needed to to get around in this massive complex without having to wait for anything. The "no-line" entry most tours get has lines here. She had the hookup to get us even past those lines. The tour starts through the Vatican Museum and it was very crowded at the time we were there. She fought to make room for us to get in front of the masses to get a close look at all the things she wanted us to see. It was great to see her genuinely care about our experience. Just about every other tour group we saw in this places had at least 30 people in them. Both tours we took with Real Rome Tours had less than 10. We all had an equal opportunity to experience these beautiful sights with great knowledgable folks who even stuck around to answer any questions we had. They also give great recommendations on restaurants and other places you need to see while in Rome. Gerard was also a pleasure dealing with while booking our tours. He is well organized and gave us a great alternative when we wanted to do the Colosseum Underground tour that wasn't available. It worked out perfectly for us. I couldn't recommend Real Rome Tours any more. read more

Real Rome Tours - Ferdinando, our guide! - Historical Tours Near Me

Gerard, the organizer, has amazing communication. He sent me everything I needed to know for meeting and prep by email and sms. He also was very quick to reply to me and help me when I got there so that I could find the group more easily. I paid for the Colosseum (undergound and main), palantine, and forum. Francesca was our tour guide. it was a group of 3 so pretty much a private tour. Francesca was kind and knowledgeable of the sites. The only reason I don't give 5 stars is because I wouldn't say that the tour exceeded mu expectation. although the guide new the sites, she didn't animate much. She seems to have told us just the bear minimum of what we needed to to know based on main things that we needed to see there. I would have given 5 stars if I had a guide that was a great story teller showing an obvious passion for the history and the sites with additional historical anecdotes about the roman sites. overall would recommend :) read more

I really wanted to give the Real Rome Tours 5 stars. But it's one disappointment after another that led me to write this review. I booked two tours: Best of Rome and Vatican Tour in September 2011. Tour #1: Best of Rome (tour guide: Fernando) + 1: Tour meeting location easy to find (however, tour guide did not identify himself and it took me asking around several other groups to find the correct tour group). + 1: All must-see tourist sites in Rome covered (details on their website, I won't repeat it here as it's always been the same). + 1: Tour guide was quite friendly and knowledgeable -- a native Italian speaker who majored in archaeology. To me (I majored in history in college) this was a great complement because I understand the historical aspect but lacked the art and archaeological perspective of each site. + 1: Tour had a pretty good pace. We didn't spend too much time on each site. This is a plus for those who just want to see the site, understand its history and evolution, take a few photos, and go to the next site. This is not a detailed tour -- to do this would take much more than 3-5 hours! + 1: Tour did stop for a very brief break, BUT the tour guide took us to a very expensive food truck / stand near the Colosseum (water 3.50 euros a bottle!) which I thought was a bit shady and ridiculous. Did they think that we'd actually fall for this? Well yes. We did fall for it, obviously since we had walked for three hours without water under the hot Italian sun. I brought my own bottle of water and was ok with not buying anything, but my mom just complained and complained until finally I spent 3.50 euros to buy that bottle of iced water and 4.50 euros to buy a bottle of iced tea. This is a *small* bottle -- like the kind you can buy in bulk at Costcos! You could say that we are fools for falling for this but also the tour guide is bit of an idiot for taking us to a truck stand -- of ALL PLACES -- as a rest stop on our tour! - 1: The tour costed 89 Euros a person for the Best of Rome Tour. At this price, I'd expect a little more than just an overview of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum (yes, we did see the other major sites in Rome but I felt that these two particular sites were not given enough time and I thought the tour guide could have made his presentation more animated, interesting, and followed up with more answers to our questions). - 1: I felt that the tour guide didn't spend enough time at the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain -- yes there were a TON of tourists there and it was so crowded that we couldn't really walk close enough to the fountain -- but maybe if the tour guide worked in teams (maybe two tour guides at one time?), they could have better managed the group amidst the sea of people (and pickpockets). - 1: The tour guide walked too fast and didn't bother to take a count of the number of people in the group at every stop. He also didn't carry a flag, sign, umbrella -- anything that would help the group identify him. It's almost as if he was trying to hide the fact that he's a tour guide. I didn't like this. - 1: The tour guide ended the tour early -- two hours early! Yes, the weather was burning hot, and yes we were tired (SOME of us were, not ALL), but I really felt that we didn't get our money's worth and this is the main reason why. He stopped the tour at the Spanish Steps but didn't really even say much; he only said that since we looked tired he'd end the tour early. I and another lady didn't agree to this but he ended the tour anyway. Tour #2: Vatican Tour + 1: Like the first tour guide, this tour guide was knowledgable. This guide is a nice American in his early twenties; he said that he went to university in Italy and decided to stay. The benefit to having an American as a tour guide is that he can speak quickly and understand how to communicate using the nuances of American English that only native speakers are able to do. He also speaks Italian with substantial fluency, so that was also a plus for our group as we moved from site to site during the tour. + 1: The Vatican Tour included the entrance tickets to the Vatican. - 1: The tour guide was a bit late. - 1: This is the BIGGEST MINUS and it has nothing to do with the tour guide. It's the tour company. I booked a morning tour and received an email from the company saying that I could just show up an pay cash. I showed up at the meeting point and waited 30 minutes alone and when the tour guide showed up, she said my name wasn't on the list and said I couldn't go on the tour. When I called the company, I couldn't reach anyone. It wasn't until hours after the morning tour left me that Gerard from the office called me back and said that HE WAS ON HIS HONEYMOON TOO BUSY TO PICK UP THE PHONE. Seriously?! When you have tour guides who are LATE, office personnel who DON'T RETURN YOUR CALLS, and shady business practices, customers will not return. I regret booking tours with this company. read more

Amazing!!!! I've been back in my hotel room for 10 minutes and just had to write a review bc this tour was spectacular. We felt like we had VIP access to every area in the colosseo! We had two tour guides and both of them had so much knowledge... One an archeologist with a PhD the other art history. I never write reviews and I highly recommend this tour. You will have see Beautiful sights and learn so much! read more

We've taken a number of group and semi-private tours in the past which were humdrum, so we almost opted for a self-guided exploration. What a mistake that would have been! Ferdinando was tremendously helpful and well prepared - he had a messenger bag filled with supplemental reference material that he laid out at the beginning to help us know what to look for and why it was historically significant. Concerning the structure of the tour - when it says "skip the line", it really means it. Once you book online and print your voucher - you're in. We skirted a line that was at least a block long just to get tickets. After that line, there was a second one to go through security. Not for us - the time it took us from our initial meeting till we were standing inside the Vatican was less than twenty minutes. Afterwards, Ferdinando gave us a 15 minute overview of the Vatican, focusing on both its secular and its spiritual significance - then we were off on the tour. During the tour, Ferdinando would pause to highlight different artifacts or paintings but for the most part we were free to experience everything on our own. We only signed up for the 2.5 hour tour so we weren't able to cover everything but we definitely will sign up for this tour again next time we're in Rome! read more

Found this company on Yelp while in Rome? Had a few nice reviews and decided to go for it.. Glad we did. Booked the small group tour that guaranteed no more than 12 people. What a great deal...booked for party of 4 and only 2 others joined. Super easy to meet the guide at a cute little restaurant around the corner from main entrance..very well coordinated. Our guide, Marina, took us right pass the entrance line and the tour immediately started. It was like having a personal tour with a friend guiding us through the best of the best with a history lesson. She was not only very knowledgeable but you could tell she really enjoyed what she did. Three 1/2 hours was plenty and St Peters Basilica was the perfect ending. Highly recommend real Rome tours for a semi private tour! Great value and experience! read more

Incredible tour worth the money for sure! Extremely knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. Knew the entire history of Rome and told us a great story of the city while taking us through the Colosseum, Palatine, and the Forum. Were able to see the underbelly and the main floor of the Colosseum as well which was really incredible. 3.5 hour tour and a lot of walking. Would recommend at least 1L of water per person, especially if traveling in warm summer months like us. There are water fountains, restrooms, and street vendors that sell water as well. You can take a small backpack/purse into the colosseum as well. Really great experience. Would strongly recommend. read more

I first visited Rome as part of an art education tour - just like the Grand Tour of the victorians, but with 120 sixth form art students in tow! I was disappointed by the cafes and eateries as they seemed little different from anywhere else, apart from the huge bowls of olives everywhere (I love them). The vatican really is a must. One time we were extremely lucky and were asked if we would like an audience with the pope. On one hand you get to see him a lot clearer than on TV, on the other hand, you will be one of hundreds - some audience! We did, however, get some unbelievable photos from among the saints statues all around the roof. When I figure out how to digitize slides, I'll get them onto this site. Also, whatever people have said about the cleaning of the Sistine Chapel, as an artist I have to say that it now looks as Michelangelo intended! read more

We had a very enjoyable tour of the colosseum, underground and Ancient Rome with Nic. It was very informative and well worth the money.

I took the tour of the Colosseum with Maria Leticia and loved it! She was very knowledgable about the history of Rome and the Colosseum and you can tell she is really passionate about what she does. I would really recommend taking your tour with Maria Leticia! read more

What a place, loved it! So much to see and do, but the history and architecture for me is why I wanted to go and I was not disapointed. I walked so much it was unreal, I was there 5 days so could afford to walk around alot and take it all in. You can get the tour bus quite cheap and that is good as you can hop on and off at each stop and spend more time there and they tell you about the history. Overall well worth seeing, but it was more expensive there than I expected. read more

We took a 3.5 hour group tour of the coliseum (including underground and upper levels, accessible only with very special tours), Palatine Hill, and the Forum. Our guide Nick was superb. read more

We booked two tours with Real Rome Tours the first was a semiprivate tours. The first was the Treasures of the Vatican Tour. We met our guild at the Real Rome Tour offices after a nice lunch at a restaurant in the area. Our guide provided us with audio devices and ear phones (I used my own ear buds) so we would be able to hear him during the tour. We walked to the Vatican and after a couple of minutes waiting we entered the Vatican. Our guild was very knowledgable about the Vatican and the history of the site. He took time to give us additional information about the Vatican and what to expect on the tour. We walked the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica. He also recommended good locations for pictures and how to navigate the Vatican after the tour. Our second tour was the Real Ancient Rome Tour with a larger group. Again it was a great tour and the guild was very knowledgable of all the sites. I highly recommend Real Rome Tours if you are planning to visit Rome and want to know more about what you are seeing. read more

As luck would have it we decided to tour the Colosseum on the same day of a Marathon which had the Starting/Finish line near the Colosseum. Which meant for us total chaos, and massive crowds. Thank all that is Holy for Andrea and Real Rome Tours. From the moment we found our meeting point, everything was smooth sailing and a breeze from there. It was raining, not to worry they had Rain Ponchos for everyone. It was loud, not to worry they had Headsets for everyone to where we could hear all of Andreas' fun facts as if he was telling us himself directly in our ear. It was a crowd filled with self proclaimed ADD people, and yet somehow the tour was able to cater and catch their undivided attention. There were literally no lines for us, we wicked right by them as throngs of people stared in shock and jealousy. We had the completely secured gates that said "Do Not Enter", unlocked as we went in behind the scenes. And heard what came to be our favorite saying from Andrea for the rest of our trip, "This is not possible, this is a Private Tour" as he politely broke hearts of those trying to sneak in with our tour group. Sure we felt sorry for them for a minute, but that quickly faded as the floor of the Colosseum opened up to an almost empty area for us to reenact our favorite battle scenes from such movies like the Gladiator. Yes, Epic pictures abound with not one single annoying tourist accidentally walking across the frame to ruin our future profile picture. We looked on as other folks crowded like herds of cattle shifted around on the "Public" areas, and appreciated our moment of feeling like Royalty. Andrea is hands down the best Tour Guide we have ever had. He made the entire tour feel like it was created just for us. He had so much wonderful inside expertise on the ancient relics, meanings, reconstructions of how it would have looked in its prime, and funny commentary to keep us asking for more. In fact there were several occasions where our tour lingered longer than it should have in the various stops, which did not raise one complaint from our group, trying to take it all in. The only downside was when our tour came to end, and the realization that we couldn't have Andrea with us for the rest of our Italy Adventure. read more

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Today we had our half day tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum. It was honestly the best guided tour experience I've ever had! Our guide was Ferdinando and I truly feel we lucked out having this guy for the half day. He has a PhD in archaeology and his focus of study was on the area. It was fascinating listening to him explore the different areas of this ancient history. He was also very funny, friendly and was happy to answer any question. Our group was very small, 11 people, which really made it feel so personal. I've been to Rome 3 times now. This was my second time at the Colosseum and I walked away with a new appreciation for the place. This tour is very much worth the money and time. Ferdinando was the best guide!!! Thank you!!! read more

We had an incredible tour with Marlee! She has a wealth of knowledge and ties together the history of Rome at a level easy to comprehend. It was a very hot day, but she moved us from shaded area to shaded area. Excellent tour! I would ask for Marlee! read more

One of my most favourite cities for its architecture,art and beautiful people. Everywhere you look there is beauty and history, the cuisine is exceptional and the weather always good!Shop in La Rinascente and then have an ice cream at Treveli fountain, nothing could be more romantic. The colloseum is a natural roundabout and stands majestically in the centre with the original stones as they were in the days of St Paul. You can also visit Vatican City and the countless churches and chapels of Rome. So if you like history,art,architecture and Italian ice cream-come to Rome! read more

Great tour guides!! We did the tour of the colosseum and the Vatican. The guides were very knowledgeable at both tours. They accommodated our groups needs without feeling rushed. Despite the rain on the day of our tour, we had a great time touring the colosseum and the forum. The history is astounding and the tours were worth the money. read more

Rome in 2 days! can it be done? In a word Yes. Flew with Easyjet into Ciampino Airport, first task - get to Rome Centre from Airport - Decided to try Terravision Coach transfer, booked online prior to trip, return ticket only 8 euros. Once through terminal as we pre-booked went straight to Terravision stand, exchanged online voucher for tickets with Rep. All ok so far. If you hadn't booked online the ticket office is in the airport terminal. Coach was waiting so boarded straight away, 15 minute wait and 40 minute journey, arrived and Rome Railway Station. Top marks for price, timings and comfort. Google Terravision for website. Day one - make full use of City-sightseeing Open top bus, other tour operators are available but we've used this company in other cities. Start Point:Line A: Via Marsala Line B: Santa Maria Maggiore Duration: Line A: 110 minutes Line B: 80 minutes Frequency:Line A: 120 minutes Line B: 60 minutes, tickets valid for 24 hours and you can hop on and off. Routes take you to the main attractions, 20 minute walk to Trevi Fountain from stop! This type of tour gives you a feel of the city layout and gives commentary in several languages. Visit city-sightseeing website for route details. Day two - Used underground trains, easy to use and cheap, Ticket options are: B.I.T. EUR 1.00. Standard ticket, valid for one Metro ride or 75 minutes on all buses. B.I.G. EUR 4.00. Daily ticket, valid for unlimited metro, bus, and train travel within Rome. B.T.I. EUR11.00. 3-day tourist ticket, valid for everything listed under the B.I.G ticket. C.I.S. EUR16.00. Weekly ticket Only 2 lines so easy to navigate round. But has limited coverage of major attractions. There are stations next to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Spanish Steps and within 5 minutes walk of the Vatican. The metro system can get busy but is quicker than buses/taxis. Tickets for both the bus system and Metro can be purchased from tobacconists, bars, or vending machines at metro stations and major bus stops. You'll not see all the sights but by using the above you'll easily get around the top 10 - Colosseum, St Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Forum Romanum, Piazza di Spagna, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vatican Museum, Circus Maximus and the famous 'flea market' at Porta Portese. read more

Rome is without a doubt my favourite city in the world (of all those i've seen). It's got a vibrant atmosphere, friendly people and it's just packed with amazing historical and monumental places to see within it. It's not too big so you can walk from one side of the city to the other relatively easily, though it has a good transport system. There are hundreds of great restaurants and hotels to chose from. Like with every big city there are certain areas that aren't as safe as others but we didn't encounter any problems and we read up on the best places to go before the trip. It is a very busy city in peak seasons so if you don't like being in crowded places it might be better to go in the off season. It also gets very very hot in Italy in the summer months which means you need to take things at a more leisurely pace. I went here on my honeymoon and found it the perfect location. I'd highly recommend it. If you are there for a longer break, drinking in bars and eating out can be expensive(more so for alcoholic drinks in bars) but if you go to a local supermarket or spa you can get a great bottle of wine or beer very reasonably so why not enjoy a drink on your hotel balcony and soak up the atmosphere. read more

Rome probably the most wonderful city in the world I've ever been to. Steeped in historical relics and architectural wonders. Just walking the streets made me take deep breaths and shiver at the wonder and majesty of the place. I didn't manage to do the Vatican tour as we were only in Rome for 1 day but we saw St Peters square and the long view down the road which is breathtaking. Everything I saw and experienced in Rome made me feel so alive, the food was wonderful, the people so cosmopolitan and the traffic enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end in fear lol. Just wonderful so dreamy and definitely somewhere I want to go for longer. read more

Love Rome. Beautiful city and lovely food especailly ice cream ... ;) and some great land marks to visit. Only negative point is that there are a lot of people about trying to con you out of your money so be on the watch!! read more

We booked a private tour to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum. Our guide was Alessia and she was wonderful. She tailored the tour to our needs -- including my kids' need to rest and sit down at times. She did a great job of engaging my two kids in the tour, making them feel comfortable enough to ask questions, and giving them information they would be interested in (gladiators!). Our experience with Real Rome Tours has been excellent from beginning to end. All the staff -- including the office staff answering the phone -- is professional and friendly, and they delivered on everything they promised. We would definitely use Real Rome Tours again! read more

We did the Rome In a Day tour and it was splendid. We saw so many great sites in such a short amount of time: Colosseum, Pantheon, Forum, Palentine Hill, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's, and many, many other sights! Our guide, Patriza was wonderful! Highly recommend this group! read more

I booked an all day walking tour with Real Rome Tours after seeing the great reviews and they did not disappoint. They were accommodating with me changing dates due to a missed flight and made sure someone was waiting for me before the tour began as I was running a little late. Once you book and provide them your email address, you will receive reminders and valuable info about where to meet (they even provide GPS coordinates so you won't get lost), logistics, and tips for the day. Our tour guide, Niccolo was awesome - he took time to answer questions, had a few good history-related jokes to share, and permitted the group ample opportunities for photos. One huge perk of booking a group tour is bypassing the lines, especially for the Vatican. Just the time saved is worth the trip cost. Must sees are the Colosseum, Vatican, and St John's Basilica. Definitely would recommend this company and tour! read more

Can't even comment on their tours, because I didn't get to the booking stage. Why? Because their website had some confusing information on it and before I booked, I wanted to clarify. I emailed them trying to get that clarification. Their site says they will respond within 48 hours. After my first inquiry that received no response, I tried again. And again, no response. I'll take my $600 elsewhere to another tour company that actually responds to potential customers. read more

It doesn't matter what your religion or even if you have none, this place is a total wonder and should you have the opportunity please do visit. There are queues, sometimes of over 1km but every minute if your wait will be worth because this is about the wonderment of how it was done and is there anything that can compete. It was frescoed by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. The main panels show scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The most famous is the Creation of Adam which is on one of the centre ceiling panels. Others include The Deluge, the Creation of the Sun and Moon and Original Sin. On the end wall is The Last Judgement by Michelangelo completed in 1541 after seven years of work. It shows souls of the dead rising up to face the wrath of God. The dead are torn from their graves and hauled up to face Christ the Judge. But please just take it for what it is a total marvel and something that will live in your memory forever. read more

we went on a tour it was amazing . only downside was when we was on the coach and the tour guide told us about the different places but the coach was driving to quick for us all to see some of the sights. read more

Rome is a very beautiful city, full of history and plenty of thing to do. When you are in Rome be wary of pickpockets when walking through the streets, on the metro, buses, trains everywhere. You have to explore Rome by foot because when travelling to any of the historic sites there is so much to see on the way. However if travelling from the colosseum side of the city, if you wish to visit Vatican City the best option is the metro. For only 4 euro's you can get a 24 hour pass which is great value. The colosseum is an awe inspiring site that has to be seen. On arrival you have a choice of either queing to enter for 3 euro's or getting a guided tour for 12 euro's in which you do not have to que, as they get you in straight away. It is a definate must see when in rome. When in Rome you have to visit St Peters Square. It isn amazing site. You have to get there early about 8-10 a the que will grow as the day goes on. There is a dress code: Women: Skirts must be below the knee No low Cut Blouses Shoulders and Upper Arms must be covered For Men: No Shorts and no sleeveless shirts You wont be able to go in with inappropriate clothes so be warned, you dont want to go and be turned away. read more

The tour guide walked too fast and didn't bother to take a count of the number of people in the group at every stop. He also didn't carry a flag, sign, umbrella -- anything that would help the group identify him. It's almost as if he was trying to hide the fact that he's a tour guide. I didn't like it read more

Truely amazing City