Group Tours in Rome
September 1st, 2008
What could be better than a vacation in Rome? There’s the Vatican, the Colosseum, the museums, the Pantheon and all of the art, wine and food. And suddenly you realize there’s the Vatican, the Colosseum, the museums, the Pantheon, and art and wine and food and how are you going to fit it all into your short stay. It’s completely overwhelming and almost stressful, exactly what a vacation shouldn’t be. So if you’re headed to Rome for the first time, why not take a seasoned veteran with you and get the inside scoop on the things that mean the most to you.
The people of Rome know their city is overwhelming to tourists and they’ve set up a nice little industry to help visitors. Group tours in Rome come in every variety, you can take a small intimate walking tour or you can go on a bus tour that is loaded with potential new friends and traveling companions. There is also a tour for every thing to do and every place to see, so find the right tour (or tours) for you and explore Rome!
If you’re interested in a personalized touch then perhaps a private tour with Through Eternity Cultural Association http://www.througheternity.com/private_tours_rome.htm. This tour system offers you incredible flexibility with a tour designed to hit just the places you have on your list of must sees or you can mix and match your destination choices with suggested choices from the professionals at Through Eternity Cultural Association. Or, perhaps the best option for a first time visitor to Rome, let your tour guides take on you tours that their experience has taught them are the favorite among visitors. If you have a full day, take the Essence of Rome: One Day Walking Tour of Rome. In this one day you’ll see the Colosseum, the Great Forum, the Vatican Museums, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona. It’s really a day full of everything you need to see in Rome.
Another tour option is Presto Tours http://www.througheternity.com/private_tours_rome.htm a group that specializes in small groups, no more than 15 people, so you get an intimate experience but you have the comfort of having others with you, and who knows, you may meet a lifetime friend on the trip. Presto Tours prides itself on the level of interest its guests and guides have in education. Not that they’re all doctorates of ancient history, but the tour is a very thoughtful one with informative pieces throughout and the group is small enough that everyone can ask questions. Presto Tours offers you an experience that really gives tourists a sense of Italian people and the Italian history.
Odyssey Tours http://www.odyssey-tours.com/ is another full service tour company that runs the full gamut from personal individualized tours to full on bus tours that cover a few days. The bus tours are an excellent way for people who are not in the best physical condition to get the most of out of Rome. It’s a smaller city and many tours are walking tours, so it’s nice when you can find a bus tour with a company that’s well respected and knows what they’re doing. Odyssey Tours offers bus trips to Ancient Ostia, Assisi and Orvieto, Castel Sant-angelo and a Blessing by the Holy Father, Ancient Rome and Colosseum, Catacombs and Ancient Appian Way, Tours of Florence and many other adventures.
How about something that’s still easy on the body for those who aren’t incredibly athletic, but a total difference from the crowded bus. Rome in Limo Company http://www.romeinlimo.com/ is one of many companies that offer to give you a tour of the city in style. The company’s drivers have taken many customers through the city and know what the hot and happening tourist spots are. Let them guide you to the best tourist destinations and the favorite local haunts as well. The drivers are all multilingual, but make sure you specify what language you’d like your tour to be in. if you like dealing with the friendly folks at Rome in Limo Company, use them to schedule further tours that don’t involve the limo, they can even hook you up with an aviation tour of Rome.
For a unique look at Rome, Enjoy Rome http://www.enjoyrome.com/walking/night.html offers a night tour. The tour covers the basic sights in the center of Rome, the Colosseum, Capitoline Hill, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona, but instead of seeing the sights by day you get a glorious view of them during sunset and under the night sky. It’s sort of a romantic way to see the sights before having a night on the town.
If you’re thinking about specific tours of some of the more famous sites, Angel Tours Rome http://www.angeltoursrome.com/ gives free lectures of the Pantheon every day the Pantheon is open. For the Colosseum try My Colosseum Tour http://www.mycolosseumtour.com/ where you get an extensive tour but at least there is a focus on the Colosseum and a skip the line feature. If your destination is the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel use the Vatican Museum’s official services http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html to get an extensive tour that hits all the major points with great insight.
For a uniquely Roman tour, see When In Rome Tours http://www.wheninrometours.com/Tours/Private-Tours/Castelli-Romani-Wine-Tour.html about their Castelli Roman Wine Tour. This tour is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city and lets tourists relax in peace and comfort in the Castelli Romani vineyards. In addition to a great tour and tasting experience with lunch at a local winery, you also get to tour Appian Way and the Ancient Roman Aqueducts that are still standing. The tour guides are well versed in all the standard haunts and can not only give you information on the tour you’re on, but they can lead you to some other great sites that all visitors must visit.
Rome is a city so steeped in history and culture that it’s impossible to see everything that needs to be seen in one short vacation. You can do it alone, but for the inside scoop, schedule a guided tour to get the lay of the land and make sure you not only see the highlights you’re most interested in but you’ll get some information that without a guide to tell you, you’d be hard pressed to discover.
Categories: Sightseeing
