13 Nov 2024
Amazing overview of the highlights of Rome for first-time visitors. November is awesome to visit because there is a lot of walking (20K steps) and it is not hot. we had perfect weather....maybe rain would have put a damper on the trip, but luckily not for us. Does not include climbing up the dome of the Basilica or the Spanish Steps.
The good: Our tour guide, Maria Theresa, was awesome: intelligent, funny, and helpful. Piazza Navona, Colosseum, Piazza, Venezia, and Vatican tour (basilica, museum) were great. the bus ride to the Vatican was a welcome relaxation after the walk.
The bad: Only the outside of the Pantheon and no walking thru to the archeological sites were included, although you could see them from outside or above. You have to make you way back from the Vatican to your hotel on your own, although that was fully expected. In the middle of summer, I would expect this tour to be a real burden with profuse sweating. The Trevi fountain was the big disappointment, but that was not this company's fault: it is under renovation for the 2025 Jubilee (as is many of the attractions in Rome at this time). Frankly, there is a LOT of construction and renovation in Rome at this time in prep for Jubilee.
Overall, this was a great value for our group and no more and no less (other than the Trevi Fountain) than we wanted for a first-time visit to Roma.