19 Aug 2019
We booked with Roma eTours thru Viator because we didnt want to get gouged by our cruise line. We are SO happy we did.
Ricardo was waiting for us at the pier, and we were pleasantly surprised that the tour was just our family. Ricardo was pleasant, spoke great English, and was really informative without being too talkative.
We drove the 60 minutes from the port of Civitavecchia to Rome where Ricardo dropped us off in Vatican City. He made it a point to connect us with our tour guide, who took us through the Vatican Museum....Yes, we skipped the line, which was massive. That alone saved us an hour or two of waiting.
The tour guide was competent and pleasant. After getting thru the museum, we ended up appreciating all of the glory of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. At that point the tour ended.
But we found our way to the roof of the Vatican where we got away from the crowds and had a cappuccino while enjoying a spectacular view of Rome. Easily the best 8 Euros ever spent to get to the roof.
After finishing at St. Peter's, we had a lovely lunch before Ricardo picked us up. But instead of taking us straight to the pier, he found a place in the Roman hills where we were able to take beautiful family pictures. He didnt need to do that. After a few minutes, we got back into the minivan and arrived at the ship.
This was a fantastic tour. Ricardo was a great guide. And I felt like the money we paid was well worth the experience. Strong recommendation.