Hi Travelers
Wondering about our trip to Rome and the best way to see as much as possible in 5 days.

Book a specific tour prior to our arrival or
Find independent tour guides there or
Book a bus tour while there, etc.

Any and all ideas welcome.

Also is there a true advantage to "skip a line" tickets or not?

Also how would I identify the best private tour guides while in Italy?

Thanks,
Diane

My daughter and husband were there a couple of years ago in late Sept. It was very hot and hellishly crowded. Try to skip lines.

Many of the most interesting streets in Rome are much too narrow for a bus to drive through, so a bus tour is not a good way to see Rome.

Not everybody "connects" with the same kind of guide, or the same kind of tour. Some guides are excellent for people who already have read a few books about Roman history or Roman architecture, and can supply more details. Other guides are great for people who really don't know much of anything, and hope to be shown around Rome in a way that the hstory starts to make sense for them. If you go to Tripadvisor, you can see lots of reviews of different guides and tour companies. Maybe it would help you find the one you want.

It might not be hot when you are there but you probably don't want to spend your precious time on vacation standing around in lines.

Hi Diane,
Like many will probably tell you (as they have to me) research, research, research. And then figure out what are the things that are MOST important for you to see.
I have found that when I can afford it, a private guides have been worth every cent - but I can't always splurge!
I like to do some sort of City Tour when I first arrive to a new place to get my bearings, see the sights AND decide which of these are worth my return.
If possible, I also like to book before I go - just to save the precious time there. There are many good tidbits of information on this Forum and on TripAdvisor along with your tour book(s).
As far as the skip the line tickets, I find those have been very helpful in all the large cities. Lines into the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel can be horrific.
And don't forget to allow yourself unscheduled time to stroll, sit at a cafe and just take it all in.
I will be going to Rome for the 5th time this August for 4 days - hopefully you will return also.
Buon viaggio!

Friends of our recently took a tour of the Vatican via www.romaexperience.com
They were very pleased with this choice.

Context Travel is a highly rated agency that offers both small group tours and private tours. I haven't used them, but they've been recommended to me by Daniela Hunt, when she wasn't available to conduct a private tour herself. She's excellent, especially for ancient Roman sites, and I trust her opinion. Her web site is http://www.rome-tours.com/ .

I wouldn't want to line up too many tours. If it turns out to be very hot, you might prefer not to spend two hours outdoors with even the best tour guide. Of course, it's not always hot in September. It's like any other temperate zone country. Sometimes there will be a late heat wave, and sometimes it can already be on the chilly side.

For skip-the-line tickets, I would want to get those if you're thinking of going to the Vatican Museums or the Colosseum. Apart from those two overcrowded places, it's not really necessary. For the Vatican Museums, I'd consider a Friday night tour, only offered in high season, which will be both less crowded and probably less hot. For the Colosseum, I'd go as early in the day as possible, to avoid crowds and heat. The ticket is also good, either that day or the next day, for the Roman Forum and Capitoline Hill, but I would visit those the next day, again to arrive as soon as they open.

Skipping the queue at the Vatican Museum is a MUST. One way to do that is to pre-book a group tour ... and you also get the benefit of a knowledgeable guide talking about what you're seeing (as you move through the museum in the midst of the thundering herds).

My advice is to go in the afternoon when at least the cruise line visitors will have finished.


You can also pre-purchase tickets, which lets you skip the long lines to purchase tickets. If you haven't purchased in advance you can get your Colosseum tickets nearby at the Palladian (the same ticket gets you into both, and the Palladian never has a long line).

I have a half-finished trip report from October 2016. C Lick on my name to find it. It answers some of your questions

Regards ... Ger

If i you want to conquer Rome in 5 days then a tour guide is a good way to go. I've lived int he city for 3 years now and there's still always something more to see! 5 days is a good amount of time, especially if it's your first visit.

Tripadvisor is a great source to find tour guides and companies. Privileged Entry Tours for the Vatican are always great and they get you in an hour before the museums actually open to members of the general public. The line for the
Vatican can warp around the walls, so this is probably your best option.

Here's a post that might help: https://theromanguy.com/italy-travel...t-the-vatican/

It's a tip I'd give everyone and always practice myself - book in advance.

Have fun in the Eternal City!

I second the comment above that it will be very hot in September so try to limit time standing in line or having to walk too far.

We spent a day with Daniella Hunt. She is a wonderful guide! we did two tours with Walks of Itlay. They were excellent as they take small groups and the tours we took allowed us the skip ticket lines. We visited the Vatican museums and The Colisseum and Forum with Walks of Italy.

We were there in September and it was hot. Take water with you, for sure.

One wonderful and often overlooked place in the middle of Rome is Palazzo Doria Pamhilij Lovely art collection and a fabulous oasis from the heat and crowds.

Ive done two tours with Context And both were excellent. Antiche Roma of the Palantine Hill, Coliseum, and Forum, also the Arte Vatican. The Vatican tour did not include admission tickets or allow us to skip the line. However, we marched right up to the ticket window at lunchtime and walked right in. The line was very short at that time. It does sound like Rome has become much busier sonce that visit on 2005!

It has been many years but my grandmother and I took a prearranged tour in Rome and we visited the Vatican without any lines at all. I wouldn't do it any other way.

And boy would I like to stay in the Quirinale Hotel again!!

It has been many years but my grandmother and I took a prearranged tour in Rome and we visited the Vatican without any lines at all. I wouldn't do it any other way.

And boy would I like to stay in the Quirinale Hotel again!!

Although this trip report is pretty old (October 2006), it does give you a good idea of what you can accomplish in 5 days in Rome - which is actually quite a bit! We did several tours with small groups and I feel we got a real bang for our buck especially in regard to the Ancient Rome sites which are just so much a pile of stones without some guidance. I've since returned for two more visits and can advise that my go-to tour company is now Through Eternity Tours https://www.througheternity.com/ whose tours in 2015 surpassed those I booked that year with Context Rome. I can also still highly recommend Anno-Domini Tours http://www.anno-domini.us/ if you are interested in a Roman Catholic centric tour.

trip report: http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=1158