Maria Libera D.

This was an amazing tour. We were able to skip the lines which helped immensely. Our guide Anna Maria was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I definitely recommend this tour.

We absolutely LOVED this experience. I cannot believe the amount of knowledge that Maria Linda had. We not only learned so much, but we had this personalized experience that felt so geared to us. I have never experienced anything like this and can't wait to do it again. Worth every penny! Also, the experience was made by Maria Linda. The event itself was captivating, but her expertise and kindness, along with her knowledge and personality, was what really made the experience.

We took the “Private Borghese Gallery Tour with Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off” from Eyes of Rome on December 26. We were picked up on-time at our hotel by the tour’s driver and dropped off at the Villa Borghese and met immediately by our personal guide, Silvia, who greeted us warmly and immediately started setting the context of what we were about to see with the history of the Aurelian wall, Roman life in the 1600s, and the concept of the “villa suburbana,” all of which is quite necessary for a full appreciation of the wonder that is the Galleria Borghese. She explained to us the relation of the Galleria’s founder Cardinal Scipione Borghese and his position as the Cardinal Nephew to Pope Paul V, which gave him political power over the Papal States. Silvia told us of the original plan of the gardens and the vivarium, which housed species from all over the world- plants and birds respectively, which was foundational to understanding the art collection to come. For context, I have twice visited the Galleria Borghese in 1996 and 2010, but it was my husband’s first visit to the Galleria and, in fact, to Rome. Our tour impressed, entertained, and satiated the curiosity of both of us equally– not an easy feat, for sure. We appreciated that Silvia structured the tour as much as possible as the Galleria was meant to be experienced (unwinding, if philosophically, the changes to the sequence of rooms necessitated by current COVID protocols). Silvia was knowledgeable, personable, funny, and very well-versed in the history of the Borghese family, the Papacy as related to it, and the artists (Bernini, Carvaggio, etc.) and their works featured in the museum. Among the highlights for us: *A very informative but also witty and humorous study comparing the depiction (and by extrapolation the characterization) of Venus painted with Cupid by two artists– Cranachi (il vecchio) and Brescianino, an eye-opening discussion about the differing regional attitudes toward women at the time *Revealing the technique but also the humanity of Caravaggio with a thorough education on the ‘Madonna dei Palafrenieri.’ Some of why the painting would have been a shocking portrayal of Mary, Jesus, and St. Anne may be obvious, but understanding all the details– Mary’s plainly visible underskirt– contemporary of the artist’s time, the wrinkled, withered portrayal of St. Anne (the Vatican chapel bearing her name being the intended destination for this work, where it was ultimately rejected), and the still-astounding use of light in darkness was extremely interesting and enriching to our experience *A 360-degree analysis of Bernini’s Baroque masterpiece Apollo and Daphne (starting with Silvia ensuring we averted our eyes to view the sculpture first from the right-hand side, as intended by the artist himself prior to the statue being moved) gave us a complete understanding of this work. Viewing the sculpture– which I had seen before but never from the vantage point encouraged by our guide– this way gives the complete story of Daphne’s encapsulation into the tree depicted here and Apollo’s (non-)reaction. When the delicately carved, paper-thin tree bark was pointed out to us, you could almost feel the heartbeat that Apollo would have felt as his hand grasped it. I appreciated the details of the windswept hair turning into leaves, which also stemmed from her hands, and the roots emanating from her foot, details I had not really fully appreciated before. I would highly recommend Eyes of Rome and specifically our guide Silvia. I cannot enumerate with words how much more I appreciated the Galleria Borghese with her expert and naturally flowing guidance and historical context. We had a fantastic time that we will not soon forget.

This tour of the Vatican was absolutely the highlight of our entire Mediterranean two week trip. Anna Maria Barbaro was our guide and she absolutely made the experience for us. Her knowledge and wit was perfect for the entire tour. There is no way we would have enjoyed the tour as much without her. In my opinion this is the only way to see the Vatican.

Anna Maria was fantastic! She constantly asked us what we wanted to do as well as made sure to tell us what we were missing as well. A very smooth process to get into the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St Peters basilica.

Maria-Linda was an excellent tour guide. It was a little too hot for the kids so we had to cut the tour short but I would have gone all day talking to her. She was informative but fun and interesting, not just canned historic facts!

This tour was the highlight of our two week trip to Italy. Maria was fantastic with our children and so knowledgeable. We learned a lot and were able to skip so many lines. I HIGHLY recommend this tour!

This was a wonderful tour with Maria, her knowledge and education (art history and Latin) plus her desire to tailor the experience to our needs was perfect. She was able to get us through the antiquities, Raphael rooms maps and of course the Sistine Chapel in under 2 hours with the awesome shortcut straight into St Peters at the end.

Maria was excellent. She knew her stuff really well but presenting the data and all the rich information in her head in an engaging and interesting way. Would do any tour with her!

The Colosseum is such an amazing place. Maria made centuries old history come to life. There is so about those times in Ancient Rome much I’ve never known. Although my husband and I walk 4 miles a day, we wanted to conserve our steps so we could be active for the entire day, even after the tour. Maria was wonderful. She knew every nook and cranny and got us to all available elevators with no wait! You will learn so much in a fun way and be surprised by many things you never knew. We added hotel pickup and drop off. It was seemless, on time and definitely a smart move. Book this tour with full confidence and have a fun day!

Our guide, Barbara, did a great job getting us through all the crowds & chaos of the Colosseum. She was very knowledgeable and energetic. So many new areas have been opened up since our last visit so that was great to see. We especially enjoyed visiting some of the new sectors in the Forum. It’s hot and it’s crowded so go early. Nice to have a driver get you to the Colesseum and then drop us off @ Santa Maria Majorie Basilica. This tour was expensive but it did save us a lot of time & hassle.

Our guide, Maria, was amazing. She helped us get through security and each of the sites with ease and always knew the best spots in each section where we could pause and fully appreciate the amazing works of art. Her detailed explanations of the history and analysis of the key works of art deepened our experience immeasurably. She broadened our understanding not just of what we saw during our tour but of art in general. We were very happy that we took the tour and would highly recommend it.

This tour will “check the box” for any traveler looking to see the highlights of the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. However, to “check the box” is to miss out on the incredible works of art and architecture brought to life by Maria on this tour. Her passion for the works and the stories they hold had us enthralled. From Bernini’s architecture and Balachin to the Laocoon and Michelangelo’s Pieta and Sistine Chapel, to Gallery of Maps, and to the long history of the Vatican obelisk, Maria painted a complete picture of the history and reasoning behind these masterpieces.

Our trip guide Maria was amazing. Super knowledgeable and friendly, a pleasure to spend the day with. Skipping the lines was also a huge benefit, would highly recommend spending the extra money.

Our tour guide Maria was outstanding. She was very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. She knew a lot of entertaining and interesting facts about the art works and artists. She was very helpful at helping my wife (in a wheelchair) get around. She knew where to go first in order to avoid crowds, and she and gave us directions for how to continue on our own after the tour was over. Thank you Maria!

Most memorable part of our experience was the exceptional manner, personality & knowledge of our tour guide, Maria. She answered all our questions with an obvious love for her subject. She made our experience exciting.

We had a wonderful experience with our guide Maria Linda. The tour was so informative and our guide customized the experience for us. She made sure we saw everything we wanted to and so much more! I highly recommend a private tour of the Vatican

Had a wonderful guide Maria. She tailored our tour to our physical stamina and shared great info with us during our tour.

Waking through St. Peter’s Basilica was humbling. And the restaurant recommendation by our guide for lunch. Maria Linda’s recommendation turned out to be one of the best places to eat we tried during our 2 week trip.

Excellent experience touring St. Peter’s and Vatican Museums with Maria. My wife and I felt so fortunate to have our own tour guide who has a masters degree in art history. Maria was pleasant, extremely knowledgeable, and conveyed a huge amount of information in three hours. (Although she was happy to go a little past her allotted time, since we had a lot of questions.) We would highly recommend!

Maria was a fantastic guide! She was professional, incredibly knowledgeable and extremely thoughtful. She had a story for each of the various highlights she shared that really brought the experience to life. I was jet lagged & tired during the tour & she went out of her way to find places to sit & relax while in the midst of the crowd/chaos. I highly recommend her to everyone for a tour of the Colosseum and Forum!

Mariana was a wonderful tour guide. She kept our family moving and answered all our questions. Unbeknownst to us, my one son had food poisoning from the night before and she directed us to the bathrooms when needed. It had to be a logistical nightmare for her with my son and I leaving the group a few times and she continuing the tour with the rest of the family. However, she was a complete professional and was patient and compassionate towards our son. We appreciate her sharing her knowledge of the Vatican and all its wonders and traditions. We are grateful for her empathy.

Our guide Mariachiara was fantastic! She was very knowledgeable and friendly, and knew exactly how to navigate the crowds. I will say this, if you spend your money on one tour, hsve it be the Skip the Line tour. While we still dealt with crowds, when we pulled up to the Vatican entrance, the line for those who had not purchased Skip the Line (or those who tried to get tickets the day of) was literally blocks long. Our guide said that line can be hours to get in. Paying for a private Skip the Line tour was worth every single penny. We highly recommend this tour and our guide Mariachiara!

This was the second time on a tour of the Colosseum for some of us and we still learned more! Thank you Maria!

I used this company for multiple tours, starting in Milan, and then Rome - Colosseum Arena & Underground, Early Bird Vatican, golf cart tour of Piazzas and Fountains, and Borghese Gallery. All tours were wonderful, and the guides were informative and accommodating. I was traveling with my 72 yr old mother and needed customization and a slower pace. Thank you Alessandro, Maria and Rosa, for the memories and your passion.

Our tour guide, Maria was fantastic. She did a great job helping us to understand the history of the colosseum and Roman Forum. Fascinating and highly enjoyable.

Fascinating tour brought to life by our enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, Maria. If you only do one to in Rome, do this one.

Maria was a wonderful tour guide. We learned and saw so much, we loved it all! Great to get picked up and dropped off at our hotel, made it that much easier for us. Highly recommend!

Maria was an excellent guide for me. She has a wealth of knowledge. Her use of the iPad to point out details that I would not have been able to see was very helpful. Excellent experience.

This tour was amazing! Our guide, Maria, was clearly passionate about the Forum and Colosseum and her detailed knowledge and expertise greatly enhanced our experience! I would do this tour over and over again! The view from the arena floor was incredible, despite the intense sun. Due to the high temperatures, we were melting but didn’t even notice. This is a must-do tour, especially if you can have Maria as your guide!

One word to describe our experience. Amazing. Our guide Maria was incredibly insightful and very passionate to share her knowledge with us. Great experience!

We booked the “Private Borghese Gallery Tour with Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off” from Eyes of Rome on October 21, before the Omicron variant placed our present trip to Rome very much up in the air. Happily we were able to make it to Rome and to experience this wonderful, personalized tour of what I think is the greatest collection of treasures in Rome on December 26. We were picked up on-time at our hotel by the tour’s driver who was well-informed and effective with regard to the current COVID protocols, helping us to ensure we had the appropriate type of mask required and our physical vaccination proof (we had assumed digital versions would suffice, but this is not currently the case in Rome or at least not for the Villa Borghese). Another tour operator probably wouldn’t have checked for these items and we would have missed the entire experience. We were dropped off at the Villa Borghese and met immediately by our personal guide, Silvia, who greeted us warmly and immediately started setting the context of what we were about to see with the history of the Aurelian wall, Roman life in the 1600s, and the concept of the “villa suburbana,” all of which is quite necessary for a full appreciation of the wonder that is the Galleria Borghese. She explained to us the relation of the Galleria’s founder Cardinal Scipione Borghese and his position as the Cardinal Nephew to Pope Paul V, which gave him political power over the Papal States. Silvia told us of the original plan of the gardens and the vivarium, which housed species from all over the world- plants and birds respectively, which was foundational to understanding the art collection to come. For context, I have twice visited the Galleria Borghese in 1996 and 2010, but it was my husband’s first visit to the Galleria and, in fact, to Rome. Our tour impressed, entertained, and satiated the curiosity of both of us equally– not an easy feat, for sure. We appreciated that Silvia structured the tour as much as possible as the Galleria was meant to be experienced (unwinding, if philosophically, the changes to the sequence of rooms necessitated by current COVID protocols). Silvia was knowledgeable, personable, funny, and very well-versed in the history of the Borghese family, the Papacy as related to it, and the artists (Bernini, Carvaggio, etc.) and their works featured in the museum. Among the highlights for us: *A very informative but also witty and humorous study comparing the depiction (and by extrapolation the characterization) of Venus painted with Cupid by two artists– Cranachi (il vecchio) and Brescianino, an eye-opening discussion about the differing regional attitudes toward women at the time *Revealing the technique but also the humanity of Caravaggio with a thorough education on the ‘Madonna dei Palafrenieri.’ Some of why the painting would have been a shocking portrayal of Mary, Jesus, and St. Anne may be obvious, but understanding all the details– Mary’s plainly visible underskirt– contemporary of the artist’s time, the wrinkled, withered portrayal of St. Anne (the Vatican chapel bearing her name being the intended destination for this work, where it was ultimately rejected), and the still-astounding use of light in darkness was extremely interesting and enriching to our experience *A 360-degree analysis of Bernini’s Baroque masterpiece Apollo and Daphne (starting with Silvia ensuring we averted our eyes to view the sculpture first from the right-hand side, as intended by the artist himself prior to the statue being moved) gave us a complete understanding of this work. Viewing the sculpture– which I had seen before but never from the vantage point encouraged by our guide– this way gives the complete story of Daphne’s encapsulation into the tree depicted here and Apollo’s (non-)reaction. When the delicately carved, paper-thin tree bark was pointed out to us, you could almost feel the heartbeat that Apollo would have felt as his hand grasped it. I appreciated the details of the windswept hair turning into leaves, which also stemmed from her hands, and the roots emanating from her foot, details I had not really fully appreciated before. I would highly recommend Eyes of Rome and specifically our guide Silvia. I cannot enumerate with words how much more I appreciated the Galleria Borghese with her expert and naturally flowing guidance and historical context. We had a fantastic time that we will not soon forget.

Our guide, Maria was the very best. She is an archeologist and brought it all to life. I highly recommend them.

Très bonne visite ! La guide Maria Linda a été très intéressante et a fait preuve de beaucoup de pédagogie dans ses explications !!

I had a great private tour with Azzura Della Seta which included the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. Azzura knows her history, but more important, communicates her knowledge in a very comfortable manner. Azzura is very patient and responsive in terms answering questions, plus flexible in terms of changing routes and accommodating the inevitable photography rush. In summary, an outstanding tour.

What a fabulous tour! Maria met us at our apartment for the early bird Vatican tour. She was well spoken and extremely knowledgeable about every detail. Such a joy to see the Vatican through her eyes- we learned so much! Could not recommend this tour enough, a must when in Rome!

We highly recommend this tour. Maria picked us up at our hotel. She was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable The tour of the Vatican was wonderful and amazing because of María. Maria is a fantastic guide who was able to move through the crowded areas with ease and take us to the most perfect spots. She has so much information to share and made this a day we will never forget.

This private tour was totally worth it. Everywhere in the Vatican was packed. Our tour guide, Maria, was able to avoid all the lines, got us into areas not always available to the general public, and gave us a very insightful tour.

We had the pleasure of seeing this fabulous site with Maria Serena! She was so knowledgeable and engaging we didn’t want the tour to end! We saw the Coliseum and adjacent forum. We would highly recommend this tour with Maria. Total 5 star experience!

We booked the Private Colosseo tour for a half day and a Rome Private Walking tour the next day and we were so fortunate to have Maria Linda walk us around both days! Our family of 4 adults (us and 2 children in their 20’s), all agreed that we gained so much knowledge from her tours. We were visiting Rome with our children as adults because they didn’t remember much from when they were little and Maria Linda really knows her history. Her pleasant disposition made us feel like we were walking with a friend and she was so gracious with her responses to our questions. She was considerate about bathroom stops, water refills, and stopping in the shade when taking us to a site. She even recommended a restaurant where we had our best meal in Rome - no small feat! I will certainly look her up on our next visit to Rome and recommend her to anyone for their next visit. Grazie, Maria Linda and Eyes of Rome!

Maria Serena Lanfranca was our guide at the Vatican - and she was amazing! She is a school teacher and art historian and was able to explain the history and importance of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel simply and eloquently so that it appealed and had relevance to our children (12 and 16) and us adults. I particularly liked how she spoke to us in the beauty of the Vatican gardens and explained much of the importance of the chapel and the rooms before we even entered the main hall - because once you do, you get swept up by the masses. With her approach, we knew exactly what to expect and look for. There was context and we were able to take more in. This was our second visit to the Vatican and Serena was far better than our previous guide.

Maria was excellent. She met us (family of 5) at our apartment and escorted us efficiently through an extraordinarily busy Vatican. She was knowledgeable, friendly and spoke very good English. Would definitely recommend her.

Maria was an outstanding tour guide. She is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Made the tour fun and interesting. Would highly recommend requesting Maria for the tour.

Our tour guide, Maria Serena, was amazing and made this private tour very interesting and enjoyable. Maria Serena's knowledge was incredible and she was able to share that knowledge with us in a very engaging and enjoyable way. Our 11-year-old daughter loved the tour and we would highly recommend Eyes of Rome and particularly Maria Serena.

The Coloseum and Roman Forum are indescribable, truly aspiring Roman accomplishments and essential to understanding the heritage of Rome. Having Maria as a guide gave us a much better insight and understanding of the historical context and many features that we would not have understood. She was punctual, professional, courteous, very knowledgeable, speaks excellent English and is very good at understanding our interests and adapting her tour to us. I would absolutely take a private tour, especially with Maria on any visit. The access she provided to avoid lines and find the best entrance and exit, as well as how she pulled all the marvels together as we walked made our trip significantly more memorable. She was also very patient and cheerful as we stopped often to take many many photos. Just do it! Take the tour, with Maria!!

We have been to St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel before but on a shore excursion from a ship so it was one of those cram all of Rome in a 6 hour visit. This time we spent 5 days there. This was a post tour add on so it was us and two ladies. When Maria came to the hotel to get us, I knew we were in for a real in-depth tour. Her knowledge of the things we were seeing was incredible. I asked if she was an art major in school or something and she told us she is an archeologist and had participated in some very interesting digs. Some people will take you on a tour and tell you about things in a monotone, like they were bored after having done this hundreds of times. Not Maria. Her passion and excitement describing things was contagious and we hated that the tour had to end. In years of travel, we have only had a few guides that brought the art and history to life. That was Maria. If we are ever fortunate enough to go back to Rome, I would book Maria a year or two in advance to make sure we would be with her. It is Maria Moretti and she is incredible!

Although it was a rainy, windy morning when our tour guide from Eyes of Rome met my sister and me at our hotel, we could immediately tell that our time with Stefania would be special. She warmly greeted us and made sure we had the necessary gear for the weather. After our taxi ride to the Colosseum, we quickly swept past the long lines standing in the rain at the entrance and started our tour. Stefania's background is in art history, but she demonstrated an excellent background in the history of ancient Rome. Her presentation was vivid and engaging, never lapsing into mere recitation of facts. Eyes of Rome refers to their guides as story tellers and the description is perfect. We could visualize the raucous crowds at the gladiator games and other public spectacles. Stefania also helped us appreciate the architectural achievement of this massive amphitheater. Likewise she brought to life the Forum as the center of public life in ancient Rome. Stefania responded readily to our questions and tailored her presentation to our interests. After the tour was completed and we asked for a recommendation for lunch, she walked us to a restaurant patronized by locals and away from the tourist traps surrounding the Colosseum. Finally, we asked for suggestions for churches to visit and she sent an email with several suggestions with descriptions. Based upon her suggestions we visited the only medieval church in Rome, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which was delightful. We left feeling we not only had enjoyed a great tour -- we made a new friend!

Our private tour with Maria was fantastic. With a masters degree in archaeology she really knows her stuff and communicated it beautifully. Her enthusiasm and outgoing personality made us wish we could have spent another day with her.

We learned so much from Maria - her knowledge of art history is outstanding - and her personality made every minute of the tour fun and engaging. We absolutely recommend this tour! Best thing we did in Rome!

Everything worked just perfectly. Our guide Maria and driver Fabio picked us form our hotel at agreed time. We went directly to Colosseum, without waiting and afterwards we walked directly into Forum Romanum, skipping the line there as well. Maria was incredibly friendly, spontaneus and professional. She gave us a huge amount of interesting information in very comprehensive way. She did her best to make the tour intersting for our teen-aged daughters. We were walking in our own tempo. Stopping whenever we wished to stop, for making fotos, asking questions... At the end of the tour, we decided to continue our sightseeing and it was no problem for our driver Fabio to dropp us off not in our hotel but to drive us to other place according to our choice. We higly recommend this tour. If you can afford it, just do it. It is absolutely worth it.

Wonderfull experience. The private tour of Collosseum and Forum Romanum - highly reccomended. The pick- up at hotel worked perfectly and also skipping the lines. The guide Maria was amazing. Knowledgable, professional and very friendly and sympatic at the same time. We have learned a lot, the information given was interesting and comprehensive. Also our teen-age daughter enjoyed it very much. We could walk in our own tempo, ask questions. At the end we were brought by car to a place of our own choice as we wanted to continue our sightsieeng of Rome without retourning in hotel.

My family and I spent a wonderful afternoon with Maria Linda touring the Galleria Borghese. The artwork was amazing and Maria Linda was a fantastic guide. She got to know us and the types of things we liked, especially our daughter who is an art fanatic. Maria was very knowledgeable and made the tour super interesting. Thanks!

Excellent guided tour of churches with Marco Mancini from Eyes of Rome. We visited: Pantheon, Santa Maria della Vittoria , San Luigi di Francesi , San Pietro in Vincoli, Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Marco is an archaeologist and he taught me alot about all the places we visited. Not just the works of art, but also stories about the artists (Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini) and I learned a bit about about the history of Italy. Marco was very good company also. We spoke in Italian, because i wanted to practice.. That was great for me.

My Mom and I had a wonderful private tour of the Colosseum and the ancient Forum with our guide Paola Molinari. She was waiting for us when we arrived and quickly had us in the Colosseum. Her knowledge was outstanding and was very helpful in pointing out the highlights as we went through and answering our questions so it wasn't overwhelming for us. My Mom is a bit older so Paola was very good at accommodating her pace and customizing the tour to our needs. I would highly recommend this tour, this tour company and especially Paola for a private tour! Mary McCarthy

We had a very interesting and informative tour, which was expected; however, this particular tour with Maria Ida Moretti was exceptional. Her enthusiasm and knowledge of Vatican history was top-notch, and her personality made history come alive for us. We highly recommend this private tour. It made for a wonderful morning in Rome. We would definitely want Maria to be our guide on any future tours. We felt so comfortable with her and now have a new friend in Rome. Sandra and Don Kunz

What a wonderful way to see the Vatican. Our tour guide Maria Linda Fusella was wonderful. Friendly, and highly knowledgable. Would recommend this tour to anyone.

Awesome tour! Maria knew so many fun facts and her English was impeccable. This is a must do tour.

To say that Maria is wonderful would be an understatement. She is full of information and the way she shared it with us was enthusiastic and painted a picture that we could imagine. Knowing that we are photographers and appreciated art, she guided us and pointed out things. She explained things of interest before we saw them. Maria was extremely interesting and shared all about the history and how each area of the Vatican Museum came about. Thank you Maria for a memory of a lifetime. You are the best!

merci a Maria Linda Fusella pour les 2 belles journées que nous avons vécus. ce fut une expérience très enrichissantes. elle nous a permis de comprendre ce qui se passait réellement dans l'empire romain et l'histoire du Vatican. aucune file d'attente et un service 5 étoiles.

We had an awesome tour with Maria Ida! It made things so much easier to have a guide when it came to lines and avoiding the wait. She had all the tickets set up in advanced and along with that was an incredibly informative tour! Our tour was the highlight of our trip to Rome and we would certainly recommend! Thanks Maria!

Maria Linda was awesome. She is the perfect mix of history teacher and fun tour guide. She picked us up from our hotel and called for our taxis. We were a group of 6. She arranged to get our tickets and showed us where to wait for her. Everything went really smooth even though it was a very crowded day at the Vatican. We went during high season in July. Maria got the museum guards to let us into a private area where we got to see sculptures and mosaics and a great view from the Vatican overlooking the city. I don't want to give everything away that she pointed out but she was great. We never felt rushed. She spent lots of time with us. I recommend her!

Guide-interprète, experte en histoire de l’art, charmante et dynamique, Maria Linda à la qualité rare de savoir se conformer aux contraintes de ses clients. Elle a su aménager l’itinéraire des sites pour respecter notre timing serré ; adapter sa pédagogie à notre capacité d’attention (interruptions professionnelles pour ma compagne), et modifier sa présentation pour satisfaire nos intérêts. Nous la recommandons pour des visites privées, particulièrement si vous recherchez un service sur-mesure. Maria Linda Fusella est un guide investi avec qui vous pourrez établir une relation sincère. Son savoir, son implication, son entrain et son affabilité ont fortement contribué à faire de notre visite, un souvenir inoubliable !

What a wonderful and informative tour with Maria Ida Moretti. Maria picked us up at our hotel and ordered a taxi for us. We didn't realize that it would just be our family and Maria, which was great. Even on the cab ride over she was full of interesting information about the Vatican and Rome. She was so knowledgeable and answered all our questions. It was a mob scene at the Vatican and we flew past all the lines. We also had access to a private area at the vatican. Maria gave us a lot of information before entering some of the areas so we definitely knew what we were looking at. We were with her for 4 hours, that flew by very quickly. She gave us ideas of where to eat and other places to see. If we go back to Rome, I am definitely searching her out. She was absolutely amazing and such a delight. Eyes of Rome tour company is a must!

My family recently visited Rome and decided to book two separate tours with Eyes of Rome in order to get to know the history of the city. The first tour was the Private Vatican Tour while the other was the Private Colosseum and Roman Forum tour. Both were amazing! On our first tour to the Vatican, our guide was Marta. Throughout the entire tour she was not only extremely helpful and friendly but she was very knowledgable about the pieces we saw and the history of the Vatican. My youngest (9) came along and Marta was excellent with her! Overall, we had a great experience, starting with the punctual pick up at the hotel to the very end of the tour. The next day we took a private tour with Maria Linda to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Although we had gone to both sites before the tour, we were able to learn so much more with Maria Linda. She truly gave us an in-depth analysis and explanation about the foundations and ancient history of the city of Rome. Although the day was pretty hot, Maria always made sure to accommodate us and was extremely optimistic throughout the day. I was extremely satisfied with the tour and so were the kids! Although the tours may be a bit pricey, they are worth every penny! My family learned so many interesting things about the city and we were able to better appreciate both the Italian culture and Roman history. I would recommend Eyes of Rome to anyone visiting Rome in the future!

Our family immensely enjoyed our tour with Maria today. She was on time, friendly, and so knowledgeable about the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and Rome in general! If we had just went in by ourselves, we would not have been able to fully appreciate the history and intricacies of the Vatican in the way we did with Maria. The flexibility of the private tour also meant we could ask questions and stop whenever we wanted. The Early Bird entry is a god-send as we didn't have to squish our way through the crowds that form after 9am. We were able to immediately enter as soon as the Vatican opened and had lots of time and space to take nice pictures as well as enjoy the tour in an unrushed manner.

My wife and I booked a private tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum with Eyes of Rome. Our guide was Maria Linda Fusella and she was absolutely outstanding. Her knowledge of the sites and her engaging personality made our tour that much more special. The pace and time spent in each site was exactly what we wanted. We were also able to briefly stop by Circus Maximus, which was not on the scheduled tour. We really appreciated to flexibility to adjust our tour to what we wanted to see. I would highly recommend Eyes of Rome and Maria.

We utilized Eyes of Rome for a tour in Rome (May 29) and in Florence (May 30). In Rome, we had a group of 13 (including two children) and in Florence we had a group of 16 (including three children). In Rome, we opted to do the Colosseum Tour and had Maria as our Tour Guide. A couple of us had already been to the Colosseum before (and had a private tour guide then). However, the majority of our group had not, so we found Eyes of Rome and decided to give them a shot. We were so blessed to have Maria. She was so engaging and provided so many details about the Colosseum and the Roman Forum that those of us that had been there many times before...learned something new. She kept the children so engaged and told so many stories that the kids said this was one of their favorite stops on our vacation. We were able to see so many things within the Forum Maria was a wealth of knowledge and I would highly recommend utilizing her for any tour that you book within Rome. We were on a Disney cruise, so our next stop was in Florence. In Florence, we had more of our travel party attend the tour. Our tour guide was Marco. Let me say, this was just as good as our time in Rome. We were running late (as our charter bus was coming in from Livorno, and we had to drive to Florence...) and our bus driver couldn't speak English that well, so we asked Marco to call our charter bus driver and he literally met us right at where the charter bus was dropping us off. The walking tour took us throughout the city and Marco was so knowledgeable, kind, engaging, and helped us to learn and enjoy the culture of Florence. This was my parent's favorite tour and I would highly recommend this one as well. Overall, you cannot beat Eyes of Rome. Both of our tour guides were a wealth of knowledge and had so much charisma that was engaging the entire time we were with them. Do not hesitate...utilize them. It is so worth it.

We utilized Eyes of Rome for a tour in Rome (May 29) and in Florence (May 30). In Rome, we had a group of 13 (including two children) and in Florence we had a group of 16 (including three children). In Rome, we opted to do the Colosseum Tour and had Maria as our Tour Guide. A couple of us had already been to the Colosseum before (and had a private tour guide then). However, the majority of our group had not, so we found Eyes of Rome and decided to give them a shot. We were so blessed to have Maria. She was so engaging and provided so many details about the Colosseum and the Roman Forum that those of us that had been there many times before...learned something new. She kept the children so engaged and told so many stories that the kids said this was one of their favorite stops on our vacation. We were able to see so many things within the Forum Maria was a wealth of knowledge and I would highly recommend utilizing her for any tour that you book within Rome. We were on a Disney cruise, so our next stop was in Florence. In Florence, we had more of our travel party attend the tour. Our tour guide was Marco. Let me say, this was just as good as our time in Rome. We were running late (as our charter bus was coming in from Livorno, and we had to drive to Florence...) and our bus driver couldn't speak English that well, so we asked Marco to call our charter bus driver and he literally met us right at where the charter bus was dropping us off. The walking tour took us throughout the city and Marco was so knowledgeable, kind, engaging, and helped us to learn and enjoy the culture of Florence. This was my parent's favorite tour and I would highly recommend this one as well. Overall, you cannot beat Eyes of Rome. Both of our tour guides were a wealth of knowledge and had so much charisma that was engaging the entire time we were with them. Do not hesitate...utilize them. It is so worth it.

Maria Moretti of Eyes of Rome was amazing!!! She was so knowledgeable and really made our experience of the Vatican truly special. Do not hesitate to take this tour and ask for her!

Pour découvrir le Vatican, nous avons opté pour une visite privée via Eyes of rome et nous avons eu le bonheur d'avoir Maria Linda Fusella comme guide. Malgré notre retard au rendez-vous, nous avons trouvé une guide charmante qui au lieu de montrer tout agacement nous a plutôt mis à l'aise. Ce qui est déjà un bon départ. La visite s'est alors déroulée de la meilleure façon possible malgré le nombre important de visiteurs ce jour là, grâce aux éclairages de notre sympathique guide. Le fait est que parmi toutes les visites que nous avons faites lors de notre séjour, celle du Vatican est celle qui nous aura le plus marqués et nous aura laissé un souvenir éblouissant. Notre guide y est évidemment pour quelque chose. En la quittant on avons eu l'impression de dire au revoir à une amie Merci Maria de tout coeur. La visite privée est effectivement plus chère mais c'est un tout autre monde.

I did quite a bit of research on tours of the Colosseum. I finally decided on Eyes of Rome based on other reviews. We had a group of 4. Maria met us at our hotel and we started to tour. Maria is very passionate and enthused about Rome. She walked us through history. If I would have bought tickets to the Colosseum and we would have walked through without her we NEVER would have come away with the appreciation and understanding we have now. We hung on every word she said. I am still telling friends and family what I learned that day. This tour was the highlight of our trip to Europe. It was so interesting and she brought pictures of how things looked back when the Colosseum was being used. This tour would be perfect for any age and for any size group. The tour was 3 hours and we covered every detail. I can't say enough about Maria and this tour. It was worth far more than we paid.

We took the Colosseum, Forum, and Vatican early bird tours with Maria-Linda. She is an amazing tour guide. We have an 8 and 11 year old and Maria-Linda was so great explaining what we were seeing and answering questions on our kids level. My wife and I were extremely impressed and we can’t wait to go back. I strongly recommend Maria-Linda and Eyes of Rome for any tour.

It started off with us standing for 2 minutes at the fast ticket line. The line is usually the fast one. Maria got on her phone and called her office and within 2 minutes we had tickets for another line. We walked right up to security and into the coloseaum where she gave us a very informative tour and then over to the forum with the same passion she had for the whole tour. Very informative and it was great to be in a small group of two, just my wife and myself

We were a party of 6 adults, and as the self-elected head of organising everyone, I was deliberating about whether or not to book a guided tour of the Colosseum, roman forum and the catacombs. I’m so glad we did! Before we eventually made the booking, we contacted Eyes of Rome and they were great at directing us to the best tours given our requirements. We decided to book the Colosseum and Roman Forum but they also offered us the option to make amendments (add-on’s) on the day. Our guide, Elisa, met us at the meeting point on time and Eyes of Rome had passed on our earlier interest about seeing some other sites. Elisa gave us the option to add the visit to San Clemente Basilica and the Catacombs at Priscilla. Her expert knowledge meant we saved ourselves a lot of disappointment as she amended the tour to make best use of the time. We first went to San Clemente Basilica and the Catacombs and got some detailed information about the history of these places which weren’t available in the guide books, or on the general tours. At the time waiting for a taxi was a bit of a pain (Priscilla is a bit out of the centre), but with hindsight it gave us a nice break from all the information (not that it was overloading just so much that was interesting). Elisa was on the phone sorting out how to get us all back to the Colosseum – something we would have had no chance doing as we spoke very limited Italian. At the Colosseum we had skip the line tickets and although you have to go through the usual security checks for bags etc… and queue due the sheer number of people, Elisa was still making the queueing interesting and fun. She explained all of the architecture and renovation work that had been undertaken. The Colosseum was really good – Elisa’s descriptions of the events at the time and now were really good but we were blown away by the size and scope of the Colosseum to take it all in. Where Elisa really came into her own was the little details and the expert knowledge of the history of these places. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the ruins of the Roman Forum. She was a fountain of knowledge and really brought the place to life. All in all, everyone loved the tour. Elisa was friendly, informative, happy to answer all questions we had and nothing was too much trouble. I wouldn’t normally consider a private tour guide but Elisa may have converted me! Very highly recommended!

Maria was our guide and met us at our hotel. Her knowledge of Roman history was impressive. She explained all the details of the Colliseum and the Roman Forum with enthusiasm and interesting details. It was a very fun tour. I would request her for another tour!

This was a five star tour thanks to our wonderful guide Maria Linda. The actual rating of four stars is due to the “Hotel Pickup” portion not being given the “caveat” it should have - if your hotel isn’t conveniently located (ours wasn’t) they don't pick you up - no rebate offered.

Our hotel recommended "Eyes of Rome" and it turned out to be an outstanding recommendation. Under the brilliant guidance of tour guide Maria, six of us went on two amazing adventures including the Vatican, and the Colosseum and surrounding areas. Rome has now become my favorite city in the world. Maria's English is outstanding and her depth of knowledge remarkable. And, she has great passion for Rome, it's history and the work she does. I learned so much during these tours. Thank you Maria for making tours fun!

Fantastico! Our guide, Maria, was bubbly, fun, and an archaeologist who works on the Forum. Talk about insider's knowledge! She picked us up at our hotel and was a knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide for our entire time together. She made the Colosseum and Forum come to life, showing us the important features and explained how they were used Ancient Rome, what happened to them over time, and the work that has been done to bring them to what we saw that day. She carried visuals and books that showed us what the places looked like in their prime, which helped a great deal. She walked us up to the Palatine Hill, showed us the Circus Maximus, took us through the Forum, and then helped us with suggestions for the rest of our trip. A wonderful, educated guide and we couldn't have been more pleased with this fun and highly informative tour!

Booked this tour as part of family trip,to Rome. Our Guide Marco Mancini arrived to collect us from our hotel very promptly. Marco is clearly a passionate historian indeed he is an extremely experienced archaeologist and kept my family and I fully entertained and informed on the tour. We started at the Coloseum and through the archeological zone visiting Basilica Santiago Cosma and Damiano and finishing in Santa Maria Aracoeli. Throughout the tour he was giving great insight, answering our wquestions with ease and adding colour to the stories and legend of Old Rome. I would not hesitate to recommend him as a tour guide to anyone visiting Rome