Marta P.

We utilized the Eyes of Rome Semi Private tours for both Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as, the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Both were small groups (6 of us on each tour) and both of our guides (Rachelle for Vatican City and Marta for Colosseum) were fantastic! Knowledgeable, friendly and truly seemed to enjoy their job even with both areas being very busy and considering a very hot day in Rome. Would highly recommend both tours, definitely worth it for semi-private compared to other large tour groups we saw.

We did a Vatican tour with Eyes of Rome and it was stellar. Our guide Marta was fantastic and super knowledgeable - we had a wonderful day with her. Eyes of Rome was also able to arrange for special access to some areas we wanted to see, which made the tour extra special. I highly recommend!

We were so lucky to have our guide, Marta, to take us through the Vatican museums, the Sistene Chapel and the basilica. She was so knowledgeable and patient, answering all of our questions and sharing so many details we would never have learned on our own. Highly recommend!

We took two tours with Eyes of Rome: Vatican and Colosseum. They were fantastic. The guides Katie and Marta were very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

Marta was so amazing! We did two tours (Colosseum and Vatican) with her and she transported us to another world. Her knowledge and expertise were top notch. It was quite evident that she was an art history major as she gave details well beyond that of a normal guide. Marta was also excellent with my 9 year old son engaging him and really getting him into the history. He is still talking about her days later! Would highly recommend and so glad we opted to choose here based off similar reviews.

Marta was so amazing! We did two tours (coliseum and Vatican) with her and she transported us to another world. Her knowledge and expertise were top notch. It was quite evident that she was an art history major as she gave details well beyond that of a normal guide. Would highly recommend and so glad we opted to choose here based off similar reviews.

Amazing Tours with Eyes of Rome (second time) We visited Rome a couple of years ago - and l happed to select Eyes of Rome for some tours. I wrote a review back then - we were *super* happy with our experience. 2 years later - we were heading back - 3 of us who had been on the first trip, and one additional person. I reached out to the team at Eyes of Rome - and they immediately thanked me for coming back to them - and were able to pull up all of the details from our first visit with them. Given what we had seen before - and the fact we had one new traveler - they crafted an amazing itinerary so that our new traveler got to see everything, and for the 3 original travelers there was a new approach to some of the visits that made the second time just as much fun. During our first trip we met Marta - who was amazing. You can just tell how much she loves her country and culture - and she is so amazingly smart, and always made sure we had a great understanding an appreciation for everything we got to see. Since we knew it was going to be very warm - we broke our tours up into mornings and later in the day - giving everyone some time to rest and freshen up between the tours. On the first morning - Daniel picked us up and we met Marta near where our tour was to begin. We visited the Hypogeum (Colosseum's Underground), which we hadn't seen on our first visit to the Colosseum. We also visited the Imperial Roman Forum. Marta picked out an amazing traditional place for lunch - and we even managed to convince her to eat with us :) Daniel picked us back up in the late afternoon, and dropped us off with Azzurra for our evening food and wine tour. We walked through the charming areas of Campo de' Fiori, the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere. Near the famous piazza of Campo de' Fiori we visited an artisan deli where we enjoyed some Roman wine paired with typical Italian delicacies from a family who has specialized in cured meats since 1890. In the Jewish Ghetto - we were able to sample the famous fried artichoke which was paired with a really wonderful bottle of Prosecco. We also stopped at a great Gelato shop before our tour was over - which was the best way to end this amazing tour! The next day - we did a nice walking tour with Marta - that included the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Piazza Navona, and the Trevi Fountain. Marta really made the Roman culture and history come alive! During our first trip, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel were very crowded - so the team suggested we do a late afternoon / evening visit. It was a great suggestion, and although it was still busy, it was much less crowded than our first visit. We were with Marta again - who explained so much about everything we saw. We were happy to be back. We worked with Eyes of Rome to get a ride from Rome to the cruise terminal. Luca met us promptly and we had a smooth, trouble free ride and made it to our ship without problem. Our cruise shipped docked in Pisa - but didn't have any tours that we were interested in. Luckily I found out that Eyes of Rome covers Pisa and Florence too! Tomasso met us at the cruise terminal - and was our driver for the day. He was great! Our first tour was Pisa. We met Anne Marie right near the tower. Anne Marie did an amazing job of telling us all about Pisa, the tower, and the history of both. Tomasso then drove us to Florence where we met Giada. She knew Florence like the back of her hand and was *so* excited to show us around. It was a quick visit, but we were able to visit of Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo's David which was truly amazing. We walked around Florence with Giada who explained so much about the history and the culture. She also helped us visit a typical Florentine shop for the best sandwich any of us have ever eaten in our lives! Tomasso then drove us back to our ship and made sure we arrived in plenty of time. We *loved* our second tour with Eyes of Rome - and will definitely check back with them when we return to Italy

My wife and I did the Vatican Museum early morning tour with Marta in the high season at the end of June. She spoke fantastic English and was very accommodating and made us feel comfortable. She took her time with us and had answers for any questions we had. She was very knowledgeable and made us feel like we were talking to a friend. I highly recommend Marta for her experience and personality!

My wife and I did the Vatican Museum early morning tour with Marta in the high season at the end of June. She spoke fantastic English and was very accommodating and made us feel comfortable. She took our time with us and had answers for any questions we had. She was very knowledgeable and made us feel like we were talking to a friend. I highly recommend Marta for her experience and personality!

These basilicas have religious and historical significance. They will be highlighted in the Jubilee Year of 2025. Marta is an excellent guide who even laughed at my attempted humor.

Put simply, one of the best private tours we have ever been on in Europe. Our private tour guide Marta was amazing and she created the perfect atmosphere for our family. Before we entered each section of the Vatican - we received a digital slide show via iPad outlining key things to look for (and associated background). The tour was well organized and provided a wealth of insight. We didn’t have to wait in any lines, and as soon as we were done with our incredible our van pulled up at the end of St Peter’s Square to drive us back to our hotel. If you want an informed, lux, professional and impactful tour - look no further. Book now - you will not regret it. Our family is indebted for this incredible experience.

Our guide, Marta, was amazing! We got so much history and information and she was such a joy to be with.

We had a wonderful tour with Marta! I cannot recommend this tour enough. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. From the beginning of the tour with a private transfer to being dropped back by private transfer, everything was smooth and enjoyable.

We did two Private Tours with Marta who was a very warm and incredibly knowledgable guide. We did both the Vatican Early Morning Tour and the next day we did The Colosseum/Roman Forum Tour. Both were absolutely wonderful and filled with so many "Wow" moments as we learned the incredible history of these ancient sites. I feel like there wasn't anything Marta didn't know about the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. We had kids aged 10 and 8, and Marta was able to explain things in a way to be interesting and understandble to all ages. I believe both tours represented excellent value. We debated doing a Small Group tour vs Private because of cost, but I am very glad we went with Private. When it got a bit hot, or the kids got a bit tired, we had the flexibility to stop for a rest and a drink, we didn't have to compete with others to ask questions, and we went at our own pace. We had a very limited amount of time in Rome, and the tours were an excellent use of that time. Marta met us at our hotel and we were driven to the start of the tours. There is no way we would have learned so much doing a big group tour or an audio tour. This is the way to do it if you can! We hope to come back to Italy, and our first stop will be another Eyes of Rome Tour, and perhaps the some of the other Italian cities that they tour.

Went with my husband and two daughters (12 and 11) and Marta Palombi our guide was wonderful. She kept the tour entertaining for both the adults and kids combined. When I travel back to Rome, Marta will be the first person I contact for all tours

Our guide Marta was excellent and the driver was on time. Very knowledgeable and patient. Very much enjoyed our tour!

Our tour guide Marta was amazing she was incredibly engaging and informative ,we got a wonderful feel for the city from her, we felt that we were in the company of a friend would recommend her highly

Marta was an excellent guide and was very informative. The tour was very good and we learned a lot along the way.

Marta was amazing. Her knowledge and passion shine throughout our visit. Her understanding of construction and composition brought new insights. Neither of us had a detailed knowledge of mythology and Marta’s background information added so much to our experience and appreciation. I particularly liked her showing us different views of the same sculpture. She was honest and caring. At the end of the Tour when she realised we didn’t have tickets for the Colosseum, she found a web site, booked us in and got us a taxi.

Our group of 13 (ranging in age from 11-69) had two amazing days of touring with Eyes of Rome. Sara did an excellent job of coordinating and creating our custom itinerary. Originally, I booked our two days of touring for our group of 8 several months ago. However, two weeks prior to the trip, we added my sister-in-law and her family (5 total people) to the trip. Rome is currently busier now than it was precovid, yet Sara was able to expand all of our tours from 8 to 13 participants. We were able to see the major sites of Rome, including a golf cart site seeing / food tour, the Vatican Museum, the Forums, and the Colosseum. Eyes of Tome also coordinated are transfers from the airport and the the cruise port. Our guide, Marta, was excellent, clearly loves Rome, and is truly gifted at her craft. Marta was extremely knowledgeable about Rome and it's vast history, very accommodating of our group of 13, with a wide range of ages with three generations of family, and extremely friendly. Our group came away from our two days of touring with a great sense of Rome's history and made memories to last a lifetime, all thanks to the expert guiding of Marta. I can't recommend Marta, Sara, and Eyes of Rome enough for custom private touring in Rome.

Our group of 13 (ranging in age from 11-69) had two amazing days of touring with Eyes of Rome. Sara did an excellent job of coordinating and creating our custom itinerary. Originally, I booked our two days of touring for our group of 8 several months ago. However, two weeks prior to the trip, we added my sister-in-law and her family (5 total people) to the trip. Rome is currently busier now than it was precovid, yet Sara was able to expand all of our tours from 8 to 13 participants. We were able to see the major sites of Rome, including a golf cart site seeing / food tour, the Vatican Museum, the Forums, and the Colosseum. Eyes of Tome also coordinated are transfers from the airport and the the cruise port. Our guide, Marta, was excellent, clearly loves Rome, and is truly gifted at her craft. Marta was extremely knowledgeable about Rome and it's vast history, very accommodating of our group of 13, with a wide range of ages with three generations of family, and extremely friendly. Our group came away from our two days of touring with a great sense of Rome's history and made memories to last a lifetime, all thanks to the expert guiding of Marta. I can't recommend Marta, Sara, and Eyes of Rome enough for custom private touring in Rome.

Marta greeted us at our hotel and every moment was a joy. She was informative and had a great way of relaying it to the entire family. Tour was well planned and flowed nicely. Wasn’t too long and she always found a spot to stop and rest our son’s legs when he asked. She left us at a perfect gelato spot with a list of her favorite restaurants. Should we come back we would do this tour again without any doubt. Request Marta - we would have her for every tour if we could!

We enjoyed a wonderful 3 hr private tour with Marta. She was extremely knowledgeable and personable. She made certain we understood the history behind everything we saw on the tour.

We had a very positive experience with this tour. Pick up was flawless and the driver pointed out some sights on the way to the Colosseum. He handed us directly to our tour guide Marta who whisked us through the crowds quickly. Marta really knew absolutely everything there can possibly be to know about the Colosseum. She answered our questions, separated fact and fiction, and shared clear pictures of what a day at the games might be like. We then went to the Forum and learned more of the history of Ancient Rome. A word to those planning, the half day is full of information, and those of us who aren’t full history buffs weren’t as enthralled by the Forum as we were by the Colosseum. By the end, we were ready for lunch and a rest. If you are a large diverse age group like us, don’t plan another event on the day you do this tour.

We first contacted Eyes of Rome in 2019 when we began planning our 2020 trip to Italy and wanted to have professional, certified guides for our tours of Rome. From the beginning, communication via email was easy, replies were prompt and proposed itineraries worked well with our schedule. With a teenager and tween in tow, we wanted early morning or late evening tours to avoid the Italian summer heat and Vacation crowds, and Eyes of Rome was happy to help. Our hotel was located on Monte Mario, a bit further from Ancient Rome, and Eyes of Rome coordinated transportation to all three of our tours. When we had to reschedule our trip for 2021, Eyes of Rome applied our deposit to our new itinerary without issue and was very accommodating helping us reschedule. Massimo was our driver for all three tours, greeting us our first morning in Rome with a friendly face and a comfortable, air conditioned Mercedes van. He provided interesting and fun information about the neighborhoods we passed through along the way to our destinations, including a stop at Fontana dell'Acqua Paola for a photo op. Denis guided us on our Saturday morning tour of the Forum and Colosseum; he helped bring to life Ancient Rome through stories and pictures he carried in a book. Denis provided just the right amount of history while keeping a nice pace through the Forum and Colosseum, and taking us to fantastic family picture spots. At the end of the tour, while filling our water bottles just outside the Colosseum and willing the online reservation system to work on my mobile, Denis offered to help by calling the restaurant to secure our lunch reservations. So nice! Marta was our guide on our Sunday evening walking tour of the sites, as well as our morning tour of Vatican city. We first met Marta at a very interesting ancient site beneath Capitoline Hill and she immediately held our attention with the history and stories she told. Although our teenager was less than enthusiastic about the evening’s itinerary, she begrudgingly admitted to enjoying the tour. We met Marta for our final tour of Vatican city early Tuesday morning. Though rules prohibit our guide speaking to us in the Basilica, Marta pointed out things we should be sure to see before entering, and answered our questions immediately after. Unfortunately, the short cut from the Vatican Museums to the Basilica is closed due to the pandemic. After the long walk up the hill and entering the museum, Marta escorted us to a beautiful terrace where, with the aid of her iPad, she walked us through details we would soon see. She prepared us in advance for our time inside the Sistine Chapel with backstories and details to focus on, given the rule of silence while inside the chapel. Our girls faded quickly and Marta adjusted the itinerary so as not to draw out the morning. She helped us navigate quickly to the sites we wanted to see, and avoided unnecessary delays. Our Eyes of Rome guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. They helped make our trip excellent.

We booked a private group tour of the Vatican, as we were travelling with an 80 year old grandmother. Our Guide, Marta, did a wonderful job tending to this special need, and taking care of everything. All the lines were indeed skipped, chairs miraculously appeared at every possible point, and Marta took the lady by the hand at her own pace. We are very happy with the wide and professional scope of the tour, our guide was very knowledgable and passionate about the art and the history. We were especially impressed with the caring manner the tour was conducted. Recommended!

Our trip was fantastic because Marta and Katie picked us up two mornings each, they both took the stress out of lines and times. They both adapted to our family members, each conversing with our grandchildren, their parents, and the grandparents informing, teaching, and guiding us thru our Roman experiences with memorable excellence. We wholeheartedly recommend them. Thank you, both. Aubrey and Carol Haigler

Marta was amazing and adorable! She made the past come to life with her passion for history. We loved getting to tour Rome's underground to see what life was like as early as the first century. It was so fascinating to see the many layers of Rome and Marta was a wealth of knowledge and a joy to spend time with. This tour and Marta were recommended to me by a friend and I wholeheartedly endorse both for all who visit Rome. Marta was also incredibly kind to walk us all the way back to our neighborhood following a last-minute taxi strike. We loved this tour with Marta!!!

My daughter and I toured the Vatican with Marta. She was extremely personable and knowledgeable. It was money well-spent, as we learned so much information and were able to ask many a ton of questions. Marta even gave us some gluten-free restaurant tips. She was great!

Marta was our tour guide and she was incredible. We learned so much and enjoyed every moment of this special tour! Marta is a delight!!

We scheduled a private tour for 4 adults. We had the good luck to have Marta for the day. She meet us at our hotel and we taxied to San Clemente then walked to the, Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum. After several interesting facts and amazing stories we headed to a delicious lunch at a local restaurant (away from the crowds). We then had a golf cart tour that enabled us to see a majority of the remaining highlights of a beautiful city. I highly recommend Eyes of Rome and Marta. As my adult niece said it was the best tour ever!!!

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!

Marta was a fantastic tour guide. We were traveling with my 93-yr-old Mom & Marta tailored our tour to make things as easy as possible for her and still give us a complete and wonderful tour. "Storyteller" is an extremely apt description for Marta's abilities. She answered all our questions and made history come alive. We liked her and our tour so much that when we needed a tour guide for Pompeii, we contacted her company for that tour as well. Our group included my Mom, my sister, my 22-yr-old daughter, my husband & myself.

We toured with Marta who picked us up from the hotel and took us to the venues. She was wonderful, very knowledgeable, set the pace to suit us and made sure we happy and enjoying the experience. I would have no problem recommending a private tour with Eyes of Rome and especially Marta.

We spent two fantastic days with Marta walking around Rome. Our tours were of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Ancient Ruins, the Vatican and St Peters Basilica spread over 2 days. Marta is exceptionally knowledgeable but also passionate about everything we viewed giving us great insight and also making it interesting and fun for our 9 year old son. Our 2 year old daughter came on the tours with us and Marta was very helpful and accommodating making it effortless and enjoyable for us all. I would highly recommend her to anyone travelling to Rome.

We very much enjoyed our private tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill with our charming guide and storyteller Marta Palombi. Her knowledgeable narrative kept us entertained and interested during our 3 hour private afternoon tour. Marta had brought with her a number of illustrative books and recreated many scenes of Ancient Rome. It brought everything to life - time simply flew. Marta followed up the tour with a personalised email recommending further reading materials. We were very impressed and cannot wait to return for another tour with Marta.

We very much enjoyed our private tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill with our charming guide and storyteller Marta Palombi. Her knowledgeable narrative kept us entertained and interested during our 3 hour private afternoon tour. Marta had brought with her a number of illustrative books with which she recreated many scenes of Ancient Rome. It brought everything to life - time simply flew. Marta followed up the tour with a personalised email recommending further reading materials. We were very impressed and cannot wait to return for another tour with Marta.

My private Vatican Tour was amazing, well worth the price! My guide was Marta Palombi. Her major is in art history. She was simply amazing, knowledgeable, and just a wonderful person. The tour starts early to avoid long lines. After our amazing tour, she was kind enough to walk me to a wonderful Italian restaurant called Osteria Da Fortunata which was one of the best Italian restaurants in Rom. I highly recommend the tour with Marta.

Marta, who we booked through Eyes of Rome was by far the best tour guide we had, she took us to the Vatican, it was amazing and she looked after me and my daughter so well. She also took us to the catacombs and made the whole of the early Christian world come alive. She is passionate and interested and very caring of our needs. She is also very honest and scrupulous about making sure we see and understand what is happening. Make sure you ask for her because one day we didn't have her and it just wasn't the same. We were very grateful, she is wonderful - ask for her!!!!

Marta is fabulous! She did a great job of showing us around Rome as well as places to go on our own. She loves her job and it shows with her energy and passion.

The walking tour of Rome we took with Marta was the best! Highly recommend this to anyone visiting Rome. She was great with kids, too!