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Rome Day Tours: Testimonials"I was in Rome for a week in June and had found Rich on the internet. I had done some research and learned a guided tour was the best way to see Rome and the Vatican. Following a large group and a "flag" isn't my style so we hired Rich for two days. The things we saw and learned during our two days were astounding! We went places no regular tour could go and learned more than if we had gone on twenty "guided" tours. Rich's knowledge is so extensive and he was so enthusiastic about sharing it with us. I asked a million questions and Rich patiently answered all (well almost all!) of them. Rich is great company and well worth the investment, absoulutely, positively excellent!!!!" Rich, Now that we’re back in the states, I just wanted to send a quick note to say thank you for the two wonderful tours (Historical Center, Vatican). I’ve visited Italy (and Rome) several times in the past, but this was the first time I’ve had a guide in Italy—it made such a huge difference in bringing to life the history found in the beautiful monuments, architecture, and art of Rome. You managed to keep our small group engaged with your passion and convey such a depth of knowledge in a relatively short time. We all really appreciated how, over the two days, you continuously connected the dots and helped us see the themes running through the centuries of Roman history. Feel free to use my name and email address as a reference.
"Rich's background in teaching makes him an exceptional guide. His understanding of history, architecture and art makes for a learning experience that is wrapped in context and is much more enjoyable than your typical lecture style tour. Rich also knows how to maximize your time in Rome by customizing his itenerary to match the time you have available. I have recommended him to everyone I know who is planning on visiting Rome." Rich, I wanted to thank you again for the incredibly wonderful tour you
provided to my family and me. You made the sights come alive right before
our eyes. I couldn't believe that you kept the interest of my 10 year
old son. In fact, you peaked his interest so much that all he could do
was talk about everything we saw for some time after we left Rome. Of
course, my wife and I still talk about it. The combination of your educational
backround and your in depth knowledge of the area made this one incredible
trip. We are so happy that we chose your personal tour instead of being
in a huge impersonal group. Once again, thanks.
Rich, We are so grateful that you found time to fit us in your busy schedule
and give us a tour of Rome during our visit there. By the end of our time
with you, we felt we had taken a great seminar in Roman history and culture.
You were so considerate of what our special interests were, when and where
we wanted to stop and spend more time or just catch our breath and behold
the wonder of it all, we truly appreciated that. Last year, I had convinced
my husband that for this trip to Rome, his first trip and our thirtieth
wedding anniversary celebration, we could either spend alot of our time
trying to figure out what to see, or make arrangements to get to the heart
of things quickly with you as our tour guide. He is so glad that you were
recommended to us by our friends. I know that when my brother visited
Rome this year and toured with you, he felt likewise. It's no small matter that you know where all the public drinking fountains
and restrooms are either!
Thanks immensely. I traveled to Italy in May with my sister and 4 other friends. Although
I studied for a year in advance in preparation for our trip, I knew that
using a guide in Rome was mandatory in order to get the full impact of
this magical city, so I spent months researching the various options available.
My travel agent suggested that I use one of their recommended tour companies,
but after reading Rich's resume, something inside me told me to give him
a chance. My natural instincts could not have been more in tune! My sister
and I arrived in Rome earlier than our friends, so were able to "tour"
the city on our own the day before our scheduled outing with Rich. When
we met up with Rich the following day, a few of the places we visited
on our arrival were also on Rich's suggested itinerary (e.g., Santa Maria
della Vittoria to see St. Teresa of Avila and the Baths of Diocletian).
What at first seemed like a duplication of efforts turned out to be utterly
profound - Having Rich guide our way through these sites made me feel
like I hadn't even been there the day before! Rich uses his knowledge
of art and history to transcend your mind to Ancient Rome while touring
the various sites. He shows you Rome's works of art through the souls
of the creators. After spending 2 days in Rome with Rich, it became obvious
to me - visiting Rome without using Rich as a guide was like looking at
Rome with blinders on - not actually living the experience. If you want
to feel the true passion of this eternal city - to walk away feeling like
you have actually been a part of something wonderful and special that
mere words cannot describe, but that your heart will always cherish, let
Rich take you there! You will not be disappointed!
Hi Rich- I hope you and your family are well. I just wanted to let you
know that I ran into one of my collegues the other day who thanked me
profusely for telling her about your tour service. Her friends (the Kinnards)
couldn't say enough nice things about you, in particular, and the nice
time they had touring with you. I'm glad it worked out! Kirk and I can't wait to get back to Italy! We will be sure to check in
with you when we plan something. Take care! Rich, The restaurant was excellent. Much like the rest of the day. We
all had a blast. Yes the waiters at the restaurant took us downstairs
to see the well. It was a time warp. So old. Thanks for everything Rich.
I would be happy to be a reference to anyone considering you as a guide.
Rich, How good it is to hear from you! It's hard to believe it has almost
been a year. It is a rare week that goes by we do not talk about our time
in Rome and what you added to it. We always mentioned your name to friends
who are considering a trip to Rome. We encourage them first to go and
second to invest in an opportunity with you to learn and gain a perspective
about Rome they might otherwise overlook. The downside - they gain a lot
of lifetime memories! Every time we discuss our trip is a trip down memory
lane. When I watched the video clip, I was immediately reminded of our
time. I remembered your passion and enthusiasm that added so much. The
video brought back so many memories. What fun to be mentioned, but even
more special were the memories. The beauty of Rome, and what touring with
you helped give us perspective on, is the incredible and magnificent history
that is alive and gratefully requires you to stop, reflect and be in awe.
Our best to you and your family. We look forward to a return trip and another rome-day-tour with you.
Dear Rich, Our group has very fond memories of our tours with you last year. I am attaching a few pictures that may help you remember us (although we exhausted you in that soccer game at Ostia). I am now in the planning stage of my next Rome trip with my students. We will be in Rome February 11-16. We loved doing your tours last February and would like to do them again. We want to do the Forum/Coliseum/Palatine tour, the Vatican, and Ostia Antica. Please let me know if you can accommodate us this time and which days you want to do which tour. This year we will have 14 people: ten students and four teachers.
I look forward to hearing from you soon! Rich, just checking our emails late tonight and wanted to tell you how much
Dave, Vito, Gini and I enjoyed today. You really have made our stay in Rome
so memorable and it has come "alive" for us. We will surly be
passing your card onto others. Rich, We enjoyed our time with you very much. You are extremely knowledgeable
and obviously love what you are doing. You were excellent with the children
as well. I would recommend you highly for great tours of Rome! Hope all
is well with you. I would be happy to answer any email inquiries about our
experience with you.
My wife booked Rich for a tour of the Roman Forum during our visit to Italy
last summer. We had been to Rome before but had just walked around on our
own. We wanted a bit more knowledge this time. Rich met us at our hotel
right on time (pretty casually dressed, but, after all, it was July...),
and we just walked to the Forum. He spent four hours taking us around. We
really enjoyed his comments. He seemed to know what he was talking about
from an historical perspective, and he also gave us a feel for what life
might have been like in this part of Rome several thousand years ago. He's
a young fellow from America, but he lives in Rome now with his Italian wife
and their two small children. There were six in our group, all friends from
Colorado, and all of us were very impressed. It sure beat walking around
on your own and reading a guidebook. We'd recommend him highly.
Rich, Just a note to say thank you for a great tour. We wish that we had
the time for a full tour. It was very apparant that you have a passion for
the information and can't wait to share it. We loved it and would recommend
you to anyone. Feel free to use my name and email address as a reference.
Hey Rich, My wife Carol and I were so grateful to you this summer when you
took us on a quick tour of the city. We followed you briefly through the
museum and then met you on the street. Your tour was quick and informative
and it was refreshing to actually meet someone who was not trying to take
advantage of us. We left there feeling good about our time spent in Rome
and have promised to come back. I have passed your number onto a couple
of our friends who are visiting Italy right now. I will be sending you a
card soon and I hope it finds you and your family in good health and good
spirits. Rich... We are back at our respective work places here in California, USA...Carol
and I got together with 6 of our travelling partners on Saturday to take
a brisk walk around Dana Point Harbor and have breakfast. All twelve in
our party have now returned to the USA. We all had plenty to talk about.
I was looking around the web at lunch today and thought I'd see if I could
'Google' your website...and there it was. I used the search string 'Rome,
Italy, Guided Tours' and you were the 3rd or 4th listed!- - - Enjoyed both
our tours...the Roman Ruins and St Peter's. We have so many good memories
of our journey to Italy, and we especially enjoyed the time spent with you
where we heard so much of the history of Rome. It was one thing to walk
amongst the ruins prior to taking the walking tour, quite another to have
you set up what inspired the various structures (the Arch of Constantine,
etc...etc). Thanks so much for
enrichening our Rome experience. Thanks also for watching over us in the
subways! It was a terrific vacation...one we will revisit. DEAR RICH - I HOPE YOU CAN PUT THIS RECOMMENDATION ON YOUR WEB SITE. YOU
ARE THE BEST TOUR GUIDE IN ROME. OUR GROUP WAS SO HAPPY WITH THE DAY WE
SPENT WITH YOU, YOU MADE ROME COME ALIVE FOR US, AND WE HAD SO MUCH FUN
TOO. EVERYONE WANTS TO COME BACK, SO YOU CAN SHOW US THE REST OF ROME NEXT
TIME. THANKS SO MUCH FOR OUR AWESOME DAY, TO OUR FRIEND RICH "FINDER OF
SHADE" "Seeing Rome for the first
time is incredible, seeing Rome with Rich is UNBELIEVABLE! ... Walking the
streets of Roma with Rich was like stepping back in time. His knowledge
of the city is truly astounding, but it was the way in which he presented
it all that made our experience one of the greatest memories of all time.
Rich immediately felt like an old friend and his warmth and hospitality
is that of a true italian! (We only wish he could travel the world with
us!) Our time spent in Rome was our most favorite stop on our vacation to
Italy. A big thank you to you Rich for being part of what made it so wonderful." Enthusiasm is infectious: Rich's knowledge of the sites of Rome and the stories that go with them
is incredible. His tour helped bring to life the stones, the marble and
the many great buildings of ancient Rome. His enthusiasm for his subject
is infectious and his style draws you deeper into exploring what it would
really be like to live as a Roman Emperor or subject. Rich also took great
care to understand the interests of our group and reflect this in his customized
tour. He really knows his stuff, a memorable experience.
I came across this picture showing us in St. Peter's during our tour this
summer and thought you'd like to have it. We had such an enjoyable and
educational experience with you in Rome this year. We've been to Rome twice before, but your tour helped us understand everything
so clearly. I appreciated your willingness to customize the tour based on our requests. We managed to deviate from the plan a few times, and you
handled it with ease. It was particularly interesting to see the people
who would overhear our conversation and then try to hire you on the spot.
We will return to Rome and will definitely contact you for a continued educational
experience!!!
Hey Rich, My mother and I have finally had time to sit down together after
our extensive tour of Europe. We both want to thank you so much for showing
us the beautiful city of Rome. Our private two day walking tour was so
incredible its hard to put into words. Out of all of our guides that we
had on our tours through Europe, you were the best! Your passionate knowledge
of Rome and its history was so interesting, we couldn't get enough. How
you connected all the information together was truly remarkable. Two days
wasn't nearly enough to experience all of Rome, but your itinerary was so
precise we believe we saw the best of Rome. No time was wasted, to and
from sites, you delivered information that would help us understand what
we were seeing. You were so patient with my partially disabled mother, who
needs a cane because of her bad knees. You were always one step ahead,
pointing out places she could sit, while you gave us more information about
where we were. You pointed out all of the bathrooms to her as we went along
our walking tour which she appreciated greatly. We are both so grateful
for your thoughtfulness. We even remember using the "most beautiful bathroom
in Rome" on our night tour! This was a trip of lifetime. You gave us so
many wonderful memories of Rome! It's truly an incredible city. We can't
thank you enough for the unforgettable experience. Your private tour was
exceptional! We highly recommend anyone who wants to experience Rome with
a qualified guide to use Rich. Not only is he informative and thoughtful,
he is a great person who makes learning fun. Again, we cannot thank you
enough Rich. If you need to use us as a reference we would be more than
happy to. Again, grazie grazie grazie! Arrivederci,
Hi Rich - belated thanks for spending the day with us earlier this month.
We had the best, most interesting day with you. My particular favorite
site was St Clements church, and we still can't believe that we had the
Vatican museum practically all to ourselves due to the upcoming election.
We would not have attempted to go there had you not been with us.
If I hear of friends or family who are thinking of visiting Rome, I will
definitely suggest they contact you. With or without my referrals,
I hope your business flourishes. The rest of our trip was wonderful.
We loved the archeological museum in Naples. We didn't much like the
city, but it's true that they have great pizza. Our very best wishes,
"Our experience with Rich
is one which we will remember for a lifetime. As a family of six on a tight
schedule who wanted to see and learn a lot in a short period of time, Rome
Day tours was the only tour service that could meet our needs and exceed
our expectations. In six hours, Rich provided an excellent tour of
St. Peters, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, as well as the Coliseum
and the Roman Forum. The breadth and depth of Rich's knowledge made a fast
but full tour, a great learning experience and a fun day." Dear Rich, Thanks so much for the two great tours in Rome. You really made the experience of seeing Rome's greatest sights educational and enligtening. Even Tom, who is a History Channel addict, learned new things about Roman history from our tours. We especially enjoyed the "hidden gems" that you pointed out along the way. We are still talking about the ceiling of the church! Wish we could have stayed for the Vatican, but when flying standby, you have to be flexible and go when there are seats! :) I have atached a couple of pictures that you might be able to use on your website. Once again, a huge thanks! Smiles,
Dear Rich, Thank you for an amazing two day tour. We saw everything we wanted to and so much more. Your knowledge, passion and enthusiasm breathed life into the ruins and made everything come live, become vibrant and real for all of us. Thank you for engaging the young people every step of the way. From the time that we met you, till we said goodbye on the Spanish steps you ever always engaged and fully present to each of us. As I said on TripAdvisor this is simply The Best tour we have ever done anywhere and highly recommend your tours to everyone we meet.
Heartfelt Thank You and wish you a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Dear Rich, We just returned from our wonderful trip to Europe and I really want to commend you and your team for a wonderful Rome tour. We participated in many wonderful guided tours throughout our time in the Mediterranean but our friends along with my wife and I felt your Rome guided tour was by far our best tour. Your attention to detail, thoroughness, and pleasant manner made our time with you not only knowledgeable and fascinating, but enjoyable as well. You went out of your way to arrange transportation for us after our Vatican tour to our cruise ship, which was so appreciated and a relief for tourists like ourselves who knew little to nothing about the area and the transportation options. You helped us feel the history of Rome and much of the information you shared with us was helpful in tying together information we received throughout our excursions to other countries. You delivered what you promised and then some and your punctuality was greatly appreciated. I will highly recommend your services to my friends. Thanks again for getting our trip off to such a wonderful start. Please tell your associate that we also thoroughly enjoyed our tour with her as she was such a knowledgeable and fun guide to be with as well. Best regards. Going on a tour with Rich is like visiting a relative in his city and having
him introduce it to you in a casual but knowledge-filled way. We will
always remember the Rome that Rich showed us." Rich, We enjoyed your tours more than words can say! You are truly a gifted
guide, and may I say without any hesitation that we will be honored to promote
"Rome Day Tours" in any way you request. We will publish it as
often as we can, and promote it everywhere we can.
A unique experience: Rich, we have described to others several times about what a unique experience
we had with you, and your total capability in answering our questions. It
was fun while still intellectually stimulating. Overall, we got a good sense
of the history, culture and religious interconnections. We certainly enjoyed
our 2 days with you and know that the others in our group did too. We were
all amazed at how much information you provided us in that short time and
appreciated the ease in which you toured with us. So that's a few comments
from folks who have spent a few very enjoyable hours with you and who came
away with a vivid impression of Rome and its history. Thank you for everything you did for us during our visit to Rome.
It was such a wonderful experience. You are a wonderful guide and I will
recommend you to others that I know when they mention they are going to
Rome! Our friends could not stop talking at dinner on our last night in
Rome about how pleased they were with you, your demeanor, excited personality,
and how much they learned from you. You enabled them to have a memorable,
educational trip that they will never forget.
Hey Dude, Just thought I would give you a quick note to say how much we
enjoyed meeting you and the excellent tour that you provided for us. It
was amazing and worth every euro. It really helped to make our trip very
memorable. We are safe and sound back in Toronto and if you need a testimonial
for your web site or if anyone requests an introduction to your tour by
someone that has already been on it please have them email me. Rich we really
enjoyed ourselves and I cannot thank you enough for the time you spent with
us. We really have a greater appreciation for what you showed us and how
much passion you have for what you do. Stay Safe, Kindest Regards, We have utilized guide services all over the world and must say that you
provide one of the finest. You not only know where to go, what to say, and
how to say it, but being a U.S. native allowed us not to have to fight to
understand what you were saying or any innuendo. Since we have toured Rome
previously it was particularly impressive for us to be able to have you
customize the agenda and pace to our needs yet you were as conversant on
seemingly any secondary painting, sculpture, arch or building as on the
prime ones. Also we feel it is significant that you know when to go places
and even what door to enter in order to minimize crowds. That is huge. Good luck, Took a while to send these to you but we had a great time with you. I will send a few shots and if you want to use them with future customers you are more than welcome to and if they would like to contact someone for a reference you are welcome to use us. Rich, Thanks from the Hattan family for a great encore trip. After our two weeks in Italy, Rome, Firenze, and Lucca, my wife and daughters thought the two days in Rome with you were the highlight of the trip. You did a great job for us on our trip four years ago and you did a great job this time with the daughters. You kept their attention and they really learned a great foundation for the rest of our trip. We will certainly continue to recommend you to our friends who are visiting Rome and thanks again. Feel free to have anyone email me if a reference is needed. What a great time we had in Rome and with this being our third visit and having you for a guide each time it is amazing how much you put into it each time. The way you craft your tours to the interest of each of our different groups is very special. You can be sure when we come back to Rome for the next trip we will call you again. Thanks again,
Hi Rich, It's been a month since we were in Rome. Though a bit late, we
just wanted to THANK YOU so much for the great tours you gave us while
there. We thoroughly enjoyed the tours you did for us -- You really knew
how to make everything seems so interesting and enjoyable. Our 2 sons,
Tim and Toby had the greatest time seeing the historical sites and learning
from them. We have been telling friends about you since we got back to
the States and will recommend you highly if we ever know of anyone going
to Rome. We hope we can look you up again the next time we go back. Good
luck with everything! Till then.... Ciao for now, Dear Rich, The Blackwoods came for dinner last night and we shared our photos. It reminded me that I wanted to first of all thank you but secondly, to provide you with a “testimonial” for you to possibly use on your website. I cannot tell you how grateful we are for your contribution to our trip. While in Barcelona, Palma, Sardinia, Elba, Corsica, Rome, Naples and Pompeii, we were blessed with wonderful guides, but none compared to the experience the five of us had with you. I have told so many people about you, your knowledge of history and theology and your sweet nature. It was abundantly apparent from interactions with others in Rome that the people of Rome have fallen in love with “the Rich” as they say. It is also obvious how much you love what you do and the city. We were also grateful for your tolerance and good humor about our lack of knowledge and understanding about some of our physical limitations. I don’t know that we will ever get to Rome again, but if we do, we will DEFINITELY contact you. I wish we could just adopt you and take you wherever we travel. I hope you and your family continue to be happy in Rome. If you ever get to Kansas City, please contact us. It would be wonderful to be able to reciprocate. Again, thank you for an unbelievable experience. Good Morning Rich, We had a great day with you in Rome and recommend your
services to anyone that wishes to know more than the standard fare on
Rome history. As for your restaurant recommendations, they couldn't have
been better and more timely. The Restaurant was a perfect way to cool
our heels and enjoy local Roman food at a very reasonable price. The owner
was very warm & personable and helpful with directions. I would highly
recommend your services to folks that like to hear the guide and be informed
regarding the small differences that make for a memorable tour. I'd rather
see the guide's face than a pole with flag about 80 people away. If one
has a group of six or less, your tours are very reasonable and one of
the most informative in Rome. Did I say my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed
our day with you and followed up on your tips for another day in Rome
by ourselves? You were like a small oasis of home in the middle of a very
large city. I hope you have a banner year and will look you up again next
time in Rome. Best regards and Ciao,
Flexibility in re-designing the itinerary: After our initial fiasco in catching up with Rich we thoroughly enjoyed
our tours on Thursday and Friday. Rich did a wonderful job in salvaging
Thursday afternoon with great sights around the city and an early morning
start on Friday enabled us to see the key sights at the Vatican, St. Peter’s
as well as the Forum, Colosseum and other sights in the area. His flexibility
in re-designing the itinerary on the spot was most appreciated. He did
a great job in describing the sights in a way that both the children and
adults enjoyed—we all learned a great deal. His enthusiastic approach
to the sights and the history kept everyone engaged and interested. His
knowledge base was quite impressive. Our short trip stay in Rome was fabulous.
Thank you again.
Hi Rich, I have been so busy since I've been home with children, work, life....but, never a moment goes by where I don't think of our fabulous trip to Italy. I had such a wonderful time with my sister Diana and can't even begin to tell you how much I loved meeting you! You were a highlight on our trip....so full of energy, personality, facts, life, excitement for Italy and all the beauties within Rome. Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality. I hope all is well and you are preparing for your trip home for your fathers 80 birthday. Have a wonderful celebration and know you have two new friends in Atlanta! Fondly,
After admitting that they were not paying attention to what I had specifically written on their Rome instructions, the couple confessed that the Rome excursions were the best that they had had on the entire cruise of the Aegean, Mediterranean and wherever else they went, adding that the rest of the "cruise tours" they had planned were fair to poor. Next time they'll listen, I hope. Great job, Rich. Thanks for your continued professional work!
By the way, you can also check out an additional 250 reviews on my Tripadvisor page, which will appear first on Google Searches of: Walking Tours: #1 The Historical Center - #2 Ancient Rome - #3 The Vatican - #4 Capitoline - #5 Ostia Antica |
