Formal Tours: Price Comparison
I’ve reviewed a lot of pre-packaged tours since beginning to advise people on their Italian travel plans. Personally, I’ve always preferred to travel independently, giving me the flexibility to do exactly what I want to do exactly when I want to do it and to change plans in the middle of my trip when a local tells me about a fun day trip, must-see piazza or new restaurant. I understand, however, that a lot of people don’t have the time to gather enough information to feel comfortable planning a trip on their own, and so I’ve looked into quite a few tour companies to see what they offer.
Some people are under the impression that by going on a tour, they’re getting a “deal”. That’s simply not true! Though I have seen a few tours that I believe give a nice sense of their destination (without any personal flexibility), the majority of tours put together the basics – admission to the sights everyone knows about, transportation between cities – for a premium price. They package the parts of your trip that would be easy to do on your own and either skip over the most interesting, most “authentic” experiences or make you still figure them out for yourself in whatever “free time” they permit you.
I’ve outlined the offerings of two popular tours below and compared the price of the tour to what the price would be if you were to book it yourself… with better hotels and upgraded tours of the major sites. I’ve also listed some important things that the tours leave out, that you’d be left to discover on your own:
Tour 1: 9 Day Tour of Rome & the Amalfi Coast
Sights & Actvities in Rome: Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Jewish Ghetto, Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica
Sights & Activites on the Amalfi Coast: Pompeii, Positano, Sorrento, Amalfi, Villa Rufolo in Ravello, Blue Grotto in Capri, Amalfi Coast Wine Tasting
Meals Included: Breakfast, 3 dinners, 2 lunches
Cost of the Tour: $4550 for a Single Traveler, $3550 per person for a couple (plus airfare)
Cost if Booking Independently: approximately $2200 (plus airfare)
What You Miss With the Tour: The historic church of San Clemente in Rome, with tours through the excavations of the medieval church and 4th century Temple to Mithras below it. Climbing the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Exclusive Necropolis tour under St. Peter’s Basilica to view the tomb of St. Peter. Rome’s amazing museums, including the Capitoline Museum and Borghese Gallery. Insider info on all of Rome’s world-famous outdoor sights like the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and Giancolo Hill. The chairlift up Mt. Solaro on the Island of Capri, plus the beautiful Marina Piccolo, Capri Town and tour of an ancient villa. Villa Cimbrone’s historic villa and gardens in Ravello. A tour of Amalfi’s surprisingly massive and significant duomo. Plus personal recommendations on shops, cafés and restaurants. Let OneDayInItaly help you make the most of your trip! Visit the Packages & Rates page for more info.
Tour 2: 7 Day Tour From Rome To Venice
Sights & Actvities in Rome: Roman Forum, Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica
Sights & Activites in Florence: Accademia Gallery (Michelangelo’s David), Piazza Duomo and the Baptistry’s “Gates of Paradise”, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio
Sights & Activites in Venice: St. Mark’s Square, Bridge of Sighs, Visit to a Glassblower, Caffé Florian
Meals Included: Breakfast, 2 dinners
Cost of the Tour: $2356 for a Single Traveler, $2108 per person for a couple (plus airfare)
Cost if Booking Independently: approximately $1750 (plus airfare)
What You Miss With the Tour: The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The historic church of San Clemente in Rome, with tours through the excavations of the medieval church and 4th century Temple to Mithras below it. Climbing the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Exclusive Necropolis tour under St. Peter’s Basilica to view the tomb of St. Peter. Rome’s amazing museums, including the Capitoline Museum and Borghese Gallery. Insider info on all of Rome’s world-famous outdoor sights like the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and Giancolo Hill. The world-renowned Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace in Florence, not to mention the Uffizi Gallery. Piazzale Michelangelo, with the best views over Florence. Climbing Giotto’s Bell Tower or Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence’s Piazza Duomo and admiring the miraculous mosaics in the Baptistry. Entrance into the secret rooms of the Doge’s Palace in Venice and an exclusive tour of Venice’s clock tower, where a timekeeper and his family lived (inside the clock!) until the 1950’s. A tour of cinchetti, Venetian street food. A visit to Murano and Burano, small islands in the Venetian Lagoon known for glassblowing and handmade lace. Exploring Venice’s most vibrant and popular piazza (with locals), Campo Margherita. An evening ride down the Grand Canal. Plus personal recommendations on shops, cafés and restaurants. Let OneDayInItaly help you make the most of your trip! Visit the Packages & Rates page for more info.
