We purchased the small group skip the line Vatican & Sistine Chapel guided tour with expedited…read moreentry into St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. What an incredible experience and our guide Simona made it so. When we arrived at the meeting place we were warmly greeted and checked in. Simona joined us shortly after and she was friendly and knowledgeable. It was a short walk to the Vatican, and once in line (yes, it was long but went quickly) we got to a certain point where we moved past the rest of the people for our expedited entry. Simona has a lovely voice, and she was easy to understand. The headsets and her commentary made this experience all the better. We saw all the high points at the Vatican and Sistine Chapel (also front of the line). We toured St. Peter's Basilica on our own once Simona brought us to the expedited entry. We toured at 8AM on a hot Friday. We had a reusable water bottle in my crossbody bag that kept us hydrated. We did not see anyone with uncovered knees or shoulders. Everyone was respectful and polite.

TLDR: Great guide, small group, and worth it to skip the lines, but the meeting point is a mess &…read moreneeds organization Anytime I book through Viator, it's always a bit sketch relying on just the website's reviews. However, now that I'm posting this on Yelp, I'm honestly shocked by the overwhelming amount of negative reviews, but at the same time, not shocked. I booked the Colosseum Arena Full Experience (semi-private, max of 8 people). My tour started at 9:00 AM and per instructions, requested to meet in front of Santi Cosma e Damiano Basilica 15 mins prior to pickup tickets and meet the tour guide. The instructions were clear, find a representative in a blue vest or white polo with the company logo, however, this said logo was never provided. A flag (& providing the company logo) would have made a huge difference. On Viator, this company is listed as "Vivicos Travel," but on the ticket provided and on the representative, they have an entirely different company name. Closer to 9:00 AM, two reps in blue vests finally arrived reading off names. I had just booked 1.5 hours before the tour, so I was honestly surprised they had my ticket ready. Because of that, I'll give them some grace for the disorganization. NOTE: You have to have an ID/your passport for entry. If you're booking last-minute, a digital copy will work. The tour starts at the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and ends at the Colosseum. Unfortunately, due to this route, you're walking uphill through a lot of uneven terrain before reaching the Colosseum--so wear your most comfortable sneakers. Because it's a guided tour, it runs on a tight schedule. You won't have much time to stop, read, or fully take things in. That said, our guide, Mircea, was excellent--super knowledgeable and was able to answer every question I threw at him.