Aida A Iranzo
United StatesMarisa Ficorella knows the Vatican intimately. She has Vatican certification & years of experience. It would have been impossible for us (2) to navigate the vast area and the crowds. Marisa showed us all the highlights but also gave us a historical perspective of the Vatican as a whole. Marisa knows about all the treasures and all the fascinating details that only a guide with her knowledge can share. It was the best possible way to experience Vatican City
John Williams
AustraliaFantastic tour with Marisa. We did our first tour with her 10 years ago and she is still as good as ever!
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you John, it's incredible to think that we toured together 10 years ago! I'm happy that you decided to book me again, and that you liked my "off the beathen path" tour of th Underground Rome. Thanks again, Marisa
Aida A Iranzo
United StatesMarisa was a delight! Her background in archeology and history brought to life all that we saw around us. Marisa has a true feel for the people of ancient Rome. The Port of Ostia was a pleasant surprise and we were lucky it was a beautiful day. A private tour for my stepdaughter and I was the only way to experience Rome-a place like Rome deserves a guide like Marisa-the best!
Aida A Iranzo
United StatesMarisa was an excellent guide. We avoided being on a group and this private tour was perfect for the two of us. My stepdaughter is a history professor with a Doctorate and Marisa Ficorella's explanations and knowledge of history and archeology were flawless! We are looking forward to our next two tours with her. We struck GOLD when we found Marisa!! Rome deserves nothing less. I cannot say enough about the quality of Marisa's tour.
Karen (“Kayte”) Oliver
United StatesThis was easily one of our favorite tours!! We were lucky enough to have Marisa as our guide for 3 days, and this was our very first guided walking tour with her. She brought all of the monuments to life for us and had such a wonderful way of telling a story. This is a "must do" tour with a wonderful guide if you want to get acquainted with the beautiful city of Rome! We loved Marisa's sweet gentle nature and her enthusiasm was catching! You won't be disappointed if you are lucky enough to book Marisa!
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Kayte! Nice to hear from you :) It was a pleasure to spend 3 days with you, your smiling group of friends was the perfect company Come back soon, marisa
Karen (“Kayte”) Oliver
United StatesCount yourself lucky if you are able to book Marisa as your guide! There is a good reason why she has given hundreds of tours with mainly 5 star reviews. She is excellent and such a sweet person. We did 3 days of tours with her and she is funny, kind, gentle, extremely knowledgeable in Roman history and is so very passionate about her city. Her English is excellent with a lovely Italian accent. She is punctual and committed to giving you a wonderful tour. We hope to tour with her again someday!
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Dear Karen thank you very much for your review! You were the perfect clients, and touring with you for three has been a pleasure Thank you again for your kind words, I appreciate especially your understanding for my family issues Grazie, Marisa
Karen Johnson
ItalyThis is my second tour with Marisa and won't be the last. She is marvelous -- informed, engaging, enthusiastic. We can't recommend her highly enough.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Dear Karen, thank you! thanks for having chosen my profile for the second time, and for the interest in my off the beaten track itinerary Time flew with you and your friends! A presto! Marisa
Carl Walker
United StatesMarisa did a superb job. She was on time and ready to get started even throughout the rain. She was very knowledgeable, personable and funny. We enjoyed her tour very much. She was very flexible with her schedule and always answered all of our questions with enthusiasm. She treated us like family and made us feel welcome in her hometown of Rome. She is an excellent tour guide and we recommend her highly!
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Dear Carl, many many thanks for your review! Touring with you was a pleasure..despite the really weird weather! The hail is not so common in Rome ;) Grazie, Marisa
Ingrid Eaker
Thornton, CO, United StatesMarisa is WONDERFUL! She was exactly what I wanted in a guide. She is friendly, welcoming and energetic. Most importantly, she is deeply knowledgeable about her city's rich ancient history. She arranged for everything on tour day. Thanks to her, everything was seamless. Rome can be chaotic and overwhelming. Marisa made me feel welcome and at ease. I would recommend Marisa to anyone who wants to experience the amazing history of Rome with genuine enthusiasm.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Grazie Ingrid, thank you! Lovely day spent together, next time, to Caravaggio and its art! Thank you again, for all your kind words :) Marisa
Ellen Vera
United StatesMarisa is a fabulous guide! She has such a depth of knowledge about ancient Rome, as well as the intervening centuries between then and now. She is very friendly and is willing to answer any question or go into more detail on any subject of interest. We were so happy to have a personal guide rather than being part of a large group and feel that our enjoyment of, and appreciation for, these amazing archeological sites was greatly enhanced by Marisa's research and experience. Highly recommended!!
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Dear Ellen, thank you very much :) you and your husband were so kind and interested that for me touring with you was pleasure Grazie, Marisa
Byron Oconnor
United StatesMARISA is a very enjoyable tour guide. She is knowledgeable about the Vatican, Basilica and the centuries of the areas within. She explained everything thoroughly and allowed us to move quickly to the areas of importance, then took the time to explain what was in each space. I would highly recommend Marisa for this tour and others, as she is very considerate.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: thank you Byron! guiding you was a pleasure Enjoy your stay in Rome :) Marisa
Douglas Radish
United StatesMarisa was an excellent tour guide for the forum. She has a background in archeology and her education added so much to the tour and site itself. I would always use Marisa again if we were to visit again.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Douglas! It was a lovely winter morning, great to visit the Forum without crowds! Thank you for the interest in my off the beaten path Palatine hill. Marisa
Karen Johnson
ItalyMarisa took my family and me to the Palatine Hill and the Forum. It exceeded my expectations -- she went out of her way to make sure we got to see Augustus's house, and throughout, her enthusiasm, deep knowledge, and ability to make historical connections was, well, spell-binding. Three hours flew. Even my husband (who does not usually like guided tours) and my grown-up son (jet-lagged and recovering from the flu) raved about it for the rest of the day, and expressed interest in another tour with Marisa.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: wow, thank you Karen for the very nice words! we had a lovely morning touring the Forum and Palatine, and I'm so glad we were able to enter in the special section. The House of Augustus is stunning but often is not available. Happy you were able to enjoy the site! Touring with your family has been a pleasure! till next time :) Marisa
Sally Adams
United StatesTOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you very much Sally :) It was great to meet you and discover Rome together Marisa
Ryan Heater
United StatesAmazing insight into the ancient Roman Forum as well as the Colosseum. It was wonderful to have an archaeologist give her in depth knowledge of both of these must-see Roman wonders. Wonderful tour.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you! I'm glad you like the day we spent together For me was a pleasure, exploring the Ancient Rome in a lovely November sunny day Come back soon for more historical sites, and more Roman food..of course! Marisa
Ryan Heater
United StatesAmazing tour. We were able to see the highlights of Rome, including many traditional sights, as well as some secret sights that were fascinating as well. Highly recommend.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Ryan It was a pleasure to guide you and your father and to discover together the city center (despite the rain!) Thanks, marisa
Susan DeBock
United StatesI took 2 tours with Marissa during my recent visit to Rome. The 2nd tour I took this trip was to visit the Appian Way and Quintili Villa. Both sites were outside Rome so we used a car service. We walked along sections of the Appian Way and saw some of the mausoleums. Then we visited Quintili Villa which was definitely the highlight for me. To make it even better there was no one else there. Marisa is an archeologist and conveys the history of the sites in a very interesting manner, never dry or boring.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you very much Susan! Hope to meet you again to explore more archaeological sites in Rome and surroundings. Marisa
Susan DeBock
United StatesThis is my 3rd tour with Marisa and she was as interesting and informative as I remembered. I've been to Rome several times and wanted to see some of the less visited sites this time. Marisa's Hidden Gems of Rome tour was the perfect choice.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Susan, it was a pleasure to meet you again and spend two lovely morning together Thank you for your trust in my suggestion for off the beaten path sites! marisa
Barry Setzer
United StatesTOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: thank you very much Barry! I'm glad that you like my tour :) Marisa
David Stokes
United StatesMarisa may have been the most knowledgeable TBL guide we have ever had! We asked her to squeeze a lot of things into one day, but she did it, educating us on the most interesting aspects at every site and always keeping in mind our schedule. And, our day did not seem rushed at all. Thank you very much Marisa! Laurie, Edie, John and Dave
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Dear Dave (and Laurie, Edie and John) thank you very much for this kind words. It's been a pleasure touring (and have lunch) with your small group of friends Glad that the tour was not too intense and long, despite the quantity of historical infos provided :) Come back soon, Marisa
Mary Lou Kumagawa
Aurora, ONTARIO, CanadaMarisa provided a tour that not only imparted +++ information but pictures to give context to what we were seeing. Her experience as an archeologist and her love for the area was a big plus. I appreciated her thoughtfulness in choosing an itinerary with as little climbing as possible.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you very much Mary Lou for your review and kind words. I am glad I was able to share my love for the Roman Forum and its history. It was a pleasure to spend with you a lovely sunny afternoon in Rome. Come back soon for more exploring! Marisa
Krisann Johnson
AustraliaA wonderful morning spent with Marissa walking and talking through the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Marissa is knowledgeable, her English very good and can tell an interesting story as well as factual accounts. As we chose the private tour option we had Marissa all to ourselves and could ask questions as we wished. We would most definitely use Marissa again should we require another tour.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Krisann it has been a real pleasure for me to meet you and visit with you the Forum we had a lovely sunny day, and I really loved your interest in the History and in my explanations Come back soon for more exploring! Marisa
Robert Clark
United StatesGreat tour guide. Very knowledgeable and informative on many topics. Great restaurant recommendation also!
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thanks Robert! I'm glad that you liked our walking tour of the Forum...and the restaurants too! part of my job is to try many local restaurants :) Marisa
Richard Higgerson
United StatesMarisa was outstanding. Knowledgeable, personable and adept at handling inclement weather. Would strongly recommend her to all who wish an in-depth informative guide.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: thank you very much Richard for the review! yes, touring in the heavy rain in a outdoor garden is not suggested so I was happy to move your tour in the afternoon (when the storm was over, and thankfully the rain was just a drizzle) I'm glad that your family enjoyed the visit of the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum despite the rain Marisa
Patrick Finan
United StatesThe full day tour with Marisa was excellent. She is extremely knowledgeable, and her explanations were clear and very insightful. She was able to guide us directly to the most interesting things at each site without being rushed or made to feel we were missing anything. This is an intense full day tour which was excellent, and we fully recommend Marisa and this tour. Her training as an archaeologist and certification as an approved guide really makes this a 5 star experience.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Dear Patrick I'm so glad you've enjoyed the tour Visiting the must-sees of Rome in one day, can be overwhelming! So I'm happy you were able to enjoy our fullday For me, spending the day with your group has been a pleasure come back soon Marisa
John Ogle
United StatesMarissa is a fabulous guide! We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Vatican with her. She has an incredible wealth of knowledge related to art and architecture. Her deep love for Rome and its history shines through. She guided us through the treasures of the Vatican Museum with confidence and enthusiasm and even gave us a great lunch recommendation. We highly recommend Marissa and would definitely hire her again.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Dear John, thank you for the review! You and your wife are such a lovely couple that touring with you in the Vatican was a pleasure. thanks again, and come back soon to discover more together, Marisa
Jonathan Choy
CanadaMarisa is a very knowledgeable guide that gave us details on all the important highlights of the Vatican City. She pointed out details that we would have otherwise missed and gave context into what we saw. We were also lucky to be taken through a passageway normally reserved for the Pope to access the cathedral where we were given more information. Brava Marisa. Highly recommend her.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Jonathan, I'm glad your family liked the Vatican tour too. The Museums is not "everybody's cup of tea", since it's big and crowded, especially in July Happy that we found the Scala Regia open, it was a lucky day Marisa
Jonathan Choy
CanadaA fantastic excursion off the beaten path. Marisa brought us back over 2000 years in time. It was amazing to see how the ancient people lived with such sophistication. What an incredible civilization. Unhurried and accommodating. Marisa is a true expert in archeological history and kept us captivated from beginning to end.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you Jonathan! Touring Ancient Ostia for me it's a Joy! I had the pleasure to meet and guide your family, very interested and willing to learn despite the terrible heat. Thanks, Marisa
Erin O'donald
United StatesOur tour guide (Marisa Ficorella) was very organized and passionate about sharing her in-depth knowledge of the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. Our group of 9 were actively engaged; all of us were struck by the many (literal) layers of history and the archaeological processes that were, or were not, used to uncover what we see today. An added bonus: we were able to enter the Curia Julia, usually not part of the tour. Marisa brought the ruins of history alive for us, and helped us glimpse into the past.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: Thank you very much Erin for your kind words. I had so much fun with your group. you were all very interested from the oldest to the youngest member of the group! Loved the morning spent together Come back soon for more exploring Marisa
Kenneth Koolkin
Skokie, ILLINOIS, United StatesMarisa was an excellent guide! She was very knowledgeable and she was a delight to spend the half-a-day with.
TOUR GUIDE RESPONSE: dear Kenneth thank you very much! Hope that you've a good memory of the Colosseum and Forum, despite the summer heat Thanks again for the rating Marisa