Our guide Maria was excellent, and we saw more than just the tourist area of San Marco. The headsets did not work as well as the ones we had on other tours, but that happens. The afternoon Grand Canal boat was excellent. These are small water taxis - rather than large sightseeing boats - and thoroughly enjoyable. We were also lucky in that the guide we had the previous night on the Ghost Walk was also one of the guides for the Canal trip - and she made sure she was assigned to our boat. Well worth the additional money.

Brilliant. This could have been nothing more than kitsch, but thanks to the wonderful guide Christine, this was a fun, relaxing and informative walk. I highly recommend this. Venice i a city that begs for a bit of mystery, and Christina was one of the original authors of this tour. You likely won't have a choice of guides, but in any event, just accept the this is a fun way to see a bit of the off the beaten path Venice.

We did the full day version, and the day was somewhat uneven. The morning was brilliant. The guide outstanding, the panorama from Piazza Michelangelo stunning, and the visit to see David worth the long line. The afternoon was problematic. We started off on a bus tour, which had two guides and four languages all thrown together - which basically meant you were only told about every fourth sight. I am fairly tolerant of these situations, but since I also speak French, I realized how little the English guide was sharing. Really awful. Once the 45 minute ride was over, we were picked up by an English guide and split onto an English only walking group. This was better. Sadly, they have also changed the published itinerary, so we were not able to see the tombs on Rossini, Michelangelo, etc. The wait to get into the Uffizi was almost 45 minutes - so inside we were somewhat rushed. Skip the afternoon option and do the Uffizi on your own.

This tour is run by Dark Rome, and by far, they are the best tour company we death with. Their guides are excellent, the tour well organized, and the sound systems in excellent working order. Any visit to the Vatican will be chaotic due to the crowds - so just be prepared. But given the swarms of people, this tour was every bit as good as possible, and I highly recommend it. At the end, you have the opportunity to spend more time in St. Peter's. Summer is not the ideal time to go, but for many of us it is the only chance we have. The Vatican museum is a must see - if for nothing else but the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's - and this tour gives you both. Highly recommended.