had only one full day in Rome in late October 2011. exchanged e-mails with Clem prior to leaving home in San Francisco. our main concern was that as we live in a city that sees many tourists, we did not want a tourists' view of Rome. we specified we were interested to understanding what makes Rome special to those who... More

We were contacted by Tess before our arrival in Rome. Our first day we toured the Roman Forum, 2nd day Borghese Gallery and the third day the Vatican: Three half day tours. Tess was excellent! She was upbeat and charming and whisked us past lines, reserved restaurants and found a hotel for our excursion to Tivoli. Sam met us at... More

Our family vacation to Italy began in Rome with Sam and Tess. What a magnificent start! Sam met me, my husband and kids (10, 13, 15) for dinner the first night and took us somewhere delicious followed by gelato and a trip to the Trevi Fountain. After picking up my parents the next morning near the Vatican, he met us... More

Did two tours the week that I visited Rome, one with Tess and one with Sam. They were both absolutely amazing! The stories that both Tess and Sam told brought the ancient monuments to life! It was such a fun educational experience. I have been on a lot of guided tours in my life but none that even come close... More

I met with Sam for a drink the night before my day tour. He was most impressive, and knows his town (and his other trade, cooking!). He arranged for Tess to take me around the next morning. I spent eight delightful hours with her; our interests in Baroque art and architecture seemed to coincide perfectly. She picked me up at... More

In the world of guides, you certainly get what you pay for; if you want to be herded like cattle with a group tour, go right ahead! Sam spent a great deal of time with my wife and I showing us the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was clear he was very knowledgeable about the area and able to... More

A few years ago we went to Rome and we were standing on the Capitoline Hill and the guide was describing the Forum below and kept saying Forum. My mom thought he was saying Farm, the ruin farm. Wanted to see the Forum completely since then. Sam had Tess meet me and it was really a great tour. She knew... More

we had sam as our guide for two days. he gave us a perfect tour that was catered to our needs, our interests, and our pace. i'm sure the tour business is full of cookie-cutter monotony. but, that was not the case here. sam's narratives would begin a dialogue of questions and answers: always illuminating, always informative. don't ask yourself... More

We took our eleven year old grandson to Rome for five days and put ourselves in Sam's capable hands. His organization of our visit, choices of sites to focus on, enthusiasm for his subject and intelligent narrative brought the city, its history and mythology to life. He instinctively knew how to capture our grandson's attention. He also arranged a special... More