There exists a multitude of activities to do and sites to see in popular cities for travelers such as Rome and Florence. However, there are unique ways to spend your time in these cities with experiences that will give your wedding anniversary or your family’s reunion special and lasting memories. It is during these special moments or a once-in-a-lifetime trip that my business venture Courtly Tours will deliver a well-thought-out travel itinerary that is tailor-made to the client. The main reason for writing this post is to document unique experiences in Rome and Florence that recent clients of mine have had. It is these kinds of experiences that clients take value in and treasure for a lifetime. I will give some of their accounts of the special activities our clients undertook. Described is also the vision of Courtly Tours.

History of Courtly Tours

Before we dive into the special and unique experiences in Rome and Florence reported by my recent clients, and that are offered by Courtly Tours, it is first important that we come to know why this business venture was started in the first place. Courtly Tours was born from the knowledge and experience of living in European countries and the challenges faced while immigrating there. Thus, I would like to share my knowledge and excitement of traveling in Europe with others. My personal experiences are used when a trip is planned with a client, but at the same time without imposing any of my preferences.

Vision

The vision of Courtly Tours is to plan trips based on the interests and preferences of its clients. Usually, the interests of our clients include those who have a strong desire to see places that they have been historically or artistically inspired by, such as the Sistine Chapel in Rome to the Cotswolds in England. Moreover, not only is it important to learn about these points of interest but to experience them as well. This could mean obtaining special access to the Colosseum in Rome, making pizza in a local house in Florence, or immersing yourself in medieval experiences and learning to become a knight in England. Courtly Tours can arrange a special group castle tour in England not offered anywhere else as well as charming castle stays. Finally, Courtly Tours strives to bring you personalized service from beginning to end.

Eternal Rome

You can probably never exhaust the amount of places to visit and attractions that exist in Rome. Every year millions of tourists visit this eternal city with a record number of visitors in 2023 of 35 million as reported by the Rome Chamber of Commerce. It is also the fourth most visited city in Europe. Countless sites can be visited in Rome that are frequented by visitors who only want to see the main attractions. Sites within Rome also exist that are away from the main tourist path, such as Villa Borghese or the Baths of Caracalla. With our expertise in destinations in Italy and connection to vetted and reliable suppliers, we stand by offering unique experiences to those who desire them. The following paragraph is a description from one of our very own clients who have taken a special access tour of the Colosseum.

Unique Experiences in Rome

The Colosseum though Gladiator’s Gate

A unique experience in Rome would include the Gladiator’s Gate Special Tour. It is an expertly walking guide tour that lasts for more than 3 hours. What is special about this tour is that you will gain access to the Colosseum through the Gladiator’s Gate. This is the side entrance that gladiators used. This mode of entrance will not only get you quickly inside the Colosseum, but you will have a view that gladiators had before they entered the amphitheater nearly 2,000 years ago. It is not allowed for normal admission ticket holders to access to this gate and view. You will also be away from all the crowds. Other sites included on this tour are the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Here is what our client recounted during this tour:

“This was a great tour, our special access allowed us to bypass the crowds and directly enter the Colosseum arena floor via the Gladiators gate. It was fantastic to see the colosseum from the same perspective as the gladiators themselves. Plus we were amazed at how much more there was to see, it’s a huge complex that was the heart of ancient Rome.”

Food Tastings in Rome like a Local

Another unique experience in Rome would include a tour where a local guide will give you a taste of the most delicious areas of Rome featuring the Jewish Quarter and historic center. A special guide will immerse you in Roman cuisine and specialty places to eat. You will eat at different food establishments along with food tastings and drinks. It lasts for 3.5 hours. Here is the account of this tour according to our client:

“We loved this tour, we found out that there is a lot more to Roman food that the traditional pizza and pasta. Our guide, Mattia, beautifully blended the story of the food we ate with Rome’s history and traditions, all while walking along Rome’s cobbled vias at night. He even showed us how to use the traditional Roman water fountain, called a Nasone, (large nose in Italian) in the Campo di Fiori. Some of the delicious street food we tried included deep fried artichokes, (definitely an acquired taste), “Jewish pizza”, (a short bread laden with fruit), Roman pizza, both red and white, ( very different to Neapolitan pizza), Baccala, (fried salted codfish), and Porchetta, (very yummy, traditional spit roasted pork sliced in roll), and all finished off with the best gelato in Rome, ( try the Rosewater and Raspberry with Zabaione).”

Early Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour

The special early access to the Vatican that last four hours makes it possible to be among the first visitors without the crowds so you can become more personal with the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel as well as the St. Peter’s Basilica. Guides who have a wealth of knowledge in this area are provided the whole time.

“The early start allowed our group to progress through the Vatican Museums and onto the Sistine Chapel where we could admire Michelangelo’s masterwork without the distractions of an overcrowded chapel. (Because of Vatican restrictions, our guide gave a detailed presentation of what we would be seeing before entering the chapel. This allowed us to appreciate the frescos in relative quiet and without crowds of people taking photos). The Vatican Museums themselves were amazing, I especially liked walking down the Galleries of maps and tapestries. We finished the tour by visiting St Peter’s Basilica where we again were able to see another of Michelangelo’s masterworks, the ‘Pieta’.”

Birth of the Renaissance: Florence

Known for its fantastic art, architecture, museums, and cultural heritage, Florence has become known as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Florence established itself as a city during the Renaissance when banking, finance, and art took a prominent seat. Giant figures that stood during these times that made them prominent include the Medici family, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Raphael, and countless others. Famously known for his expert paintings during the Renaissance, Raphael completed important and beautiful works in both Rome and Florence. In Florence, his stunning portraits are housed in the Pitti Palace. Make sure to watch a fascinating documentary called Raphael: A Portrait produced by Ideas Roadshow. This film is now released and provides a detailed, unprecedented look into the extraordinary life, achievements and legacy of Raphael (https://ideasroadshow.com/raphael/).

Unique Experiences in Florence

Florence Walking Tour Centered Around the Duomo & David

Here is the response of our client who experienced Florence from a unique walking tour to see David and the Duomo:

“This was our favorite tour, with our best guide, Ismael. Seeing David in a small group under Ismael’s guidance was the highlight of this great tour. His knowledge and passion for Florence’s art and history inspired us to see more of Florence.”

The Uniqueness of Travel

While visiting the main sites of popular destinations, such as Rome and Florence, are on the list of some travelers, there are other who want a deeper connection and experiences with their trips. We saw with examples how my recent clients have enjoyed their Italian vacation with unique experiences in Rome and Florence, and we see from their reactions that such experiences can evoke emotions, such as those from the Gladiator’s Gate, or from experiencing delicious street food in Rome while learning about its historical significance and traditions. For those who want to make their vacation special and more memorable, what is your next plan for travel and how would you want to experience it? Do you want similar and unique experiences that they had in Rome and Florence? Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog post.