On the ZL tour of Italy and Sicily our day in Rome with the Guide is described as follows:


Day 3 Rome.
Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Then time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (BB)


What time does the formal tour end? We would like to make some additional plans and maybe meet with some folks who live in Rome.

Many Thanks,

PP

Just returned from a tour in Italy and our guided tour was the same in Rome. I believe it was over around noon, but you can leave the tour anytime you like. The tour started early and they always like to break so that lunch is on your own.

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the reply.

You seem to be saying that on most non-travel days the formal tour will end at noon.

Other than Rome, what do most folks do. We were not expecting that much free time. We had assumed around 3PM not noon.

Your ideas of a typical Travel and non-travel day would be appreciated.

I assume that travel days may go up to Dinner time.. .. . or am I wrong there.

Many Thanks,

The tour we took was "From the Thames to the Tiber". . All of the included tours started early and finished around noon. On the days where optional tours were also on the same day, there was usually a 2 or 3 break before they began.

A typical travel day always started early up and out by around 7am. Of course it depends on how far you have to travel, but we usually reached our destination by 4pm and once were taken on a "drive-around" quick tour.. ..then a few hours before another optional excursion if offered. Our tour provided a lot of free time, one reason we chose it. Some days we didn't see the TD at all, depending on the optional excursions. We only took 3 optionals in 16 days.. ..preferred to go out on our own.

Hope this helps!!

there are lots of "optional" tours available, I suggest taking them. They are fun and intersting and will fill up your day and evenings. We actually should have taken one or two less optional tours because we did miss time we would have liked exploring on our own in Venice and in Paris. I believe Globus either has the optional tours listed on their website or it comes with you packet a few weeks prior to your departure. Its just so you can look them over, when you arrive on your tour your tour guide will go over optional tours with you and you can even make your decision the night before the tour.