Our tours run rain or shine and our guides are great at navigating through various weather conditions to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible. They will find shade where they can, overhangs to pause under – stuff like that.

On very rare occasions if the weather is particularly dramatic some sites may close (e.g. the Colosseum may close in case of flooding). If time allows and we have prior warning, we will contact you as soon as we find out.

This confirmation email contains valuable information – especially in regards to the meeting point, so you might want to print it out just to triple check you get to the right place at the right time. Those tech savvy individuals might want to bookmark it on your phone so you can easily pull it up for your own reference.

A physical or digital copy of this confirmation email is not required to join your tour. Your guide (or tour coordinator) will have your name in our database so as long as you know the name on the booking, you’re set!

Every tour requires a few items to be best prepared.

• Comfortable shoes. We #takewalks so making sure you can navigate along uneven surfaces, dirt paths, cobblestone, etc. is essential.
• Water. Humans need water so we suggest bringing some along!
• Sunshield. A hat, sunglasses, parasol, and/or sunscreen will help in those warmer months.
• Weather shield. A coat, umbrella, and layers are suggested for cooler months. (Remember our tours run rain or shine!)
• Photo ID. Some tours/sites require photo ID with date of birth on it.
• Student ID. If you booked a student ticket, you will need to provide your student ID.

True to our name, most of our tours involve walking for at least half, if not the majority of the time. With the exception of a few of our daytrips, driving tours, or boat excursions, you can expect to walk a fair amount. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.

Want to tour with us but concerned about keeping up with the groups pace? Contact us and we may be able to arrange a private tour just for you and your group.

Every tour is different but for the most part, those with mobility limitations have difficulties on a group tour for a variety of reasons. Our group tours utilizes multiple areas that are not accessible like staircases, narrow passages, and uneven surfaces of archeological sites.

That doesn’t mean it’s a hard no on every one of our tours. First, check the FAQ section of the tour page on our website. Usually, we communicate whether a site is accessible for those with mobility limitations there.

For some tours, we can arrange a private tour modified with your limitations in mind. Please contact us so we can arrange your visit.

Every tour is different but for the most part, strollers are difficult on a group tour. Some sites won’t allow strollers inside, while driving tours and day trips don’t have extra storage space within the vehicle.

That doesn’t mean it’s a hard no on every one of our tours. If you contact us, we can see if we can arrange something.

When a stroller is allowed, please ensure it is small, lightweight, and foldable.

Due to the religious nature of holy sites such as churches and catacombs, all individuals regardless of gender and age must cover their shoulders and knees.

During warmer seasons, you can bring extra covering (scarves, sweaters, sarongs, etc.) to put on just before entering.

True to our name, we #takewalks! Most of our tours involve walking for at least half, if not the majority of the time. We strongly recommend wearing comfortable shoes where you can navigate a variety of surfaces including cobblestone, pavement, dirt pathways, and city streets.

Thanks in advance for thinking of us! Headsets are a valuable asset to us and the sites we visit. We typically can arrange to pick up the headset from your hotel if you have already left the tour area. Just contact us as soon as possible.

Not only do we love art, history, and culture – we LOVE food. Our guides are all locals who want you to have an incredible experience while visiting their city. They would be delighted to point you in the direction of their favorite spots in the area. Just ask them!

Once you book, you will receive an email confirmation. This confirmation will show you the meeting point address, a short description of how to locate once at that address, and a meeting time. We meet for a tour 15 minutes prior to the tour start time so we can get everyone checked in, and ready to #takewalks!

We generally (with a few exceptions) use meeting points that can be easily located on Google Maps.

Here is an example:

Meeting Point: Via delle Terme di Tito, 72 (Oppio Caffè) Meet directly across the street from Oppio Caffè at the gated entrance to Colle Oppio Park. 

This meeting point is located at Via delle Terme di Tito 72 which you can easily put into Google Maps and find the exact location. Then once you arrive at that address (which is Oppio Caffè), you would look across the street to the gates of Colle Oppio park and see your guide waiting for you!

Your guide (or a tour coordinator) will be at the meeting point 15 minutes prior to the tour start time. They will be holding a sign with the Walks logo and the words “MEET HERE” on it.

Our meeting point sign looks something like this:

We understand you might have trouble getting around a new city. We strongly recommend allowing plenty of time to arrive for your tour – but things happen.

If you are running late, its best to contact us so we can reach out to your guide. This is not always possible for all tours – our guides are with other clients and already into the tour (we ask them not to use their phones during their tour). But in some cases, a few minute delay can be remedied. Most times, guides leave the meeting point within 5 minutes of the tour start time.

In some cases, we may be able to reschedule your tour with a small amendment fee depending on availability. You must contact us within 24 hours of the missed tour to make this amendment.

Our tours are all-inclusive packages that include all tickets and reservations fees in advance, often with exclusive early access or “skip the line” privileges to avoid long waits, and cannot be used with other tickets or passes to the various museums and historical sites included.

It’s really up to you. If you enjoyed your tour and feel like you received exemplary service from your guide, it is customary to leave a tip at the end of the tour. It’s not obligatory though and we won’t hold it against you if you don’t – nor will your guide.

We do our very best to accommodate dietary restrictions – we know food is important to everyone! We do need a heads up of your dietary needs well before your tour so it is best to contact us as soon as you book.

In some instances, substitutions are just not possible. For example, our Pasta Making Class, by its nature is not suitable for celiacs nor is the pizza-making part of our Rome Food Tour.

For guests with severe food allergies, we recommend avoid taking a food tour and being very careful with all food in a foreign country, which isn’t always labeled to US-standards.

We don’t maintain a waitlist as we receive so many requests we simply can’t follow up properly with everyone. We recommend checking periodically to see if space becomes available on a sold out tour.

It means the tour price listed on our website includes all tickets, reservations, and entrance fees. There won’t be any nasty surprises on the day of your tour, so you could leave your wallet at home (unless you felt like tipping your tour guide or grabbing a snack after your tour.)

It differs, from one tour to another- if you know what tour you want, we would always say to book as far in advance as you can. Our most popular tours like our VIP Colosseum tours, our Pristine Sistine Vatican tour, our Best of Milan and Last Supper tour, or our Rome Past Making class can sell out months ahead of time. Other tours might still have availability weeks, days, or even hours ahead of time.

You can view a complete summary of our policy here. Cancellations must be made in writing, by emailing [email protected] or via telephone: From the US (toll-free): +1-888-683-8670 International: +1-202-684-6916.

We strongly encourage you to print your confirmation letter, mostly because it contains meeting point directions, Walks’ contact details, photos and maps to help you get there. Having your confirmation letter isn’t required to join the group however, your guide will have your name anyway.

Either your tour guide or a tour coordinator will be waiting at the tour meeting point 15 minutes before your tour start time. They will be holding up a sign with the Walks logo on it.

Please note that we ask all guests to arrive at the tour meeting point at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of their tour. If you have difficulty finding the meeting point or are delayed along the way, please call any of the following emergency numbers: the emergency phone number in Italy, +39-069-480-4888 or for tours in Paris, +33-176-36-0101 not our regular Customer Service number.

It’s hard to say and differs from one tour to another. For our most popular or limited-availability tours; such as the VIP Colosseum Tour, Alone in St. Mark’s Basilica, the Pristine Sistine, Best of Milan with Last Supper Tickets or the Rome Pasta-Making Class; we would recommend booking as soon as you can as these services often sell out months in advance. Other services such as our walking tours or regular food tours (not the cooking class) can usually booked two to three weeks in advance; and we may have space on a standard Vatican or Colosseum tour a few days in advance – or even on the day of running! If you know what tour you want to book though, we would always say to book as soon as you can.

It means the tour price listed on our website includes all ticket, reservation and entrance fees. There won’t be any nasty surprises on the day of your tour, so you could leave your wallet at home (unless you felt like tipping your tour guide).

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It’s really up to you. If you enjoyed your tour and feel like you received exemplary service from your guide, it is customary to leave a tip at the end of the tour. It’s not obligatory though and we won’t hold it against you if you don’t – nor will your guide.

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No, unfortunately all of our tickets and reservation fees are paid in advance of the tour.

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All payment must be made by credit card, either over the phone with our Customer Service agents or directly through our website’s booking engine, which transmits your credit card data securely and assures you the highest level of protection. Our guides cannot accept cash as payment for your tour.

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Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate wheelchairs on most of our group tours for a variety reasons. For example, at the Vatican Museums, wheelchair users are required to follow a different route not accessible to those not in wheelchairs. At the Colosseum, lifts are often out of order, requiring more complicated solutions. In most cases we can serve wheelchair users on our private tours, to allow the guide to adapt the route to their particular requirements. Please do get in touch with us before you book, however, and be aware that guests are responsible for propelling their own chairs – guides will be unable to do this.

We ask that all customers bring photo ID with their date of birth listed plus your confirmation email. For all tours involving walking, we would recommend that you wear comfortable shoes. If you’re visiting in warm weather (May – Sep) we recommend that you bring sunscreen, a bottle of water (which you can refill along the way on most tours) and a hat. This applies particularly if you are touring the Colosseum where there is very little shade. During the cooler months we would recommend that you bring a coat and possibly a rain jacket and/or umbrella.

Yes! Our tours run rain or shine. On some very rare occasions, when the weather is particularly dramatic, some outdoor sites may be closed (e.g. the Colosseum may close in the case of flooding). On these occasions we will try to contact you in advance, where we have warning.

A group tour is one where you join a group of other travelers and a single guide – our groups are usually around 12 people, although they can be a little larger, particularly on day trips. Because our groups are so small, you’ll still find it easy to hear and interact with your guide and it’s more cost-effective than a private tour, which is when you pay to have your own personal tour guide (and/or transfer) just for you.

Dress code at Catholic churches and religious sites (such as the catacombs) requires that both women and men cover their shoulders and knees. In summer we recommend that men wear t-shirts and long shorts that cover their knees. For women, if you are wearing a strapless top or dress, bring a cardigan. If you are wearing shorts, we recommend bringing a sarong to wrap around you inside.

Due to a new set of rules, you may only carry a small backpack or handbag inside the Colosseum. As there is no bag storage at the Colosseum, guests who bring large bags on their tour may be unable to join their group. All visitors are also undertake a more thorough security check at the Colosseum, which can cause delays.

YES! Any tour that covers the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill includes a lot of walking (that applies even moreso to our Best of Rome tour). Although a tiring morning, it shouldn’t present too much of a challenge to anyone with a normal fitness level in good health. If you want to visit the Colosseum but are concerned about the activity levels, consider our Colosseum by Night tour or a private tour.

Probably not. Our Crypts, Bones & Catacombs Tour includes a visit to the Rome Catacombs, which are a series of long underground passages. While they are quite open and moderately well lit (and perfectly safe), they may not be suitable for anyone with particularly bad claustrophobia. If you think are likely to experience panic in these situations we would recommend that you do not opt for this particular tour.

Seeing all of Rome in a single day is pretty tiring. We do leave time for a lunch break during which you can rest and our guides are always very conscious to pace our tours to suit your group. For guests with a normal fitness level and good health, it won’t be too much but if someone in your party has issues with mobility or fitness, we would recommend that you take the Best of Rome and Vatican Highlights on separate days, to give you time to rest in between. If you really only have one day in Rome, consider a private tour where we can add in more breaks and cut a few sites to suit you.

Our Rome Food Tour can be tailored to suit most dietary requirements so long as you give us enough notice to prepare. Obviously the pizza-making section of the tour is not suitable for coeliacs. Our Pasta-Making Class, by its nature is not suitable for coeliacs but should be okay for everyone else. While we will do our best to accommodate guests with food preferences or allergies, please note that it will not always be possible to make a substitution – for example the bread, meat and cheese shop on the Rome Food Tour will always be visited and tastings cannot be substituted. For guests with severe food allergies, we recommend not taking a food tour and being very careful with all food in Italy, which isn’t always labeled to US-standards.

The Vatican Museums has a very strict dress code, requiring that all visitors cover their shoulders and knees. Men should be careful to wear long shorts, while women should wear skirts beneath the knee or trousers. If you are wearing a sleeveless top, please bring a cardigan with you. Guests who arrive at the Museums without the appropriate dress may be refused entry.

According to Vatican Museum rules, only small bags can be brought inside the Museums. Handbags and small backpacks (no larger than 40cm x 35cm x 25cm) may be carried inside but anything larger than that, plus large umbrellas, must be checked at the cloakroom. Items may be left at the cloakroom without charge but please note that you must return to this spot to collect your belongings before 5pm or return the following day. As our tours mostly end at St. Peter’s Basilica this is quite inconvenient, as you will be required to walk about 20 minutes from there back to the entrance of the Museums. In the case of our Vatican Highlights Tour, guests may have to leave the tour early to reach the cloakroom before it closes and will not be able to visit St. Peter’s Basilica.

All of our Vatican tours start at an easy-to-find location near the entrance to the Museums. In the case of our Pristine Sistine, Complete Vatican and Vatican In A Day tours, you will end at St. Peter’s Basilica, which is a 20-minute walk from the entrance to the Museums. For our Vatican Highlights Tour you have a choice. Your tour ends inside the Sistine Chapel where you are welcome to stay or continue exploring the Museums. Alternatively follow your guide for special skip the line access to St. Peter’s Basilica.

Yes. All of our Vatican tours include skip the line access as standard. This means that we use the special group entrance with pre-reserved timed-entry tickets, so you’ll never have to wait in long general access lines. For extra special entry, check out our Pristine Sistine Tour. Any of our group tours that visit St. Peter’s Basilica also include skip the line access there.

Our Pristine Sistine Tour is our earliest entrance tour, getting you inside the Vatican Museums before they open to the general public. We take you straight inside once the Museums open to groups (an hour before the public!) and rush you directly to the Sistine Chapel, giving you the best chance of seeing it in peace and quiet!

Most do – our Pristine Sistine, Complete Vatican and Vatican In A Day tours include guided tours of St. Peter’s Basilica and, although our Vatican Highlights Tour doesn’t include a guided tour, you can follow your guide for special skip the line access, getting you inside the basilica to explore on your own. Please note however, that St. Peter’s Basilica is a functioning church and is often used for religious ceremonies. The basilica is therefore closed on occasion without previous warning. In these cases, we do endeavor to warn you in advance and your guide will provide you with a longer tour inside the Vatican Museums.

Please note that St. Peter’s Basilica is closed most Wednesdays, when the Papal Audience takes place in St. Peter’s Square.

No, non, ne, nee, absolutely not. And the Sistine Chapel guards are scary, so we don’t recommend trying it.

No. Tours of the Vatican Scavi (a.k.a. the Vatican Necropolis) may only be booked directly through the Vatican authority responsible for caring for them. Access is limited to only a few groups a day and tours are in huge demand though, so we recommend booking a few months before your trip where possible. For reservations email [email protected].

We don’t – nor should anyone else! Tickets to the Papal Audience are provided free by the Vatican, if you fill in this form and fax it to the number printed at the bottom. Tickets are sometimes available from the Swiss Guard at the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica, by the bronze doors, between the hours of 3pm and 8pm the day before. Tickets are limited to only 10 per person however and are not guaranteed.

Yes! All Walks of Italy services will run, rain or shine. On some very rare occasions, when the weather is particularly dramatic, some sites may be closed. In these cases we will try to contact you in advance, where possible.

Although you are unable to carry large backpacks around the Doge’s Palace, there is a free bag check at the entrance. Feel free to leave handbags and purses here too and collect them after your tour.

Unfortunately children under the age of 6 years old are not allowed to join the Doge’s Palace Secret Passages tour due to Doge’s Palace safety policy.

The Doge’s Palace Secret Passages Tour visits the secret archives and hidden passages of the Palace. This means that the tour does enter some small, relatively dark spaces between rooms. If you are nervous of this or suffer from claustrophobia, we advise that you don’t take this tour.

There is no AC, so the passages can become quite hot over the course of the Doge’s Palace Secret Passages Tour.

At St. Mark’s Basilica, as at all Catholic churches and religious sites, visitors are asked to cover their shoulders and knees. For men this means long shorts or trousers, while women should wear long skirts or trousers. If you are wearing shorter shorts please bring a sarong or similar to cover up. If your top is sleeveless, we recommend that you bring a cardigan.

With enough notice, we can tailor our Venice Food Tour to suit most dietary requirements, although this tour is not suitable at all for coeliacs. Please contact our Customer Service team as far in advance as possible to allow us to prepare. While we will do our best to accommodate guests with food preferences or allergies, please note that it will not always be possible to make a substitution, so that guest may enjoy fewer tastings than others. As we are visiting local businesses, we cannot guarantee that there may not be traces of some ingredients. If you have a very severe allergy, we recommend that you do not take our food tour and that you are particularly careful in Italy, where food is often not marked to US standards.

That depends on where you’re going! Venice gondolas are best for atmosphere and travel quite slowly. They are therefore best for the small quiet back canals of the city. If you are travelling between two points, however, or want to tour busier waterways such as the Grand Canal and the wider lagoon, we’d recommend a motorboat.

Dress code at Catholic churches and religious sites requires that both women and men cover their shoulders and knees. In summer we recommend that men wear t-shirts and long shorts that cover their knees. For women, if you are wearing a strapless top or dress, bring a cardigan. If you are wearing shorts, we recommend bringing a sarong to wrap around you inside.

Currently you can – guards at the Accademia have relaxed rules around photography inside the gallery so you are allowed to take photos of David, although we cannot guarantee how long this will last.

With enough notice, we can tailor our Florence Food Tour to suit most dietary requirements. Please contact our Customer Service team as far in advance as possible to allow us to prepare. While we will do our best to accommodate guests with food preferences or allergies, please note that it will not always be possible to make a substitution, so that guest may enjoy fewer tastings than others. As we are visiting local businesses, we cannot guarantee that there may not be traces of some ingredients. If you have a very severe allergy, we recommend that you do not take our food tour and that you are particularly careful in Italy, where food is often not marked to US standards.