Rick Steves' Guidebook Admission Discounts?

That RS discount was not just or specifically for the early morning Pristine Sistine Tour, but for any Walks of Italy tour, which are generally excellent. Their Pristine Sistine Tour is often recommended here on this forum, including by me. To know if that discount is current I suggest you call Walks of Italy toll-free number here in the US. Go to www.walksofitaly.com. Click “contact”. I found their staff to be very helpful, when I dealt with them a few years ago.

Thanks so much for the phone number, Larry. Great idea!

Yeap! I just used it for Pristine Sistine and their Premium colosseum tour :)

Either use it when you sign up or you can call them. I spoke to them on the phone and they were very helpful :)

LSD

Great to know, lsd1980s! When are you going to tour the Sistine Chapel? My RS Rome guidebook is 2014. Do you think that will work for getting the discount. I'm really leaning toward getting the Pristine Sistine Tour. I think it would be really fun and interesting. I did the general tour in April. We had 8:30 a.m. tickets, but got mixed up and didn't get there until 11:30, but they let us in, and the lines were not bad at all. The crowds weren't that bad, either. It was the Wednesday right after Easter. But I'm thinking Christmas crowds could be awful.... Going early, before the swarms arrive sounds romantic, even if we would have to walk in the cold for 20ish minutes from our hotel to get there. Have you been on this tour before, and if so, what did you think of it? Is the discount still 10%?

Oh, and LSD 1980s, can you tell me about the Premium Colosseum Tour? Why did you choose it? Did you read that the Colosseum is opening its new upper 4th and 5th levels with a hallway tourists have never before seen, on November 1? I'm so excited! The 4th and 5th levels were the cheap seats in gladiator times, but they afford a priceless view of the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, etc. So cool. We toured the Colosseum right after Easter this year. So glad there is something new to see there to justify a second ticket in December!

Did you read that the Colosseum is opening its new upper 4th and 5th
levels with a hallway tourists have never before seen, on November 1?

If you are considering a Walks of Italy Premium tour (which appears to include the Forum and Palatine) I'd check with them to see if that tour will include these levels? It appears that they're only accessible with a tour (reservations mandatory) and those may or may not involve separate tickets and/or may or may not be included in ALL tours. Info is a little sketchy right now so just check? :O)

https://www.thelocal.it/20171003/romes-colosseum-italy-open-its-upper-levels-to-tourists-public

Thanks, Kathy!

gracialynne

I have already gone for it! It was great - could have been better if we were able to spend more time in the Museums rather than ending the tour with the Basilica. There is, as you would know, just so much to see in the Museums and i would really have loved the opportunity to tour the Museums on my own.

About Romantic lol..i am not sure though...when my family did the tour...while we were early..there were still alot of people but still not as many people later in the morning. Not sure whether "Pristine" would be the most apt description of the tour.

And yes the discount is still 10%.

Actually if you are thinking of doing 2 tours..i believe you are able to get a further 10%. Basically i had booked the tour on walksofitaly (without inputting my ricksteve book) and my second tour (premium colossuem) was given 10% off. so when i retroactively provided my ricksteve discount..they gave me another 10%. Regardless the quality of their tours (its not too bad), their before and after customer service is amazing. Very prompt and sometimes such service make or breaks one's experience.

Premium Colosseum Tour
I chose it because i wanted to see the colosseum in a very informed manner. And i also had my parents and aunties with me. So while i definitely could have read up on my own - my family are not inclined to do so and would have just relied on the expertise of a guide. And i just read the new upper 4th and 5th levels are open. Lucky you!
To be honest..i am not sure whether i would recommend the colosseum tour...reason being - we toured the roman forum palatine hill and colosseum in about 3 over hours..which , at least for me, was too short. Honestly i could have easily spend 2 hours at the roman forum..reading and just covering every single inch (i know its not possible but the thought is certainly exciting)...
My recommendation - just get the rick steves audio...which is AWESOME with a Capital A.

Whoa you are visiting italy twice in a year! So lucky! I wish i could...

Hope this has been helpful for you! It has certainly helped me reminisced my time!

LSD