We just finished a 3 week trip to Italy and when folks ask us what our favorite place was, we tell them without hesitation – Pompeii. If you are a lover of history, you will be awed by the uniquely spectacular visit to this Roman town which is preserved in completeness and quality unlike anything I’ve seen before. And, since there is so much to see and so much to understand, you’ll really benefit from a great tour guide. We highly recommend Gaetano Manfredi. He was recommended to us by Rick Steves and we give a loud second to this recommendation.

Annie had set up a tour of Pompeii with Gaetano Manfredi, a private guide, who would meet us at the entrance. I can’t say enough good things about him.He gave us a 2-hour tour. That doesn’t seem like it would be long enough, but believe me he really gives you a thorough, concise explanation of Pompeii from design engineering to sanitation and water systems to art, which included some frescoes that show fine examples of perspective!

We recently went on a month long trip through Europe on our own in September 2015. We went on a variety of tours and with a variety of tour guides. We booked Gaetano well in advance and toured with him privately. We had high hopes as Gaetano has good reviews here in the forums etc as well recommended on by Rick Steve’s and even appears in Rick Steve’s TV series. Gaetano, not only met, but exceeded our expectations. He is all you hope for in a guide, friendly, knowledgeable, humorous, and easy to understand. Having been on a variety of tours on our trip we valued that Gaetano seemed to understand us and quickly paced the tour to us. He was always insightful giving real life examples and had us laughing on many occasions. We moved briskly seeing so much yet never felt rushed. Just the way we like to tour. Gaetano must give this tour so often, yet still delivers it with zest and uses you in his discussions. In the 2 hours we really felt we had seen the highlights and met a interesting person who seemed like a friend by the end of the tour and not a guide. For Gaetano’s knowledge, there is little to compare to other guides we had on our journey. Context tours in Rome were also excellent, but in every category Gaetano was just a bit better than everyone else. We saw areas most others do not, and truly felt we had seen the best with the best. Do not hesitate to book with Gaetano Manfredi. THANK YOU GAETANO FOR A GREAT TIME!

BUBBAVON – REGINA , CANADA

Dear Gaetano – I want you to know that our tour of Pompei with you was even better than Rick Steves said it would be. One of our group had been to Pompei once before, and she said that our tour not only made Pompei come alive in a way it had not before, but it was the highlight of our two-week trip in Italy. You are a wonderful guide, and I greatly appreciate your work. I have already recommended you to another person, and will continue to sing your praises to my friends. I trust you will get more bookings as a result. Thanks for making our trip to Pompei so memorable.
Ted Long

Gaetano – we made it back to the US safely, I wanted to write and say thank you for a such a wonderful tour that Wednesday afternoon. It really brought Pompeii to life for us and now I understand why you wanted to do the tour in the order that you did it. At the end when you walked us down that last street, and said, now you see how they get water, you see a typical home, you see a one way street, two way street, wine bar, etc., it brought everything full circle.
I have provided your name to another couple we met on the ship who may do the same cruise again next year and this time visit Pompeii.
Good luck with this and hope you keep doing this another 25 years.

Regards.
Nancy Dunn

Dear Gaetano,
I would like to thank you very much for the excellent tour you did for
my family. (We were the family of 16 on July 22nd).
You brought the ancient city to life for my grand children and children.We were delighted with the way you kept our grandchildren so interested as you explained the history of Pompeii.
Your passion for the history of Pompeii and pride in explaining it was
most evident.I will have no hesitation in recommending your services to my friends.
Thank you.
Don Crawford

Good day – I just wanted to let you know that my husband and I just returned from our honeymoon in Italy and one of the most fabulous highlights was our tour of Pompeii with Gaetano. I am a grad student studying ancient culture and his tour gave me more information than I could ever ever learn in a text book! Also our train broke down and we were over an hour late and Gaetano patiently waited for us with a smile on his face. He was friendly, informative, funny, and one of the smartest people I have ever met. We will most definately suggest his tour to anyone we know traveling to Italy, and we will certainly return ourselves and hopefully meet with Gaetano again. Thank you so much for your suggestion, as like I said it was one of the highlights of our three week vacation.

Brian and Tanya DuPras
Sacramento, California

Hello Mr. Manfredi
I wanted to write to tell you how much we all enjoyed seeing Pompeii “through your eyes.” The city of Pompeii literally came alive during so much of your tour we could really get a sense of what it must have been like – culturally, socio-economically, politically, etc.
We are all home now sharing each others photos and memories of which you are mentioned often!
Thank you for your wonderful tour and for being patient with our slower pace due to Michael’s broken collarbone. He is healing – slowly but surely and has said frequently that your tour was one of his greatest highlights.Again, thank you so much.
Ciao,
Stephanie Larson

Dear Gaetano,
We wanted to send a proper written letter of thanks, but could not come up with a mailing address. Somehow though, we imagine that we could just address it “Gaetano Manfredi, Pompeii” and it would find its’ way to you!
The three hours we spent together was very powerful. The natural forces that conspired to preserve Pompeii, almost two centuries ago, would be in vain if there were no one to properly interpret the site for us today. Fortunately, through your long studies, natural observational skills, and a great sense of logic in stringing together a narrative; those who engage your services get a unique opportunity to time travel with you. And just as unique, are the comparisons you make along the way to so called “modern” cultures. It was very insightful and we will never be the same for it.
We would recommend to any Rome bound visitor, that they come to Pompeii first with you, as we did. Over and over, in the days following our visit with you, your words would come back to us – in the layouts of the old temples and the baroque churches of Rome, in the street front arrangements of Rome, time and again seeing storefront – storefront – home entry to inner courtyard – storefront – storefront. Even the streets of Rome itself, rock speed bumps built right into the same sort of sidewalks as Pompeii. The parallels were everywhere once one knew how to see it. And that is your gift. Helping others to see it.
Thanks always,
John and Debra Gall

Dear Gaetano,
My boys came back from Italy, with wonderful memories.
They said you were excellent. The older one , who is also a guide, said he never saw a gide who makes use of every moment like you did, and they all enjoyed your enthusiasm. My husband also said you were excellent, and that is a great compliment , because he is critical as a Professor should be….
They stayed in Pompeii the whole day- only returning to dinner, and are still making comparisons between the Roman world and ours…
best wishes, Paz