How We Rank Rome Tours

The short version

Every tour in the Rome Tourz catalogue receives a catalogue score from 0 to 100. The score is calculated from information in the tour listing, plus genuine ratings stored on this site once there are enough of them. It is a way of sorting a long list into a sensible starting order. It is not a verdict on any tour, and it is not a recommendation on its own.

This page lists every input to the score. If a criterion is not on this page, it is not in the score.

How the score is built

Every tour starts at 50 points. Points are then added or removed as follows.

• +8 if free cancellation is stated in the listing
• +6 for skip-the-line or early-access entry
• +5 for a small group, meaning a stated maximum of 15 people
• +2 for an audio guide
• +2 for hotel pickup
• +2 if the listing marks the tour as accessible

Value is measured from the price per hour of the experience, using the from-price and the listed duration:

• up to EUR 15 per hour: +6
• up to EUR 25 per hour: +3
• EUR 50 per hour or more: minus 3
• between those bands: no change

Price per hour is a crude measure. A private tour for a family and a seat on a bus pass are very different products, and the number does not know which suits you.

Completeness checks

A tour earns +1 for each of five completeness checks:

• a meeting point is given
• highlights are listed
• an itinerary is listed
• frequently asked questions are present
• an included list is present

These checks reward listings that tell you what you are buying. They say nothing about how good the experience is.

Ratings from this site

When a tour has five or more genuine ratings stored on this site, their average moves the score. The adjustment is capped, with a maximum of about 10 points up and 8 points down. Below five ratings, no rating adjustment is applied at all, because a handful of scores tells you very little.

We do not write ratings ourselves, and we do not buy them. Ratings that come from a partner, such as those supplied by GetYourGuide, are shown only as supplied and are flagged as partner-supplied. They are not mixed into the on-site rating average.

Editor overrides

Editors can add or subtract points manually. This is called an override. An override exists for correctness: for example, subtracting points because a problem with a listing has been verified, or because a listing is out of date. An override is never made because of a commission, and we do not use overrides to push a higher-paying product up the list.

Scores versus the final order

The score is a starting point. On pages such as "best" lists and attraction hubs, the final order is set by editors for fit to the query. A page about the best way to see the Sistine Chapel with children, for example, will be ordered for that need, even if another tour has a higher catalogue score. Where order differs from raw score, the reason is fit to the question, not income.

How we make money

Rome Tourz is an affiliate publisher. Many of the tours we list link to GetYourGuide, and if you book through one of those links we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Some tours on the site are our own listings or come from operators who list directly. The details are on our affiliate disclosure page at /affiliate-disclosure/.

Commission does not change the catalogue score. The criteria above are the whole formula, and the formula has no input for who pays us or how much.

What we do not do

• We do not sell paid placement without a clear "Featured" label. If a position is ever sponsored, it will say so on the page.
• We do not publish fake reviews, and we do not invent ratings or testimonials.
• We do not let operators change their score by paying us.
• We do not rank tours we have not listed, and we do not claim that a tour is "the best" in Rome.

How often this is reviewed

Pages that carry tours show a "Last reviewed" date. Listing data such as prices, durations and cancellation terms can change at the supplier, so always check current details on the booking page before you pay. The scoring method itself is reviewed whenever we change it, and this page is updated at the same time.

Limits you should know about

• For partner tours, we are not the tour operator. The supplier runs the tour, takes your booking terms and handles refunds. Our role is to help you compare options.
• The catalogue is limited. It does not cover every tour in Rome, and a tour that is not here is not necessarily worse.
• The score uses listing data. If a listing is wrong or incomplete, the score can be wrong too.
• A score cannot capture personal taste, mobility needs, weather, or the day your group happens to get.

Found a mistake?

If a fact, price, rule or score looks wrong, tell us through the contact page at /contact/. We will check it against the supplier or the official source, and correct the page if you are right. Our broader standards are set out in our editorial policy at /editorial-policy/.