Maria was an excellent guide with loads of information about both cities and their histories. We had never done a tour like this before so were a little nervous that we wouldn't like being in a group all day but she made up for any minor inconveniences that are bound to occur with a large group. Aside from one (too long) 35-minute stop at a gas station/restaurant, the pace of the tour was great! The tour also saved us from coordinating our own travel and was actually less expensive than train/bus/car rental would have been, especially since it included entry to many of the sites.