Rome City Tours
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Rome is a city rich in history, art and architecture. You can see many things in Rome on your own, however, if your really want to SEE them you need a tour. Tours are conducted by people who have an in depth knowledge of the things you will see. Our first tour in Rome included guides with Phd's in Renaissance art. We were so happy to have had those tours. It gave us a deeper understanding of everything we saw and it really enriched those experiences. Our first night in Rome was a night walking tour with an Italian dinner. The Roman guide helped us see Rome the way the Romans see it and use the city they way they used it at night. That was over 20 years ago and we still remember that night. Since then we have returned to Rome many times but that night still the most memorable.
CITY TOURS
You too, can have those memories, take a tour! If this is a return to Rome, look into the in depth tours to take you to some of the places you missed the first time. Rome has had such a long history that there are incredible sights in almost every moment in history. Many of our tours will highlight, ancient, Christian, Medieval, Renaissance, or Baroque. For an orientation tour, there is the hop on hop off bus, which will take you by all the major sights in 90 minutes. The next two most popular areas are the ancient center and the Vatican.
The Ancient and Old Rome Walking Tour will take you by many of the major sights like the Trevi Fountain, the Forum, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona and more. For a more in depth look at the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine, the Classical Rome Private Tour-Intro will take you inside and the guides will bring these places to life for you. The Historic Rome Walking Trail tour will combine the Colosseum and Ancient Rome with the early Christian, Medieval and Baroque highlights.
You will value your guide trained in Renaissance art when you enter Vatican City. The Vatican City Walking Tour will take you to the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel Tour will show you more of these two venues and ensure plenty of time and detail on what you will see including the famous Raphael rooms. These tours will allow you to not only see the results of the great artists of the Renaissance, but they will also help you understand the people and the effort that went into creating these masterpieces.
Most of the churches of Rome also house fantastic works of art by various artists like Raphael, Carravaggio and others. Some have incredible mosaics and valuable treasures. The architectural designs are awesome as well. Many of these churches go back to early Christian and Medieval times. The Christian Rome Tour and the Medieval Rome Tour will take you back to earlier churches and the former even takes you through the Catacombs.
If you have been to Rome before you may be ready for a deeper look into the art and history of Classical, Renaissance or Baroque Rome. The Renaissance Deep in Art Tour will take you to San Pietro Montorio to see the Round Temple--a model for St. Peter's, then you will be taken to see the influence of Michelangelo around Rome and on to the beautiful Villa Farnesina, to view the breath taking wall frescos and the interior design of an aristocratic home of the Renaissance. The Classical Deep Art & History Tour will focus on Nero's Rome viewing his Golden Palace and the Museum Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme.
There are two Baroque tours, the first is the Baroque Private Tour - Intoduction. This tour will take you to see one of the best 17th century villa's in Rome. The Villa Doria Pamphili is splendidly furnished and adorned with a supurb collection of 17th century artists. Caravaggio's Flight to Egypt, for example, is prominently displayed here. You will then view further evidence of Caravaggio's genious at the Chruch of San Luigi Francesi. This trip terminates at the Piazza Navona at Bernini's and Borrimini's great masterpieces.
The Baroque Private Tour - Deep in Art and History will give you the opportunity to see the incredible collection in the Villa Borghese. The original owner of the villa was Cardinal Borghese who amassed an important collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities much of which is on view. The villa itself is another masterpiece. From here you will descend into the beautiful park adorned with scupltures and arrive at the Piazza del Popolo where you will enter the Basilica to see Raphael's Chigi Chapel.
An area often missed by first time visitors to Rome is the Trastevere area on the other side of the Tiber River. It has more of the local neighborhood feeling than the bigger city feeling you get in other parts of Rome. The Trastevere and Jewish Ghetto Walking Tour will start you at the Jewish Ghetto, and the Senate building where Caesar was murdered and walk you to Trastevere, allowing you to view the hidden ancient city below the modern one as you go.
The final tour is the Papal Audience. If you have always wanted to see the Holy Father, this is your opportunity. On your way there the coach will pass by many of the monuments, fountains and buildings that define Rome and the Vatican City. You will arrive in St. Peter's Square and be directed to the place of the audience depending on the number of pilgrims and the weather. A meeting that is sure to be memorable part of your Roman Holiday.
NIGHT TOURS
Rome is even more beautiful at night with illuminations of the fountains, the monuments, the ruins and the famous buildings. There are several different ways you can experience it. One is on the Illumination Tour where your coach will pass by all of the highlights and stop at the Piazza Navona and Trevi Fountain, for you to toss your coin in, assuring your return. The Tiber River Dinner Cruise will give you a different perspective from the river departing from Vatican City. You can enjoy the beauty of Rome as you dine on a delicious meal with a waterfront view. The Rome by Night Tour with Dinner will allow you to see the sights, stop at the Trevi fountain and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, a great way to catch the beauty and excitement of Rome your first night and be introduced to the delicious local cuisine. And if a leisurely stroll is more your style, there's the Night Walking Tour of Rome which will give you an opportunity to walk through classical Rome and enjoy the Roman and Imperial Forums magically lit to take you back those thousands of years to Ancient Rome.
DAY TRIPS FROM ROME
Rome can be used as a base for day trips as well. There are some very interesting destinations both near and far. All can be done in a half day or a day. If you are most interested in seeing the surrounding hills of Rome. These trips will allow to see how the different eras in Roman history also touched the countryside. The Roman Castle Tour will take you to the medieval villages and to some of the castles in the area concluding in Frascati, a famous wine region. The Tivoli Tour takes you to the ruins of Hadrian's Villa and on to some beautiful Renaissance Villas like Villa D'Este. The third tour takes you to Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's vacation palace for a Papal Blessing. If classical Rome is your favorite period, you need to take the Ancient Ostia Tour as this was the ancient port of Rome and you can walk through the excavations and get a feel for life at that time.
There are also tours to take you further out of Rome. Tuscany and Umbria are both highly sought after regions of Italy to tour. Tuscany has fabulous hill towns, in the summer months you will view a sea of sunflowers as you drive through. The Taste of Italy trip will take you through Chianti land and to the city made famous by Frances Mayes in "Under the Tuscan Sun", Cortona. If Umbria is your pleasure you need to take the Assisi and Ovieto Tour for a full day there. If you want to see the Renaissance gem of Tuscany, there's a trip to Florence. You can mix the splendor of Florence with the rolling landscapes of the Taste of Italy itinerary above with a Florence & Taste of Italy Tour, a 2 day trip giving you the opportunity to spend the night and immerse yourself in spectacular vistas, culture, good food and wine.
The best ruins in all of Italy are those that have been excavated from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. One of those sights is Pompeii. Here you will walk the town as the residents did, see frescos and mosaics still in place, you will truly step back in time. There are two trips there. One to Pompeii directly and one that includes a stop in Naples to view the waterfront, the spectacular Bay of Naples and then on to Pompeii. Pompeii is a place you will remember forever. It will make you want to return on your next trip to see that other marvel that has been excavated, Herculaneum.
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