What follows is just an example of a possible itinerary:
Ancient Rome
The first stop will be at the Colosseum. This is also the meeting point with your private Guide. It’s the largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire. Our visit to the Colosseum will help you to understand the structure, the materials used for building it and the ongoings of the shows in it organized. You will be able to rebuild the Monument in your mind’s eye and to understand the meaning of the “Ludi” (“Games”) in the Ancient Roman Culture. From the top of the Colosseum enjoy the view of the famous Constantine’s Arch.
Baroque Rome
Afterward, we will drive to the incredible Piazza Venezia. Dominating the square there is the impressive white marble Victor Emanuel’s Monument, one of the symbols of Rome, better known with the name of “Wedding cake”. From Piazza Venezia, you can access, through the Cordonata, a flat staircase designed by Michelangelo, to the Capitoline Hill, the most beautiful of the Seven Hills of Rome. Once at the top you are in Piazza del Campidoglio. It’s the City Hall square of today. Projected by Michelangelo, the square offers an amazing view of the entire ancient Roman Forum. It was the center of the economic, political, and social ancient Rome life. Your guide will take you from Rome’s primitive origins to the magnificent Imperial monuments standing on it. Very few sites are as simultaneously educational and breathtaking. The exploration continues with a driving tour across the city to visit the majestic Pantheon and a short walking tour to Navona Square which corresponds to the real leaving room of Rome.
LunchTime
Lunch could be spent, according to your tastes, in a picturesque Cafeteria or in a typical Roman “trattoria” (local homemade food restaurant). Finally, will take a driving tour across the city to explore the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s Basilica and Square.
Vatican City
In the Vatican Museums, your Guide will comment about the extraordinary treasures collected by the Popes in there housed and the masterpieces of the greatest Italian artists who worked in, such as Perugino, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Admire amazing ancient Greek and Roman sculpture collections made of colossal statues like the Laocoon group, the Apollo of Belvedere and the Venus of Cnidos, busts of the Roman emperors and refined ancient mosaics showing mythological subjects. Moving on to the splendidly decorated Raphael’s rooms, we reach the Sistine Chapel where you will be astonished by the marvelous frescoes made by Michelangelo like The Last Judgment and Adam’s Creation.
Finally, we will emerge in the impressive Saint Peter’s Square. Here we feel the sensation to be warmly embraced by its colonnade, evidence of the architectural genius of G.L. Bernini. Then we take a deep breath before entering Saint Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world. Lost in such magnificence, our eyes will be captured by one of the most beautiful works that the human mind could ever conceive: Michelangelo’s Pietà.
After such an exciting and interesting day you will enjoy a relaxing ride back to the pier.
Tour Reviews
Giuseppe tailor made the tour to see the things I specifically wanted to see in Rome. He did a fantastic job of explaining the history and architecture. We spent all the time I wanted at the different sites. He took me to an excellent restaurant, even though it was Sunday and many were closed. Fantastic experience.
This is the fifth or sixth tour I have booked with Leisure Italy. This time I had a couple extra days in Rome after a cruise so naturally I turned the Leisure Italy to design a tour. I have become so confident in their expertise that after researching I asked for an all day tour to include some sites that were well known but less crowded. My tour began with the Villa Borghese and Gardens. My guide, Giuseppe guided me through endless rooms of masterpieces adding background and little known anecdotes which helped me view this formidable property without feeling so overwhelmed.I am not an artist and barely have a passable knowledge of period masters. What does excite me is learning about the history — the politics and personal lives of these families and the artists in their times. The stroll in the gardens was wonderful,too and magnificent of itself! Next stop was Priscilla’s Catacombs. This time the actual tour is conducted by representatives of the Church as are all catacomb tours I learned. It was quite educational and fascinating adding another layer to understanding the lives and deaths of the Romans.The third stop was Castel San Angelo. We walked to the top for some spectacular views! It was a picture perfect day and I thoroughly enjoyed each of the three tours — as well as the extra stops for some beautiful photo ops overlooking Rome. As a woman traveling alone and with some mobility issues I would not have gotten such immersive insights into daily living or had the ability to take such a leisurely pace without the driver or the expert guidance that Giuseppe and his company offer. I wholeheartedly recommend Leisure Italy. I love that I can tell them what kind of tour I want and count on their tailor-made tours to always be the most memorable and enjoyable ones of the trip.