Our
private shore excursion tours allow you the flexibility of creating your own
itinerary based on the suggestions we provide for you, setting your own pace,
and enjoying Rome as an intimate group instead of the large group tours
organized the cruise lines.
What you'll see: Palatine Hill, Coliseum, Roman Forum,
Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vatican Museums,
Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica & Square.
Suggested Itinerary: Depending on the arrival time of your cruise,
and your choice of transport to the city, we will arrange for your Real Rome
Tours guide to meet you at your arrival point in the city. We begin our tour
where it all started – Palatine Hill – the oldest and tallest of the Seven
Hills of Rome, where according to legend Romulus and Remus began to build their
city in 753BC.Your guide will then take you inside the Colosseum, avoiding the
lines to get in. The guide will explain the history of this most famous symbol
of Rome, one of the wonders of the Ancient World – the brutal Games and
executions that were carried out here, the wonders of novel construction
devised by 1st century Roman architects, and the reason it was
built in the first place! You will see first-hand the unfortunate decay brought
about, not by Nature, but by man, who has neglected, abused and mis-used this
ancient stadium for 1500 years.
From here, we follow the route taken by
triumphal generals through of Roman Forum, scene of politics, worship
of pagan gods and on occasion mob violence. Also a place to
conduct business and enjoy free entertainment, such as bloody executions
in the days before the Colosseum was built, this was the epicentre of Rome for
about 700 years.We then ascend the Capitoline Hill, locally known as the
Campidoglio. This piazza was designed by Michelangelo and offers a stunning
view of Piazza Venezia - the site of the Victor Emmanuelle II monument
and Mussolini's Palazzo.
Piazza Navona, with its outside-seating
restaurants and lively atmosphere, is the next stop. This piazza is home to
some of the most beautiful fountains and architecture of the Baroque period,
but also had an important function in Ancient Times! Then it's on to the
ancient pagan temple of the Pantheon which today is a Catholic Church. We will
cover the construction of the dome not surpassed until 1959 and the Oculus as
we wander inside this masterpiece in engineering that has stood intact for
almost 2 millennia.
From there a short stroll takes us to the beautiful Trevi Fountain to find out
the importance of water and fountains in Rome and of course give you time to
throw your coins in. Close by are the 18th-century Spanish Steps, from where we
will take a short trip on the metro to a restaurant close to the Vatican, for a
typical Italian lunch of pasta or pizza.
We begin the afternoon with a
visit to the Vatican Museums. Once inside, we take in the major galleries such
as the Belvedere Courtyard which houses the ancient and classical pieces that
so many artists took their inspiration from as well as the Room of the
Muses, Round Room, Greek Cross Room, Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps and
of course the magnificent Rooms of Raphael before culminating our visit in the
Sistine Chapel itself. Before entering the chapel, your guide will explain in
details the meaning of the wonderful frescoes on the walls and ceiling, and
explain the difficulties endured by Michelangelo as he made a masterpiece out
of a painting commission that he never wanted to accept!
We will then take you inside St Peters Basilica to marvel at the astonishing
achievement of some of the greatest Renaissance and Baroque architects,
including Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo. Admire the latter’s magnificence
dome, taller than even the Statue of Liberty! Inside you will also see some
beautiful chapels and monuments, and the
Tombs of the Popes underneath the floor of the Basilica.
The tour finishes in St
Peter’s Square, another amazing and beautiful architectural accomplishment,
this time the work of Bernini. Marvel at his symbolic design and elegance, and
learn the history of the Church in Rome, which existed thanks to the martyrdom
of St Peter back in 67AD, on this very spot.Your guide will show you where you
can see the smoke rise from the Sistine Chapel on election day, the balcony
where the Pope appears as well as His Holiness’ apartments.
A tour of this
nature requires approximately 7 hours.
The above is a suggested
itinerary only. We can allocate a guide to suit your specific needs so please
feel free to let us know if you would like to make any changes at all. With the
above itinerary you will be covering all the major sites and piazzas that
people wish to see in Rome .To view an itinerary with
transport for the duration of the tour, send us an email.
Tour Fee:
1-2 people €300
3-4 people €400
Tickets for the
Vatican and Colosseum cost €35 extra per person. We purchase these tickets in
advance so that you do not waste any of your day standing in ticket
lines.
For groups larger
than 4 people, send us an email.
If you encounter others on your cruise who would
like to join the tour, they are most welcome to share the tour and the fee with
you. Just let us know as soon as possible if you decide to do this, so that we
can make all the necessary arrangements in advance of your arrival.
Note: The port of
Civitavecchia is 80 Kilometres from the centre of Rome. When booking this tour,
please confirm your mode of transport.
If you would like to organise a car, we get discount prices from the driver
services that are available, and we will take care of this for you - just let
us know how many are in your group and we will get the best price available for you as well as handle all the arrangements.
