Rome: City of the Emperors, Citadel of the Popes

Campidoglio, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Hadrian's Temple, S. Ignazio, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vatican City: St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums and Castel Sant'Angelo

Duration: 2 days

Our two-day tour is designed to introduce you to the best of Rome in a more inclusive and comprehensive manner.

Day One 10:00 - 12:30 Capitoline Hill, Roman Forum, Coliseum

Day one focuses on Rome the Ancient and Renaissance City - beginning with a visit to the original city center - the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and the Capitoline Hill. The Coliseum's fascinating two thousand year existence, the Gladiators who fought there, the Christians who died there and how it survived will make for a tale as impressive as the great arena itself. From here we enter the Forum where the ruins of temples and palaces will behold the scene as the stories are told of a thousand-year empire, her foundation in the myth of Romulus and Remus, her heights of glory under the emperors and her monumental decline as Christianity is born. We'll follow the route that Emperors took as their triumphal parades marched through the city, winding their way up to the top of the Capitoline hill, here once stood the temple of Rome's father Jupiter. Today you'll see how two thousand years of building upon building have combined to make the hill one of Rome's most impressive sites.

12:30 - 13:30 Outdoor Lunch

14:00 - 17:00 Historic Center Spagna, Trevi, Hadrian's Temple, St. Ignazio, Pantheon, Ice Cream, Piazza Navona, Aperitif at Piazza Navona.

After lunch in a nearby outdoor restaurant we'll visit Rome's historic center, the living city of today. The great thing about Rome's center is that so many must-see monuments are concentrated into a small area, making for a pleasant stroll from one charming place to the next. We begin at the Spanish Steps, originally built and paid for by the French, you'll find out how they came to be called Spanish. Then the cool waters of the fountain of Trevi, whose statues and reliefs tell a story of their own that we'll unlock for you. One of our favorite Baroque churches is nearby where you'll see some amazing trompe l'oeil frescoes, spanning the entire ceiling. A visit to the Pantheon is next and we'll have time to linger inside, taking in the world's oldest and most famous dome. Italy is a country where delicious traditions never die. You'll see what we mean when you try a hand-made ice cream at our favorite gelateria. Next we'll see works by master Caravaggio, not in a museum but tucked away in a 17th century church! Our final stop is Piazza Navona, both a Renaissance Piazza and an Ancient Roman circus; we'll reveal why. The Piazza is filled with outdoor cafés where you can end the day's adventure with a drink.

Day Two 10:00 - 15:00 St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums

Rome is the traditional capitol of Christendom and on this second day of the tour we'll visit the Vatican City, home of Europe's last absolute monarch, the Pope. While only one square kilometer in size the Vatican is home to the world's most famous art collection. Between St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums there is so much worth seeing that we think spending the day there is a must for any visitor who wishes to witness first hand the beauty of the Renaissance. The Basilica has a history spanning almost two millennia and here we'll recount the lives of famous (and infamous!) popes whose sculpted tombs adorn the interior. Every major artist of the 16th century had a hand in this church's construction; you'll hear their stories and marvel at the building seamless harmony created over generations. When we leave the St. Peter's we'll cross Bernini's massive piazza and head for the Vatican museums. In the museums we'll of course visit the Sistine Chapel and we'll make sure you have time to linger. However the museum offers so much more. As guides a great deal of our experience comes from teaching; this museum, like no other, teaches the Renaissance. The collection of Greek and Roman sculpture shows its origin, the medieval works, its antecedents. The frescos, paintings and tapestries by Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio and on and on, are its apogee. This is why we spend most of day two here and no visitor of ours has regretted it yet! We'll have lunch in the Museum cafeteria. We know "cafeteria" is a scary word in America, but Italian style, it makes for a very good lunch indeed.

15:30 - 17:00 Castel Sant'Angelo

When we leave the museums we take a short walk to the Popes fortress, the Castel Sant'Angelo. Here the popes hid their gold and sometimes fought off invading armies. The building affords an excellent view of Rome as well. A fitting end to our two-day tour.

To book this tour

Total Price (1 to 4 people, adults or children): Euro600

for each additional adult, add Euro40

for each additional child, add Euro20