Itinerary

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, Coliseum, Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon.

Our car and driver would meet you at the port as you disembark and transfer you directly to the Ancient side of Rome where you would visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum. You will be able to wander across the arena floor and imagine the history of the bloody and violent games that took place here. From here you change gears and head up the Via Sacra to enter the Roman Forum to explore the more civilized side of ancient Rome and the beautiful architecture that has inspired so many architects today. A walk along the via dei Fori Imperiali will take you past the maps of Rome through the ages, showing you how the Roman Empire became such a global super power and then eventually collapsed.

The next stop on this itinerary would be 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 Emanuel II monument and Mussolini's Palazzo. From there our driver will bring you to the beautiful Trevi Fountain to visit his celebrated fountain in Rome and of course give you time to throw your coins in to confirm a speedy return to Rome and perhaps have a gelato. Last but certainly not least, on to the ancient pagan temple of the Pantheon which today is a Catholic Church. You will walk through this magnificent masterpiece in engineering which has stood intact for over two centuries, and take in the views of its massive dome and oculus.

This would be a good time for a lunch break and bathroom stop before our next destination: Vatican City.

Upon arrival at the Vatican, you will meet your When In Rome Tour guide for a private tour of the Vatican. Once inside, we would 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, you will hear all about Michelangelo and his struggles in accepting and completing the work that soon became the single most recognized piece of art in the world.

We would then head to St Peter's piazza and cover the history of the Vatican City State before entering the Basilica. Here we cover the main monuments such as Michelangelo's beautiful Pieta' and Dome, the Baldacchino and other works by Bernini and the Transfiguration by Raphael. Included also are the Crypt of St. Peter, the Holy Altar and other monuments of artistic importance. We will end the private tour of the Vatican outside on the portico to talk about the Piazza created by Bernini as well as the Obelisk and the Swiss Guards.

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. This tour is organized using full day luxury air conditioned transportation and an English speaking driver. For the Vatican segment of the tour, we will also provide an English speaking tour guide to guide you through the museum and the Sistine Chapel. Should you wish to have the guide at your disposition for the morning segment as well, send us an email and we will be happy to arrange this for you.

This is a fully private Rome cruise tour and not combined with others.

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