Rome: A Week in The Eternal City

You are met upon arrival at the airport/station and transferred to the hotel (6 nights/breakfast daily).

Late in the afternoon your guide will meet you at the hotel to take you on an orientation walk through the neighbourhood and the centre of Rome to the incredibly preserved 2000 year old Pantheon, then moving on to Piazza Navona to absorb the evening ambiance in one of Rome’s most beautiful squares. Enjoy an aperitivo in the nearby Chiostro del Bramante.

Rest of the evening at leisure.

Sightseeing this morning with your private guide at the most iconic ancient wonder: The Colosseum! This massive elliptical amphitheatre housed wild beast fights and gladiator games for crowds of up to fifty thousand people. The tour continues into the powerful open space of the Roman Forum where you’ll wander amongst the triumphal arches, temples and remains that represent what is left of the immense history of Imperial Rome. Everything is pre-booked for your convenience so you can avoid the queues and make the most of your time in the Eternal City. Rest of the day at leisure.

Meet with your private tour guide and art expert this morning to visit the must-see highlights of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica. Your guide will navigate you through the 6km of museums as you experience one of the world’s finest collections of art treasures and Greek and Roman antiquities! From the museums you will be led directly into St Peter’s Basilica, an impressive building with the largest dome in the world, filled with masterpieces from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Once again everything is pre-booked for your convenience so no waiting in a queue! Rest of the day at leisure

Venture outside the city today with your guide by train to the ruins of Rome’s first colony, Ostia Antica, the ancient seaport which connected Rome to its ever-expanding Mediterranean empire. Unlike Rome’s politically-oriented Forum, your walk through Ostia Antica will give you a chance to envision the daily lives of merchants and craftsmen, and appreciate beautifully preserved mosaics.

Return to Rome by train. Evening at leisure.

Meet with your Italian food expert this morning for a half day tour through some of Rome’s famous food markets and ancient neighbourhoods to introduce you to Italian food and to learn how important it is particularly in the Roman society.

The tour begins with a typical breakfast in the old world suburb of Trastevere, where you will visit small family-owned shops to sample local produce, as well as Piazza San Cosimato, a market where you can tantalise your taste buds with a sampling of various cheeses paired with chutneys and a variety of prosciutto.

You will also have an opportunity to indulge in traditional Roman street food, pastries, and of course drop in at an historic bakery to sample pizza bianca. Then walk through to Campo dei Fiori, one of the most famous piazzas in Rome. Your guide will provide you with a different perspective of this bustling marketplace than what you would experience on your own. You will have a one-on-one pecorino romano tasting in a small specialty shop followed by a sit down pasta lunch complete with wine and prosecco at one of the few Slow Food hostarias in Rome.

The tour finishes with a passeggiata, a traditional post-meal stroll with a gelato in hand. We guarantee you will not leave hungry! Rest of the day at leisure.

Meet up this morning with your private vespisti and hop on your very own vespas. Don’t have scooter skills? Don’t worry, you can hop on the back!

See in four hours what would normally take four days. Our enthusiastic guides will lead you on an exhilarating private tour to discover sites outside of Rome, e.g. the Ancient Appian Way, Aventino Hill, and neighbourhoods you would never find on your own and difficult to reach on foot.

Stops will be made along the way to explain historic landmarks, mix with the locals and there is always time to stop for street food! At the end of the tour, ride up to Gianicolo Hill for a spectacular panoramic view of the city.

Transfer by private car to the international airport/station for your onward journey.