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
We were a family of ten in Rome, 3 generations ages 17 to 60’s with many first time travelers. Giuseppe did an excellent job of taking care of our needs. The pre-trip communication was easy and he gave good options. We had 3 private tours including Ancient Rome, the Vatican, and a walking tour of the city. Giuseppe was able to take us through the Roman Forum even with one of us in a wheelchair. He was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and entertaining. There were a few obstacles such as the early closing of the coliseum and St Peter’s because of Easter holidays but Giuseppe was able to rearrange our schedule. I highly recommend Giuseppe and Leisure Italy.
This is our second time to use Leisure Italy for private tours. I Giuseppe first for a private tour of Rome in 2013. I asked for him again this year to take my two teenage children on the same tour of Rome. I was so impressed how he tailored his information to each of my kids’ interests. We saw so much more in one day with Giuseppe than we could have seen in three days on our own. he picked us up at our hotel at 8:30 with a driver. We explored the Colosseum outside and inside and after that we enjoyed a magnificent view of the Roman Forum from above, and then did an amazing walk through of the forum and got an incredible idea of what life must have been like; moreover we explored the Trevi Fountain, Venice Square, the Victorian, Navona Square and the incredible Pantheon. Our lunch stop was in a restaurant next to the Vatican City, at first glance, touristy and quite modern, but once food landed on the table we could appreciate the genuinity, the fragrance and the Anient Italian Culinary Tradition. We would never have if an experience like this on our own! In the early afternoon we explored the majestic Vatican Museums and Giuseppe did an amazing job introducing us to the Sistine Chapel thanks to his personal panels, pictures and commentaries. It was a full and packed day in Rome but he know exactly how to navigate the crowds and to keep my teenagers engaged and interested. I would never visit Rome without first calling Giuseppe.