Join this Best of Rome Private Day Tour to discover the Eternal City. See the Trevi Fountain, the charming Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the silent flow of the Tiber River, the Pantheon, and Piazza Venezia with its Wedding Cake monument. You will be picked up in the morning (exact time subject to change), and your private driver will drive you to go sightseeing around the historical center of Rome. Continue to Emperor Hadrian’s Mausoleum and legendary Ponte Sant'Angelo, to enjoy a fantastic sight of the Castello Sant'Angelo, and to the astonishing St. Peter's Square with its superb colonnade. Afterward, enjoy a beautiful view of Rome from Janiculum Hill and see Circus Maximus, the site of the Roman chariot races, with its evocative views of the sprawling ruins of the emperor's palaces on Palatine Hill. After a 1-hour break for lunch (which is not included), you will have a private skip-the-line tour of the symbol of the ancient Roman world, the Colosseum. Discover the techniques of construction invented by the Romans, the incredible ability of the gladiators, the fighting between exotic animals, and the level of technology achieved by Roman engineers to build the Colosseum. Your tour will then continue exploring Palatine Hill, the residence of the Roman emperors, overlooking one side of Circus Maximus and, on the other side, the views of the valley of the Roman Forum, an ancient center of Roman political, religious, and commercial life. In this archaeological area, see some of ancient Rome’s most evocative ruins, such as the Arch of Titus, House of the Vestal Virgins, Senate House, Basilica of Maxentius, and the Temple of Julius Caesar, built in the same spot where his body was cremated. The standard program could suffer variation accordingly to extraordinary events not predictable and in case the tour's starting time will be delayed for reasons attributable to the customer.

Chart a course through the archaeological tribal beginnings of Rome and its evolution into one of the most powerful empires of all time. Start your journey by exploring one of the largest triumphal arches in Roman history: the Arch of Constantine the Great, before meandering through the sites of the Roman Forum. Walk the paths of the Roman citizens and emperors, and visit the hill where the legend of Romulus and Remus established the foundation of the city: Palatine Hill. Learn how it later became one of the most exclusive areas of Ancient Rome. Take a closer look at the archaeological ruins in the very heart of the empire. Hear about the Vestal Virgins and see their gardens and the pagan temple of the Goddess Vesta they served. Learn about the Basilica Julia and the penal system of Rome and it’s effects on Christianity. See the temple of Castor and Pollux and the Arch of Titus and learn about the sacking of Jerusalem. Later, discover the Senate House, where senators met to decide the fate of the Roman Republic and how that climaxed with the murder and cremation of Julius Caesar. Enjoy breathtaking views over the Colosseum and Circus Maximus and stay in the Roman Forums as long as you wish at the end of your official tour. During your booking, you may choose the option to extend your Ancient Rome experience by adding an extra 30-minute tour of the Circus Maximus, overseeing it from the scenic terrace of the Palatine Hill.

Please Note: Entry into the Forum is not included in the price of this audio tour. You'll need to purchase entry tickets separately, and it's best to do this ahead of time to avoid disappointment. The Roman Forum is a treasure chest filled with history. Long a gathering place for the Roman tribes, the forum evolved with the city to become its seat of government. This process started 2700 years ago and continued for over a millennium. Through the ups and downs of all these years, buildings were destroyed and replaced, turning the forum into a temporally eclectic museum, where artefacts from prehistory are found beside Renaissance palaces. Join writer and historian Michael Anderson in imagining the passage of time here, where Caesar was assassinated and Cicero made speeches that echo through to the present. He'll connect you to the successes and failures of Rome, which is also a way of connecting with the with the civilizations that have inherited its culture.

Begin this 3-hour sightseeing tour of Imperial Rome at the world’s most famous arena; the Colosseum. Once able to seat up to 50,000 spectators, building of the Colosseum began in 72 A.D. and was finished 8 years later. The scene of wild entertainments - often between man and beast - this mighty monument has been immortalized over the centuries. Today you can walk on the ancient stones of the Via Sacra, leading from the Colosseum past some of the most important sites of the Roman Forum to Capitoline Hill. At the Roman Forum you will be at the real political center of the Republic and Imperial Rome. See ancient basilica, triumphal arches, honorary columns, and historic cemeteries, including the Umbilicus Urbus, Curia, House of the Vestal Virgin’s and Trajan’s Column.

Begin at the Colosseum, the most magnificent monument in Rome. Be amazed by stories of violent gladiatorial combat and awe-inspiring naval battles that were staged in the arena. Learn about what went on behind the scenes. On your tour, you will see another side of Roman history, learning about religious rituals and political power struggles in the buildings where they happened. Visit iconic temples such as the Temple of Saturn, or walk through the gardens of the House of the Vestal Virgins. Discover the Roman Forum, a microcosm of Roman society. Walk across the cobblestones of the Via Sacra, where you can still see the wheel-ruts of ancient carts and arrive at the Arch of Titus. Enjoy a walk through the Roman Forum which offers a fascinating insight into the daily life of the city, covering all levels of Roman society. Explore the Vatican City, the Catholic capital, and the location of one of the greatest collections of art in the world. Your day continues with a visit to the Vatican Museums, where masterpieces include the moving Laocoon - perhaps the most important and influential classical statue of all time - and the breathtaking frescoes of the Raphael Rooms. On this tour, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of Michelangelo’s breathtaking frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Witness the splendor and grandeur of St Peter’s Basilica as you become acquainted with this awe-inspiring building. At the end of your relaxed day in Rome, stroll through the oldest and most characteristic neighborhoods, where artistic treasures and captivating stories of the past can be found on every street. Admire the Baroque splendor of the Trevi Fountain. Admire the architectural beauty, atmosphere, and history of the transformation of the Pantheon. As the sun sets in the enchanting Piazza Navona, gaze into the waters of Bernini’s Four Rivers Fountain and savor the atmosphere of the Eternal City at twilight.

Explore the dramatic history and spectacular archaeology of Ancient Rome on our private tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Uncover the shocking stories of the people who lived here: emperors and gladiators, senators and slaves. Learn about the bloody spectacles of the arena, and walk in the footsteps of Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra. You'll begin by exploring the Colosseum, one of the wonders of the world and an incredible feat of engineering that hosted some of the cruelest yet spectacular shows in the ancient world. Your guide will help you understand the complex history of this magnificent monument, telling you stories about the incredible spectacles that took place there throughout time. You'll hear of bloody gladiatorial combat, wild animal hunts, and even naval battles, as you follow your guide through the tunnels of the Colosseum and walk in the footsteps of gladiators and slaves. Next to the Colosseum is the massive Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch that vividly narrates the stories of Roman military victories. Its marble friezes can be read like a graphic novel, or could even be said to resemble scenes from a film. They offer a fascinating insight into 4th-century Rome, as the empire turned towards Christianity. The Roman Forum, which lies beneath the Palatine Hill, was the political heart of Ancient Rome. Your tour of the Roman Forum begins at the Senate, the huge hall that once echoed with the fierce debates of the senators and the rousing speeches of the great orators, such as Cicero, determining the future of Rome. As you stand in front of the Temple of Caesar you’ll find out more about the extraordinary life and brutal death of Julius Caesar, whose funeral and cremation took place in the Forum. A walk through the cobbled streets of the Forum also allows us to understand the mysterious rituals and beliefs of Roman religion. In the company of your expert guide, you’ll visit the iconic Temple of Saturn and the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, and learn about the worship of the Roman gods. When you explore the House of the Vestal Virgins, where the evocative statues of the priestesses still line the hallways, you’ll hear moving stories of their lives and sometimes premature deaths, which represent the contradictory role of women in Roman society. We will then cross the ancient stones of the Via Sacra, where the marks of the Roman carriage wheels are still visible, which leads to the Arch of Titus, another impressive triumphal arch. This arch was constructed to commemorate the Roman conquest of Jerusalem, and the explanations of your private guide will provide further illumination, bringing the dramatic history of Rome to life. Your Ancient Rome tour ends on the shady Palatine Hill, once the most desirable neighbourhood in Rome. When you see the spectacular views of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum in its entirety, you’ll understand why.

Meet your certified guide, an expert on all things Ancient Rome, and join them to experience the Colosseum. Experience, firsthand, the magnificence of this overwhelming ancient structure; truly colossal, in both name and nature. Get inside the daily life of ancient Rome with a visit to its most bustling center of activity, the Roman Forum – see the temples, squares and legal buildings that would have defined this area. Continue onward to the Palatine Hill, the mythological birthplace of Rome’s founder, Romulus, to see a spectacular view of the modern city, plus the ruins of Nero’s Golden House and the Circus Maximus. Stop at the Arch of Constantine, the most magnificent triumphal arch of Rome’s first Christian Emperor. Finally, walk down the Via Sacra; the most important road in Ancient Rome. This road runs from the Capitoline Hill to the Colosseum and used to be the site of the Temple of the Vestal Virgins – where the symbolic fire of the city would be kept alight.