Pre-Cruise Packages

• 1 nt Before, Rome Discovery
• 2 nt Before, Rome Discovery
• 3 nt Before, Rome Discovery

Post-Cruise Packages

• 1 nt After, Rome Uncovered
• 2 nt After, Rome Uncovered
• 3 nt After, Rome Uncovered

Itinerary

Day 1, Rome arrival, Rome Highlights Illuminated

Upon arrival into Rome airport you will be greeted outside customs and immigration with signage by our local representative. You will be taken to your hotel for check-in, rest and relaxation.

In the evening, join your local expert for a discovery of Rome's highlights Illuminated. Rome comes alive at night and you should not miss the opportunity to see its most beautiful monuments illuminated. The tour starts at Via Veneto, the street of 'La Dolce Vita' fame, and continues to Piazza Barberini with the Triton Fountain by Bernini.

Then, we’ll move on to Piazza Venezia with the Victor Emanuel Monument. We also see Via dei Fori Imperiali, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Palatine, the Temple of Vesta, the Theatre of Marcello, the Capitol, Tiberina Island, the Synagogue, Castel St. Angelo, and St. Peter's Square and Basilica. During this panoramic visit of the city your guide will also take you to visit the famous Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona.

(Tour Duration is approximately 3hrs)

Overnight in Rome.

Day 2, Rome, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Room & Castel Sant’Angelo

Following a leisurely morning, you will be met in the lobby of your accommodation by our local expert. A private guided tour of the most significant sites of Ancient Rome follows, including: entrance to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.

Avoid the lengthy queues and explore one of the world's most extensive art collections with our expert local guide on this fascinating tour of the Vatican. Your guide will share the stories and secrets contained within the Museums' walls, pleasures originally meant for the exclusive enjoyment of the Pope.

Experience Michelangelo's famous Creation of Adam with your own eyes as you explore the Sistine Chapel and wander Raphael's Rooms. After taking in the Museums, be humbled by the imposing beauty of Saint Peter's Basilica, where you will encounter another of Michelangelo's masterpieces, La Pieta. You will stop to admire the magnificent Saint Peter's Square, as your guide points out Bernini's ingenious use of optical illusion.

Your guide will escort you to Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, a Papal fortress, residence and prison. The castle is linked to the Vatican by an underground passage, known as the passetto del borgo. The passage was used by the Popes in times of trouble to escape from the Vatican to the safety of the castle.

(Duration of tour is approximately 5hrs)

Meals: B

Day 3, Rome, Ancient Rome & Catacombs

Following a leisurely morning, you will be met in the lobby of your accommodation by your private guide.

The tour starts with a panoramic view of the Colosseum from Colle Oppio before avoiding the queue with preferred entrance to enter the most symbolic of Rome's landmarks. Our expert local guide will bring the bloody past of the amphitheatre to life as you listen to tales of gladiators, mock sea-battles and executions.

You will then stop at the Arch of Constantine before entering the complex of the Palatine Hill - the most famous of Rome's hills. Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city, were said to have been found here by the she-wolf who nursed and raised them.

Walk along the "Via Sacra" inside the Roman Forum. Many of the oldest and most important structures of the ancient city were located on or near the Forum. It was the central area of the city around which ancient Rome developed and where commerce, business, prostitution, cult and the administration of justice took place.

After free time for a short lunch, your personal guide will escort you to a Roman Catacomb. Different catacombs are open on different days of the week; therefore your guide will make arrangements to visit a catacomb open on the day of your visit.

(Duration of tour is approximately 6hrs)

Meals: B

Day 4, Rome departure

Following breakfast and a leisureley morning, your private transfer will transport you to the port of Civitavecchia. The driving time from your Rome hotel to the port will take approximately one hour and thirty minutes.

Meals: B

Discovery Option 2

Itinerary

Day 1, Rome arrival

Upon arrival into Rome airport you will be greeted outside customs and immigration with signage by our local representative. You will be taken to your hotel for check-in, rest and relaxation for the rest of the day.

Overnight in Rome.

Day 2, Rome, Roman Cooking Class

Following a leisurely morning, you will be met in the lobby of your accommodation to spend a half day learning how to recreate the wonderful flavors or Italy.

Our cooking classes are guided by an English speaking professional chef. Guests will have the opportunity to cook a full Italian menu starter, with an appetizer, handmade pasta, main course and dessert and all the dishes will be based on typical, fresh and seasonal ingredients from our regional Roman cuisine. All recipes will be made from scratch and clearly demonstrated in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. The cooking class is a 100% hands-on class.

A wine pairing is offered with lunch. It includes a tasting of four (4) different wines from the Lazio region, selected and recommended for each dish prepared.

If you have any food restrictions or special requests for a specific Italian dish that you would like to prepare, please let us know in advance as we would be happy to satisfy your request.

After the lesson you will enjoy what you have prepared. Also, at the end of the lesson, the professional chef will send an email with all the recipes in the cooking class, so notes need not be taken.

(Duration of tour is approximately 5hrs)

Meals: B

Day 3, Rome, Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa

Following breakfast, you will be met in the lobby of your accommodation by your private guide. Today's adventure takes us to Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of the Pope and the charming town of Rocca di Papa.

As we leave the city of Rome, we drive along the lush countryside to a town overlooking Lake Albano; Castel Gandolfo is considered one of Italy's most scenic towns. Within the town's boundaries lies the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo which serves as a summer residence and vacation retreat for the pope. The resort community is surrounded by many summer residences, villas and cottages built during the 17th century. Castel Gandolfo has several places of archaeological interest including the Emissario del Lago Albano and the remains of the Villa of Domitian. Spend time walking around the village, exploring the sites or sitting at a cafe.

We will free time for lunch in Castel Gandolfo or in our next stop, Rocca di Papa.

Documents from 12th century name Rocca di Papa as Castrum Rocce de Papa ("Rock Castle of the Pope"), because Pope Eugene III lived there at the time. Rocca di Papa is an important equestrian center and also famous for its roast chestnuts. Spend time walking around the charming town and its main street "Via Sacra", while keeping a lookout for the Papal Fortress, Santuario Madonna del Tufo, Fontana della Barcaccia, Church of the Assunta, built in the 18th century and Convent of Palazzolo, located on top of a rock dominating the east shore of Lake Albano.

On our return to Rome we will pass through the town of Marino, well-known for its, fairly average, white wine. Marino was an important town under the Romans and has several interesting buildings. It hosts a Grape festival on the first Sunday of October, when some of the fountains spout wine instead of water. On the following Sunday Marino holds a Doughnut Festival.

(Duration of tour is approximately 8hrs)

Meals: B

Day 4, Rome departure, Colosseum Dungeons & Arena, Roman Forum & Platine Hill

Following a leisurely breakfast, you will be met in the lobby of your accommodation by our local expert.

Avoid the lengthy queues to enter the most symbolic of Rome's Landmarks. You will have aaccess where few tourists are allowed to venture, the depths of the Hypogeum, where gladiators waited to fight. You’ll also get to see the Arena, the stage where the fighting took place.Tales of gladiators, mock sea-battles and executions will bring the bloody past of the amphitheatre to life. Built of concrete and stone, it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world.

Continue for a stop at the Arch of Constantine before entering the complex of the Palatine Hill - the most famous of Rome's hills. Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city, were said to have been found here by the she-wolf who nursed and raised them.

The last stop of the tour is a walk along the "Via Sacra" inside the Roman Forum. It was for centuries the center of Roman public life. Many of the oldest and most important structures of the ancient city were located on or near the Forum, including the ancient former royal residence, the Regia (8th century BC), and the Temple of Vesta (7th century BC), as well as the surrounding complex of the Vestal Virgins. The Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archaeological excavations attracting numerous sightseers. Our tour ends at the Temple, which houses the altar were Julius Caesar was cremated. A short ride takes us to your comfortable hotel.

After your tour, return to your hotel to retrieve your luggage and board your private vehicle for your journey to the port of Civitavecchia. The driving time from your Rome hotel to the port will take approximately one hour and thirty minutes.

(Duration of tour is approximately 4hrs)

Meals: B

Discovery Option 3

Itinerary

Day 1, Rome arrival

Upon arrival into Rome airport you will be greeted outside customs and immigration with signage by our local representative. You will be taken to your hotel for check-in, rest and relaxation for the rest of the day.

Overnight in Rome.

Day 2, Rome, Underground Rome: The Hidden City, Appreciation of Italian Wines

Following a leisurely morning, you will be met in the lobby of your accommodation by our local expert.

Today we discover the underground sites of Rome, including the excavations at the Basilica of San Clemente, Mitreo (an underground Grotto used by The Roman followers of the God Mitra) or the Crypt of Cappuccini and the Roman Catacombs of St. Sebastian or St. Callistus.

We begin with a visit to the subterranean levels of San Lorenzo in Lucina, a medieval church with remnants of the basilica that preceded buried in the crypt underneath, as well as remains of an ancient apartment complex. Looking at the layers of architectural accumulation, we will trace some of the major periods of urban habitation in the city.

From here the itinerary varies. We may proceed to the Vicus Caprarius, a newly opened space showing Roman apartment under a modern cinema near the Trevi fountain or subterranean area of San Nicola in Carcere. If possible, we may round out the itinerary with a scheduled appointment at one of the myriad underground sites controlled by the Comune di Roma or other governmental ministries.

We end with the Crypta Balbi, one of the best organized museums in the city, which occupies the subterranean crypts of a Renaissance palace. Here we will discuss a panopoly of ancient structures, from a theater to a street, look at the layers of architectural accumulation, and trace some of the major periods of urban habitation in the city.

This private tour is usually led by an archaeologist, classical historian, or Medievalist.

(Duration of tour is approximately 3.5hrs)

Afternoon Appreciation of Italian Wines

Our Wine Walk is led by a trained sommelier who, in the course of visiting 2 different, very characteristic wine bars, or enoteche, in the center of Rome, will explain the history of Italian winemaking. Your guide will help you navigate wine lists and explain the character of each region. In pairing a selection of wines with appetizers, you will have the opportunity to explore the local region around Rome or, instead, go farther afield to sample wines from Tuscany, Sicily, or Le Marche.

Although you should go home knowing the difference between Chianti and a Fiano, the emphasis is on learning to enjoy Italian wines and observing, through tasting, how they reflect and encapsulate Italian culture itself. Our Wine Walk lasts three hours and takes place during the early evening hours. We usually try to start with whites at the first stop, then reds at the second, with appetizers to keep us going all along.

Following breakfast and a leisureley morning, your private transfer will transport you to the port of Civitavecchia. The driving time from your Rome hotel to the port will take approximately one hour and thirty minutes.

(Duration of tour is approximately 3hrs)

Meals: B

Day 3, Rome, Bracciano & Ceri Castles

Following a leisurely morning, you will be met in the lobby of your accommodation by your private guide.

This is a rare occasion to admire an Italian castle built in the XIV century. It is perfectly preserved and still in the property of the Noble family Odescalchi.

Your guide will lead you into Bracciano's Castle, where you’ll cross the halls between the armors and the ancient frescos on the wall. From the castle's tower you will admire the enchanting volcanic lake of Bracciano and the old towns all around it. This fabulous castle is where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were married in 2006.

After the Castle's visit, you'll reach the lake's shore where after a stop for a picture you will depart to Ceri. Ceri is an enchanting medieval hamlet built on a rocky spike since the Barbarian invasion of VII century. Here you'll have the opportunity to taste a typical lunch prepared with the same recipes of XV century.

Your guide and the restaurant's owner will illustrate the ingredients connected with the old tradition of the place and many anecdotes about that cuisine and those ancient diners. Before you return to your hotel, you'll have a chance to admire the sanctuary "Della Madonna di Ceri" with the important frescos of XII century and some relics.

(Duration of tour is approximately 6hrs)

Meals: B

Day 4, Rome departure

Following breakfast and a leisureley morning, your private transfer will transport you to the port of Civitavecchia. The driving time from your Rome hotel to the port will take approximately one hour and thirty minutes.

Meals: B