This tour will start with a visit to the Colosseum. We will go inside this incredible monument to see where the gladiators fought to the death and exotic bests from all over the Empire were hunted (entering will be quick and easy as we will prepay your tickets in advance to skip the long line).
Out of the Colosseum, we’ll see the Arch of Constantine: the biggest and most preserved in Ancient Rome.
The tour will continue through the Palatine Hill, the oldest of the seven hills of Rome, with its impressive remains of the Imperial Palace. We’ll then reach the Roman Forum: Political, religious, and commercial center of the ancient Romans; here your private guide will tell you the history and the legends that will make come alive this wonderful archeological site.
After a good lunch in a typical restaurant, we’ll walk the top of Capitoline Hill with the beautiful Piazza del Campidoglio surrounded by Renaissance palaces all designed by Michelangelo. We will then walk through the Church of St. Maria in Aracoeli, a beautiful sample of Medieval architecture, to get the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the largest monument in Rome and one of its famous landmarks, a masterpiece of Neoclassic art and architecture, built on top of the Capitol Hill providing some of the most beautiful views on downtown Rome. We’ll then walk along Via del Corso, the most famous street in Rome, to see the Ancient Column of Emperor Marcus Aurelius with its wonderful frieze decoration. The next stops will be at Trevi’s Fountain and Spanish Steps, among the most famous tourist attractions of Rome; we’ll then continue along Piazza del Popolo with its beautiful St. Maria del Popolo Church. The last stop will be at the Museum of the Ara Pacis where we will admire one of the finest artworks of ancient Rome: the Altar of the Peace dedicated by Emperor Augustus in 9 BC.
Itinerary: Coliseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, Capitol Hill, Piazza Venezia, Via del Corso, Column of Marcus Aurelius, Fountain of Trevi, Spanish Steps, Via del Babuino, Piazza del Popolo, St. Mary of the People Church (Raphael’s Chapel, Caravaggio paintings), Mausoleum of Augustus, Ara Pacis Museum (altar of Augustus).
Duration: approx. 8 hours (including 1-hour break for lunch);
Meeting point: clients’ hotel in Rome;
Meeting time: 9.00 AM;
Private guide: included;
Radio whispers (for groups larger than 3 people; 4 Euros per person): not included;
Entrance fees with priority access (26 Euros per person): not included;
Meals and drinks: not included;
My name is Max Leotta and I am a tour guide in Rome, Italy.