• Civitavecchia Port - Pickup from Civitavecchia Port is scheduled for 8 am.
• Basilica Papale San Paolo Fuori le Mura - This basilica was established by Roman Emperor Constantine I over the burial site of St. Paul. After the Apostle’s execution, his followers built a memorial known as a cella memoriae. The initial basilica was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324.

In 386, Emperor Theodosius I initiated the construction of a larger and more magnificent basilica with a nave, four aisles, and a transept. It was likely consecrated around 402 by Pope Innocent I. The completion of the work, including mosaics, occurred during Leo I’s pontificate (440–461). In the 5th century, it surpassed the Old St. Peter’s Basilica in size. The Christian poet Prudentius, who visited during Emperor Honorius’s reign (395–423), described its splendor in expressive lines.

Under Leo I, significant repairs were made after the roof collapsed due to fire or lightning. The transept, surrounding Paul’s tomb, was elevated, and a new main altar and presbytery were installed. This marked the first time an altar was placed over St. Paul’s tomb, which remained largely underground due to Leo’s elevated floor levels. Leo also repaired the triumphal arch and restored a fountain in the courtyard (atrium).

During Pope St. Gregory the Great’s time (590–604), the main altar and presbytery underwent extensive modifications. The transept’s pavement was raised, and a new altar was placed above the one erected by Leo I, directly over St. Paul’s sarcophagus.

At that time, two monasteries were near the basilica: St. Aristus’s for men and St. Stefano’s for women. Masses were conducted by a special group of clerics instituted by Pope Simplicius. Over time, the monasteries and the basilica’s clergy declined; Pope St. Gregory II restored the former and entrusted the monks with the basilica’s care.

As it was outside the Aurelian Walls, the basilica suffered damage in the 9th century during a Saracen raid. Consequently, Pope John VIII (872–82) fortified the basilica, the monastery, and the peasant dwellings, forming the town of Johannispolis (Italian: Giovannipoli), which existed until 1348 when an earthquake destroyed it.

In 937, when Saint Odo of Cluny visited Rome, Alberic II of Spoleto, Patrician of Rome, entrusted the monastery and basilica to his congregation, and Odo appointed Balduino of Monte Cassino in charge. Pope Gregory VII was the monastery’s abbot, and during his time, Pantaleone, a wealthy merchant from Amalfi residing in Constantinople, donated the bronze doors of the basilica maior, crafted by Constantinopolitan artists. The doors bear Pantaleone’s prayer for the “doors of life” to be opened to him. Pope Martin V entrusted it to the monks of the Congregation of Monte Cassino, making it an abbey nullius. The abbot’s jurisdiction extended over the districts of Civitella San Paolo, Leprignano, and Nazzano, all forming parishes.

• Circus Maximus - The Circus Maximus was Rome’s largest venue for ludi, public games associated with Roman religious festivals. Ludi were sponsored by prominent Romans or the Roman state for the benefit of the Roman people (populus Romanus) and gods. Most were held annually or at regular intervals on the Roman calendar. Others were organized to fulfill a religious vow, such as games celebrating a triumph. According to Roman tradition, the earliest triumphal ludi at the Circus were vowed by Tarquin the Proud to Jupiter in the late Regal era for his victory over Pometia.

Ludi varied in duration and scope, ranging from one-day or half-day events to grand multi-venue celebrations spanning several days, featuring religious ceremonies, public feasts, horse and chariot racing, athletics, plays, recitals, beast-hunts, and gladiator fights. Some included public executions. The grander ludi at the Circus began with a colorful parade (pompa circensis), similar to a triumphal procession, marking the games’ purpose and introducing participants.

During Rome’s Republican era, the aediles organized the games. The most elaborate and costly ludi provided opportunities to assess an aedile’s competence, generosity, and suitability for higher office. Some Circus events, however, were relatively small and intimate. In 167 BC, “flute players, scenic artists, and dancers” performed on a temporary stage, likely set up between the two central seating banks. Others were expanded at great expense to fill the entire space. A venatio held there in 169 BC, one of several in the 2nd century, featured “63 leopards and 40 bears and elephants,” with spectators presumably protected by a substantial barrier.

• Priorato dei Cavalieri di Malta - This site, situated on a rise overlooking the Tiber and the Roman Pons Sublicius, was a fortified Benedictine monastery in the tenth century. It later passed to the Templars and, after their order’s dissolution, to the Knights Hospitallers, predecessors of the current Order of Malta. Significant rebuilding occurred from the 15th to the 17th centuries. The villa was granted extraterritoriality in 1869. On the piano nobile, there is a collection of portraits of the Grand Masters of the Order.
• Piazza del Campidoglio - The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill, located between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of Rome’s Seven Hills.

Originally known as Mons Saturnius, it was dedicated to the god Saturn. The term Capitolium initially referred to the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus built here and later to the entire hill (and even other temples of Jupiter on other hills), thus Mons Capitolinus. Ancient sources link the name to caput (“head”, “summit”), with tales of a man’s head found during the temple’s foundation, some sources claiming it was the head of Tolus or Olus. The Capitolium was considered indestructible by the Romans and became a symbol of eternity.

• Complesso del Vittoriano - The Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, also known as the Vittoriano or Altare della Patria (“Altar of the Fatherland”), is a monument in Rome, Italy, honoring Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy. It is located between Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill and is managed by the Polo Museale del Lazio, the Italian Ministry of Defense, and the Museo Centrale del Risorgimento Italiano.

Designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885, the monument features sculptures by renowned Italian sculptors like Leonardo Bistolfi and Angelo Zanelli. It was inaugurated on June 4, 1911, and completed in 1935.

The design is a neoclassical interpretation of the Roman Forum, featuring stairways, Corinthian columns, fountains, an equestrian sculpture of Victor Emmanuel II, and two statues of the goddess Victoria on quadrigas. The base houses the museum of Italian Unification, and in 2007, a panoramic lift was added, offering 360-degree views of Rome. The structure is 135 m (443 ft) wide and 70 m (230 ft) high, reaching 81 m (266 ft) with the quadrigae and winged victories. It covers a total area of 17,550 square meters.

The monument holds significant national importance as an architectural and artistic tribute to the Italian Risorgimento, the unification process led by Victor Emmanuel II in the 19th century. It is a national symbol of Italy and hosts major national celebrations annually, including Liberation Day (April 25), Republic Day (June 2), and Armed Forces Day (November 4). During these events, the Italian President and top government officials honor the Unknown Soldier and those who died in service by laying a laurel wreath.

• Trevi Fountain - The Trevi Fountain, located at the intersection of three roads (tre vie), marks the endpoint of the “modern” Acqua Vergine, the revived Aqua Virgo, one of the aqueducts supplying ancient Rome with water. In 19 BC, Roman technicians, supposedly aided by a virgin, discovered a pure water source about 13 km (8.1 mi) from the city. This scene is depicted on the fountain’s façade. However, the aqueduct’s indirect route extended its length to about 22 km (14 mi), leading water to the Baths of Agrippa and serving Rome for over 400 years.

Commission, construction, and design

In 1629, Pope Urban VIII, finding the earlier fountain lacking drama, asked Gian Lorenzo Bernini to draft renovation plans, but the project was abandoned after the pope’s death. Although Bernini’s design was never realized, many of his influences are present in the current fountain. An early model by Pietro da Cortona, preserved in Vienna’s Albertina, exists, along with various early 18th-century sketches, some unsigned, and projects attributed to Nicola Michetti, Ferdinando Fuga, and a French design by Edmé Bouchardon.

During the Baroque era, competitions for designing buildings and fountains became popular. In 1730, Pope Clement XII organized a contest where Nicola Salvi initially lost to Alessandro Galilei, but due to Roman protests over a Florentine winner, Salvi was awarded the commission. Work began in 1732.

Salvi passed away in 1751 with the project half-finished, but he ensured a barber’s unsightly sign wouldn’t mar the ensemble by hiding it behind a sculpted vase, known as the asso di coppe, or “Ace of Cups,” due to its Tarot card resemblance. Four sculptors completed the fountain’s decorations: Pietro Bracci (whose statue of Oceanus occupies the central niche), Filippo della Valle, Giovanni Grossi, and Andrea Bergondi. Giuseppe Pannini was appointed architect.

The Trevi Fountain was completed in 1762 by Pannini, who replaced planned sculptures of Agrippa and Trivia with the current allegories. It was officially opened on May 22 by Pope Clement XIII.

The fountain is primarily made from Travertine stone, quarried near Tivoli, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Rome.

• Pantheon - The Pantheon, meaning “temple of all the gods,” is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, Italy, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during Augustus’s reign (27 BC – 14 AD). Emperor Hadrian completed it, likely dedicating it around 126 AD. The construction date is uncertain, as Hadrian retained Agrippa’s older temple inscription, which had burned down.

The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule connects the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome with a central oculus opening to the sky. Nearly two thousand years after its construction, the Pantheon’s dome remains the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are both 43 meters (142 ft).

• Roman Forum - The Roman Forum, also known as Forum Romanum (Italian: Foro Romano), is a rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of several significant ancient government buildings at the heart of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.
• Colosseum - The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an oval amphitheatre in central Rome, Italy. Constructed from travertine, tuff, and brick-faced concrete, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir, Titus. Further modifications were made during Domitian’s reign (81–96).
• Terrazza del Gianicolo - The Janiculum (Italian: Gianicolo) is a hill in western Rome, Italy. Although it is the second-tallest hill (the tallest being Monte Mario) in modern Rome, the Janiculum is not among the traditional Seven Hills of Rome, as it is west of the Tiber and outside the ancient city’s boundaries.
• St. Peter’s Basilica - The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply St. Peter’s Basilica (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome.

• Informative live commentary from the driver
• Personal English-speaking driver with in-depth knowledge
• Convenient pick-up/drop-off directly under the ship
• Customizable flexible itinerary to suit your interests
• Travel in comfort with fully equipped Mercedes vehicles

• Official Guide
• Food and drinks
• Gratuities at your leisure if enjoyed the service.
• Tickets Entrance

To fully experience Rome in no time. 

Assembly point Civitavecchia Cruise Terminus
• Trip lasts for 9 hours
• Meeting Time is at 07.30 am
• Time you’ll be back is 04.30 pm

A Brief Preview 

From the magnificent Colosseum to the splendid Pantheon, take in the best of Rome from the comfort of a private vehicle, on a personal tour that offers convenience and flexibility. Journey around Rome’s remarkable plazas, cathedrals, and historical landmarks at your preferred pace, while also getting to enjoy your private driver’s insightful commentary. Take advantage of the relaxed transportation by personal vehicle and witness Rome’s key points of interest. Your driver isn’t a certified tour guide. Due to the rigorous Italian laws instituted to safeguard registered tour guides, drivers are limited to providing explanations of attractions from within the vehicle only. When outside the car, drivers aren’t allowed to give further explanations on the attractions.

• Your driver is not a licensed tour guide. Due to strict Italian laws and regulations in place to protect officially licensed guides, drivers can comment and explain attractions only from inside the vehicle. Drivers cannot elaborate on the attractions when they are outside of the vehicle.
• PLEASE NOTE VATICAN MUSEUMS CLOSED ON SUNDAY
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.