ROME DISCOVERY TOUR: 4 & 8 Hours                                                                
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UPSCALE ROME TOURS, ROME DRIVING TOURS

Rome tours, Rome sightseeing tours are driving tours, to give visitors an overview of Rome city center and beyond. This Rome private tour will show you other sites and some interesting neighborhoods rarely seen by tourists. This guided Rome private tour is perfect for families with kids and those with mobility issues.

Rome Private Tours Include: Our Rome Discovery tours include private transportation, services of a driver guide, parking, toll, taxes.

Not included:  Entrance fees to sites you chose to visit en route.

NOTE: This private Rome tour can be fully customized. This page describes an 8-hour Rome tour. Inquire about a 4-hour tour.

This comprehensive panoramic driving tour of Rome whisks you through all of the city’s most important neighborhoods and sights, from the ancient to the modern. Your panoramic tour of Rome starts at a drive at the top of the Spanish Steps square, you quickly reach one of the most famous balconies of Rome, Pincio Terrace. From here you can see above Piazza del Popolo, one of the most elegant squares in Rome, with its obelisk, the Twin Churches, and the famous Trident formed by the three streets converging here: Via del Babbuino, Via del Corso, and Via di Ripetta.

On the way down you can the admire Flaminia gate, renovated by Bernini in 1655. After driving along Via di Ripetta, you will reach Piazza Augusto Imperatore, where you will see the work of American architect Richard Meyer, who made recently a controversial modern structure to house the Ara Pacis, a pagan altar built to celebrate peace during the time of the Emperor Augustus. Opposite you can see the enormous mausoleum dedicated to this Emperor.

Your private tour of Rome will continue on to Via del Corso, the commercial artery of Rome, full of shops, banks and governments buildings like the Palazzo Chigi, home of the Prime Minister’s office. Here you will see the largest square in Rome, Piazza Venezia. Here you will see Palazzo Venezia, the headquarters of the Fascist party and Mussolini, as well as the Vittoriano, a huge monument dedicated to the first Italian King, Vittorio Emanuele II.

From Piazza Venezia, your private tour will take you toward the Colosseum, in the heart of ancient Rome. First you will see the ruins of the Trajan Forum and the Trajan Market, followed by the Caesar Forum and Augustus Forum. Finally approaching the Colosseum, you will first drive around it just to have an idea of its dimensions, then your driver will drop you off next to the Arch of Constantine for a brief visit. (You can opt to have more time for a more thorough visit, including the interior of the Colosseum, which requires an extra entrance fee.)

Your guided Rome tour's next stop will be over the Aventino Hill, from which you can take a photo of the Imperial Palaces located over the Palatine, the oldest hill of Rome. In between Aventine and Palatine in a large depression, you can also glimpse the largest chariot racetrack ever built in the Roman Empire: The Circus Maximum.

Driving along the Aventine hill you will be astonished by the elegance of this neighborhood, where you will have another unforgettable photo stop to look through the “Roman Keyhole,” through which you can see St. Peter’s dome.

Your private tour of Rome will take you along Appian Way toward San Sebastian Gate, passing by the Regina Viarium to reach the Catacombs. Here you can hire a private guide to visit some of the numerous underground tunnels here. After this optional visit, the sightseeing will proceed further along Appian Way, passing by interesting monuments. Depending on your time and interest, you can take a short stroll over the ancient pavement of the Appian Way.  On the way back to ancient Rome, your drive will skirt the Aurelian Walls; as well as the second largest Roman bath, Terme di Caracalla. Used in summer as an opera open theatre, Terme di Caracalla was made famous by Pavarotti when he and his costars of the “Three Tenors” played their first concert.

Continuing the drive along the city walls, you will approach a large square, where you can photograph the Rome Pyramid, located next to St. Paul’s gate. At this point your Rome guide can take you to a trattoria to sample some fine Roman cuisine.

After lunch your private Rome tour will take you up the Capitoline hill from which you will be able to see the Roman Forum. From this point you will cross the pedestrian square in front of Palazzo Senatorio, home of City Hall, whose façade and staircase was designed by Michelangelo.

Your next stop will be on the right bank of the Tiber River, up to the Gianicolo hill, a fascinating and elegant area where you can enjoy a fantastic view of the “Eternal Town.” Crossing the hill, you can see the walls of the Vatican; crossing the bridge Vittorio Emanuele, you can see Castel Sant’Angelo, a famous Vatican fortress built over the ancient Hadrian Mausoleum. Next you will drive to St. Peter’s Church. Here you will have some free time for strolling Bernini Square.   

The last stops of this Rome private tour are the squares of Baroque Rome, starting from Navona Square. You will be dropped off near the entrance of the elliptical square, built over the ruins of the ancient Domitian Stadium. Here you will see one of Bernini’s most celebrated works: the Four Rivers Fountain, representing the four most important rivers known in the 17th century. Then you will be driven through a maze of narrow streets among the Campo Marzio, meaning “Fields of Mars.” An ancient Roman district, this area boasts many important historical structures, like the Pantheon, dating back to the 2nd century AD. Your driving guide will drop you at the side of this astonishing monument, where you can gain a better perspective on the incredible dome topping the building.

Next stop you will reach the enchanting Trevi Square, home to the renowned Trevi Fountain, where you can toss a coin for good luck. Finally, on the way back downtown, your driving guide can drop you at the Spanish Steps square to enjoy some of the best shopping in town.  You can also be dropped off at your hotel or apartment in Rome.

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