Deluxe Tour Of Rome With Roundtrip Train Transfers

Deluxe Tour Of Rome With Roundtrip Train Transfers Photo #1 of 2 Photo copyright ShoreTrips.com.

Overview

This is the perfect first-timers trip for your group.

This shore excursion gives you the opportunity to experience the Roma Express, a private, comfortable, fast, luxury train that is the new and exclusive way for cruise guests to discover the fascinating eternal city. Enjoy a ride through the marvellous countryside, assisted by your escort and delighted by classical music.

An official guide will meet you at St. Peter’s Station (the Vatican area), where you'll embark on an orientation drive by coach, which will give you an introduction to the major sites in Rome. At the end of the orientation drive, you'll be dropped off at Colle Oppio, a hill overlooking the Colosseum and the Roman Forum area.

After a 5-minute walk, you'll reach St. Peter in Chains, believed to contain the prison chains of Saint Peter. Inside this small church, you'll admire Michelangelo’s Moses. This amazing work of art captures Moses, armed with the Ten Commandments. Nearby the church, you'll visit the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre ever built in Rome. It was originally called Flavian Amphitheatre, since it was built by the Royal Family Flavia. Started by the Emperor Vespasian in the year 72 A.D. it was finished in the year 80 A.D. during the reign of the Emperor Titus.

Enjoy an outside visit of the site where Romans used to go to enjoy spectacular shows of gladiatorial combats, fights with wild beasts, and bloody games. The amphitheatre once held up to 50,000 people who would spend the whole day watching games, while slaves and criminals died as an entertainment for the crowd.

Your journey continues through the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the religious, political, and commercial centre of ancient Rome. Enjoy a beautiful view of the Roman Forum and your guide will point out the Sacred Way, along which victorious generals marched in triumph to the Curia. Here is the place where the senate used to have their historic meetings and where, during the Ides of March (15th March), 44 B.C, senators of the highest influence gathered round Julius Caesar on the pretext of urging a petition and then stabbed him to death. You'll also see the altar where the body of Julius Caesar was cremated and from which Marc Anthony made his famous speech (William Shakespeare).

After the visit, you'll board the coach again and arrive at a typical Italian trattoria to enjoy lunch. The lunch menu includes aperitivo with a glass of sparkling white wine, olives and cheese, lasagne, roast meat with vegetables and potatoes, dessert, and coffee. A 1/2 liter water and 1/4 liter wine per person will accompany your meal.

Your tour continues with a stop at the Vatican Area, where you'll visit St. Peter’s Square, created by Bernini and considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world, and St. Peter’s Basilica, the Christendom’s most magnificent church, begun in 1452 on the site where St. Peter was buried. Throughout the following 200 years, such Renaissance masters as Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini worked on its design and created an unparalleled masterpiece. Admire the astonishing beauty of Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture, the marble Pietà, and the marvelous bronze canopy over the high altar by Bernini.

After some free time to spend in the heart of Rome, you'll walk to the station where your exclusive train, Roma Express, will take you back to the port.

- The price of this tour does not include entrance tickets to the Colosseum or Roman Forum: 14€ per person. Please note: There is not enough time for those who wish to visit inside both the Colosseum and Roman Forum on their own after the guide's commentary.
- PLEASE NOTE: This tour may be operated in reverse order if St. Peter’s Basilica is closed for religious celebrations. St. Peter's Basilica may become crowded in the afternoon, depending on the day and the amount of tourists in Rome during that week. Also, St. Peter’s Basilica may close for security reasons without prior notice. In that case, the guide will provide commentary from outside.
- This tour involves moderate walking.
- Lunch will be served in a typical Italian trattoria, usually in the Vatican Area or close to it.
- If you wish to book this tour on a holiday, there will be a surcharge.

- Please note that on the first Sunday of each month many tourist sites in Italy have free admission. This can often result in long lines. If you are staying at a hotel, it may be beneficial to avoid booking a tour involving inside visits to major attractions on these days. If you have questions, contact ShoreTrips.
- Minimum 25 passengers.
- DRESS CODE: Casual and comfortable clothes and shoes. Sun hat and sunscreen suggested during the summer season. St. Peter’s Basilica requires long pants for men; no shorts, miniskirts, sleeveless tops, or other revealing clothes for ladies.

Days offered: 7 days a week

Departures:

• 08:00 AM, duration: 10 hours You will be picked up from the ship between 8:00am and 8:10am.