The Complete Rome Sightseeing Tour

You will be picked up from your centrally located hotel in Rome & travel by coach accompanied by a multi-lingual guide. The first stop is at the busy Piazza Venezia. All Rome’s roads lead to this large sunny square built in 1455. From here you will continue on foot, the tour reaches the grand and famous Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo. which provides a superb view of the Roman Forum. Re-boarding the coach, the tour moves past the famous Circus Maximus, where chariot races were held. Then drive past the 12th century BC Pyramid of Caius Cestius - the tomb of a wealthy magistrate. The next stop on the tour is at the ‘Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls’. Of all the churches in Rome, this one retains its primitive character even after 1400 years! Enjoy a guided tour of this fascinating building. Moving on, the coach makes its last stop of the morning at the most famous icon of Rome. The Colosseum is one of the finest surviving examples of Roman architecture. In this area you will stop for lunch. The first stop of the afternoon is Esquiline Hill, the largest of the Seven Hills of Rome. Esquiline Hill is the site of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which houses rich and beautiful frescoes and other works of art. Your multi-lingual guide will give you a guided tour of the treasures of the Basilica. Continue in the coach to the Holy Staircase, which are believed to be the steps Christ climbed on the day of his trial before Pontius Pilate. Adjacent to the Holy Staircase is the Basilica of St John Lateran the Cathedral of Rome, which serves as the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope. Travel along the Appian Way, the most famous and important road built by the ancient Romans and go past the Chapel of Domine Quo Vadis, which is believed to be the place where St Peter had a vision of the risen Christ. Enjoy a guided tour of the Catacombs of Santa Callisto, Santa Domitilla or San Sebastiano depending upon seasonal conditions. Christians gathered in the catacombs to celebrate funeral rites and the anniversaries of martyrs and the dead. The tour ends with a spectacular view of the Baths of Emperor Caracalla. This great architectural complex is in ruins but they still impress visitors. After the tour, the coach will be dropped you in the vicinity of your hotel or Via G. Amendola 32.