Enjoy extra time to unwind and savor the ship at your own pace – no rushing, no waiting at the airport, just more time to relax and soak in the experience.

• Relaxed, stress-free departure.
• Enjoy the ship at your own pace with leisurely lunch and extra time onboard.
• Complete with the added convenience of included shuttle transfer to airport.

OVERVIEW

Spend a delightful and wonderfully enlightening day exploring Rome’s most representative landmarks, beginning with an introductory drive through the city. As you pass the Egyptian-influenced Pyramid of Cestius, the 3rd-century Baths of Caracalla and the ancient chariot racetrack Circus Maximus, the guide will describe these icons in fascinating detail. You will also behold the famed Colosseum from the exterior and the Pantheon, a 1st century B.C. monument renowned for the oculus at the center of its dome. As a contrast to these ancient sites, you will drop by the Trevi Fountain, an immense baroque-style masterpiece with statues of mythical and allegorical figures. You will see more baroque-era fountains at Navona Square, where leisure time will allow you to shop and dine on your own. The focus will turn to Christianity as you browse the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, once the largest church in Christendom.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive past ancient monuments such as the Baths of Caracalla and Circus Maximus.
• Enjoy outside visits of the Colosseum and the Pantheon as the guide describes them.
• Marvel at the ornate Trevi Fountain and drop a coin in its waters, if you wish.
• Spend free time shopping or dining in and around Navona Square.
• Behold the treasures within the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Experience the places which made Rome immortal by observing it from another point of view on board a double-decker bus. Along your route, a very informative audio guide will help you understand the incredible history and the splendor of the art that makes Rome a truly fascinating city.

Your tour starts at the pier with a 90 minute transfer by coach to the heart of Rome. Once there, you’ll transfer to your double-decker sightseeing bus. These buses travel a circuit all day long and have stops at some of the city’s most iconic monuments and cultural venues. The beauty of the Hop-on, Hop-off option is that you can choose which stops you want to leave the bus and explore at your leisure.

Stops will be made at the Colossuem, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia, The Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Barberini. These stops will enable you to visit places such as Vatican City with the wonderful St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and its Archaeological Area, and the famous Trevi Fountain. You will also have the possibility of shopping at Via Nazionale and Via del Corso.

The tour is tape-recorded and individual earphones are available should you wish. The sightseeing buses run at a frequency of 25 minutes around each of the noted main interest points. You will be advised when to return to the main terminal in order to catch the transfer back to the ship.

OVERVIEW

See icons that define Rome during several transformative time periods and come away with a deeper understanding of Italy’s capital. The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain beautifully represent the Baroque era. If you toss a coin in the fountain – ensuring a return to Rome according to legend – it will be collected later that day and donated to charity. Standing on the terrace overlooking the Roman Forum will offer a perspective of ancient times as this public space was used for events ranging from religious ceremonies to secular spectacles. Similarly, an outside look at the massive Colosseum will add insight, especially through the guide’s enlightening commentary. The amphitheater held as many as 50,000 spectators that come to watch everything from gladiatorial games to public executions. After you behold the Renaissance treasure St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City from the square out front, you will enjoy free time for shopping and independent exploration.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Climb the iconic Spanish Steps and drop a coin in the Trevi Fountain if you wish.
• Behold the famed Roman Forum from the terrace overlooking it.
• Enjoy outside visits of the Colosseum and St. Peter’s Basilica as the guide describes them.
• Spend free time shopping or further exploring landmarks that you find most interesting.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

If you would like to explore the Eternal City of Rome on your own, this private motorcoach transfer is ideal. You’ll be dropped off in a central location, and your return transfer to the ship departs from the same place as your drop-off. A tour escort will be traveling with you to and from the ship to answer any questions you may have about sightseeing or shopping. You’ll then rejoin your motorcoach for the return to Civitavecchia.

Enjoy a farm-to-table lunch at a country estate after an enlightening walk through Tarquinia, an enchanting village within Tuscia, the province more commonly known as Viterbo. As you meander through the winding streets of the village, you will get a great sense of history as this area was once the stronghold of the Etruscans. Known for its ancient necropolis and medieval architecture such as the palazzo that now holds the Etruscan National Museum, hilltop Tarquinia also offers extraordinary views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The panoramas from the nearby estate Casale Poggio Nebbia will be just as magnificent. It too perches on a hill with sweeping views of the sea. The restaurant at this working farm serves organic dishes prepared according to family recipes handed down from generation to generation. The courses will be thoughtfully paired with local wines, so you will come away with a deeper understanding of the province’s simple, yet wonderfully distinctive cuisine.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Discover the charms of Tuscia, a picturesque province better known as Viterbo.
• Walk through the medieval town of Tarquinia and take in the sweeping views.
• Dine on a farm-to-table meal prepared with organic ingredients grown on the property.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Watch extra-virgin olive oil being produced at a mill in Canino and savor its extraordinary flavor when drizzled over local specialties. Along the way, you will pause for photos of two medieval churches near the town of Tuscania – Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of San Pietro. The latter is so atmospheric and architecturally spectacular that it was used as a set for the Academy Award-winning film “Romeo and Juliet.” The nearby town of Canino is known more for its olive oil, which carries a Protected Designation of Origin that guarantees that it is produced, processed and prepared locally using traditional methods. You will gain an understanding of those time-honored steps while touring the Canino oil mill. The extra-virgin variety must be cold-pressed within 12 hours of harvesting, giving it an intense green color, low acidity and a medium fruity taste. As you will see, it perfectly complements the Italian specialties that you will be served.

HIGHLIGHTS
• See the steps involved in producing extra-virgin olive oil at a mill in Canino.
• Enjoy a tasting of the olive oil on locally made specialties that complement its taste.
• Snap photos of two medieval churches in the town of Tuscania.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Hike through an ecologically important beech forest on the slopes of Monte Raschio with a guide that National Geographic trained to provide transformative experiences. You will begin walking in the tiny village of Oriolo Romano and soon enter the heart of the forest, which consists of unusually tall and stately beech trees that don’t typically grow at that altitude. The quality of the soil and the rich microclimate allows for this atypical growth. The forest is so impressive that UNESCO included it in its World Heritage site list of other ancient and primeval beech forests. The guide will elaborate on the special attributes of the forest and describe the other flora and fauna that flourish in the wooded mountainous environment. The loop trail will eventually bring you back to the village, where you can mingle with the locals at a gastropub while enjoying appetizers and a glass of wine.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow a National Geographic-trained guide on a hike through a rare beech forest.
• Gain insight into why the forest is so ecologically important and atypical for this area.
• Appreciate that the UNESCO World Heritage site forest is environmentally protected.
• Learn about the other flora and fauna that thrive in the mountainside forest.
• Mingle with the locals while enjoying a drink and snacks at a village gastropub.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable hiking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Guided by the expertise of a retired AF, browse an extraordinary collection of aircraft at the Air Force Museum on the shores of Lake Bracciano, a volcanically formed body of water near the town of Vigna di Valle. Located on the site of a former seaplane base, the museum holds every imaginable sort of aircraft in four hangars that showcase the evolution of flight, starting with the sketches of Leonardo da Vinci. It is home to everything from the world’s oldest flying object – a Garnerin balloon that took off in 1804 – to technologically advanced jet fighters. You may see experimental planes, the first bi-planes, aircraft used in both World Wars and planes still in service today. Italian-made aviation engines by the likes of Fiat are also on display. More than 80 aircraft are exhibited, some outdoors such as the Grumman HU-16 Albatross, a huge amphibious plane that even operated on ice and snow with skis. A buffet brunch will follow your guided museum tour.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit an Air Force museum that displays dozens of historically important aircraft.
• See everything from the world’s earliest flying object to planes till being flown today.
• Be awed by the range of fighter planes from both World Wars.
• View the aircraft up-close so you can better understand their significance and technologies.
• Enjoy a buffet brunch and time to shop after browsing the museum.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Explore the architectural ruins on Palatine Hill, where Rome’s emperors lived for centuries until the fall of the empire. The elliptical Colosseum may well be the most recognizable Roman building from ancient times, and while pausing to snap photos of its exterior you will hear about the amphitheater’s notorious past as a venue for everything from gladiatorial games to public executions. A few steps away, you will find Palatine Hill, home to numerous imperial palaces, the first being the 1st-century Domus Tiberiana. This palace complex includes residential quarters, places of worship and rooms for the guards that protected the emperor. You will also visit the nearby Roman Forum, the center of ancient life in Rome. There, emperors were crowned, elections were held and speeches were given that changed the course of the empire. Following this deep dive into antiquity, you will enjoy free time to shop and dine in Venice Square.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Behold the exterior of the Colosseum, Rome’s iconic and notorious amphitheater.
• Walk among the ruins of the imperial palaces built on the slopes of Palatine Hill.
• Visit the Roman Forum, the center of ancient life in Rome.
• Spend free time shopping and dining on your own in Venice Square.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

You'll see the Eternal City on an orientation drive passing iconic structures which includes the Colosseum of ancient Rome where gladiators fought. In Vatican City admire the beauty of St. Peter’s Square, and view some of the treasures of the world’s largest church, St. Peter’s Basilica during your brief visit. The Vatican Museum is home to masterpieces spanning the centuries, marvel at the Sistine Chapel, topped by Michelangelo’s magnificent ceiling. Lunch is included.

The Romans built amphitheaters all across their vast empire, but this is the largest and most important of them all. Its four levels of seats could hold 50,000 spectators for bloody gladiatorial combat and wild animal fights. Drive by the Colosseum for a photostop.

Next, stop at the Trevi Fountain. This massive Baroque extravaganza was built in 1732 and features Neptune, god of the sea, surging forward in his shell-shaped chariot. After lunch, proceed to St. Peter's Square, designed and built by Bernini and visit St. Peter's Basilica. If time permits, you'll have some free time to explore on your own.