Rome shore excursion - one way transfers

Arriving by boat? Our Civitavecchia-Rome Cruise Ship Excursions are quickly becoming one of our top selling tour products.  Our private shore excursion tours allow you the flexibility of creating your own itinerary based on the suggestions we provide for you, setting your own pace, and enjoying Rome as an intimate group instead of the large group tours organized the cruise lines. Whether you want to "see it all" in a day, prefer a tour out to the wine country, or just want a leisurely afternoon of shopping and some great Italian food, When In Rome Tours has something just right for you!

What you'll see: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, Coliseum, Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon

Suggested Itinerary

Our car and driver would meet you at the port as you disembark and transfer you directly to the Ancient side of Rome where you would meet your When in Rome guide. We would begin the tour with one of Ancient Rome's greatest engineering accomplishments, the Colosseum. Once inside we will wander across the arena floor and hear the history of the bloody and violent games that took place here, learn about the "making of a gladiator", and you will be given a good understanding of what these games meant to the ancient Romans. We would then change gears and head up the Via Sacra to enter the Roman Forum and talk about the more civilized side of ancient Rome and the beautiful architecture that has inspired so many architects today. We would cover all the main basilicas and temples and of course dedicate much of this segment  to a discussion on Julius Caesar and his role in ancient Roman history. We will also explain how the Roman Empire became such a super power and why it eventually collapsed.

We would then visit the Capitoline Hill, locally known as the Campidoglio. This piazza was designed by Michelangelo and offers a stunning view of Piazza Venezia -  the site of the Victor Emmanuelle II monument and Mussolini's Palazzo. From there a short stroll would take us to the beautiful Trevi Fountain to find out the importance of water and fountains in Rome and of course give you time to throw your coins in and perhaps have a gelato. Last but certainly not least, on to the ancient pagan temple of the Pantheon which today is a Catholic Church. We will cover the construction of the dome not surpassed until 1959 and the Oculus as we wander inside this masterpiece in engineering that has stood intact for over two centuries.

This would be a good time for a lunch break and bathroom stop before our next destination: Vatican City.

We would begin the afternoon with a visit to the Vatican Museums. Once inside, we would take in the major galleries such as the Belvedere Courtyard which houses the ancient and classical pieces that so many artists took their inspiration from as well as  the Room of the Muses, Round Room, Greek Cross Room, Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps and of course the magnificent Rooms of Raphael before culminating our visit in the Sistine Chapel itself. Before entering the chapel, you will hear all about Michelangelo and his struggles in accepting and completing the work that soon became the single most recognized piece of art in the world.

We would then head to St Peter's piazza and cover the history of the Vatican City State before entering the Basilica. Here we cover the main monuments such as Michelangelo's beautiful Pieta' and Dome, the Baldacchino and other works by Bernini and the Transfiguration by Raphael. Included also are the Crypt of St Peter, the Holy Altar and other monuments of artistic importance. We will end outside on the portico to talk about the Piazza created by Bernini as well as the Obelisk and the Swiss Guards.

Your driver would then accompany you back to the port in time for your ship's departure.

A tour of this nature requires approximately 7 hours, plus three hours transport time from and back to the port.

The above is a suggested itinerary only. We can allocate a guide to suit your specific needs so please feel free to let us know if you would like to make any changes at all. With the above itinerary you will be covering all the major sites and piazzas that people wish to see in Rome .

This tour is organized using two one way transfers as follows:

1) approx. 7:30 AM from Civitavecchia port to Rome

2) approx. 4:00 PM From Rome to Civitavecchia port

To view an itinerary with transport for the duration of the tour, see "Cruise Ship Excursion with full day transport".

Cost (total, not per person):
1-4 people 715 Euro 
5-6 people 775 Euro
7-8 people 850 Euro
9-12 people 900 Euro
13-14 people 950 Euro (enquire about larger groups)

A 50 Euro discount is offered in the event of cash payment! To take advantage of this offer, instead of paying for your tours in full, simply leave a 50 Euro deposit per private tour (see booking protocol on the booking page)

Cost does not include Entrance fees to the Vatican Museum (13 Euro) or Colosseum (11 Euro)

Looking to plan similar tours at the ports of Florence (Livorno) and Venice? Contact us for details on our custom tours!