Exclusive Best of Rome Tour

Escape the overcrowded cruise line tours on this exclusive Best of Rome excursion. With no more than 35 guests (and often less) on tour at at time, you will enjoy a very personalized experience that differs greatly from the 50-plus-person tours offered by the cruise lines. For groups of over 9 guests, headsets will be provided.

Your Rome tour begins when you are met at the cruise terminal. Here you will board your air-conditioned vehicle for the 80-minute drive to Rome. As you drive from the coast into the city, you will watch as the flat coastal area slowly disappears while you gradually climb up through farms and orchards to reach the City of Seven Hills. When you arrive in Rome, you'll see Capitoline Hill located between the Forum and the Campus Martius. Designed by Michelangelo, Capitoline Hill is one of the seven famous hills of Rome. It was the citadel of the earliest Romans and contains several ancient ground-level ruins, Medieval and Renaissance palaces and the Victor Emmanuel Monument.

Next up on your Rome excursion, you will visit the symbol of the Eternal City, the Roman Colosseum. Here, you will have time to take pictures and admire it from the outside. The Colosseum is one of the most recognized monuments of ancient Rome, where gladiators, Christians and wild beasts once battled to the death in front of 50,000 spectators. Nearby, the imposing triumphal Arch of Titus was erected in A.D. 81 by the Emperor Domitian in honor of the victories in battle of his brother and father in Judea.

You will then proceed to the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, where you will be provided with skip-the-line tickets to explore the site that is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Roman Empire. To this day, it still preserves the remains of Iron Age settlements connected with the earliest core of the city of Rome, and you will see hundreds of ruins of imposing buildings that were created for high Roman society in ancient times. The hill was home to important civic cults and became the residential district of the Roman aristocracy, with elegant houses characterized by exceptional painted and paved decorations.

The Roman Forum or Forum Magnum, considered to be the heart of the Ancient Rome, was was the official meeting point for Roman citizens who went there to participate (or even simply to assist) in the administrative, political, economic and religious affairs that concerned the community to which they belonged. The Roman Forum was the true center of the entire Roman civilization.

Departing the Colosseum area, you will walk to the Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, and the Victor Emanuel monument, all on your way to the old section of Rome. Continue your stroll, passing through the narrow, twisting streets to the Trevi Fountain, named after the area of Rome where it is found. The fountain stands 85 feet high, 65 feet wide, and is the largest Baroque fountain in the city. A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin with one's right hand over one's left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. You will also visit the Pantheon, an excellent example of ancient Roman architecture. It was built in A.D. 126 as a temple to all the Gods of Ancient Rome. If time permits, you will also see the Navano and Farnese Squares.

Then, time will be provided for a quick lunch on your own.

Next, your driver will take you to the world-famous Vatican City. Along the way, you will see the Castle of the Angels and Bernini's Bridge of the Angels. At St. Peter's Square, you will have approximately 45 minutes of free time to visit St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica (the largest church in the world), or browse for souvenirs. Since St. Peter's is extremely popular, please be aware that you may encounter lines to enter the Basilica.

After your visit to St. Peters, you will be driven back to your ship pier.

Please Note: This tour does not include an inside tour or tickets to the Colosseum, but you will have the opportunity to view the Colosseum from outside. Given the traffic in Rome, the itinerary may vary according to local conditions. Crowds are to be expected at all sites and lines for St. Peter's Basilica may exceed over one hour to enter. If fewer than nine people are on your tour, you will travel in a small vehicle with excellent access to all sights, and a guide who is also your driver will lead your tour. If more than nine people are on your tour, headsets will be provided, and you will have a driver to Rome, where you will meet your guide for the guided portion of the tour.

Experience the Best of Florence and Pisa

Escape the crowded 50-person cruise line tours on this exclusive Best of Florence and Pisa tour. With a group size maximum of only 35 guests (and often less) you will enjoy a very personalized excursion experience.

At the beginning of your excursion leaving from Livorno, you will be met by your driver after a short shuttle ride from the pier, and then climb aboard your air-conditioned vehicle for the 30-minute drive to Pisa.

Upon arrival in Pisa, you will walk from the parking area to the Field of Miracles, where you will have free time for photos. The walk is approximately 15-20 minutes each way. You will have approximately 1 hour in Pisa to see sites like the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, and the Baptistery on your own. Admission to the sites is not included in the price of your tour.

Your guide will then lead you to your transportation and bid you farewell before you and your driver depart to Florence. As you leave the flat plains near the sea, you will start to drive through the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Upon arrival in Florence, you will drive to the city's historical area, which is predominately pedestrian. During your first stop on your walking tour, you will be able to view the Piazza del Duomo. The Florence Duomo is dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore and is typical of Italian Gothic architecture. Arnolfo di Cambio designed the present building. The Cupola remained unfinished, and was finally completed in 1436. It is the most characteristic feature of the Florentine skyline, symbolizing a great cultural tradition and the city's civic awareness. You will also see the outside of the Baptistery adjacent to the Duomo.

You will continue your walking tour at the Piazza della Signoria, which has been the political heart of the city from the Middle Ages to the present day. The piazza is named after the most important monument there, Palazzo della Signoria, designed in 1298-99 for the seat of the Republican government and which was later to host the Gonfaloniere of Justice and the Priors of the Arts.

Close by the Piazza della Signoria you will visit the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge, which crosses the Arno at its widest point. It dates back to Roman times and has been re-built on several occasions. After the flooding of 1333, it was re-constructed with a double row of shops, passing from a defensive type of architecture to the current public one. In 1565, the east-facing Vasariano Corridor above the shops was built and the back-shops were added in the 17th century, giving the bridge its modern-day structure.

You will then have approximately 45 minutes to have a quick lunch on your own or do a little shopping.

After the break, you will have a quick visit to the Square of Santa Croce (Holy Cross), one of Florence's largest squares, and traditionally one of the city's main arenas for ceremonials and festivities. At the far end, you will be able to see the exterior of the Basilica of Santa Croce, one of the largest churches in the city, and the burial place of many of Florence's most illustrious citizens including Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Vittorio Alfieri, and Gioacchino Rossini.

Please Note: If fewer than nine people are on your Florence and Pisa tour, you will travel in a small vehicle and your tour will be led by a guide who is also your driver. If more than nine people are on your tour, you will travel in a van or minibus that will include a separate driver and a guide for the Florence touring portion. Crowds are to be expected at all sites.

Split's Diocletian Palace

Today's Split is the product of 17 centuries of building, renovating and remodeling so that the new of today meshes with the old of yesterday. Split is the largest Dalmatian city and is at least 1,700 years old, although recent archaeological research suggests that is might go back as far as the 6th century BC.

At the core of this sprawling cityscape is the palace that Emperor Diocletian built for his golden years at the turn of the 4th century. What began as an imperial residence and fortified camp is today an intriguing warren of narrow cobblestone streets, where pre-Romanesque churches live alongside Gothic chapels, history-filled museums abut galleries of contemporary art and delicious-smelling restaurants compete with bustling cafes for the attention of passers-by.

The palace is almost a town in itself. Entering the palace through its impressive arches, take time to stroll around this 4th century architectural feat that boasts grand open courtyards, restaurants, shops, magnificent stone columns and narrow cobbled lanes.

The walking tour starts with a walk through the cellars of the Palace that are still very well preserved. The cellars offer a good view at how the life in the Palace was organized. Once you come out from the cellars, you will emerge at Peristyle Square, where you will see the Cathedral of St. Duje (St. Dominus), the patron saint of the city. The Cathedral was also built by Emperor Diocletian on the remains of an ancient shrine, and is supposed to be the oldest in the world. A visit will be made to the charming Temple of Jupiter, a 13th century structure that has been remodeled many times over the years and features imposing stone columns.

On your walk through the narrow streets of the Diocletian palace, you will also see the beautiful Golden and the Silver Gates. After the walking tour, take advantage of the wonderful shopping and souvenir hunting opportunities nearby in the market, or stroll along the Riva waterfront boulevard. Reserve your spot on this fascinating tour of Split's most beautiful historic sights.