Tivoli is a historic hill town in the Lazio region of Italy, and is one of the most popular destinations for weekend getaways from Rome. The two major highlights of Tivoli are visited on this tour. Meet your driver on the pier for the approximately two hour drive to Tivoli, located outside of Rome. You will first visit Villa Adriana, built by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century A.D., which covers a vast area at the foot of beautiful green hills. The suburban villa became a sublime setting for his Imperial Court of approximately 15,000 people. The many palaces, lakes, temples, nimphaei, pools adorned with Greek statues and Egyptian beasts were dedicated to Antinoos, Hadrian's handsome lover. A painstaking archaeological recovery has taken place over the last two centuries and you can feel Hadrian's aesthetic sense and his love for beauty in the ruins.

Next you will visit the grounds of the Villa d'Este, one of the most beautiful residences of the late Renaissance. The villa was built for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, Lucrezia Borgia's son and grandson of Pope Alexander VI, when he was appointed Governor of Tivoli by Pope Julius III. The villa was designed by Pirro Ligorio, who drew inspiration, as well as statues and much of the marble used for construction, from the nearby Villa Adriana. It used Roman techniques of hydraulic engineering to supply water to the elaborate fantasy garden whose mixture of architectural elements and water features had an enormous influence on European landscape design. The garden is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its significance in the history of garden design, and its fountains are famous worldwide. Film fans will recognize many of the garden's features in the opening sequence of "Three Coins in the Fountain."

Following the gardens, you will have free time to take a late lunch on your own. Then your driver will transfer you back to the pier.