Best of Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome) Package

2 Port Package

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This package includes: Montserrat Morning Tour, and Panorama of Rome

Price: $253.00 Sale Price: $239.00 Save: $14.00

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Montserrat Morning Tour

Shore Excursion Size

Standard

Shore Excursion Type Scenic, Cultural, Historical

Shore Excursion Duration 7 Hours

Activity Level

Moderate

Shore Excursion Leaves From

An approximately 10 to 20-minute taxi (approximately 8-12 EUR each way, not included) is required to reach your departure location. Full details will be provided in your electronic ticket upon confirmation.

Food/Beverage Provided Tastings of 4 typical liquors of Montserrat are included.

Recommended Dress As you will be visiting a religious or memorial site, shoulders and knees must be covered. Sensible, rubber-soled walking shoes, sun glasses and sun screen are recommended. Some guests may appreciate a light waterproof jacket, due to the mountainous climate in Montserrat.

Restrictions Guests must be able to walk on paved, as well as cobblestone surfaces. There are steps required to enter several of the sites, including the Basilica Plaza, and to view the Virgin, as well as steep curbs in some areas.

Montserrat Morning Tour

Visit the jagged and serrated mountain of Montserrat and its Benedictine Monastery on this morning tour.

After departing from Barcelona, you will drive through the picturesque countryside dotted with little villages during the one-hour drive to the incomparable setting of the mountain of Montserrat. Rising majestically to 4,051 feet, the peaks of Montserrat can be seen long before you arrive. The curving road around the mountain will offer you incredible views out across the valley. Upon arrival, you will board the cogwheel train for a scenic ride up the mountain, allowing you to take in breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.

Upon arrival at the parking area, you will join your guide and climb several steps to reach the plaza of the Royal Basilica of Montserrat. Its cliff-side location and neo-Romanesque architecture is a scenic wonder, but it is perhaps the famous 12th-century Romanesque carving of Virgen Moreneta, the Black Virgin, that draws so many to this mountain location. According to legend, the figure of the Black Madonna and Child was discovered in the Santa Cova cave, and to this day, it remains housed in the church of the monastery. The Royal Basilica has been one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Spain for hundreds of years.

Follow your guide through the monastery grounds and learn about its Gothic and Renaissance architectural details. A community of 80 monks currently resides at the monastery, following the Rule of Saint Benedict. After an orientation tour of the grounds and description of the basilica, you will be given ample time to visit the sites that interest you the most.

On most weekdays, the Escolania de Montserrat, one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe, performs in the monastery at midday. There is a museum, restaurants, and shops, as well as the opportunity to view the Black Virgin from a passageway that circles the altar where she is located. You will also be given the opportunity to taste some of the typical liquors of Montserrat. Additionally, you may choose to visit the market where local farmers offer agricultural and traditional products from the region.

At the appointed time, you will meet your transportation and begin the drive back to Barcelona.

Please Note: This tour is narrated in both English and Spanish.

Panorama of Rome

Shore Excursion Size

Standard

Shore Excursion Type Scenic, Cultural, Historical

Shore Excursion Duration 8 Hours

Activity Level

Moderate

Shore Excursion Leaves From

If you are arriving by cruise ship, a 10 to 15-minute shuttle ride is required to reach your departure location. Guests staying in hotels in Rome must arrange their own transportation to the meeting location. Full details will be provided in your electronic ticket upon confirmation.

Food/Beverage Provided Not Included

Recommended Dress We recommend wearing comfortable seasonal clothing, sunscreen, and sunglasses. If you plan to visit St. Peter's Basilica, you must have knees, shoulders, midriff, and chest covered, as the Vatican can refuse your entrance.

Restrictions Guests must be able to step in and out of the tour vehicle. The tour involves extensive walking of up to 3 to 4 miles, or 5 to 6 kilometers, with stairs and some uneven paths and cobblestone roads. The walking portion moves at a good pace. This tour is not suggested for people with walking difficulties. Tour runs in every weather conditions.

Panoramic Tour in Rome

For those who would like an overview of the Eternal City, this on your own Civitavecchia excursion will not disappoint. Enjoy a venture into Vatican City to visit the seat of the Catholic church. From there, you will be taken by bus by the Pyramid of Cestius, the Papal Archbasilica of St John in Lateran, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus and the Mouth of Truth. Your Civitavecchia tour continues to the Theatre of Marcellus, up to Venice Square and the Trevi Fountain up until the Pantheon, concluding at the Piazza Navona. Enjoy free time at each of the stops to explore the Eternal City and its amazing sites on your own.

Depart Civitavecchia by bus and arrive on the opposite side from where the Justice Palace stands, starting the walking path for the first stop from Via Zanardelli towards the St. Peter's Square and back. On the way, admire the Castel Sant' Angelo, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, and be amazed by the stunning view of the Via Della Conciliazione opening up to the famous Vatican Square and Basilica. Enjoy some free time to explore St. Peter's Basilica, housing Michelangelo's marble masterpiece, the Pieta. You'll be awestruck by St. Peter's Baldachin, the bronze canopy and pillars straddling the altar sitting above the burial site of Saint Peter. Study the magnificent craftsmanship encompassing the Basilica's interior or descend into the Vatican Grotto, where many of the Popes and Catholic saints from the past are buried.

Your bus will bring you towards the ruins of Ancient Rome. Pass by the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, where the city of Rome was founded in 753 BCE. Along the way, you'll view the Victor Emmanuel Monument or the Altare Della Patria. This monument was built in honor of a unified Italy's first king, Victor Emmanuel. See Mussolini's Balcony in Venice Square, where the notorious dictator delivered his speeches to the Italian public.

Continue your tour to the city center, where you will have free time for shopping or to purchase lunch. During your free time reach the Pantheon, one of the best preserved structures from Ancient Rome, commissioned during the reign of Augustus Caesar. Once inside, you'll be intrigued by the dome roof with a central opening to the sky. Proceed on your own to your final meeting point, Navona Square, boasting the location of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) by Bernini.

Book this Panoramic tour of Rome today for a comprehensive and enlightening Italy excursion.

This tour is intended for guests arriving in Civitavecchia. While guests staying in hotels are always welcome, they are responsible for arranging their own transportation to the meeting location on the day of the tour. Entrance fees to attractions/museums are not included with the price of this tour. Occasionally there are long lines to visit certain attractions, especially the Basilica, so you will be offered an extra skip the line ticket with guided visit included on spot to enter the Basilica. Visits to certain attractions may be limited due to varying wait times and time restrictions. Free time is provided at each stop so guests can attempt to visit these sites on their own; the tour leader provides meeting point and meeting times instructions at each stop. The tour can be bilingual, explanations are given in equal measures only onboard the bus. Variations on the itinerary may be applied due to special events, holidays or special restrictions issued by the Municipality/Police of Rome.