B.C. to A.D.: Complete City Walk & Colosseum

Extended Description

No tour of Rome is complete without a glimpse of the Colosseum. Yet many “city walks” don’t include this top site! We’ll start at a glorious overlook of what’s probably the most recognizable structure in the entire world. Built in the first century A.D., this infamous amphitheatre is where more than 9,000 animals and hundreds of gladiators were killed—in the first 100 days of games alone. And the fights and wild beast hunts continued for another 325 years!

The nearby Roman Forum represents the heart of ancient Rome. From right on this spot, an empire of untold political and cultural influence, plus of more than 2.5 million square miles and 65 million people (more than one-fifth of the world’s total population!), was ruled. See the Senate house, where toga-clad elites decided on behalf of all of those millions, and the Temple of the Vestal Virgins, where a special cult of women slaved to keep Rome’s sacred flame alive.

Our guide will bring it all to life, while giving you an understanding of those all-important days when Rome truly was the caput mundi—head of the world. And if you’ve got any questions (from “Why did the empire fall?” to “Where can I get the best postcards of the Colosseum?”), your group is so small, you will feel free to ask away!

The above-and-beyond most evocative ancient site in Rome, though, is the Pantheon. Not a ruin, but a building, it’s Rome’s best-preserved ancient structure—and you can still experience it almost exactly as ancient Romans did 1,900 years ago. Did we mention that its genius dome directly inspired everything from the U.S. Capitol building to St. Peter’s Basilica? Or that greats including the famous artist Raphael are buried here? We can’t express enough just how much the Pantheon is a must-see. And yet we know that, without a guide to help you understand exactly what makes this building so special, you might not get the chills that you should get walking inside. We promise that you will when your guide unlocks its secrets!

The massive Vittorio Emanuele monument at Piazza Venezia is an attempt to hearken back to those heady days of the Roman Empire. (You can judge for yourself if it works!) It’s here, too, that Mussolini made the offices for the Fascist movement, hanging out over a balcony that we’ll see together to watch his troops march through Rome. At the Spanish Steps, admire Europe’s longest, widest staircase and hear how this world-famous sight, immortalized in films like Audrey Hepburn’s Roman Holiday, only came about because of a rivalry between France and Spain.

Meanwhile, no visitor to Rome can miss the Trevi Fountain—the most famous fountain in Europe, and one that took the architect 30 years to complete. Throw your coins in, but make sure you pick the right number…otherwise, as your guide will tell you, there might be some surprising consequences! At Piazza Navona, see another famous fountain, Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, itself immortalized (more or less!) in the movie Angels and Demons. Why does this piazza have a strange shape? And where did the obelisk in the middle of it come from? We’ll talk about all of it—and, by this point, you probably won’t be surprised that it all stems from stories of ancient Rome!

With our complete city walk, learn how modern Rome both continues and contrasts those ancient days, and see all its top sites, from B.C. and beyond. Our walk is the best way to get your bearings, your questions answered, and your photo ops—not to mention a comprehensive understanding of the city’s many layers. And it’s all in a fun, entertaining, and vivid 3.5 hours!