Ancient Rome & the Renaissance
Schedule your own, private AIA Tour for your household, extended family, and/or friends and choose your own travel dates. Your itinerary not only includes 17 excursions with expert local guides, to immerse yourself in learning about and experiencing ancient and Renaissance art and architecture, but also time to relax and absorb your experiences. Enjoy hand-picked, 4-star hotels, all perfectly located for independent exploration during free time. Extend your tour with five nights in Florence, which include day trip options to Volterra, Siena, and/or Pisa.
Highlights:
- A custom-designed, well-paced itinerary with five nights in central Rome, two nights on the Amalfi Coast*, and three nights in Naples overlooking the Bay of Naples.
- Seventeen privately-guided daily excursions are included, plus there is time for you to explore independently or, if you prefer, choose from four optional, privately-guided excursions.
- Eleven of the sites on the main tour and extension are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
- Savor fine cuisine at carefully-chosen restaurants for included lunches, and enjoy the flexibility of independent dinners. Your expert guides can assist you with restaurant recommendations and reservations.
- Choose the extended tour with a five-night program in Florence* that features the city’s highlights plus visits to Etruscan sites in Fiesole and Volterra, and/or Siena*, and/or Pisa*.
Privately-guided excursions include:
- A full day exploring Rome’s* ancient monuments, including the Forum and Colosseum (with special entry requested to the Colosseum’s upper levels or underground tunnels), plus the House of Augustus on the Palatine Hill
- A full day dedicated to Rome’s Capitoline Museums, with their magnificent Classical and Renaissance art; the awe-inspiring Pantheon; and the Borghese Gallery’s outstanding sculptures and paintings
- A visit to Vatican City, with early entry to the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms, and the Gregorian Etruscan Museum; plus St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world
- An excursion to ancient Paestum*, with its three magnificent, Doric
Greek temples - A high-speed hydrofoil ride to the isle of Capri, with Tiberius’ astounding Villa Jovis
- Visits to archaeological gems in and around Naples*, including Pompeii and Herculaneum*, both of which were buried (and preserved) by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79; the superb Naples Archaeological Museum; and Villa Poppea (Oplontis), an ancient villa with splendid wall paintings
- Four optional, privately-guided excursions are also available (at additional cost) in lieu of independent time:
- a gourmet dinner with special wine tasting, including services of a professional sommelier, in Rome
- a full-day excursion with a private guide and driver (including a gourmet lunch) to Tivoli for visits to Emperor Hadrian’s Villa*, a 2nd-century A.D. complex; and Villa d’Este*, a superb Renaissance palace
- a half-day guided excursion to Castel Sant’Angelo, a towering cylindrical building built by Emperor Hadrian as his family’s mausoleum
- a half-day excursion with private guide and driver to the enormous, elaborate, 18th-century Royal Palace of Caserta*
Your private group can be as small as two, but more travelers means lower prices. Choose your departure dates, estimate the number in your group, and contact AIA Tours for a per person price. Call 800-748-6262 or email aia@studytours.org.
* A UNESCO World Heritage site.