Rome & Lazio Educational Tour December 1-8, 2023

17.00    Meeting in the hotel.  Presentation of IVS, services, program 

18.30    Welcome dinner

19.30    Rome by Night orientation tour

21.30    Return to hotel

Our team will meet you at your hotel at 5pm for a short introduction to our company and the week ahead, then accompany you to a local restaurant for an early dinner.  After dinner, experience one of our most popular tours as you are driven around Rome by Night.  This tour introduces clients to the main monuments of the Eternal City, from the comfort of a luxury, air-conditioned vehicle.

Important notes:

If you would like to add extra nights to your visit or require assistance with transportation on arrival, please speak to one of our agents at the time of booking.

Any dietary requirements must be communicated to our staff at the time of booking.

8am      Breakfast

8.40      Meeting in hotel.  Brief presentation: private v group tours

9.00      Depart on foot for private tour of the Vatican

12.30    Site inspection (4* Hotel Atlante Star)

13.00    Free time for lunch

14.30    Transfer to Trastevere + site inspection (5* Hotel Gran Melià)

15.00    Site inspection (4* Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli)

16.00    Cooking lesson - Traditional Roman Cuisine

19.00    Dinner

20.30    Return to hotel

Today will be focused on the Vatican side of the Tiber River.  After a short introduction at the hotel, there will be a tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in the company of a private, local guide.  The guide will meet you at the hotel and accompany you to the museums as you experience another of our private services.  Your tour will include the highlights of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.  After the tour there will be a site inspection of the nearby Hotel Atlante Star, where the rooftop restaurant boasts one of the best views in the city.

Following the inspection, you will have time on your own for lunch.

Meeting up again, a short bus ride will take you a along the river to the lively Trastevere neighborhood.  There will be 2 site inspections, the first of the 5* Gran Melià Hotel, followed by the Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli, a converted 17^th century monastery.  

Next you will experience another popular activity for visitors as you take part in a cooking class.  A local chef will teach you to make traditional Roman dishes, including homemade pasta.  After the class, sit down together to enjoy your homemade meal before our driver accompanies you back to the hotel for the night.

Important notes on today's activities:

VATICAN The tour is about 3hrs long, with few opportunities to sit down.  The guide will walk at a relaxed pace.  It is your responsibility to ensure you are able to walk continuously for the duration of the tour.  As the tour will include the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, you must dress modestly covering your shoulders and knees.

COOKING LESSON The cooking class can be adapted to accommodate vegetarians, but we must be made aware AT THE TIME OF BOOKING of any dietary requirements.

07.45    Breakfast 08.30    Depart for the Colosseum

09.00    Tour of the Colosseum, Forum & Palatine

12.00    Lunch

12.30    Free time for lunch

14.00    Luxury hotel inspections (Via Veneto & Piazza di Spagna)

18.00    Return to hotel

Obviously visitors to Rome come to see her amazing historical sites, so today will be dedicated to some of the tours we offer of the ancient city.  The day will start with a small group tour of the Coliseum, Forum and Palatine Hill.

The afternoon will be dedicated to romantic and luxury properties in central Rome.  Starting on the iconic Via Veneto, we will visit a 4* and 5* hotel, then take a short walk to the Spanish Steps to visit other high-end hotels.  After a lot of walking, we will return to the hotel in the late afternoon and you will have the evening to yourselves.

Important notes on today's activities:

ANCIENT ROME TOUR: Be prepared for walking over uneven ground, including up and downhill and stairs.  The tour lasts about 3hrs.  The guide will walk at a relaxed pace, but there are few opportunities to rest during the tour.

HOTEL INSPECTIONS:  You will be walking between hotels as buses are limited in where they can enter the city center.

07.30    Breakfast           

08.00    Depart hotel

09.00    Site inspection at Villa Tuscolana in Frascati

10.30    Arrive in Tivoli.  Visit to Villa d’Este 

12.00    Depart Tivoli

13.30    Arrive at Terme Salus.  Check in.  Light lunch & free afternoon at the spa

19.00    Dinner

Today will begin with an inspection of the lovely Villa Tuscolana Hotel.  The property, which includes a spa, is located above the town of Frascati in the hills to the south of Rome and is an interesting choice for clients who don't want to be in the city or for wedding celebrations.

The next stop will be the town of Tivoli to visit the water gardens at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Villa d'Este.  Tivoli is home to 2 UNESCO sites (there won't be time to visit the ancient Villa Adriana on this trip) and makes for an interesting, and refreshing, day trip from Rome or shore excursion from Civitavecchia.  Since 2018, the villa has also become a popular destination for wedding ceremonies and our team will talk to you about the wedding and honeymoon services we offer throughout Italy.

Departing Tivoli, you will drive north through the countryside of Lazio to the town of Viterbo, with a history that dates back to the Etruscans and has seen the town been an alternative home to the Popes.  You will be staying at one of the towns thermal baths and the afternoon will be spent relaxing and enjoying the facilities.  There will be a light lunch on arrival and dinner at the hotel in the evening.

07.30    Breakfast

08.30    Depart spa

09.10    Arrive in Civita di Bagnoregio.  Walk to old town.

10.30    Return to bus   

11.30    Arrive in Orvieto

12.00    Lunch

13.30    Guided tour + visit to the Duomo

16.30    Depart Orvieto.  Site inspection at the Hotel La Badia di Orvieto

17.30    Return to Viterbo

18.45    Stop in Viterbo for dinner & a walk

20.30    Return to spa

Today you will explore more options for day trips and shore excursions in the area, before returning to Rome.  Firstly, you will visit the fascinating 'dying town' of Civita di Bagnoregio, followed by the town of Orvieto in neighboring Umbria.  Both towns date back to Etruscan times and you will need to be able to walk uphill to visit Civita di Bagnoregio that is today connected to the modern town by a long bridge.

In Orvieto, you will stop for lunch in a very special restaurant and discover a secret which the locals of Orvieto kept hidden for centuries.  After lunch, a guide will show you around this charming town and take you into its magnificent gothic duomo to see Signorelli's dramatic frescoes depicting the Apocalypse and the Last Judgment.

After the tour, you will stop just outside Orvieto to visit the lovely La Badia di Orvieto.  The hotel, built around a Medieval Benedictine abbey, is emersed in the countryside and could be a great place to escape or a wonderful location for a wedding group.

Returning to Viterbo, you will stop in the town for dinner and a walk before returning to the spa for the night.

Notes on today's activities:

BAGNOREGIO: To reach the old town, there is a 20 minute walk from the bus park in the modern town before you have to walk down some stairs and climb the bridge up towards the old town.  The stones at the entrance to the town can be slippery if it has been raining, so you are advised to wear sensible shoes with a good grip.

ORVIETO: Remember to cover your shoulders and knees inside the duomo.

09.00    Depart hotel

10.30    Arrival at Roma Fiumicino (FCO) - end of services

This morning you will check out of the hotel and return to Rome.  

Agents wishing to continue traveling in Italy can discuss further travel plans with our team.