Alexander Meddings
Verified Writer4.912527 reviews
Verified Writer
5(1839)
15 Guests Max
3 hrs
Flexible TravelLike a lone gladiator fending off a p*ssed-off rhino, Gladiator II has been mauled for playing fast and loose with history. “A lavish spread of historical accuracy” is how one historian has described it. “Total Hollywood bulls***” was the assessment of another. But for all its shortcomings as a historically accurate depiction of ancient Rome, Gladiator II does get some things right.
While no Maximus Decimus Meridius (husband to a murdered wife, father to a murdered son etc.) ever rose through the ranks of the Roman legions, the franchise’s evil emperors did in fact exist as historical figures. And director Ridley Scott injects historical elements into each.
Denzel Washington’s Macrinus is especially faithful to the real-life figure.
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Bust of Macrinus in Rome’s Capitoline Museums
Denzel Washington as Macrinus in Gladiator 2. Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
Born in modern-day Algeria, in Northern Africa, the pierced-eared Macrinus was in fact a deft political chancer and shrewd social climber, being the first emperor not born to aristocratic senatorial stock (and the first emperor who never visited Rome). But he still came from quite a wealthy family — unlike the Macrinus from the film, who, it is suggested, has climbed his way up from humble origins.
Macrinus’ reign was, however, pitifully short (though still more than the few days suggested in the film). The real-life emperor Macrinus ruled for just over a year before being ousted by another ambitious emperor, Elagabalus, and beheaded in Antioch, in modern-day Turkey.
Gladiator II’s terrible twosome of Caracalla and Geta are, by contrast, a far cry from the real-life emperors. Far from wining, dining and presumably applying their makeup together, these young emperors avoided each other like the plague, even going so far as to live in separate parts of the imperial palace. What made their relationship so fraught was the constant fear of assassination which, perhaps inevitably, was the ultimate outcome.
Caracalla managed to convince their mother Julia Domna (completely absent from Gladiator II) to arrange a meeting with Geta so the two could settle their differences and set out the terms for their joint rule. But before a word could be uttered, the Praetorian Guards stormed into the room and stabbed Geta to death, leaving him bleeding to death in his mother’s arms.
Caracalla proceeded to enact what we call Damnatio Memoriae, the Roman political equivalent of cancel culture, by removing all traces of Geta’s life and legacy. He recalled coins bearing Geta’s image from circulation and had them melted down. He erased his image from artworks and portraits and carved out his name from epigraphic inscriptions. He even recarved Geta’s statues to resemble other emperors.
Portrait of the family of Septimius Severus. Notice how the portrait of Geta (left) has been erased entirely.
Our sources say that Caracalla carried this guilt for the rest of his life, which he spent mostly away on campaign in Parthia rather than overseeing a Senate chaired by his pet monkey (this is surely a nod to the emperor Caligula who allegedly threatened to make senator). Caracalla met his end not in the Colosseum at Macrinus’ hands, but after urinating by a Parthian roadside when he was stabbed to death by a centurion (though Macrinus may have given the order).
Ridley Scott’s depiction of the Colosseum as something of almost otherworldly scale and ambition pretty accurately depicts how its attendees would have viewed it. He nails this in the first Gladiator film, where a group of gladiators, who may never have ventured beyond their villages, set eyes for the first time on this imposing structure, which looms more like a skyscraper from Blade Runner’s LA than any stone monument from ancient Rome.
But the spectacles that unfold on the arena floor are fanciful to say the least. Sea battles could have taken place in the Colosseum during its inaugural games, but the existence of an aquatic arena built especially for that purpose beneath Piazza San Cosimato, in the modern-day neighbourhood of Trastevere, surely rendered the endeavour redundant.
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Plan of Augustus’s Naumachia which underlies today’s Trastevere district
Reconstruction of the Naumachia of Augustus beneath Piazza San Cosimato in Trastevere. Image Credit: Maquettes Historiques
What we can say for certain is that no Colosseum combatant was ever eaten by sharks. Not because sourcing Great Whites would have been beyond the capabilities of the ancient Romans, but because these predators would not have fared well outside salt water.
What the film does get right is the exoticism of some of the animals that were killed in the arena. The rhino is attested by the ancient poet Martial, though it was pitted against other animals rather than ridden onto the arena as a steed. Bloodthirsty baboons are a bit much, though. We have no record of primates ever being set upon prisoners either in the Colosseum or any other Roman arena.
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Quadrans of the emperor Domitian (83-85 CE) depicting a Rhinoceros
Gladiator enters the Colosseum Arena on a Rhinoceros in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. Paramount Pictures.
Perhaps where Gladiator II disappoints most is in its depiction of the city of Rome itself. Ridley Scott’s Rome is devoid of colour, with white marble busts and bare brick walls. It looks like the ancient world we encounter when we visit museums. But Rome, in reality, was a gaudy mess of colour. Pigment residue found on ancient statues allows us to restore these statues to their garish former selves, and the result is quite shocking, with the emperor Augustus looking like a kind of toga-d military Ed Sheeran.
The second shortcoming concerns the layout of the city. Ridley Scott’s Rome is a city of vast open spaces. Nowhere is this more visible than towards the beginning of the film during Marcus Acacius’ triumphal return into. But nowhere in the imperial city were there these kinds of spaces. Instead, it echoes imagery from the Nuremberg Rallies of the Nazis, who drew heavily from Roman art and architecture for their neoclassical style, retrospectively projecting it back onto antiquity.
Caracalla as depicted by Fred Hechinger. Credit: Paramount Pictures
Not to say this doesn’t serve Scott’s purpose well. By introducing Nazi totalitarian imagery, he gives his audience that powerful, frightening sense of the might of ancient Rome.
Finally, its depiction of daily life in ancient Rome leaves a lot to be desired. In one scene, Macrinus appears to be kicking back in a café sipping a mug of tea or coffee and reading a Roman newspaper. None of these things existed in ancient Rome, and including in the film seems strange at best and lazy at worst.
Despite all these criticisms, the ancient Romans would have quite liked Gladiator II, not for the blood and the CGI but for the underlying message and the fact it plays fast and loose with history.
Gladiator II is, at its core, a film about an outsider — Lucius Verus — whose values better reflect the “dream” of Rome” than those of any around him, be they crazed emperors, snivelling senators, or the deliciously Machiavellian figure of Denzel Washington’s Macrinus.
The Romans were well aware of the rot at the heart of their Empire. They situated it not with the war-weary generals on the frontlines of foreign lands but at the heart of Roman politics, with the capricious rule of the emperors and the servile senators who supported them. The eccentric depiction of Roman emperors in the Gladiator franchise mirrors the way ancient authors depicted the emperors of their own time.
How accurate these depictions are is highly debatable, but historical accuracy is not really the point. Rather the point was to cast evil emperors as a symptom of the rotten political system over which they governed.
Caracalla as depicted by Fred Hechinger. Credit: Paramount Pictures
That said, Roman audiences would not have wished for the restoration of the Republic. That idea died after the assassination of the emperor Caligula when the Praetorian Guard forced their man Claudius onto the throne, making it quite clear to any starry-eyed senators that they would not go without a paymaster. However, they would have been content with a humble conservative and decorated military man on the throne – something Pedro Pascal’s General Acacius could accommodate nicely.
A war-weary Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) after the opening battle in Gladiator 2. Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
What the ancient Romans would have hated most about Gladiator II is its utopian “make love not war” vision of Rome. In the speech Lucius delivers after carving up Macrinus, he describes Marcus Aurelius’ dream of Rome as “a city for the many and a home for those in need”. Romulus might have founded Rome as an asylum, welcoming anyone who was anyone to bolster its nascent population. But the idea that Rome in the third century was either welcoming or accommodating for the wandering dispossessed is frankly for the birds.
Mescal’s Lucius invites Rome’s legionaries to put down their arms, to stop the bloodshed, “to rebuild this dream together”. But the inconvenient truth is that the price of Roman peace was plunder from foreign powers, and if Roman history teaches us anything it’s that when Roman swords weren’t pointing outwards, towards foreign enemies, they were pointing inwards, at pretenders to the throne and the Roman soldiers in their pay.
You can’t come to Rome without visiting the Colosseum. But soaring visitor numbers means people often find themselves waiting in line. Don’t waste time standing in line for the Colosseum when you can step straight inside on our tour. All our Colosseum tours include skip-the-line access to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum and are led by fluent expert guides.
If you’re looking for an extra-special experience, check out our Arena Floor tour!
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Channel your inner-Maximus as you step out onto the Colosseum Arena floor and access this recently reopened area of the world famous amphitheatre. Then, explore the rest of the heart of ancient Rome, with a friendly, expert guide and a small group of like-minded travellers!
Unlike regular tours of the Colosseum, our Colosseum Arena Tour gets you straight inside the ancient amphitheatre and out onto the arena floor through the Gladiator’s Gate. This is the route the gladiators themselves took almost 2,000 years ago. Imagine the moment they left the gates, and were greeted by the cheers and jeers of 50,000 bloodthirsty spectators.
Your expert guide will transport you back in time to the height of the Roman Empire when the Colosseum was constructed. These were times when Rome was ruled by all-powerful emperors (sometimes wise, sometimes wacky), the city was flooded with exotic riches from around the world, and the Colosseum acted as the city’s main stage for showing off the animals and people that Rome had conquered and captured.
After a short 30-minute break, we’ll head off on the next part of the tour…
Next, we’ll climb the Palatine Hill, where the ancient city was founded. The Palatine Hill is a real archaeological wonder, home to settlements from the Iron Age to the 16th century. Gaze upon such sites as the Hut of Romulus, Rome’s legendary founder, and the Imperial Palace, where the emperors in their family engaged in ruling, politicking, and scheming. Get your camera at the ready – you really can’t beat these views!
The final destination on our Colosseum Arena Tour is the Roman Forum. As the beating heart of ancient Rome, the Roman Forum was once a bustling hub of markets, law courts, temples, and more. It was here that Julius Caesar was cremated, where victorious triumphs paraded with the spoils of Roman conquests, here where two disgraced emperors were murdered in 69 AD, and here where Cicero delivered the speeches that shaped western culture for centuries.
When our tour is over, feel free to stay and explore the Roman Forum at your own pace.
Book the complete ancient Roman experience today with our Colosseum Arena Tour!
5(1839)
Rome may well be the world’s most beautiful city, but after dark a more sinister side emerges. The ghosts of popes, emperors, and artists lurk on every corner, their lives claimed by tragedy and conspiracy across more than 2,000 years of history. Our Rome Ghost Tour is not for the faint hearted — you’ll hear the ghastly tales of beheadings and murder that are sure to keep you up late at night.
Your Rome Ghost Tour starts at Campo de’ Fiori, a central square, where you’ll be treated to the tale of Giordano Bruno, one of Rome’s greatest minds who got on the wrong side of the church. After learning about his grisly end, you’ll begin to explore the city. Venture through medieval backstreets; visit an ancient church adorned with skulls; and step inside the home to a mysterious order of monks. Discover the childhood home of one of Rome’s most infamous executioners; see the site of one of Rome’s most infamous prisons; and pass by a poisonous perfumery where cosmetics killed.
Your tour ends at the imposing Castel Sant’Angelo, where your guide will reveal the horror of Rome’s most disturbing executions. If you’re (un)lucky, you might even encounter a ghost or two.
No matter what, you’ll never see Rome the same way again.
5(910)
Learn to cook like an Italian in this small group pasta & tiramisù cooking class that gives you mastery over the country’s best-loved classics. Over the course of three-and-a-half-hour fun-filled hours, you’ll enjoy the expert guidance of our fluent professional chef and get hands on recreating real Roman recipes, culminating in a well-deserved dinner in which you feast on what you’ve made.
Situated in our centrally situated air-conditioned cooking school, your interactive class will give you the true sense of an Italian nonna’s loving kitchen. Led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable English-speaking chef, our cooking masterclass is perfect for kids and adults, beginners and experts.
Savoiardi (ladyfingers) are gently dipped in rich coffee before being layered with dollops of delicately mixed eggs and panna (cream). Finished off with a sprinkle of cocoa, these delicious desserts are set aside to rest in time for an after-dinner energy boost. In fact, the espresso within a tiramisù is what gives it a name that translates literally as “pick me up”!
Rolling up our sleeves, here is where we channel our inner nonna. Mixing, kneading, rolling, and shaping our fresh pasta from scratch will work up a sweat but result in elegant end products. We will then combine these carefully crafted creations with the flavors of the season and locality; be it twangy cacio e pepe or creamy carbonara.
How else to conclude your cooking class than by fully indulging in your culinary creations! Celebrate your accomplishment with family-friendly company, a gorgeous setting, and a selection of red or white wines and soft drinks.
Whether returning a culinary maestro or a self-proclaimed novice, you’ll be sure to take the memories home with you and ruling your dinner parties back home!
5(1852)
Channel your inner-Maximus as you emerge onto the Colosseum arena floor, enjoying exclusive access to this newly reopened section of the world most famous amphitheatre. Don’t settle for half-measures on your Roman holiday. Seize the moment—carpe diem—and treat yourself to an immersive tour of ancient Rome with a private expert guide!
Unlike most other tours, this private tour gets you straight inside the Colosseum and out onto the arena floor through the Gladiator’s Gate. This is the route Rome’s gladiators took almost 2,000 years ago. Imagine the scene of them being greeted by the cheers and jeers of 50,000 spectators.
Your expert private guide will transport you back in time to the height of the Roman Empire when Nero’s Golden Palace fell and the Colosseum was constructed in its place. These were times when Rome was ruled by all-powerful emperors (sometimes wise, sometimes wacky), the city was flooded with exotic riches from around the world, and the Colosseum acted as the city’s main stage for showing off the animals and people that Rome had conquered and captured.
Next, we’ll climb the Palatine Hill, where Romulus founded the city. The Palatine Hill is a real archaeological wonder, home to settlements from the Iron Age to the 16th century. Gaze upon such sites as the Hut of Romulus, the houses of Augustus and Livia, and the Imperial Palace, where the emperors in their family engaged in ruling, politicking, and scheming.
The final destination on your private Colosseum arena tour is the Roman Forum. As the beating heart of ancient Rome, the Roman Forum was once a bustling hub of markets, law courts, temples, and more. It was here that Julius Caesar was cremated, here where two disgraced emperors were murdered in 69 AD, and here where Cicero delivered the speeches that shaped western culture for centuries.
At the end of your private tour, feel free to stay and explore the Forum at your own pace.
4.96(1256)
Join our expert guide in an adventure through ancient Rome. No Rome trip would be complete without exploring the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum — the three most immersive sites of the world’s mightiest ancient empire. So what can you expect from our Colosseum guided tour?
Our most complete three-hour tour of ancient Rome starts at the Colosseum, which you’ll step straight inside with your timed entry tickets. Your expert guide will help you uncover the mysteries and histories of the Colosseum and follow in the footsteps of the ancients. Any question you can think of, they’ve got the answer – so ask away!
What are the holes that pockmark the ancient amphitheatre? Why is one side shorter than the other? And how much do we really know about the gladiators—and even emperors—who battled on the arena sands? (We promise the answers will surprise you!)
After exploring the Colosseum, we’ll climb the Palatine Hill to discover the birthplace of the ancient city. Here, your storyteller guide will recount the mythical foundation of Rome, the legend of Romulus and Remus, and the stories of the emperors who resided on the Palatine, like Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula. Next, we’ll explore the ruins of some of the most luxurious palaces in Roman history, the emperor’s residences on the Palatine Hill, from which we get our word ‘palace.’
Last but not least, we’ll head into the Roman Forum, the heart of the ancient city. Discover what life was really like for everyday Romans as we explore the social, religious, and political hub of the Roman Empire. Marvel at the remains of towering temples, triumphal arches, sprawling basilicas, and the ancient senate house as you walk on the very same stones that the likes of Caesar and Cicero once did.
This is one of our most popular tours, so be sure to book your slot ASAP!
4.96(2727)
Join us on a journey through Roman history on our immersive Rome by Night Walking Tour. Your expert guide will share the city’s secrets, history, and fascinating tales—from antiquity through to the modern day, and at a pace to suit you.
Our tour starts in Rome’s most picturesque square, Piazza Navona, where the ancient Romans used to watch athletic contests (agones). Today’s piazza sits above the ancient stadium and boasts Gian Lorenzo Bernini‘s stunning Fountain of the Four Rivers as its centrepiece.
A five-minute walk from Piazza Navona takes us to the world-famous Pantheon. Constructed more than two-thousand years ago by the eccentric emperor Hadrian, the Pantheon was consecrated as a monument to all the pagan gods (pan theos, in Greek meaning all the gods). This second-century temple is one of the best-preserved monuments in the Roman Empire and its unreinforced concrete dome still perplexes architects.
Our next stop is the iconic Trevi Fountain. Immortalised by Anita Ekberg wading through its water in Federico Fellini’s iconic film La Dolce Vita, the Trevi Fountain one of the most romantic spots in the Eternal City. Snap your photos of the monument in the moonlight, listen to your guide decipher its symbols, and toss a coin over your shoulder to guarantee your return to Rome.
We emerge from Rome’s winding backstreets onto Piazza Venezia. Stretching from the foot of the Capitoline Hill, against the backdrop of the Altar of the Fatherland, Piazza Venezia is Rome’s most recognisable square, and a repository of history involving figures from Napoleon to Mussolini.
Your guide will lead you down the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the boulevard that cuts through ancient Rome, past Trajan’s Column and alongside the forums of Trajan, Augustus and Nerva. Your guide will feed your curiosity and nourish you with knowledge about ancient Rome and its empire as you make your way towards the most famous monument of all: the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is one of the most awe-inspiring attractions that has survived from antiquity. As a colossal feat of architecture and engineering, its form has been replicated throughout the ages, manifested in stadiums and sports venues around the world. But while its form is familiar to us, the spectacles it accommodated are entirely alien, and remind us of the violent nature of Roman culture.
Group sizes are 15 people maximum.
Book your spot now to avoid missing out!
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The best way to understand Rome is to take a look beneath it. Our Rome Catacombs Tour is perfect for travellers who want to get off the beaten track, unearth underground passageways, and discover the secrets of the largest catacombs in Rome.
Prepare to discover the deeper, darker, and more mysterious parts of Roman history with a small group of like-minded adventurers. By digging downwards into the ancient labyrinth of tunnels, we’ll uncover all the secrets and dark tales of the catacombs of Domitilla.
Your friendly expert guide will meet you outside and give you a quick overview of the tour before we make our descent. With our close guidance, you’ll have the chance to explore and discover ancient passageways in the largest, most famous catacombs in Rome. These tunnels are sacred and an integral part of the Christian and Roman faiths. Learn how ancient Christian rites and rituals were held underneath the bustling city streets.
These tunnels were not only a place of ritual, but are still a sacred place of rest for more than 150,000 bodies. These catacombs and the bodies they hold stretch for almost 20 km underground, some of which is yet to be seen by the public eye.
With a maximum of ten travellers per tour group, you’ll have the opportunity to ask plenty of questions. The price of the tour includes the tickets. If you’d like to join us on our Rome Catacombs Tour of the darkest, largest catacombs in Rome, book your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out!
5(235)
Did someone say Spritz? Discover the flavours of Rome on our Spritz and Spaghetti Class. Our centrally located kitchen is where you’ll learn everything you need to mix traditional Italian cocktails, and perfect the art of making fresh pasta. This is the only cooking class of its kind in Rome – a perfect blend of food, friends, and tipsy fun. So come join us and see what all the fuss is about!
Our team will welcome you and your small, intimate group with a mixology demo making Italy’s best-loved drink: Aperol Spritz. You’ll then get started on your hands-on pasta-making lesson led by a fun-loving, fluent professional chef, during which we’ll also be making two other drink.
Your professional chef will guide you every step of the way – from kneading the dough to cutting the pasta. You’ll also be making a creamy carbonara sauce to coat your fresh pasta (vegetarians can try out another Roman classic of cacio e pepe). Travelling is all about meeting new people. At the end of this cooking class, you’ll dine on what you’ve made in the fun, tipsy company of your new foodie friends.
Book now and start making memories.
5(3841)
One of the best ways to meet people in a new city is to grab a drink together, and few city serve up more iconic drinks than Rome. Whether you’re travelling solo or with a group, for a long vacation or a short city break – our Rome Tipsy Tour is for you!
This unique nightlife experience combines all our favourite elements of travel: discovering new places, being immersed in different cultures, meeting fun people, and trying out a range of delicious drinks! It’s not a run-of-the-mill bar crawl. It’s a sociable tour that gives you a real taste of with Rome’s sights, stories, and signature drinks in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with fun, local hosts. We also welcome sober travellers who want to join for a social experience but who want to forgo a hangover, so we’ll have non-alcoholic options available as well!
You’ll meet your guide and group at Piazza Madonna dei Monti, where we’ll break the ice with a warm Italian welcome – aka, a refreshing glass of local wine. After saying cheers—salute—we’ll head into Monti, an uber-trendy district filled with quirky bars and cobblestoned streets, and plenty to unpack. In ancient Rome, Monti was known as a suburra – the red-light district of Rome where prostitutes plied their trade and gangsters once roamed. As we wander through the cobblestone streets your guide will tell you scandalous stories of sex and bloodshed that you won’t hear on your typical walking tour.
After so much scandal, you’ll surely need a drink. So at our first stop on the Rome Tipsy Tour you’ll get an extra stiff one. The spotlight will be on Carpano Classico a venerable vermouth with a curious story! Unravel the history of the man who made it – Antonio Benedetto Carpano – back in 1786 whilst sharing some sips with your newfound friends.
We’ll keep the night going with some more saucy stories before trying a classic Italian Spritz. Indulge in the bitter flavours of Aperol or Campari Spritz while enjoying dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing—apart from getting tipsy of course!
Our final stop is Rome’s most iconic road, the Via dei Fori Imperiali, leading down to the Colosseum. The views of the ancient city are best enjoyed after dark with an ice-cold Limoncello – trust us. Sip away as your guide tells shocking stories of the power-hungry Roman emperors who once ruled the known world.
At 11 p.m., the Tipsy Tour officially ends, but the night out begins! We will continue drinking with our new friends at some of Rome’s most popular bars!
Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We promise to make your night in Rome one you’ll never forget! Skip a boring walking tour, and come get tipsy with us.
Book your spot now!
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Feed your curiosity while pleasing your palate on this indulgent Rome Food Tour! This fun (and filling) food tour gives you and a small group of others insider access to Rome’s best delicatessens, pizzerias and restaurants as well as Rome’s tastiest traditional food the locals keep to themselves.
Our Rome food tour takes place in Trastevere, Rome’s most traditional medieval neighbourhood. The area is renowned for its buzzing nightlife and fantastic eateries with delightful aromas spilling out of them. However, it’s also known to have its fair share of tourists traps! Our team of expert foodies invite you, and your tastebuds, to try some of the finest flavours in the city! Vacations are too short to eat bad food, right?
During the experience, we will try at least 10 different tastings together with a selection of local wines. However, this experience is more than just simply trying different local foods while sipping on red wine. This is a journey inside the Roman kitchen—discovering the delicacies, the diet and the cultural dos and don’ts.
Not only will you experience the mouthwatering flavours of Rome, but you’ll also discover the process, meet the makers, and truly understand why Italian cuisine is considered the best in the world. So book your spot on our Rome Food Tour today and get ready for a true taste of the capital!
Please note: the places that we visit and the food that we try depends on the season.
This is a sustainable tour, meaning part of its profits goes towards reforestation and other sustainable projects. We also ask all of our guests to bring a reusable water bottle to refill at one of the water fountains along our route to stay hydrated and help us reduce waste.
**Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate a gluten-free or vegan diet but we hope to be able to in the future. While we can cater to vegetarians, we ask that you let us know about dietary requirements in advance so we can best suit your needs.**
4.96(3203)
People made a pilgrimage from all over the world to visit the spiritual home of Catholicism. Unfortunately, this means that getting into the Vatican is by no means easy. With our priority entrance, you’ll be able to skip the hours of waiting in line and walk right into one of the most historically rich places in the world.
Your private tour starts with the Vatican Museums. Don’t be overwhelmed by the never-ending rooms or twisting corridors – we’ll guide you through some of the thousands of rooms without missing their deepest secrets. Our route includes the Hall of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of Candelabra, The Raphael Rooms and much more. Your friendly expert guide will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
After our trip through the museums, you’ll make your way into the Sistine Chapel, one of the most fabled historical sites in the world. The Sistine Chapel houses the timeless masterpiece crafted by none other than Michelangelo himself. Marvel at the Last Judgement in all its glory.
The pace of this private tour is comfortable and can be adapted to suit you. It also includes all ticket prices for the areas that we’ll be visiting during our trip. Book your spot now to make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to visit one of the most sacred spaces on Earth!
5(132)
Home to Rome’s most impressive collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings and sculpture, the Borghese Gallery is a must-visit for all art lovers. The 17th-century villa is an artwork in itself, furnished with frescoes by the Florentine-trained artist Ludovico Cigoli and situated in the midst of a vast landscaped garden. But the artworks it contains are unrivalled in Rome, featuring sculptures and paintings by the likes of Bernini, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Canova.
Tickets to the Borghese Gallery are had to find – and for good reason. Everyone wants to step inside, but few get the chance. Book your tour of the Borghese Gallery today and you can be among the lucky few. Simply turn up on time, and we’ll take care of the rest.
After meeting the rest of the tour group in the lush surroundings of Villa Borghese park, you and your expert art-historian guide will make your way into the gallery. This 17th-century villa is home to countless works of priceless art and is named after a passionate and wealthy cardinal, Scipione Borghese.
As an art enthusiast and nephew to the Pope himself, Borghese was known for going above and beyond to make sure he could own and display the masterpieces that caught his eye. You’ll have the chance to learn everything there is to know about the Cardinal, from how he hosted extravagant parties to the infamous threats he made to artists worldwide in an attempt to take their art for his own.
Unlike some of the other museums in Rome, the Borghese Gallery only allows a certain number of visitors at a time. Not only does that make for a more exclusive experience, but it also gives you the peace and quiet you need to really absorb the sheer beauty of its art.
Bernini’s sculpture of Apollo and Daphne and Raphael’s sensual depiction of La Fornarina are just a few of the masterpieces you’ll have the honour of seeing during this leisurely, private tour.
Book your spot now to avoid disappointment, skip the lines, and immerse in Roman history with Carpe Diem.
5(270)
Descend into the depths of the Colosseum Underground and follow in the footsteps of gladiators and emperors. The area beneath the Colosseum is closed to the general public. But our Colosseum underground tour can get you exclusive access.
Step straight inside the amphitheatre, onto its arena floor, and down into the dark underbelly of the Colosseum. What’s more, as well as touring the Colosseum, we’ll be visiting the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum to discover where Rome’s history began.
Your storyteller guide will walk you and a small group of like-minded travellers through the rich history of the world’s most iconic amphitheatre. Discover which animals the Romans caged beneath the Colosseum and how they winched them up onto the arena sands. Recreate the architectural ingenuity of the Colosseum’s hypogeum (underground chamber) and retractable arena floor.
Emerging from the Colosseum Underground, we’ll climb the amphitheatre’s original steps, following in the footsteps of its ancient spectators as we make our way up to the Colosseum’s upper-tiers. Here you’ll hear all about the social status of its spectators, discover the gory details of ancient entertainment, and geek out on the gladiatorial fights and performances that thrilled the Colosseum’s crowds.
Once outside the Colosseum, we’ll cross the ancient cobbles, passing the triumphal Arch of Constantine and climbing the Palatine Hill. Home to the sprawling ruins of Rome’s imperial palaces, the Palatine is the most picturesque of Rome’s Seven Hills.
It was here where Romulus founded the city in the 8th century BC and here where Rome’s rich and famous settled throughout the Republic and Empire. Take in the Palatine’s sweeping views of the Circus Maximus, Roman Forum, and Colosseum as we explore the ruins of the emperors’ luxurious palaces.
At the end of the tour, we’ll make our way down the Palatine Hill into the Roman Forum. Starting off as swampland between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, this area was drained by Rome’s Etruscan kings, becoming the bustling hub of the ancient city.
Its temples, basilicas, military monuments, and residences were Rome’s main areas of activity (as most ancient Romans spent as little time at home as possible!) Your expert guide will be at hand the whole time to answer all your questions to make sure you get the most out of this exclusive tour of ancient Rome.
Our pace is comfortable and leisurely, which means that our Colosseum Underground Tour is appropriate for guests of all ages and fitness levels. The tour lasts about 3 hours, giving you more than enough time to explore.
Spaces fill up fast, so be sure to book as soon as you can!
5(635)
Experience the Vatican like never before with an exclusive private tour, designed for those who want a deeper, more intimate journey through history, faith, and art. With a personal guide, explore the Vatican’s most breathtaking landmarks at your own pace, without the distractions of a larger group.
2025 marks the Holy Year of Jubilee, a once-in-50-years event that makes this the perfect time to visit. Your expert guide will tailor the experience to your interests as you follow in the footsteps of pilgrims who have come to Rome seeking spiritual enlightenment for centuries.
Marvel at the grandeur of Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, stroll through the iconic Piazza Navona, and uncover the secrets of Castel Sant’Angelo, once a fortress, papal refuge, and prison. Throughout the tour, you’ll gain a profound understanding of how faith and power have shaped Rome’s history.
Your journey concludes at Piazza Pia, offering a stunning view of Saint Peter’s Basilica and its Holy Door, a sacred gateway opened only during the Jubilee. From here, you decide what comes next—step through the Holy Door, explore St. Peter’s Basilica, or take a moment to reflect on the timeless legacy of Catholicism.
Whether you seek a spiritual experience or simply a deeper dive into the Vatican’s incredible past, this private tour offers an unparalleled way to witness the Eternal City.
5(202)
Take your Roman adventure to the next level with our semi-private tour of the Ancient City! With a small group of just 6 people, you’ll enjoy more personal attention from your guide as you explore the legendary Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. This means more chances to ask questions, deeper dives into history, and the opportunity to truly engage with both your guide and your fellow explorers.
What are the holes that pockmark the ancient amphitheatre? Why is one side shorter than the other? And how much do we really know about the gladiators—and even emperors—who battled on the arena sands? (We promise the answers will surprise you!)
After exploring the Colosseum, we’ll climb the Palatine Hill to discover the birthplace of the ancient city. Here, your storyteller guide will recount the mythical foundation of Rome, the legend of Romulus and Remus, and the stories of the emperors who resided on the Palatine, like Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula. Next, we’ll explore the ruins of some of the most luxurious palaces in Roman history, the emperor’s residences on the Palatine Hill, from which we get our word ‘palace.’
Last but not least, we’ll head into the Roman Forum, the heart of the ancient city. Discover what life was really like for everyday Romans as we explore the social, religious, and political hub of the Roman Empire. Marvel at the remains of towering temples, triumphal arches, sprawling basilicas, and the ancient senate house as you walk on the very same stones that the likes of Caesar and Cicero once did.
Prepare for a unique, unforgettable journey through Rome’s most famous landmarks with a small, friendly group that lets you explore at your own pace.
5(452)