Compare Roaming Rome: The City of the Seven Hills by Road Scholar

Day 1 In Transit to Program In Flight

Day 2 Arrive Rome, Orientation, Welcome Dinner, Neighborhood Walk Rome

Hotel check in from 2:00 p.m.

Meet in the hotel lobby at 4:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead us to the hotel meeting room for group introductions and to review the up-to-date program schedule. The Orientation session will cover roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Program-related transportation will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Unless indicated otherwise, meals will be served by masked wait staff. Breakfast will be a buffet, while lunches and dinners will be set meals. Water is included with all meals; other beverages such as wine, tea, and coffee will be available for purchase; some dinners will have a glass of wine included. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. After a short break we will then set out with our Group Leader on a brief neighborhood walk to identify the location of ATMs, pharmacies, grocery stores, ending at our dinner restaurant.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At a local restaurant. Walk back to the hotel.

Day 3 Ancient Rome, Forum and Colosseum Rome

Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day. In the Roman Forum the terrain is uneven, has inclines, some gravel or dirt paths and unavoidable steps. Uneven pavement in the Colosseum; there is an elevator to the upper level for those who find the steep narrow steps too great a challenge.

We will ride the metro to the Roman Forum, the civic, religious and political hub of ancient Rome. Our expert will build mental pictures of the walls now lacking from the foundations. We will see the two remaining triumphal arches of Septemius Severus and Titus. The Arch of Constantine contains friezes and bas-relief sculptures recycled from other arches and monuments. Next, we will walk to the Colosseum. Officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater, the Colosseum was the greatest in the Roman empire. It measured 620 by 513 feet (190 by 155 meters) and could hold more than 50,000 spectators. Architects and researchers are still not sure how the many wonders that have been described by eye witness accounts were actually managed. Historical records, as well as popular culture in our time, have made it an iconic symbol of gladiatorial combat and the sacrifice of untold numbers of slaves, prisoners of war, condemned criminals, and animals from throughout the empire. Short walk to the Piazza del Colosseo.

After lunch, we will ride the metro back to the hotel. Later in the afternoon we will gather in the hotel meeting room for an illustrated lecture by a local expert on the history of ancient Rome from its origin as a small village to its supremacy that lasted nearly 1,000 years.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will walk to a restaurant near the Colosseum for lunch.

On your own.

Day 4 Renaissance Influencers, Trevi, Charming Trastevere Rome

Getting on/off coach, tram or vans. Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day on inclined road and uneven urban sidewalks paved in stone or cobblestone. Extended standing in the museums.

We'll walk through the Monti neighborhood to Palazzo Colonna for an expert-led visit of the 14th century palatial home of an aristocratic Roman family. The grand hall and gallery have magnificent paintings and furniture. After the visit we will walk to Piazza di Trevi to admire the magnificent Fountain of Trevi adorned with mythical figures in pure white marble.

At the appointed time and meeting place, with our Group Leader we will board vans to the Villa Borghese for our reserved entrance to the Gallery. The highlight of the collection is the set of marble statues by young Gianlorenzo Bernini and paintings by Botticelli, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio. At the conclusion of the visit we will board vans back to the hotel.

Transportation back to the hotel.

At the hotel.

On your own.

Late afternoon we'll walk to Piazza Venezia and board the tram to the Trastevere neighborhood on the other bank of the Tiber River. We'll enjoy dinner at a characteristic pizzeria, sampling a typical Roman appetizer and choosing our own pizzas.

Day 5 Jewish Quarter Rome

Getting on/off metro or van. Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day.

We will board a coach to a gate that leads to the Jewish Quarter where we'll meet a local expert who will lead our field trip in what was the Jewish Ghetto from the 16th to 19th centuries. Rome had a Jewish population since before the Diaspora, but the ghetto was a creation of the pope in 1555 during the Catholic Counter Reformation. All Jews were forced to reside in an area of only seven acres in the flood zone of the Tiber River — behind a wall! — with most of their rights and privileges removed. They lived this way until the unification of Italy under a secular government in 1870, when their citizenship was restored. Today the neighborhood is vibrant and bustling. In addition to the Jewish Museum of Rome and magnificent Great Synagogue, there are excellent restaurants featuring the traditional Roman Jewish cuisine.

Free Time

At leisure.

At the hotel.

At a characteristic restaurant that features Jewish Roman Cuisine.

On your own.

Day 6 Cooking Class, Piazze Walk Rome

Getting on/off motorcoach or vans. Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day. Extended standing during the cooking lesson.

We will board a coach for Piazza Navona where we'll meet the local expert who will explain how the long oval piazza was built by the Emperor Domitian (81-96) for track and field games. The buildings lining the piazza have the footprint of the bleachers. Now the quintessential Baroque piazza, it is home to artists and performers. Nexst stop on our walk is the Pantheon, the temple-celestial observatory engineered by the Emperor Hadrian around 122 CE. The niches along the interior perimeter are illuminated by the sun at different times of the year and day through the oculus in the ceiling, the only source of natural light. We will continue cooking school in the heart of Rome where we will learn how to make a typical Italian dish and dessert.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor at the cooking school.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to choose a café, trattoria or more formal restaurant to suit your palate and budget. The group leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Day 7 Free Time, Spanish Steps Rome

Getting on/off coach, metro or van. Walking up to 5 miles over uneven cobblestones with some inclines.

Late morning we walk to the metro station with our Group Leader and ride to Piazza di Spagna.

A local expert guides our exploration of the famous square and neighborhood of Rome. At the conclusion of the field trip, some free time. Make your own way back to the hotel.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

At a local restaurant.

On your own to enjoy what you like in Rome. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 8 Modern Rome Rome

Getting on/off metro and vans. Up to 4 miles of walking on uneven city sidewalks and cobblestoned streets with some inclines.

We will gather in the hotel meeting room for a presentation by a local expert on Modern Rome.

We meet our local expert at the hotel and set out by metro and van for a discovery of Rome off the beaten path.

Evening at leisure. Prepare for check out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel.

On your own.

In a local restaurant we will share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner. Transportation back to the hotel.

Day 9 Program Concludes In Flight

Hotel check out by 11:00 a.m.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!

At the hotel depending on departure time. This concludes our program.