Your driver will be waiting for you dockside at the prearranged time that you decide to start your shore excursion in Civitavecchia. Driving straight into the centre of Rome you'll meet one of our expert local guides at the Colosseum where you'll enjoy a fascinating walking tour that features the Ancient Forum, Colosseum and Constantine 's arch. First, enter the evocative ruins of the Roman Forum and while walking around the remains of the imposing ancient buildings you will listen to its history peppered with anecdotes about the structure of Roman society, their beliefs, their social and political life. Learn how the Romans managed to create and control such a vast territory and how that empire declined. Then, avoiding the lines to get in to the Colosseum, you'll visit the imposing arena and relive the days of Ancient Rome! Enjoy a thorough tour of the building through which you'll learn about the inner workings of the Colosseum and the special effects and showmanship of the ferocious games played there, the role the Colosseum had in Roman society and what it meant to a Roman to attend these games. We'll discuss about all the different kind of games held in the amphitheatre. Following the walk of Ancient Rome, you will be driven across the city centre of Rome to visit the Vatican museum and St. Peters church. a guided tour of one of the largest art collections of the world, spanning from Roman, Etruscan and Egyptian antiquities to contemporary art. Learn about the famous Popes of Rome, their love for art, their election known as conclave, their glamorous lives in one of the most enlightened periods in Italian history, the Renaissance. We'll discuss the lives of great artists who worked at the Vatican , such as Raphael & Michelangelo, and interpret together their masterpieces. At the Sistine chapel we will allow as much time as possible to fully appreciate Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes. After focusing on the highlights of the Vatican Museums, we emerge in the vast openness of St. Peter's Basilica and Square: an immense area that houses many other precious works including the breathtaking Pieta' by Michelangelo, and Bernini's papal canopy. You will hear the story of the life of Saint Peter and how this simple fisherman became Jesus'sapostle and first Pope of the Christianity. Saint Peter was martyred and buried on the site of the where St, Paters Church was built and his tomb is the focal point of the basilica. The tour will finish in St. Peter's Square where some of the most important papal ceremonies take place. Then, you could drive up to one of the famous seven-hills of Rome for an aperitif and splendid views of the city before returning to your cruise ship. | 
