Duration : 5 Hours
On this private 5-hour excursion to Tivoli from
Rome you can choose either Hadrian’s Villa or Villa d’Este as your intriguing
destination.
Features of this day trip to Tivoli (Hadrian’s Villa or Villa d’Este) from Rome:
Tivoli is a very ancient place, its origins going back hundreds of years before the founding of Rome. There are a great many legends surrounding its roots.
Thanks to its beautiful location with views of the Roman countryside, Tivoli was a favourite place in Roman times for summer residences of emperors, patricians and noble families. Hadrian’s Villa attests to the glory of the Roman Empire at its height.
In Renaissance times the construction of splendid summer homes continued, this time by Cardinal d’Este, one of the greatest patrons of the arts in the 16th Century.
HADRIAN’S VILLA
If you have a keen interest in the ancient Roman world, Hadrian's Villa would be the thing to visit.
Commissioned by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, the complex of Hadrian’s Villa draws from the architectural styles of Egypt, Greece and Rome Hadrian, Rome’s most enlightened emperor explicitly commissioned certain elements of the property to recall places that had impressed him on his travels.
The property in its day was vast, encompassing some 300 acres and including baths, temples, barracks, theatres, gardens, fountains and nymphaeums (originally grottos dedicated to nymphs, that evolved into decorative niche fountains for recreational purposes).
Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
VILLA D’ESTE
If you are a lover of historical dwellings and landscape gardens, then look no further than the magnificent Renaissance gardens and villa of Cardinal d'Este.
The expansive gardens of Villa d’Este are perhaps the best known in all of Italy. There are so many captivating fountains, each one with its own particular function and decoration, you could very well get lost as you wander.
The project was conceived by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este in the mid-16th Century. As Governor of Tivoli, he began nurturing the idea of a property to rival anything built by the Romans. (In fact, marble and statuary from Hadrian’s Villa came to be used in the construction of Villa d’Este.) The gardens were a feat of brilliant design and engineering that also involved diverting the Aniene river to provide water for the fountains.
In the villa, many of the rooms have been restored to their original splendour. As you pass from room to room you will be presented with expanses of frescoes depicting all manner of legends in vibrant colour and detail. The decoration of the villa was carried out under various Mannerist masters.
Villa d'Este remains a remarkable example of Renaissance culture, taking visitors on a magical journey into a “garden of wonders” to which very few can compare.
Villa d’Este is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
NOT INCLUDED
1. Is this tour private?
The tour is private, just for your party.
2. Is the driver also a guide?
Our English-speaking drivers are NOT licensed guides. In order to provide you with the best-in-class service, our English-speaking driving guides have been trained to offer our clients a nice overview with information regarding the major highlights avoiding the expensive charges of hiring a private guide. Due to strict Italian laws & regulations that protect officially licensed guides, our driving guides can comment and explain the sights only from inside the vehicle but are not allowed to do so once they are outside the vehicle. They are regularly licensed instead to chauffeur the public. We highly recommend that you never book with any touring company that does not make this clear.
3. Does the driver go with us inside the monuments?
No, only a licensed guide is authorized to accompany you during the visit of sights. Our driver will drop you off close to the sights but will stay with the vehicle for the duration of your visit.
4. Does this tour include lunch and admission fees to sites?
No tickets or lunch are included in the rate. Please contact our office for pricing and reservations.
5. Does it include a guide?
No guide is included in the rate. Audio guides are available when you purchase the tickets, but if you would like to have a private guide, please contact our office for pricing and reservations.
6. Do we visit both Villas?
In the itinerary we have included the visit of only one villa of your choice. Villa d'Este is the more popular, but if you have a keen interest in the ancient Roman world, you may choose Hadrian's villa instead.
7. What is the duration of the tour? Can we extend the time upfront with the driver?
The duration of this service is 5 hours, including pickup and drop off at your hotel in Rome. If you would like to add extra hours to your tour, please contact our office so that we can check the driver's availability and advise the cost.
8. Is gratuity included in the price?
Tips are never included in our quotes. We think that a tip shouldn’t be included in the rate otherwise it would be a tax!!! Once in Italy do not feel as though you have to tip everyone because someone told you to. Tip only if you really liked the service. Tips are generally: 10% not bad 15 % great 20 % best tour in my life. Please report any abuse.
There will be a full charge for bookings canceled with less than 72-hour notice for any service required. In this case, a full charge will be made on your credit card. If you miss your flight or if your airline decides to cancel the flight due to bad weather or if your flight is directed to another airport on arrival, please advise us on time (as soon as you know) or a full charge will be made.
Please give us enough time so we can accept other reservations and allocate them to our chauffeurs. If the ship does not make it to the pier for bad weather, you will not be considered responsible so NO CHARGE will be made to your credit card. A full charge will be made for a no-show-up.
Only pre-purchased skip-the-line tickets (if requested) are not refundable under the circumstance and will be charged to your card.
Transfer Services activated.