This day trip is designed for those who wish to enjoy Villa D’Este and the highlights of Castel Gandolfo.

Your day will begin with a drive up to Tivoli, where you will find Villa D’Este, the renaissance summer estate known for its exquisitely manicured gardens, fountains and highly praised fresco paintings. When you have completed all of your sightseeing here, you will be driven to Castel Gandolfo.

Castel Gandolfo is home to the Pope’s summer residence which overlooks the volcanic lake. Those who visit in the summer months may have the opportunity to take part in either the Pope’s Papal Audience on Wednesday, or his Public Blessing on Sundays. The duration of your afternoon will be spent sightseeing here before your return to Rome.

**If you like, you can enjoy Wine Tasting in the Cantine Pagnanelli, a family owned restaurant since 1882. A part from tasting the local wines and Spumante (Italian Sparkling Wine) you will also enjoy a small sample of the local products for as little as Euros 25 per person. Please indicate when booking if you wish to chose this option.
Please Note: Wine tastings and tours of the individual wineries are not included in our fees**

Tickets to Villa D’Este can be bought on location and are Euros 8 per person. Ticket fee may vary during special exhibitions. Children under 18 have free admission provided they carry a valid ID. For more info on tickets and opening hours please check the following link http://www.villadestetivoli.info/infoe.htm

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This day trip is designed for those who wish to learn how to make their own pasta dishes the Italian way! But also enjoy the highlights of Castel Gandolfo & Frascati.

The Cooking Lesson takes place at the Ristorante Pagnanelli, a family owned restaurant since 1882, located in Castel Gandolfo. The specialize in fresh local product essential to the real Italian Cuisine.

The lesson is carried out by one of their professional chefs and lasts about 1 hour and a half. During the lesson you will learn how to make the famous handmade fettuccine, gnocchetti and ravioli. Three typical fresh homemade pasta types that are quite different from the “already made” kind you buy at the store.

Of course you will also learn how to make the right sauce to add to your homemade pasta! The sauce will be “alla Papalina” (the Pope’s) for the fettuccine, mushrooms and zucchini for the gnocchetti and tomato and basil for the ravioli.

The Cooking Lesson is suggested at 10:30 am to make the best of your day. You will enjoy some of the highlights of Castel Gandolfo before the cooking lesson and after lunch head on to Frascati, where you will spend the rest of the afternoon.

Frascati is probably the most famous town in the Castelli Romani area. Once we have reached the main square, you will be greeted by the sight of by Villa Aldobrandini, an imposing 1500s Villa which dominates the town, hovering above the main square. The Villa is not opened to the public since it is a private Villa, still owned by the Aldobrandini family.

Another characteristic of the main square is the spectacular view of Rome, which you can enjoy from the “Belevedere” walk opposite the Villa. Enjoy a nice stroll through Frascati’s narrow streets and alleyways, filled with shops and nice ice-cream parlors. Make sure to get yours! Don’t forget to enter the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle, in the towns second largest square, nor to stroll to Piazza San Rocco, where the Bishop of Frascati has his residence. After your visit to the town it will be time to head back to your hotel in Rome.

**The Cooking Lesson fee is not included in our fares and varies according to number of participants. Please find details below.**

Euros 80 per person between 6 and 8 participants
Euros 100 per person between 4 and 5 participants
Euros 150 per person between 2 and 3 participants
Euros 350 per person for 1 participant

If you wish to enjoy a nice light lunch at Pagnanelli’s after the cooking lesson, which includes a starter of local typical products, a first course with the three kinds of pasta you have learned, dessert and wine, please consider an extra Euros 35 per person.

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This day trip is designed for those who wish to enjoy the highlights of FRASCATI and CASTEL GANDOLFO.

Your day will begin with a drive up to Frascati, just a few kilometers from Rome, where you will spend the duration of the morning, exploring this lovely town before heading to Castel Gandolfo. Both towns are part of the area known as the Roman Castles.

Once we have reached the main square, you will be greeted by the sight of by Villa Aldobrandini, an imposing 1500s Villa which dominates the town, hovering above the main square. The Villa is not opened to the public since it is a private Villa, still owned by the Aldobrandini family.

From this point you will explore the town on foot since the historical center is quite small and partially closed to traffic. Enjoy a nice stroll through Frascati’s narrow streets and alleyways, filled with shops and nice ice-cream parlors. Make sure to get yours! Don’t forget to enter the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle, in the towns second largest square, nor to stroll to Piazza San Rocco, where the Bishop of Frascati has his residence.

It will be now time to head to Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope’s summer residence overlooks the volcanic lake. Those who visit in the summer months may have the opportunity to take part in either the Pope’s Papal Audience on Wednesday, or his Public Blessing on Sundays. The duration of your afternoon will be spent sightseeing here before your return to Rome.

**If you like, you can enjoy Wine Tasting in the Cantine Pagnanelli, a family owned restaurant since 1882. A part from tasting the local wines and Spumante (Italian Sparkling Wine) you will also enjoy a small sample of the local products for as little as Euros 25 per person. Please indicate when booking if you wish to chose this option.
Please Note: Wine tastings and tours of the individual wineries are not included in our fees**

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This tour is designed for those who wish to enjoy a relaxed day in the countryside and towns around Rome, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Just a short drive from Rome lies the lake of Bracciano, a beautiful volcanic lake surrounded by quaint towns. Upon arrival in the town of Bracciano you can enjoy a nice stroll in the center, admiring its many little shops and tasting some of the local products, like cheese and ham or gelato, but also the local wine.
You simply can’t miss the impressive Orsini Odescalchi Castle built at the end of the 15th century, which overlooks the lake.

A visit inside will surely make your day! The Castle is open every day except for national or religious holidays.Opening hours are from 10 am to sunset.

Closing dates are: January 1st to 6th, Easter Sunday and Monday, April 14th, May 1st, June 2nd, Agust 15th, November 1st, December 8th to 26th.

You can find detailed info on hours, days and fees and booking procedure by following this link http://www.odescalchi.it/#!/info-museo-castello-roma .

After you have enjoyed a nice lunch in one of the family owned restaurants in Bracciano it will be time to move on to Calcata. This picturesque village is perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the valley. Once you have entered the gateway it is easy to imagine the village’s past as a walled citadel! Don’t forget to visit the village’s only church where the sacred relic of the foreskin of Jesus was once supposed to be housed, but now mysteriously vanished!

It will now be time to head back to your hotel in Rome. Your driver will be waiting to drive you safely and comfortably to your destination.

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Ostia and Cervetri

This day excursion is designed for those who wish to go back in to the ancient times by visiting Ostia, an ancient Rome city and Cerveteri, one of the most important Etruscan sites in the world.

Not too far from Rome, in the countryside of the city lay Ancient town of Ostia. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel in Rome and you will spend the first half of the day exploring the beautifully preserved 2nd century ruins of the once thriving Ancient Osita with one of our personal private licensed guides. This marvelously preserved site presents Roman life at the time of the Caesars. From bars and bathrooms to boarding houses and brothels, Ostia illustrates how the noble and the normal citizens lived, functioned and interacted in this Roman port city. You will spend the duration of your morning here, sightseeing on foot before you head off to lunch and before getting to Cerveteri, where one of the best preserved Etruscan tombs still remaining in the world, before you are returned back to your hotel

Also please note that we may change the order of the itinerary at our discretion.

Rate includes guided tour of Ancient Ostia for apprx 2 Hours.

Please note that the both Ostia and the Etruscan tombs are closed on Mondays.

All rates are quoted in the Euro and are only payable in the Euro currency, including Traveler’s Cheques, at the end of the services.
Rates include the use of our luxury vehicles, English speaking driver to and from your hotel in Rome.
Lunch, gratuities, or entrance fees to the sites are not included.
Also please note that we may change the order of the itinerary at our discretion.

City Museums and historical sites are free first Sunday of the month so please note that there will be lines and crowds since tickets cannot be pre booked.

This day is created for those who wish to see a different side of the Tuscany, beyond Siena and Chianti, there are the small towns of Arezzo and Cortona. You will be greeted at your hotel and will make your way through the Tuscan countryside to the town of Arezzo, which was already one of the strongest and richest of the Etruscan towns. Numerous and important archaeological finds in the area show the splendor of the Etruscan art. You can visit the the cathedral, a large Gothic construction that dominates the city. A walk through the town to see its small roads and alleys to the main square, Piazza Grande, which is the most famous site in the town. This is magnificent towns has been in the background of many film sets such as the La Vita e Bella by Roberto Benigni.

After spending the morning there, your driver will take you to another small town, Cortona, one of the oldest towns in Tuscany and with it’s history make it one of the most fascinating and characteristic of Italian towns. Here you will spend duration of the afternoon seeing the main church, the main squares to experience the warmth of Tuscany and enjoy the day Under the Tuscan sun before heading back to Rome.

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Alternative Tuscany

This day excursion is designed for those who wish to enjoy a different side of TUSCANY and a relaxing day in the countryside.

You will be greeted at your hotel in Rome and continue on to the town of Pitigliano where you can enjoy one of the hidden and most interesting small towns in Tuscany. A stunning medieval village dramatically positioned on a tufa ridge with rich Etruscan heritage. You can visit the underground tunnels and caves beneath the city that have been in use since Etruscan times when the cliff was dotted with tombs. You have the morning here to explore the town and have lunch if you wish.

Then the afternoon you will be visiting Sorano, a beautiful and characteristic medieval village in the hidden part of Tuscany, surrounded by nature attracts thousands of visitors. You have the rest of the day here before heading back to your hotel in Rome.

It is our pleasure to organize personalized wine tastings and tours. Please indicate at time of booking, if you have any special requests. Also, please note that wine tastings and tours of the individual wineries are not included in our fees.

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Subiaco and Anagni

This day trip is to discover the peaceful countryside of Rome and visit the spiritual town and Monastery of Subiaco and the old village of Anagni, the city of the Popes.

Your driver will meet you in the morning at your hotel in Rome and will take you directly to Subiaco where you can spend part of the morning visit the famous monastery of St Benedict. The Saint reached the Aniene river valley, spending more then 3 years forming 12 monasteries but only one of them survived and it was dedicated to the Saint’s sister, Santa Scolastica which eventually dug and modeled by his followers, becoming a complicated system of grottoes, caves, chapels and churches, whose walls were completely fresco-ed during the medieval times. Today this monastery is an important cultural and spiritual center. You can visit the main church which is the beautiful Neoclassical structure with its medieval tower-bell and its amazing Gothic facade and visit the cave where the saint spend years in meditation and pray.

Next your driver will take you through the countryside to the town of Anagni, so called the city of the Popes, which is the birthplace of 4 Popes from the medieval times. Built on the slops of Latium hills, Anagni was the seat of an important Catholic diocese with the most important cathedral originally built in the 9th century and become one of the favorite residences of the popes through the centuries. You have the afternoon to explore the city of the Popes, walk the narrow roads of the town, see the important cathedral before heading back to Rome.

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Siena and San Gimignano

This day trip is designed for those who wish to enjoy a day visiting the region of TUSCANY and learning about wine.
Your English speaking driver will pick you up from your hotel in Rome and escort you to the heart of Tuscany where the most famous city of Siena is located. Your morning would be spend here, exploring it and visiting the main square, Piazza del Campo, the home of the Palio delle Contrade, the famous horse races that occur twice a year, following a visit to the Duomo.
From here a drive to one of the local wineries in the heart of Chianti region, Torciano winery, where you can visit their wine cellar, try their own made olive oil and their impressive Balsamic Vinegar that has aged for 30-years. Of course with a light lunch you will try 4 different bottles of wine and 2 wine dessert which is made by them as well.
After lunch you will make your way to the charming town of San Gimignano with all it’s towers, is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena important for its time and now one of the most visited towns in Tuscany. You have the afternoon here to explore its alleyways and small squares, shop for some of the typical Tuscan delicacies before heading back to Rome.

* Price for wine tasting, and light Tuscan lunch – Euro 45 per person

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