Italy Hotline - Roman countryside private tours: Orvieto, Tivoli, Hadrian's Villa, Villa d'Este, Villa Gregoriana, Castelli Romani

In the green outskirts of Rome awaits a wealth of artistic, historical and culinary delights Often given only a passing glance by the hurried writers of mass-market guide books, the Roman countryside provides both a quiet refuge from the intensity of Rome and a myriad of natural and architectural wonders.
Castelli Vineyards & Villages A mere thirty minute drive from the center of Rome, past the evocative ruins of the aqueducts the plain gives way to the Alban hills and their patchwork of chestnut forests and graceful vineyards. Topped by the medieval villages of the Castelli Romani, they speak of another, more ancient world. For thousands of years this area has been a refuge from the chaos of the city. Joined by scenic country roads, this network of villages make for a delightful day trip. This region so close to Rome holds an astonishing variety of history and geography. The ruins of Tusculum, once a retreat of wealthy Romans are only minutes from the papal summer palace of Castel Gandolfo. The hill top where the mighty Hannibal once camped with his Elephants is only minutes away from the crater lakes of Albano and Nemi. Your private driver and private guide will take you by Mercedes car or van for a relaxing tour of the Castelli to visit vineyards in Frascati, Marino or Genzano and tour several Castelli towns including the charming lakeside village of Nemi, home to the remains of Caligula's crater lake party boat. Each of the Castelli towns is famous for its own culinary specialties. Its natural abundance of wild boar, forest berries, chestnuts and porcini mushrooms make it much beloved by Romans as a weekend gastronomic retreat. The tour takes full advantage of this fact with a mid-day stop at an authentic Castelli trattoria chosen by your guide for its excellent cuisine. Cost of this tour is 680 Euros (including private driver)* note: Your guide will meet you at 9:00am at your hotel. Tivoli Fountains & Hadrian's Villa Hugging the hills by the source of the Aniene river, this ancient town has long been famed as a resort area for its abundant water and cooler summer climate. The delightful city center is flanked on one side by a pair of gorgeous villas. The Villa d'Este, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites is an architectural masterpiece with its elegant formal gardens and hundreds of sparkling fountains, such as the Fountain of the Dragons, the Fountain of Neptune and the Sleeping Nymph Grotto. Home to various European nobles over the centuries it has also hosted famous artists such as composer Franz Lizt. An amazing counterpoint to the stylized elegance of the Villa d'Este is the Neo-Classical Villa Gregoriana built over the falls of the Aniene river where it leaps from the Sabine hills. Nestled in a steep chasm known by the ancients as the "Valley of Hell", it was a site of ancient pagan worship. Ruins cling to its steeps sides, including the ancient Acropolis of Tivoli and Roman temples dedicated to Vesta, the Sibyl, and Tiburnus. An enchanted valley was created with the restructuring of the chasm, incorporating its wild nature with crumbling Roman ruins, serpentine trails and whimsical early 19th century architecture. Below the town proper is the greatest wonder of all, the imperial estate of Hadrian, one of Rome's most refined emperors. As a refuge to the chaos of Rome this highly cultured emperor recruited the finest architects of the day to convert a marsh into a palatial estate featuring underground passageways, several baths, theaters, a library, temples and state rooms. This ancient site is not only enormous but also in accordance with Hadrian's philosophic and artistic nature is very harmonious in design, permitting a unique view into the privileged life of the Roman emperors. Your private driver and private guide will take you by Mercedes car or van for a day-long trip to this stunning hillside town to visit Hadrian's Villa, the Villa d'Este and the Villa Gregoriana. Lunch is also a special occasion with a delicious meal at Tivoli's renowned 'Tempio della Sibilla', a gourmet restaurant built completely within the ruins of an ancient Sibylline temple. Cost of this tour is 680 Euros (with private driver)* Entrance fees (Villa d'Este, Villa Gregoriana, Hadrian's Villa)**	Duomo, Orvieto Slow food shop, Orvieto Civita di Bagnoregio Pool at Hadrian's Villa Fountains at the Villa d'Este Waterfalls of the Villa Gregoriana	Gothic Orvieto Orvieto towers over the Umbrian plain, safe upon its steep cliffs of volcanic tufo stone. Naturally protected by this amazing geography, its mysteries are still being discovered as archeologists plumb its fifty-meter deep wells, many dug in antiquity using techniques we have yet to understand. First rising to prominence with the pre-Roman Etruscans, it still proudly carries their history forth with an Etruscan emphasis on friendship, feasts and mellow wine. Home to the largest gothic cathedral in Italy, its architecture is an exquisite mix of medieval and renaissance design. As its size is completely restricted by geography, it is blessedly free of modern buildings and has a coherence rarely found in such a large town. An important economic center since Etruscan times, it boasts many artistic masterpieces, such as the frescoes in its cathedral authored by Signorelli, one of Michelangelo's most influential teachers. These frescoes with their vision of the Apocalypse and the afterlife offer powerful and haunting evocations of the unique moment in history where Europe was beginning to climb out of centuries of darkness. Your private guide will take you on a day-long tour of this magical city, touring the cathedral and its Signorelli frescoes. You'll stroll through Orvieto's many pedestrian-only streets visiting slow-food delicatessens shopping and sampling the finest local cheeses, cured meats and DOC wines as well as the fine hand-painted pottery for which Orvieto is justly famous. You'll also visit the ancient underground city with its caverns and frightfully deep wells. Lunch will be at one of Orvieto's famed slow-food restaurants where you'll find ingredients and dishes difficult or impossible to find in nearby Rome. You'll sample unique local cheeses such as "ubriachone", a wine-aged cheese, as well as cheeses aged in Etruscan caves. Umbria is also known as the green heart of Italy for its oak and chestnut covered hills, bringing wild food in abundance such as boar salami, white or black Umbrian truffles and porcini mushrooms. Afternoon takes you on a tour of Orvieto's medieval and renaissance treasures as well as a gorgeous overlook of the Tiber valley from the city's ruined fortress. Entrance fees (Signorelli frescoes, Etruscan and City museum, underground city)** Cost of this tour is 680 Euros (including private driver)* or 440 Euros (if you arrive to Orvieto by train, one hour trip on the express)* Like the sound of Umbria? We can also arrange hotel accomodations, countryside tours including Civita di Bagnoregio and culinary courses with leading chefs of the slow-food movement. Just send us an email!

**Hadrian's Villa: 6.50 Euros per person; Villa d'Este 9 Euros per person; Villa Gregoriana 4 Euros per person, Signorelli frescoes 3 Euros per person, Orvieto underground 5.50 Euros per person, Orvieto Archeological museum 4.20 Euros.

*10% discount November-March excluding major holidays (not chauffeured tours).
Prices are per tour (not per person) for up to five people. Meals, taxis and entrance fees are not included in the tour price.
If booking a chauffeured tour, please read our chauffeured tours cancellation policy.

Castelli Vineyards & Villages

Tivoli Fountains & Hadrian's Villa

Gothic Orvieto