Meet your guide at the designated meeting point to start your informative and entertaining tour of Imperial Rome. Ride via a comfortable air-conditioned coach to Piazza Venezia learning about the history of the Roman Empire along the way. Once on the square, have a look at Il Vittoriano, the massive monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, that contemporary Romans love to hate.
Walk up to Capitoline Hill and learn about the space that Michelangelo designed. Take a minute to drink in the views here, as the hill offers stunning views in almost every direction, especially nice sight-lines of the Roman Forum.
After being dazzled by Capitoline Hill, hop back on the bus and cruise the streets of Aventine Hill, one of Rome's famed seven hills, and go by the Circus Maximus, the spot where chariot races were once held. Learn about the history of the venue and how it was big enough to hold a quarter of the city's population.
Next stop: jump up a few centuries and head to the Church of St. Peter in Chains, also known as San Pietro in Vincoli, an ancient church in the Monti neighborhood that was built to house the chains that bound St. Peter in Jerusalem. Most people today visit the church to see Michelangelo's masterpiece sculpture of Moses, which was originally meant to be a huge project: the tomb of Pope Julius II. The project was never completed but Michelangelo did complete the Moses statue and half-completed some sculptures of slaves which are on display in the church as well.
After spending some time marveling at the church interior, head over to the nearby Colosseum where you'll get skip-the-line access. Home to brutal gladiator battles, this structure is one of the most dazzling sites in Rome and from antiquity. Learn from your guide about the history of the building and how so much marble from the Colosseum was stripped to help make St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Exit the Colosseum and then the tour ends in the late afternoon.
