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Ancient Rome - The essential classical art & architecture of the ‘Eternal City’
6
days
from
£3,910
Book today with a deposit of
£587
12th - 18th April 2027
Tour highlights
- A deep exploration of the most important sites, monuments and remains of the capital of the Roman Empire, from the must-sees such as the Colosseum, to little known and off-the-beaten-track gems.
- Take in the vastness of major monuments, but also hone in on the details that help bring the ancient world to life, with the expertise of archaeologist Dr Mark Grahame.
- Also includes visits outside Rome: Ostia, the well-preserved ancient port of Rome, and Tivoli, for Hadrian’s enormous villa complex.
- For a further chance to see more of the ancient world, combine this tour with 'Pompeii & Herculaneum' (19–24 April 2027).
When the Aurelian walls were built around Rome in the third century AD, the area enclosed was about ten times that of Londinium, the present-day City of London. Rome’s population at that time was around a million, a figure not surpassed by any city in the world until the early nineteenth century (by which time the world’s population had increased tenfold).
Such was the scale of ancient Rome – formidable to even a modern city-dweller – it would have been awesome, astonishing even, to most citizens and subjects of the Empire, the vast majority of whom never even approached it. The size was appropriate for the capital of an empire which stretched from Upper Egypt to the Cairngorms, and from Atlantic Africa to Babylon. As a kernel from which the Empire grew, and protagonist in myth and history, it was a spiritual home for every Roman citizen, and the fount of its civilisation.
Of course, decline and fall ensued, followed by more than a millennium of subsequent destruction and abandonment. And yet, Rome still is Ancient Rome through the very fabric of its being. The utter scale impresses the observer, but so also does the extraordinarily high level of skill in art, craft and construction, and the sophistication of a society which produced such accomplishments.
This tour will look at the visible remains of ancient Rome and bring them alive by placing them in the context of the tumultuous history and of everyday life. The sheer abundance of ancient remains visited runs the whole gamut of life in ancient Rome: from the triumphant monuments erected by its emperors, some the self-aggrandising vanity projects of their day; to the sites of games and gatherings that drew the populace together; to the quotidian places that so effectively illustrate the details of daily life – marketplaces, baths, even some remarkably preserved residential and commercial dwellings. This was a society which reached peaks of refinement and ease while also revelling in the lewd, violent and squalid; a profoundly human city.’
This tour is particularly strenuous. Please read the advice under 'Practicalities'.
Itinerary
Fly at c. 11.00am from London Heathrow to Rome (British Airways), where all six nights are spent.
Visit the Colosseum, the largest of ancient amphitheatres, and the Arch of Constantine, sculpturally the richest of triumphal arches. The Roman Forum – the civic, religious and social centre of Ancient Rome – has the remains of many structures famed throughout the Empire.
A morning walk includes the Pantheon, the most complete of Roman buildings to survive, the long-closed Mausoleo di Augusto (subject to scheduled reopening by the end of 2026) and Ara Pacis, Augustus’ monumental altar of peace. Palazzo Massimo, home to the majority of the National Roman Museum’s collection, contains wonderful Roman frescoes and stuccoes.
Drive to Tivoli for Hadrian’s Villa, extraordinarily lavish and designed by the emperor himself, drawing inspiration from the sites he saw during his travels. On returning to Rome, a walk takes in the Imperial fora, Trajan’s Column and Trajan’s Markets.
The day starts with the Domus Aurea, Nero’s vast landscaped ‘golden house’, before continuing to the Parco Archeologico del Celio, which includes the Temple of Claudius and the Case Romane del Celio, remarkable ancient dwellings now buried beneath the Basilica of Santi Giovanni & Paolo. The Museo della Forma Urbis houses the surviving fragments of the Forma Urbis Severiana, the great marble map of Ancient Rome. The afternoon is free.
The day is spent following the Appian Way –one of Rome’s earliest and most strategically important roads– culminating at the Baths of Caracalla, the best preserved of the several such complexes that emperors constructed in the capital for general enjoyment.
Drive to Ostia, the ancient port of Rome at the mouth of the Tiber. Silt led to its decline and abandonment. In the preservation of everyday details it is comparable to Pompeii – though without the crowds. Fly from Rome Fiumicino to London Heathrow, arriving at c. 8.00pm.
If combining this tour with Pompeii & Herculaneum, 19–24 April 2027, stay in Rome overnight and transfer to Naples Airport the following day.
Expert speaker
Dr Mark Grahame
Archaeologist, lecturer and Member of the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists (MCIfA). He obtained his PhD from Southampton University and his thesis on the spatial layouts of the houses of Roman Pompeii was published as a British Archaeological Report and a series of journal articles. He has coordinated an adult education programme in archaeology at the University of Southampton (2002–2011), has taught courses on the archaeology and history of the Roman Empire for Cambridge and Oxford Universities' Institutes of Continuing Education, and between 2018 and 2024, ran his own heritage consultancy, M-Arc Heritage Ltd.
More tours led by Dr Mark Grahame
Practicalities
Two sharing: £4,090 or £3,910 without flights. Single occupancy: £5,220 or £5,040 without flights.
Travel by private minibus; hotel accommodation; breakfasts; 2 lunches and 3 dinners with wine, water, coffee; all admissions; all tips for waiters, drivers and guides; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
Hotel L’Orologio, Rome: An elegant 4-star hotel located in the heart of Rome, a few steps away from Largo Argentina. Single occupancy rooms are doubles for sole use.
This is a particularly strenuous tour; there is a lot of walking, some of it over rough ground on archaeological sites. Sure-footedness is essential. The historic area is vast, and vehicular access is increasingly restricted. Minibuses are used where possibly but often areas of the city are traversed on foot. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 21 miles.
Typically between 10 and 24 participants.
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website and Travel Health Pro to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Dates & prices
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2027
Date
Speaker
Price
Date:
12th - 18th April 2027
Speaker:
Dr Mark Grahame
Price:
from £3,910
(Based on two sharing)Testimonials
“The itinerary was comprehensive and covered all elements very efficiently.
”
“The mixture of open sites plus museums was well thought out.
”
Combine with
We are happy to advise on combining this itinerary with another tour or event. Please contact us for information about linking accommodation and transport.
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