Portico d'Ottavia

Enjoy an intimate food and culture tour of Rome in the evening, and see the major sights of the “Eternal City” as you feast on homemade pasta, pastries, and more. Meet your guide on Piazza Mattei in the Jewish Ghetto, and stroll off to discover ancient squares that hum with restaurants and market life. See baroque fountains and statues that strike poses before imposing architecture. Stop at 7 different tasting venues en route, including restaurants, delicatessens, and other notable sites. Go to Piazza Navona, built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian and site of a city market in the late 15th century. See some of Rome’s finest baroque architecture, and Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers). Visit the site of a medieval market at Campo de’ Fiori and admire the local atmosphere. Learn about the death of Julius Caesar at Pompey Theatre, and pass some of the most significant remains of Ancient Rome, including the Theatre of Marcellus, the Temple of Apollo, and the Portico of Octavia. Fine wine and local fare take center stage throughout, with tastings at venues loved by the locals. Discover sites the guide books don’t mention, and listen to stories of local lore. Meet people who take great pride in the quality of their produce, whether it’s pizza, pasta, or fresh vegetables prepared as they have been for generations.

Go in search of Europe's oldest Jewish community accompanied by a professional guide and learn about the fascinating and tragic history of the Jewish Ghetto in Rome. Join your guide as you stroll through the narrow lanes of the remaining parts of the old Ghetto around Portico d’Ottavia. Retrace the history of the Jewish people in the city, from ancient times to the modern-day. Hear the tragic tale of how the Roman Jews were rounded up in the Ghetto to be sent to Auschwitz and see the brass cobblestones installed as a memorial to the Holocaust victims. Learn about Roman-Jewish cuisine and take the opportunity to sample traditional foods such as fried artichokes or an authentic sour cherry cake. Finally, admire the Great Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Rome and one of the largest in Europe. End your tour in Piazza Mattei at the Turtle Fountain.

Learn about Jewish life in Rome on a private walking tour that uncovers a more hidden side to the “Eternal City,” and explore the area the Romans referred to as the Jewish Ghetto. Focused on the picturesque Trastevere and Isola Tiberina, the tour also takes in the medieval Campo de' Fiori, one of the oldest markets in the world. Meet at the archaeological site of the Largo di Torre Argentina, site of an enormous religious center of the Roman Empire, where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death, and Pompey's theater was located. Your guide will bring to life Caesar’s theatrical death, before taking you down the medieval alleways that lead to the open air market of the Campo de’ Fiori. Marvel at the beauty of the Renaissance Palazzo Farnese. Then, cross the River Tiber to Trastevere, and get lost in a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets. From the Roman Republic to the end of the Middle Ages, Trastevere was the center of the Jewish community in Rome. Your guide will tell fascinating stories about a peaceful neighborhood that becomes the center of Roman nightlife in the evening. See some of Rome’s oldest churches, including the Basilica di Santa Maria with its golden mosaics. Cross the Tiber again to Isola Tiberina, and learn some of the secrets of Rome's origins. Take a short detour to the open-air theater of the Teatro Marcello, and see what remains of the walls of the ancient temples of the Portico d'Ottavia. Once in the Jewish Ghetto, your guide will show you the modest squares and small alleyways that define the area. A hidden treasure today, it was once home to a walled community that lived under unjust conditions in tremendous poverty. See the Great Synagogue of Rome at the heart of the Ghetto. Although the tour only visits the Synagogue from the outside, it’s easily accessible if you wish to go inside after your tour. End in time for lunch in an area of exceptional restaurants. Your guide will be happy to provide recommendations of venues that serve superb Roman-Jewish kosher food before departing.

Discover the beauty of one of Rome’s most well-kept secrets, the neighborhood of the Jewish Ghetto. Meet your friendly and professional tour guide at the steps of the Campidoglio in the center of Rome and begin your journey into the history of one of Rome’s oldest neighborhoods. Explore architecture and neighborhoods from 2000 years ago. Pass by the Theater of Marcellus, and the Portico d’Ottavia to see some of the ancient structures still being used today. Your guide will take you to a Gelateria where you will be treated to homemade Kosher gelato. From here you will go to Piazza Mattei and see the famous Turtle Fountain. Then pass by the last remaining piece of the wall that kept the Jewish community in this area for centuries. You will learn about the tumultuous past and resilience of Rome’s Jews as you pass the Great Synagogue. Next, cross the oldest functioning bridge in Rome as you go onto Tiber Island. Listen to the stories about the hospital saving people during WWII as well as the story of Asclepius at the temple, now a church. Your guide will bring history to life for you as you conclude your tour here on the island.

Explore the beauty of the “Eternal City” on a full-day bike tour, either on a quality trekking bike or an electrically assisted bicycle - that makes climbing Roman hills effortless. Meet your guide close to the Colosseum for an impressive view of the mighty arena of the Roman Republic. Then, continue to the Imperial Forum to see the temples dedicated to the gods of Ancient Rome. Cycle down small alleys, admiring Renaissance and Baroque palaces and churches along the way. Your local guide will lead you to some of Rome’s hidden and most famous squares and fountains, such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and Piazza del Popolo. Learn some of Rome’s 2,000-year history as you pedal, pausing at sites such as the Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza Venezia, and Villa Borghese. Take a break for a typical Italian lunch in an authentic trattoria, along with short breaks for a historical explanation, and possibilities to take pictures. After a ride in the quaint Trastevere, pedal up Capitoline Hill for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Roman Forum and to experience one of the legendary Seven Hills of Rome. Admire Michelangelo’s urban planning on the main square of the Capitoline, and bike to the Vatican City for a view of St. Peter’s Basilica and Bernini’s graceful colonnades.

Discover Rome's Jewish ghetto or Roman ghetto established in 1555 by Pope Paul IV for the 5,000 Jews that lived in Rome at the time. The former walled quarter sits close to the river Tiber, and today, is one of the most fascinating quarters of the city. Your 3-hour Rome Trastevere Walking Tour will start in this quarter before taking you over the Tiber to the historic Trastevere neighborhood. Trastevere is a picturesque neighborhood dating back to medieval times and charming area filled with narrow winding streets, alleyways and pedestrian squares. These 2 areas are often overlooked by tourists but this intimate walking tour of these magnificent neighborhoods will take you to its top landmarks. Walking around these neighborhoods will be the best way to see all of the monuments and landmarks, as well as get a great feeling for this Bohemian area of Rome. This Rome Trastevere walking tour will start in the Jewish ghetto, where you will learn about the Jewish history and presence in Rome, which is still much visible today. Led by an experienced guide, see Jewish-owned businesses, visit kosher restaurants and, when possible, even take you to the synagogue of Rome. The Porticus Octaviae will be one of the most recognized landmarks in the ghetto, which sits in the middle of Piazza Mattei. Your guide will then take you across the river Tiber to Trastevere, which was once home to the wealthy Etruscans. Here, you will visit some of Rome’s most important churches, including Santa Cecilia, the Basilica of Santa Maria and San Francesco a Ripa and the Ponte Rotto, which is the oldest stone bridge in all of Rome. 

Stroll through the heart of Rome on a guided walking tour and discover some of the most iconic sights of Rome. Visit Navona Square, the most elegant of all Roman squares, a cosmopolitan meeting place with many outdoor cafes and seasonal fairs, where the famous Bernini’s Four Rivers Fountain stands. Discover the church of San Luigi dei Francesi that houses the world-renowned cycle of paintings by Caravaggio. See the Pantheon, the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome and one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings. Visit the Piazza Colonna with the famous Marcus Aurelius column and Trevi Fountain, the largest baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world, surely one of the icons of Rome. See the Spanish Square with its eighteenth-century atmosphere created by the ochre-colored buildings, Bernini’s fountain La Barcaccia and the magnificent and celebrated Spanish Steps that lead up to the Church of Trinità dei Monti. Off the Piazza, there are boutiques of the most famous high fashion brands.   

Explore the life and death of Julius Caesar on a 3-hour guided walking tour of Rome that relives the most important day in the city’s history; the day Caesar died! A private guide will recreate the final days of Rome's most controversial hero, leading you to the places where the story occured. Explore the complex history to understand how such a beloved leader could be so brutally betrayed and murdered by his friends and colleagues. Walk through the ancient ruins of the imperial city, from Largo Argentina to the Portico of Octavia. Then, it’s onward to the Theater of Marcellus, ending at the Roman Forum, where you will have free entrance to explore the temple ruins of Ancient Rome and bring history to life.

Explore the fascinating former Jewish Ghetto and picturesque Trastevere neighborhood of Rome on a private 3-hour tour, limited to 6 participants. Located next to the River Tiber, Rome’s Jewish neighborhood is the oldest in the western world. Rich in architecture and history, your walk follows in the footsteps of Roman citizens, starting at the archaeological site of Largo Argentina. Gaze at the foundations of the Theater of Pompeii, where Caesar was stabbed to death. Cross the Ponte Sisto to the Trastevere neighborhood, known for its narrow, cobblestone streets and cosmopolitan nightlife. In the days of the Roman Republic, it was the heart of Jewish life in Rome. Next, go to Isola Tiberina in the middle of the River Tiber, and learn how this was the site of the Jewish Ghetto in Ancient Rome. Your guide will take you to the open-air Teatro Marcello, built towards the end of the Roman Republic. Marvel at the Portico d’Ottavia, which once enclosed the temples of Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina. Finally, admire the Great Synagogue of Rome, still at the heart of Jewish life in Rome.

The Trastevere neighborhood offers a pleasant diversion from the heavily touristed historic center of Rome. It is largely residential, and characterized by narrow, cobbled streets, medieval-era structures, and a large university student population. As you explore Trastevere on this 3-hour tour you’ll find an impressive selection of restaurants, bars, and cafés that are frequented by locals. Explore the boutiques and studios for some unique gifts. Trastevere literally means beyond the Tiber, and it was originally connected to the main city of Rome by a tiny wooden bridge. Immigrants, mainly Jews and Syrians, arrived from the East and settled in the area. The center of public life in the neigbhorhood is the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, a large square outside of the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the city's oldest churches and one of the most visited in Rome. Visit the site of Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, which is located near the Tiber in an area surrounded by today's Via del Portico d'Ottavia, Lungotevere dei Cenci, Via del Progresso, and Via di Santa Maria del Pianto. In Italian, the ghetto was called Serraglio delli Ebrei, which mean the enclosure of the Jews. See the Synagogue of Rome in what is today a charming area, known for its restaurants and some of the best food in Rome.