I went to Rome last week and The Forum was so amazing - was just like actually being in Ancient Rome. There is an amazing view as you enter through Arch of Titus - it just leaves you standing in awe. Although the buildings are ruins, the site is so much more than a few bricks on the ground: it fees like you can actually see where the Roman’s lived. It is astonishing how all this has survived. It feels like the ancient Romans just left it one day: you almost expect to see a Roman walking through, just going about their day! It is great just to sit and imagine what it was like. There is not much written information, so to visit with (an audio) guide is good: they will tell you the stories as you wonder around. - Victoria Badger
Discover the Forum in Rome for yourself and skip the queues by booking a tour in Rome ahead.
Victoria receives an isango! gift-voucher for her tip - For a chance to receive a voucher, send us your Travel Tip at competition@isango.com with Travel Tip in the subject line.
This tour is the best way to see the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s. Our wonderful tour guide, Francesca, was a wealth of knowledge and her passion bought Rome’s history to life. If you are lucky enough to get Francesca as your tour guide you are in for a fantastic experience.
Janine, Australia
Janine booked: Vatican Walking Tour
This was the 1st of our European organised tours and what a high standard we started with! Francesca, our tour guide, was exceptional. Her knowledge and per trail of past events bought everything to life. It was a fabulous tour and we highly recommend it
Janine, Australia
Janine booked: Ancient Rome Walking Tour
As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Known for its expansive roads, ancient edifices, and religious importance, Rome is a metropolis of history and wonder waiting to be discovered. Because there is an endless array of things to do in Rome and a charming surprise down every cobblestoned street, making sure you see it all on your own is quite a difficult task. Rome sightseeing is best done by bus, boat, bicycle, or vespa, as such vehicles enable you to see and experience Rome’s gems in all their glory, without wasting too much time. continue reading
If you’ve missed the introduction to this series, click here. For part 2, click here. For part 3, click here.
Colosseum - David Paul Ohmer
The Times calls Rome a destination that “revolves around activities not passivities”, which makes it the perfect destination for one intent on perambulation. “The Italian spirit makes dining round-table, rough n tumble sport, hugging and kissing in the piazza, all as natural as laughing”, essentially, if you’re going to go to Rome, embrace it, the Italian way. continue reading
If you love Dan Brown’s suspenseful tales, heavily peppered with intriguing clues, you’ll be looking forward to the film Angels and Demons, set in and around The Vatican in Rome and based on Brown’s thriller of the same name.
Opening at a multiplex near you in the second week of May, the film stars Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, the expert in religious symbols who was the main character in The Da Vinci Code.
With sinister secret societies and overtones of evil in historic places, the story is trademark Dan Brown. Summoned to investigate the murder of a Vatican cardinal, whose corpse was branded with a mysterious mark, Langdon and his scientist colleague, Vittoria Vetra, uncover a centuries-old vendetta and a plot to destroy the Vatican. continue reading
People with an interest in ancient history should fit a visit to the Fori Imperiali complex into their Rome tours this year to learn about one of the leaders of the city’s ancient empire.
An exhibition exploring the rule of the Roman emperor Vespasianus will be open throughout 2009 and up to January 10th next year.
The display was launched to mark the 2,000th anniversary of Vespasianus’ birth and pay tribute to an emperor who is often overshadowed by the likes of Nero and Augustus.
Vespasianus played an important part in the development of the Roman empire, modifying the structure of its politics and its government.
Visitors to Rome will also be able to go on a journey back into its eventful history at an exhibition dedicated to Fra Angelico at the Musei Capitolini, which will be open until July 5th.
The showcase includes many pieces that have never been exhibited before and offers a fascinating introduction to one of the most important painters of the early Renaissance period.
Rome – Visit some of the ancient landmarks such as the Colosseum or tour the opulent Vatican.
People taking Rome tours in late May and early June this year will be in the city as it hosts Letterature, its international literature festival.
This event is traditionally held from mid-May to mid-June in the Basilica di Massenzio in the Italian capital.
While entrance is free, visitors still have to present a token to get in which, according to events website whatsonwhen.com, can be picked up at the box office at Via dei Fori Imperiali.
The festival sees successful authors from all over the world visit Rome to present and discuss their work, including pieces that have been produced specifically for the event.
In past years, the cultural celebration has included participation by the likes of Nick Hornby, Jeffery Deaver, VS Naipaul, Gore Vidal and Salman Rushdie.
Visitors will take part in various talks and readings, many of which will be accompanied by live music.
Rome boasts many other attractions and institutions that will interest people who want to take in some culture and history, including the Capitoline and Villa Borghese museums.
Rome – Visit some of the ancient landmarks such as the Colosseum or tour the opulent Vatican.
Rome tours will include some musical entertainment for many visitors later this year when the city hosts a gig by British electro rockers Depeche Mode.
To support the release of their new album Sounds of the Universe, the band will be embarking on a tour that will get underway in Luxembourg on May 6th and visit the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on June 16th.
There will be plenty of other destinations on the extensive tour, including London (May 30th), Berlin (June 10th), Paris (June 27th), Seville (July 12th) and New York (August 3rd, 4th).
Sounds of the Universe, Depeche Mode’s first album since 2005’s Playing the Angel, will be released on April 20th.
The band have enjoyed several number one hits around the world during a career spanning almost two decades, including Ultra and Songs of Faith and Devotion, both of which reached the top of the charts in the UK.
Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will also prove a popular venue with tourists on May 27th this year when it hosts the Champions League final.
Rome – Visit some of the ancient landmarks such as the Colosseum or tour the opulent Vatican.
As the home of the Vatican, it is no surprise that Easter in Italy is a major event. The celebrations vary from the intensely religious to the carefree celebrations of spring. Catholic masses are conducted by the holiest of men in the Vatican and traditions of amusement take over neighboring towns. The historic Scoppio del Carro leaves worshipers in awe. The celebrations are extremely religious but are conducted on such a scale that members of any school of thought will enjoy them. Italy at Easter time is a spectacle and a dream but there is no Easter bunny in Italy, so don’t expect to be greeted by a sugar-covered chocolate marshmallows when you land.
Easter Sunday, a Day of Celebration
Pasqua, the Italian Easter, sees the people of Italy escape out of doors and enjoy the spring sunshine. People parade the streets holding large statues of Mary or Jesus before them in reverence. Catholic priests travel from home to shop to home offering blessings for good luck. In St. Peter’s Basilica the Pope says a special mass. An average of 100,000 people turn up for this even every year covering the earth beneath the Pope’s balcony. The night before the Pope baptises adults newly converted to Catholicism and calls the word to peace. continue reading
Find amazing experiences 