Your LivTours’ Tivoli from Rome, is a semi-private tour taking you back in time. Your day begins in the center of Rome where you will meet your driver and top rated tour guide. As you travel through the Italian countryside, enjoy the views before arriving at Tivoli.
Your semi-private tour starts by visiting the jaw-dropping ruins of Emperor Hadrian’s villa. Built in the early part of the 2nd century as a summer retreat, this immense complex host underground service passageways that are big enough for vehicles (glimpses are still visible), along with lakes, fountains, libraries, bath houses, temples and gardens. This complex covers a large area and even armed with a map it can be tricky to navigate, so it is easy to imagine the emperor himself asking for directions!
After your visit to Hadrian’s Villa is complete, it is time to enjoy a short lunch break in the quaint little town of Tivoli, your guide will recommend somewhere local based on your personal preferences (lunch is not included in the price of the tour).
With full bellies, it is on to visit the elegant Renaissance Villa d’Este, built in the 16th century, this villa is famous for its staircase waterfalls and outstanding reception rooms with colorful frescoes and endless gardens. Designed to impress Rome’s wealthy of the 16th century, Cardinal Ippolito d’Este was commissioned by his family with the thought he would one day become Pope! You will find out if the family counted their eggs before they hatched from your expert local guide. Villa d’Este’s gardens are composed almost exclusively of water features hosting 64 water fountains, a purposely built canal system and 220 basins with no water pump in sight. You will visit the grand Fountain of the Dragons and the Hundred Fountains, as well as a miniature watery reproduction of Rome. Just as all roads lead to Rome, in this garden, all fountains lead to the Water Organ Fountain, where you can admire the beautiful water as it dances down into quiet, peaceful pools.
