Day Tour: The Roman Empire Now and Then, Rome, Italy

The beautiful Piazza Farnese is the starting point for your tour of Rome - the piazza is home to the French embassy, housed in a building designed by Michaelangelo. We'll head to the neighbouring Campo de’ Fiori, Rome's only square without a church, home instead to a celebrated food market, where you'll still be able to mingle with locals as they haggle for delicious fresh produce. We'll visit a bakery where you can try some of the best pizza rossa (with tomato and mozzarella) in the Italian capital, plus may other kinds of bread, freshly baked and still warm from the oven. Next, we leave the crowds behind and head to Piazza Mattei to see the Turtle Fountain and enjoy its bustling atmosphere - the youth of Rome spill out of the nearby bars.

Our next stop is the Jewish ghetto, home to numerous kosher restaurants and shops - you'll discover how the area was affected during the war and see the synagogue. Close by is the Marcellus Theatre, an ancient Roman theatre that was incorporated into Renaissance buildings, now converted into homes despite being thousands of years old. A short walk away is the Capitoline hill, crowned by a square designed by Michelangelo and home to a striking statue of Marcus Aurelius - from the terrace on the other side you'll get stunning views over the Roman Forum.

We'll cross to the nearby Piazza Venezia, which is home to Il Vittoriano, a colossal monument to King Vittorio Emanuele II, referred to by locals as “the typewriter” due to its unusual shape. This is the starting point of the Via dei Fori Imperiali, which as we walk down offers views of some of Rome’s greatest archaeological sites, including the market of Trajan and the Forum of Augustus. The last stop on the tour is the Colosseum, perhaps Rome’s most famous symbol and landmark - we'll also have chance to take a look at the Arch of Constantine, in front of the Colosseum. After the end of the tour, it's definitely worth entering the Colosseum to explore its interior.