Private Golf Cart Tour of Imperial Rome with Hotel Pickup & Tasting

Piazza Venezia, the Altar of the Fatherland and Via del Corso

Most tours begin at Piazza Venezia, the busy crossroads at the centre of Rome, dominated by the white marble Altar of the Fatherland, also called the Vittoriano. Built between 1885 and 1935 to celebrate the unification of Italy, it holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded day and night, and its terraces offer one of the best free viewpoints over the ancient city. Romans nicknamed it the typewriter for its gleaming columns and steps.

From here your golf cart turns onto Via del Corso, the straight avenue of about 1.5 kilometres that has linked Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo since Roman times, when it was the Via Lata. Today it is lined with palaces, churches and shops. Your guide-driver tells the story of the street as you ride, with a short stop if you wish to see the shopfronts.

The Trevi Fountain with a local guide

The Trevi Fountain is the largest baroque fountain in Rome, about 26 metres high and almost 50 metres wide, completed in 1762 at the end point of an aqueduct that has carried water into the city since 19 BC. The central figure of Oceanus rides a shell-shaped chariot drawn by sea horses, one calm and one restless, symbols of the changing moods of the sea.

Because carts cannot enter the narrow square, a separate local guide meets you here for a walk of about 20 minutes to the fountain, explaining its sculptures and the tradition of tossing a coin over your shoulder to make sure you return to Rome. Early morning and evening are the best times to see the Trevi Fountain with fewer people around it. Nearby Largo del Tritone is where you rejoin the cart.

Piazza di Spagna, the Spanish Steps and Trinità dei Monti

The Spanish Steps, built in the 1720s, climb from Piazza di Spagna to the twin bell towers of the church of Trinità dei Monti in a sweep of curving travertine flights. At their foot lies the boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain, and the square is framed by elegant shopping streets such as Via dei Condotti. In spring the steps are decorated with pots of azaleas.

Your golf cart tour of Rome stops here for about 15 to 20 minutes, giving you time for photos from the bottom of the steps and, if you like, from the terrace in front of Trinità dei Monti, where the view runs straight down Via dei Condotti. Sitting on the steps is not allowed, so your guide-driver suggests the best spots to stand for pictures.

Pincio Gardens, Villa Borghese and Piazza del Popolo

Above Piazza del Popolo, the Pincio terrace is one of the classic viewpoints of Rome, looking across the rooftops to the dome of St Peter's. Behind it stretch the gardens of Villa Borghese, the city's best-known park, with shady avenues, a small lake and fountains, which the golf cart can drive through at a gentle pace that would be a long walk on foot.

Below the terrace, Piazza del Popolo is a vast oval square with an ancient Egyptian obelisk at its centre, twin churches facing the end of Via del Corso and the old northern gate of the city. This was where travellers once entered Rome. You spend about 40 minutes in this green part of the tour, including photo stops at the terrace and in the square.

The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Trajan's Market

Heading south, the route passes the Theatre of Marcellus, completed in the first century BC and still topped by later palace apartments, a striking mix of ancient and Renaissance Rome. Then the cart follows Via dei Fori Imperiali, with photo stops at the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Forum and Market of Trajan, where the carved spiral of Trajan's Column rises above the ruins.

No entry tickets are included, as this part of the tour is about seeing the monuments together and understanding how they relate to each other. Your guide-driver explains the games of the Colosseum, the political life of the Forum and the brick terraces of Trajan's Market, giving you the full picture of imperial Rome in about 40 minutes.

The Pantheon and your meal in a Roman tavern

The Pantheon, rebuilt around AD 125, still has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, 43 metres across with an open oculus at its top that lets in light and rain. It has been in continuous use for almost two thousand years, today as a church, and its portico of granite columns faces the lively Piazza della Rotonda.

The default option ends with a complete lunch or dinner in a traditional Roman tavern, chosen by our guide-driver for its local cooking. Typical dishes include pasta cacio e pepe, amatriciana, Roman-style artichokes and saltimbocca, followed by a dessert; tell us about any dietary needs when booking. After the meal the golf cart brings you back to your hotel or starting point.