Joy of Rome

+39 3279147926

joy logo rotondo

LIVE TOURS
SURROUNDINGS of Rome
The Beauty of TIVOLI: HADRIAN’S Villa & Villa D’ESTE​

LIVE TOURSSURROUNDINGS of RomeThe Beauty of TIVOLI: HADRIAN’S Villa & Villa D’ESTE​

The Beauty of TIVOLI: a Private tour of HADRIAN’S Villa & Villa D’ESTE

Enjoy the two of the most splendid sites outside of Rome: the ancient Villa of the Emperor Hadrian, where he used to escape to find a relaxing, private and exotic refuge, and Villa d’Este, a Renaissance jewel built by a cardinal in the 1500 and decorated with hundreds of unique fountains and breathtaking panoramic views.

Villa_Hadriana_(Villa_Adriana_Tivoli)_1000_12 FrDr, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

GOOD TO KNOW

THIS TOUR INCLUDES:

  • The gorgeous Roman Villa of the Emperor Hadrian
  • Villa d’Este, the beautiful villa of a Renaissance cardinal

During the past 2000 years, the wealthy families of Rome have always tried to escape from the noise, crowds, heat and the dangerous conspiracies of Rome. They found a wonderful haven in the Roman countryside, with forests, vineyards, waterfalls and natural SPA water-springs. Here, out of view from the prying eyes of the capital city and away from the strict and severe rules of  Roman traditions, they enjoyed a much more pleasant life.

Over the centuries Tivoli has been one of their favorite “secret escapes”, due to the beauty of the landscape, the fresh air and healthy conditions of the area and, last but not least, because of its proximity to Rome.

Tour of Hadrian’s Villa

Nineteen centuries ago the great Emperor Hadrian built one of the most magnificent villas of the ancient world in Tivoli. About 300 acres of imposing, original, elegant and still today very well preserved buildings, surrounded by monumental fountains of many shapes and dimensions, and trees and plants meant to re-create a perfectly artificial, natural landscape.

The ruins still tell the intriguing stories of an emperor who was a forward-looking political leader, a military genius, an original, creative architect, a curious traveler, a writer, an intellectual and -most of all- a dreamer.

This tour includes quite a lot of walking, but it is an unbelievable opportunity for you to fall in love with the ancient world: follow Hadrian out of Rome and into his night parties in the Canopus, his political meetings in the Golden Square, his moments of relaxation in the silence of Thermal Baths, his meditations in the Maritime Theater, his performances in the Greek Theater. All of this surrounded by this beautiful, natural environment.

Tour of Villa d'Este

Your guide, together with the driver will take you up to the hill of Tivoli, surrounded by its Medieval Walls. Here you will find one of the most famous Renaissance villas in Europe: built by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este in the mid-XVI century.

Ippolito’s mother was for sure a V.I.P.: the beautiful and ever-debated Lucrezia Borgia. As a cardinal, Ippolito lost his race to the Papacy and then moved to Tivoli, where he built his amazing residence.

Follow him during his parties in the noble apartments, descend hundreds of steps and be overwhelmed by the waterspouts of the Fountain of the Dragons, the enormous size of the Oval Fountain, and the shocking water-games of the Fountain of Neptune. Walk beside the “One Hundred Fountains” to reach the splendid (and polemic!) Rometta Fountain. And finally hear the music coming from the water-machinery behind the Fountain of the Organ and the Fountain of the Owl.

The breathtaking panoramic view of the valley will be a perfect conclusion to this unforgettable experience.
GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Your guide is LICENSED and specialized in ROMAN HISTORY and ARCHAEOLOGY.
  • The transportation fee is NOT included in the guide service, this tour also needs a “car with driver” service, as Tivoli is about 40 minutes drive from from Rome.
  • Entrance fee: the cost of the tickets is NOT included in the tour guide fees and the ticket can be bought on site.
  • Villa d’Este admission ticket: Each full-price ticket costs 10 euros, Children under 18 don’t pay any ticket.
  • Villa Adriana admission ticket: Each full-price ticket costs 10 euros, Children under 18 don’t pay any ticket.

*If  you have a party of 9 or more please contact us to arrange your private tour.

PRICES: tour guide fees must be considered  as a total, not per person.

TOURS & PRICES

We run only private tours.

We don't run small groups.

We can accommodate time/day request according to our guides' and entry tickets availability.

Final and detailed price will be provided after receiving your request from the contact form.

Starting price for a private tour (2.5 hrs) during the high season (March/Oct) for 2/4 people is 300 euros + tickets (check under "tickets price").

Starting price can be reduced during low season or increased during holidays or last minute requests.

For group larger than four, price will be provided upon request.

ASK for availability

People say about us…

  • star rating  What a wonderful experience led by our tour guide, Marta! Our children ages 7 and 5 really absorbed the stories and enjoyed their scavenger huntlooking for specific objects. ... read more

    avatar thumb nitpickr
    February 5, 2023

    star rating  This was our third tour with Joy of Rome and second with Francesca. She has a gift for bringing the stories behind the artworks to life and sharing her enthusiasm.... read more

    avatar thumb kmsc_1
    January 13, 2023

    star rating  Our guide Francesca was fantastic! As an art historian and curator of street art, she really made the subject com alive. I strongly recommend this activity for anyone interested in... read more

    avatar thumb 837sachaq
    December 30, 2022
  • star rating  My husband and I booked Joy of Rome two days in a row. Once for the Ancient Rome tour and the other for Vatican + Sistine Chapel.

    First... read more

    avatar thumb MintLV93
    December 18, 2022

    star rating  A must-go for kids - We did 2 tours with Serena on the same day for our family of 4( 6y and 8y old boys) , visiting Colosseum in the morning and Vatican in the... read more

    Gary H
    December 15, 2022

    star rating  Francesca‘s narrative is always the best. She is our joy of Rome. No one brings Rome to life better.

    Y4500ESveronicab
    October 18, 2022
  • star rating  This was the highlight of Rome for us. Francesca is amazing! Her knowledge and passion came through the entire day! I loved this experience and would highly recommend... read more

    Kelley S
    October 5, 2022

    star rating  We loved this tour! Their guide was wonderful and the tour at night was magical! We got so much more out of the experience this way and thoroughly enjoyed our... read more

    EmeraldCityEvan
    October 2, 2022

    star rating  "On the trail of Carravaggio" was a splendid way to experience a quieter corner of Rome led by an excellent guide and to see some beautiful works of art in... read more

    Rjcapozzi60
    September 24, 2022
  • star rating  We met Nicole at the Chiesa Nuova and she gave us a fascinating walking tour through the banking centre of late medieval Rome, Via Giulia and over the Ponte Sisto... read more

    Moominskaya
    September 24, 2022

    star rating  A wonderful tour of Villa Farnesina and Trastavere!

    Serena was a 5 Star guide! She was professional and knowledgeable and tailored her commentary to our needs. Her words... read more

    ssgjgg
    September 9, 2022

    star rating  Loved this tour! Maria was AMAZING with my two boys (5.5 and 8 yrs) while touring the Colosseum in August. They are both shy, she was caring and kept them... read more

    Y8968CVheatherl
    September 4, 2022
  • star rating  Arianna showed my wife, our six year old son and I around the Colessuem. We all loved it. Very engaging, very informative and very friendly. Removed all... read more

    danmI9575KA
    August 29, 2022

    star rating  We did four tours with Grace and found her to be extremely knowledgeable, speaking at length about the history, culture and traditions of the artifacts we saw. She answered all... read more

    elinan897
    August 17, 2022

    star rating  Took four tours with Joy of Rome and Francesca and Grace were a true Joy! We did the Vatican, catacombs, pantheon and colosseum. Highly recommend! Thanks so much ladies.

    KRMackey
    August 14, 2022
  • star rating  Francesca was a great guide. She engaged with my 8 yo and had lots of interesting details to share. Definitely a must do tour in Rome.

    experiencejunkie
    July 28, 2022

    star rating  Great tour with not just historical facts but plenty of anecdotes that kept the teenagers attentive the whole time. Massimo was just fantastic. Period.

    attobc
    July 28, 2022

    star rating  My teen daughter and I had a private tour of both the colosseum and the Vatican on 2 separate days.
    Our tour guide was Sarena. This was an... read more

    S B
    July 19, 2022
  • star rating  Great service .. our guide Salvatore was very informative and patient.
    Would highly recommend this company and your .
    Did t feel rushed and got a good idea of the... read more

    varshak777
    July 16, 2022

    star rating  Francesca was a terrific guide to the Colosseum and ancient Rome, and she kept our boys (aged 11 and 16) engaged and interested, even though it was a rather warm... read more

    Q7554QNdavidt
    July 13, 2022

    star rating  Our Joy of Rome tour was our favorite tour we did in Rome. Serena was our guide and not only was she informative, but kind and accommodating. She was excited... read more

    Torivjs
    July 9, 2022
  • star rating  Thanks to Francesca, our Colosseum tour was the highlight of our Rome trip. She kept our young boys (6 and 8) engaged and focused. The Colosseum is a huge place... read more

    jtcraze
    June 2, 2022

    star rating  Francesca was extremely knowledgeable. She has great enthusiasm for the art, artists, the gallery and helping us learn. She answered our questions and welcomed them. It deepened... read more

    KAQComo
    May 29, 2022

    star rating  We had a private Vatican Tour on a Friday night with Serena. It was incredible! Serena was so engaging and knowledgeable. Her enthusiasm was contagious. ... read more

    bhamwanative
    May 20, 2022
  • star rating  Joy of Rome is a sheer delight! We went on 4 tours with them and all were supremely fantastic! The wonderful Serena took us on The Highlights of Rome walking... read more

    J8066MYricharde
    May 10, 2022

    star rating  Arianna opened our eyes to marvels that we would have never known without her guiding us through this extraordinary museum. We loved her enthusiasm, knowledge and great ability to... read more

    Travel404746
    May 9, 2022

    star rating  I would highly recommend Joy of Rome. The whole experience from booking the tickets by email to being guided to the meeting point to the tour itself was faultless.
    I... read more

    elisabethpW177GN
    April 10, 2022
  • star rating  the thing i liked the most about the tour was that Grace our tour guide was an expert in the field and showed how professional she was by her excellent... read more

    Carlaandstelios
    March 14, 2022

    star rating  We were looking for an engaging, informative tour of the Colosseum for our kids (and us!) and Serena was the perfect solution. She brought the experience to life through storytelling... read more

    P7605RV
    February 20, 2022

    star rating  SUPERLY AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEIR TOURS!!!
    We followed 2 tours (becoz 1 is definitely not enough), separately with Serena for Caravaggio theme and Massimo for Dark Ladies theme. To say... read more

    qcai26
    February 4, 2022