Five months from today, May 13, 2012, Luxury Italian Tours will kick off its luxury tour of Rome and the Italian Open tennis championships. Tennis fans will have the opportunity of watching Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova try and defend their titles, while Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki will look to knock them off of their Roman pedestal.
Luxury Italian Tours shares one characteristic with its clients – passion. The Luxury Italian Tours team shares its experiences from all of Italy – from its beauty to its food to its rich culture. Its team members have either lived in Italy or are natives and its experiences allow for patrons to discover new, unique places without forgetting the tasting favorites. Italian Tennis Tours can satisfy virtually any request, no matter how esoteric. Simply say, “Send me on a trip to Italy that I will enjoy and learn from” and we will plan a superb itinerary and an array of wonderful activities. Italian Luxury Tours only works with small groups in order to provide exceptional service. For more information, go to www.LuxuryItalianTours.com
Luxury Italian Tours is offering a special discount of five (5) percent off for the Italian Open tennis tour booked before Dec. 31, 2011. For more information, pricing and for a detailed itinerary, email Info@luxuryitaliantours.
The following is the schedule of events for this exclusive and unique tour of Rome.
Sunday, May 13 – ARRIVAL
Luxury Italian Tours will meet you at the airport upon your arrival and will take you to your hotel. The hotel is the Spagna Suites, located in Piazza de Spagna in the heart of the Centro Storico OR equivalent. The afternoon and evening will be free for you to enjoy on your own.
Monday, May 14 – ANCIENT ROME AND TESTACCIO
The morning will be spent on a tour of Ancient Rome with a professional guide. The walking tour will explore Rome of the Gladiators and the Emperors. The tour will make you feel like you are traveling back in time to relive the past grandeur of the Roman Empire, its tragedies and love for entertainment. You will also learn about some of the city’s most famous citizens, such as Julius Caesar and Emperors Augustus and Nero. The tour will begin at Capitoline Hill, the most important of Rome’s seven historical hills, and proceed to the Roman Forum, from where the Romans ruled their Empire. From there, you will marvel at the ancient ruins of the temples and Basilicas. We continue inside the glorious Colosseum. The afternoon is free to explore Rome on your own.
During the evening, Luxury Italian Tours will venture into the trendy neighborhood of Testaccio where life at the end of the 19th century centered around the Mattatoio—the municipal slaughterhouse. Today, this area is similar to New York City’s Meatpacking district, with trendy restaurants and fashionable people. The area dates back to when Mt. Testaccio was a hill made of the broken amphorae deposited between 140 and 255 A.D. The dinner will be at Angelina. The space originally housed
Tuesday, May 15 – TENNIS AND TRASTEVERE
Luxury Italian Tours will entertain on site at the Italian Tennis Championships at the Foro Italico and will provide round trip transportation from the hotel for the day session at the event. Dinner will be held in Trastevere, one of Rome’s oldest neighborhoods, and will be accompanied by a guide to highlight the historical points of interest beginning at the Pantheon. The Trastevere is a very Roman neighborhood and its residents call themselves the “Real Romans.” This characteristic part of the city has many pizzerias and restaurants, bars and music venues, and is a very vibrant part of the city. Dinner will be at a local trattoria whose specialties are traditional Southern Italian. Its mozzarella is delivered directly from Naples daily.
Wednesday, May 16 – VISIT TO CAMPO DE’FIORI AND COOKING CLASS
Campo de Fiori is one of Rome’s liveliest outdoor markets – it’s a flower and food market during the day and a popular dining and gathering hub in the evening. We will meet our cooking teacher, Fabio, to select fresh ingredients that will be used during a special cooking class. We will also walk through the Jewish Ghetto and visit other sites as well as shops to pick up a few more local specialties. The class will be held a short walk away in Fabio’s private home that is near the Spanish Steps where you will enjoy the view of Roman rooftops and St. Peter’s Basilica. Fabio will share his secrets of making classic Italian pasta. Afterwards, we will enjoy our lunch accompanied by local wines. The afternoon will be yours to explore Rome. This evening, we return to the Foro Italico for an evening match.
Thursday, May 17 – EXCURSION TO OSTIA ANTICA, ROME’S POMPEII
We start our journey with a boat trip down the Tiber River to Ostia Antica, Rome’s Pompeii, to visit the excavations with a professional guide. Ostia was founded by Ancus Martius, the fourth king of Rome, in the second half of the 7th century B.C. Ostia was Rome’s main port for over 600 years, until its decline in the 4th century A.D. It disappeared under the silt of the Tiber River only to be dug up in the early part of the 20th century. The first part of the itinerary will be a scenic river boat ride on the Tiber from Ponte Marconi to Ancient Ostia. This charming experience will take you through the typical environment giving you a window into the most ancient roman way of commerce. The second part of the itinerary will be dedicated to the visit of the Ancient Ostia excavation.
During our boat ride, Luxury Italian Tours will provide guests with an assortment of snacks and lunch provided by the famed Antico Forno Roscioli, a bakery that has been producing local delights since 1824. At night, we will have a casual dinner at a lively split-level pizzeria, restaurant, wine bar and book store located near the banks of the Tiber River alongside the Ara Pacis, an altar dedicated to Peace that was commissioned by the Roman Senate in the year 13 B.C.
Friday, May 18 – QUARTERFINALS AT THE FORO ITALICO AND SCENIC FAREWELL DINNER
Luxury Italian Tours will provide round trip transportation to the Foro Italico to watch the quarterfinal day matches. A farewell apertivo and dinner will be held at a private penthouse near Campo Fiori overlooking Rome. We will begin our evening on the upper terrace with a panoramic view of Rome with a traditional Italian apertivi of appetizers and cocktails. Dinner will be served on a lower terrace under a covered canvas so we can dine al fresco in any weather and marvel at the view.
Saturday, May 19 – SEMIFINALS AT FORO ITALICO
Luxury Italian Tours will provide round trip transportation to the Foro Italico to watch the semifinal day matches. Afterwards, your night is your own in Rome.
Sunday, May 20 – RETURN HOME
Luxury Italian Tours will provide transportation to the airport for your return home.
Cost: $3,500 per person based on double occupancy.
Single Supplement: $395.
Airfare not included.
Luxury Italian Tours is available to arrange additional tours to the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican, Borghese Gallery and can also make additional restaurant reservations. Please let us know how we can help you explore Rome.
All guests will also receive gifts courtesy of New Chapter Press, the leading publisher of tennis books. Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press is the publisher of Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection by Rene Stauffer (www.RogerFedererBook.com), The Bud Collins History of Tennis by Bud Collins, The Education of a Tennis Player by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf (www.CliffRicheyBook.com), The Wimbledon Final That Never Was by Sidney Wood, Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, Tennis Made Easy by Kelly Gunterman, On This Day In Tennis History (www.TennisHistoryBook.com), A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis by Tony Serksnis, Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), The Lennon Prophecy by Joe Niezgoda (www.TheLennonProphecy.com), Bone Appetit, Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog by Susan Anson, How To Sell Your Screenplay by Carl Sautter, The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According To Hoyle by Stewart Wolpin among others.
