Begin your voyage with an elegant Roman escape that pairs the grandeur of the Eternal City with rare access to Italy’s papal and aristocratic retreats. From the treasures of the Vatican and the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica to the serene beauty of Castel Gandolfo, Lake Albano, and the Renaissance gardens of Tivoli, this enriching pre-cruise program offers a beautifully curated introduction to Italy’s art, history, cuisine, and timeless sense of place.

Note:

•Due to the amount of walking, the types of terrain that may be encountered and lack of elevator at some sites, this program is not recommended for guests who have difficulty with walking or standing for long periods of time or who require use of mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers or scooters.

•Please advise RSSC no later than 100 days before departure if you are travelling with other guests on this program. This is to ensure that you are placed in the same Vatican entrance group. Once Vatican tickets are purchased, changes cannot be made. Guests will also be required to show identification when entering the Vatican. Vatican groups are limited to 20 guests per group, and our groups may not all go on the same day.

•The below represents a sample itinerary and sites seen may be moved around to accommodate the Vatican entry times that our groups receive.

•Should a site be closed on a particular day, your itinerary will be amended accordingly so that all sites are seen. Final cruise documents received 21 days before sailing will include the most up to date itinerary for your particular voyage.

•Guests wishing to enjoy more of Rome’s famous sites, may opt to book an extra night and either explore the various sites independently or allow our Executive Collection team to arrange a private 4 or 8 hour tour including car and guide.

DAY 1

Upon exiting Customs in the Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, you will be met and transferred by private vehicle to Nobu Hotel Roma.

Check in time is 3:00pm. Once settled in, the remainder of the day is at your leisure, and meals are on your own.

Set along Rome’s legendary Via Veneto, the glamorous boulevard immortalized by La Dolce Vita, your hotel places you in the city’s most storied quarter, just moments from Villa Borghese, Piazza Barberini, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Housed within a restored 19th-century landmark, the hotel marries timeless Roman elegance with Nobu’s signature contemporary style, creating a sophisticated urban retreat in the heart of the Eternal City. Savor refined Japanese-Italian cuisine at the celebrated Nobu restaurant, linger over skyline views from the Rooftop Terrace Bar, or retreat to the serene spa for a restorative pause between days of discovery.

Note: Couples or pairs will be transferred by private van or SUV (max 4 large bags total plus 1 carry-on per person); solo guests will use a sedan (2 large suitcases plus a carry-on). Extra luggage may require a larger vehicle at additional cost—notify your RSSC booking agent at least 14 days before sailing with this information. Transfers include a driver only.

DAY 2

Following breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide and set out for one of the world’s most extraordinary cultural and spiritual enclaves: Vatican City. Within the Vatican Museums, centuries of papal patronage unfold in a dazzling sequence of galleries, courtyards, and ceremonial spaces adorned with ancient sculpture, Renaissance masterpieces, intricate tapestries, and richly painted ceilings. As you move through this remarkable collection, your guide brings to life the stories of artists, popes, and patrons whose vision helped shape the artistic legacy of Europe.

A highlight of the visit is the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s legendary frescoes create one of the most breathtaking rooms in the world. Gaze upward at the vivid scenes of the chapel ceiling and the monumental Last Judgment, works that continue to inspire awe more than five centuries after their creation.

Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica, the magnificent heart of the Catholic world and a triumph of Renaissance and Baroque artistry. Beneath its soaring dome, admire the grandeur of the nave, the glow of polished marble, Bernini’s dramatic bronze baldachin, and Michelangelo’s exquisite Pietà, a masterpiece of grace and devotion.

After this enriching morning, return to your hotel with the remainder of the day at leisure to continue exploring Rome at your own pace. Lunch and dinner are on your own.

NOTE: Scooters are not permitted in the Vatican Museums and guests with wheelchairs are not permitted to tour with the group. Guests requiring a wheelchair will need to use a wheelchair provided by the museum and a have a separate guide at an additional cost of approximately 150 Euro payable on site (subject to change).

DAY 3

After breakfast, depart Rome for the enchanting hilltop village of Castel Gandolfo, a refined retreat set high above the sapphire waters of Lake Albano. Long cherished for its fresh air, graceful streets, and commanding views across the Alban Hills, this elegant town is best known as the historic summer residence of the Popes. Upon arrival, enjoy time in its picturesque main square, where café terraces, quiet lanes, and sweeping lake panoramas create the feeling of having stepped into a more serene, storybook side of Italy.

Continue with a scenic electric bus tour through the gardens of the Pontifical Villas, an extraordinary papal estate that reveals a rare and privileged glimpse into centuries of Vatican history beyond Rome. Once reserved for the private respite of pontiffs, the villas and gardens unfold across beautifully tended grounds with shaded avenues, sculpted hedges, fountains, ancient ruins, and hidden corners that speak to both spiritual retreat and aristocratic grandeur. Built over the remains of Emperor Domitian’s ancient villa, this remarkable setting blends Roman antiquity, papal heritage, and the natural beauty of the countryside in one unforgettable experience.

After your visit, linger over a traditional Italian lunch with region flavors at a local restaurant overlooking Lake Albano, whose tranquil volcanic waters shimmer below the village.

In time, return to your hotel in Rome with the remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner is on your own, allowing you to continue the evening as you wish—perhaps with a refined Roman dining experience or a relaxed stroll through the illuminated streets of the Eternal City.

DAY 4

Following breakfast, check out and meet your guide for a scenic drive east from Rome into the storied countryside of Lazio, where Tivoli rises along the lower slopes of the Apennines. Long prized by emperors, cardinals, artists, and aristocrats as a graceful escape from the intensity of Rome, Tivoli offers ancient legends, Renaissance splendor, cascading waters, and sweeping views over the Roman plain.

Your visit continues at Villa d’Este, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most refined expressions of Renaissance culture and garden design. Commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este in the 16th century, the villa and its terraced gardens were conceived as a theatrical world of water, art, architecture, and perspective.

Stroll among shaded avenues, grottoes, ornamental basins, and sculptural fountains, where ingenious hydraulic engineering creates a mesmerizing sequence of cascades, jets, and reflecting pools. From the famous Avenue of the Hundred Fountains to the dramatic Neptune Fountain and the celebrated water features that made Villa d’Este a model for gardens across Europe, this is a place designed to astonish at every turn.

After your visit, enjoy time to wander through Tivoli’s colorful open-air market, where stalls brim with local products, seasonal fruit, and keepsakes that capture the character of the region. Lunch follows at a beautifully situated restaurant overlooking Villa Gregoriana, another of Tivoli’s treasured landscapes, where wooded paths, ancient ruins, and dramatic ravines frame the power and poetry of the Aniene River.

Afterwards, transfer to the port of Civitavecchia to board your ship, carrying with you the grandeur of Rome, the serenity of the papal countryside, and the Renaissance beauty of Tivoli—an inspired beginning to your voyage.

Land Program Details Step by Step:

•Please note: The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. All program details including timings indicated below are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change. Direct flights are never guaranteed.

•Itineraries with the most up to date details (at the time) will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive one last final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review that Welcome Letter and your final itinerary carefully for any further amendments.

•The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.

•Guests not arriving on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.

Extra Nights

•If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.

•If you have an early arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.

•If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.

DAY 1

Arrive at the Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.

You are met outside the custom area and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel

3:00pm Check in time Although every effort will be made to have rooms available sooner, this cannot be guaranteed.

The afternoon and the evening at your leisure.

Meet and Greet and transfers

•Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.

•Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.

•Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.

•If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.

DAY 2

AM Breakfast at your hotel

8:00am Depart the hotel

8:30am Tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica

*Photo identification is required to enter the Vatican

1:00pm Return to your hotel

The rest of the day is at your leisure

Lunch and dinner on own

Overnight at the Nobu Hotel Roma or similar

DAY 3

AM Breakfast at your hotel

8:30am Meet your guide and drive to Caste Gandolfo

10:00am Explore the village of Castel Gandolfo

11:00am Visit the Gardens of Papal Summer Residence

1:00pm Walk to a local restaurant

1:15pm Enjoy an Italian lunch

2:30pm Re-board your bus and return to Rome

4:00pm Arrive at your hotel

Dinner on own

Overnight at the Nobu Hotel Roma or similar

DAY 4

AM Breakfast

8:15am Check out, settle any incidentals prior to departing

8:30am Meet your guide and drive to Tivoli

9.30am Visit the Gardens of Villa D’Este

11:45am Free time

12:15pm Transfer to a local restaurant

12:30pm Lunch

2:00pm Transfer to the pier in Civitavecchia

4:00pm Arrive at the port for embarkation

What to Bring:

Dress is generally casual, although when visiting churches your knees and shoulders must be covered. Bring good walking shoes, a hat, clothing that can be layered depending on the weather, sunscreen, camera and charger.

Many hotels do not readily provide distilled water. While we can request this for you, we cannot guarantee that it will be available. If the request is received and added to your land program booking in a timely manner, at least 100 days before sailing, it will be sent on the final manifest that our ground operators and hotels receive. We highly recommend packing your own supply, especially on programs that travel to more remote locations in order to avoid not having it. Most hotels will charge you for distilled water. If there is a fee, this will be added to your hotel incidental account to be paid at check-out. Fees will vary from hotel to hotel.

Dietary Requirements

If you have any food intolerances or special dietary needs, please contact the Regent Reservations Team at least 95 days prior to your departure. It is important that your land program extension reflects these details so our local vendors can ensure smooth and enjoyable dining experiences.

Local Currency:

The Euro is the local currency, but U.S. dollars and credit cards are also accepted.

Electricity

220 volts. We suggest bringing your own travel adaptor if you bring electric devices.

Documents and Visa Requirements:

A passport that is valid at least 6 months after travel and that has two blank pages for stamps is required

Please check with your local embassy for any visa requirements for your nationality to Italy.

ETIAS Authorization (Starting 2025):

Non-EU visitors from visa-exempt countries (including U.S. and Canadian citizens) will need an ETIAS travel authorization.

Photo Identification will be required to enter the Vatican.

The above information is subject to change and serves as a guide only. We would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our guests that it is the ultimate and sole responsibility of the guest to ensure they meet the entry requirements for each destination.

Accommodation:

Nobu Hotel Roma

Via Vittorio Veneto 155 - 00187 Roma

Telephone number: +39 06 9918 3000

*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are required they will be of equal ratings and standards and you will be notified of the change. If you are not notified of any changes before your departure, then you will be staying at the hotel listed in this program.

Program Includes for guests:

•3 nights at Nobu Hotel Rome – Classic Room (Queen bed or two double) including breakfast

•Touring and entrances per the itinerary

•Private airport transfer

•Lunch in Castel Gandolfo

•Lunch in Tivoli

Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.

Program Excludes for guests:

•Gratuities for drivers and guides

•Hotel incidentals including mini bar and room service

Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, and gravel or natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation. Weather appropriate clothing; hats; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are generally recommended.

Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land Programs must be purchased no later than 90 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 90 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.

Price: $3,199 per guest based on double occupancy.

Hotel and Land Program pricing is not combinable with FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package. If applicable, please contact Regent Seven Seas Cruises or your travel agent for multi-night pre-cruise hotel pricing information. Land program promotions are subject to terms.