A Roman Holiday

Arrive in Rome where you will be swept away to the dreamy Hotel Chapter Roma in the heart of Rome. Unpack, get settled in, and enjoy some relaxing free time.

Our adventure will start in the afternoon with an introductory tour with our local guide. We’ll enjoy some “cannot miss” Roman historical and archaeological sites by visiting the Colosseum (outside), the Roman Forum, Capitoline Hill, and Torre Argentina. At the end of the tour we will have a traditional pizza-dinner at the restaurant “Seu Pizza Illuminati”.

Wake up now fully refreshed in your glorious & unique Art Deco hotel room to join our local guide and driver to explore the Vatican City. 

The Tour starts with a sumptuous breakfast in the bar of the Vatican Museums, and what makes this breakfast really special is the buffet of Italian “cornettos”, pancakes, eggs, bacon, cheeses, yogurt, fruit, assorted biscuits, and espresso coffee, all freshly prepared! With a delightfully full belly, we set off to discover the most important galleries of the Vatican museums as well as the Sistine Chapel and Basilica St. Peter.  

At the end of the tour you will be provided with free time to explore on your own and have your choice of lunch.

You will join the Main Tour group in the late afternoon and for Prosecco, snacks, orientation, and dinner (see Day 1).

If you are not arriving early for the Pre-Trip, arrive in Rome where you will be transported to dreamy Hotel Chapter in the heart of Roma via a premium-class van.  

Take some time to settle in and freshen up before meeting the rest of the GG2W group at the bar Hey Baby for Prosecco, accompanied by snacks, and orientation in the early evening.

Get to know the other women on this trip and learn about what’s scheduled for our week together.  We’ll then head out for an enjoyable welcome dinner at the “Glass Hostaria” headed by Michelin Star chef Cristina Bowerman offering the modern and refined cuisine. 

This morning we’ll discover one of the most famous and charming neighborhoods of Rome – Trastevere.

Colorful Trastevere is a funky, bohemian area that clings to its centuries-old, working-class roots. It's known for traditional and innovative trattorias, craft beer pubs and artisan shops.

We’ll start our guided tour visiting the Villa Farnesina, a Renaissance suburban villa in the Via della Lungara. It is especially famous for the rich frescos by Raphael and other High Renaissance artists that remain in situ.

We’ll learn about the historical female figures of Trastevere, including Saints, Martyrs and Patriots. We’ll visit the church dedicated to one of them: St. Mary in Trastevere. 

We’ll taste aromatic Italian coffee with freshly baked pastries at the Giselda Cafè.  The last stop will be at the Basilica of St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, which stands on the family home of the noble Cecilia, martyred around 230AD.

At the end of the tour we will have lunch at the “Roma Sparita” restaurant where you’ll taste the most delicious pasta “cacio & pepe”. This place was on one of Anthony Bourdain’s television shows and Doni Belau, GG2W Founder, defined it as “one of the best bites I’ve ever put in my mouth!”

After lunch we’ll have some free time for rest. Early evening we’ll meet Sophie, a seasoned culinary guide, and we’ll be walking around her three favorite neighborhoods: Campo de Fiori, Trastevere and Jewish Ghetto. We will be walking a fair amount and tasting along the way: cheeses and cured meats, fried rice balls, pizza, gelato, coffee, and concluding with a stop at one of the oldest bakeries in Rome. We will not be needing dinner after the tour, so we’ll stop in at the most famous wine bar in Trastevere l’Antidoto. 

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll meet our guide in the morning for a half day guided tour. We’ll visit the world-famous art gallery at the Villa Borghese, one of the largest parks in Rome.  We will overlook Rome from the Pincio Terrace where we’ll take unforgettable pictures. 

We’ll immerse in the feast atmosphere visiting the Christmas Village of the Villa Borghese. There are huge installations, elves, Santa Claus and stalls selling toys, sweets, decorations, Christmas-themed food and gift items.  You will be free to sample any of the delicious street food at your leisure for lunch today. 

For dinner we’ll enjoy traditional culinary delights at “Colline Emiliane” whose speciality is traditional homemade pasta. At the end of dinner, we’ll enjoy a walking Christmas Lights Tour, learning about the legends and traditions of Rome at Christmas, and visiting glittering Christmas trees and nativities as well as the array of angel sculptures. 

We’ll start our morning visiting the most authentic piazza of Rome: Piazza Navona, that hosts a traditional Christmas market.  The stalls sell toys, Christmas decorations, sweets, books, food from the Lazio region, leather goods and other gift items. We’ll stop at the toy store “Al Sogno”  with old-world style Italian toys and unique kinds of souvenirs.  

We’ll visit the architectural masterpiece–the Pantheon. We’ll taste artisan ice-cream at the “Mastro Cono”. We’ll shop for unique and creative jewelry at a shop owned by two women artisans.  

We’ll walk along Via dei Coronari where we can find artisan shops offering handmade leather goods, jewelry and souvenirs.   We’ll then proceed with our Christmas shopping on Via del Governo Vechio.  

In the late afternoon we’ll meet our guide specialized in archeology as we’ll discover the secrets of the Ancient Rome visiting Colosseum by night under the moonlight.  

Dinner on your own this evening. May we suggest room service at your leisure.

This morning we will immerse ourselves in the luxury world created by women at the Fendi Roma Palazzo Boutique. This side trips offers an adventure into Italian history, culture, fashion, and art and an exclusive shopping experience. We’ll visit every corner of the maison, discovering the ins and outs of this world-class, high-luxury brand. 

We’ll rejoin as a group to enjoy lunch at the Ginger and Sapori offering healthy, organic and sustainable food.  

The afternoon will be dedicated to individual shopping on the Via Del Corso where the shops of many world-famous brands are located.  

In the evening, we head out for a special Open Air Opera Aperitif at “Terrazza Borromini”. We’ll enjoy an Italian Prosecco while overlooking the unique skyline of Rome and hearing the famous arias from Puccini's Tosca as well as selected arias by Verdi, Rossini, and Bellini in the historical setting of the Palazzo Pamphili.  

After the Opera, we’ll follow the guide to the Rooftop Terrace where the Oscar‐winning movie 'La Grande Bellezza' was filmed. A’ la carte dinner will be served by candlelight on the “Terrace Borromini” with a wonderful view on Piazza Navona. 

Today we’ll have a unique experience visiting the Art Studios and Art Galleries followed by a visit to the American Academy with the guide.  Purchase of original art work will be possible during this time. 

Then we’ll meet our local food expert and we’ll enjoy a leisurely Christmas Food Walking tour tasting local traditional Christmas food.  

Tonight we’ll enjoy traditional Roman cuisine at the restaurant “Armando al Pantheon”.

This morning we’ll drive to the private home of our local chef. We’ll roll up our sleeves and the chef will teach us to make tiramisù from scratch and then all four of the Roman pastas to perfection. We’ll have a guide that will share the story of each dish. There will be plenty of wine and once all is done, we’ll sit and enjoy the meal we have prepared. 

Then, we'll return to the city center and have some free time for shopping and/or rest at the hotel. 

Tonight our dinner will take place at the authentic kosher restaurant Casalino Osteria  where the typical ingredients of Roman cuisine meet the dictates of the Jewish religion. 

As our unforgettable trip to Rome comes to an end, we start our final day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel, sharing stories and laughter over plates of fresh Italian pastries and coffee. 

After checking out, we board a van that will take us to the airport, reflecting on the amazing experiences we shared together during our time in this incredible city. 

As we say "Ciao, Italia!" and board our flight home, we know that the memories we made on this trip will last a lifetime. We depart with a sense of camaraderie and gratitude for the bonds we formed and the unforgettable moments we shared.