In the Footsteps of Augustus: A Half-Day Guided Tour Through Rome's Imperial Monuments

My daughter is studying Augustus Caesar as part of her final-year Ancient History syllabus at high school and this was the perfect tour for us. Sabrina was very flexible in adapting this tour, as we were staying right next to the Fori Imperiali and felt that we should try to incorporate the Foro di Augusto. That was not a problem at all and so we managed to squeeze in one extra Augustan site - just ask her! This tour covers some fantastic well-known sites - the Pantheon, Teatro di Marcello, Largo di Torre Argentina - and some that should be much better known than they seem to be: the beautiful Ara Pacis and the Mausoleum of Augustus. Sabrina had wonderful stories to tell at all of these places and really wove together the story of Augustus Caesar, his rise to power and the Pax Romana. For students of Ancient History, this tour was invaluable in bringing all of that to life - seeing real buildings, putting accomplishments to dates, and feeling the legacy some 2000 years later. Her knowledge of the Pantheon was impeccable. We also learned interesting things about the Egyptian obelisks of Rome along the way - can you spot the counterfeits? Ask Sabrina! It's funny that Julius Caesar commands all of the attention of the history buffs when it was actually Augustus who delivered a far greater legacy. Shifting the Republic to an Empire without getting assassinated; you've got to admire that! This tour lets you peek behind the scenes of the guy that made this happen, carefully and methodically over decades. The Mausoleum itself is still closed - unfortunately - but having it right next to the Ara Pacis Museum was a great combination. I had never heard of the Ara Pacis before - and I don't know why... it's absolutely stunning! Sabrina brought that monument to life, as we walked around it and through it - and then had to think about all of the colours that were missing from it. Towards the end of the tour, my daughter and Sabrina discovered a mutual love of Japanese manga and anime... who would've thought? It was a great day. This tour offers something a little different but it's a critical part of Roman history - and one that fitted our high school syllabus perfectly. Grazie, Sabrina!

Sabrina was very informative and animated. The tour was engaging and delightful. 10/10 would recommend. I enjoyed the tour of the Parthenon especially.

I wish six stars were available. Sabrina’s knowledge and enthusiasm combined to make this the best tour I was on during my month in Rome. If you love history and art as I do and are at all interested in how Augustus brought about the successful transition of Rome from a failing republic to a stable principate this is the tour for you!