Rome: Tiber Sunset Cruise with Aperitif

Simply sit back and relax as a friendly waiter serves you a glass of classic Italian wine and Roman appetizers. Look out and see the sun setting on the Eternal City. The boat gently pulls away, music swells, and a magical hour (and a bit) begins.

Hop aboard this cruise and you’ll find yourself gliding through history. As you set off from Isola Tiberina the towering Castel Sant’Angelo awaits. It was built in ancient times by the emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for his family. Much later the popes would use it as a safehouse in times of danger.

That’s but one of many impressive buildings along the route from the three ages of Rome – ancient Rome, papal Rome, and present-day Rome with its hustle and bustle. You’ll journey past the Pantheon and the Vatican City. The stories are grand and epic, sometimes a little garish and always fascinating – this is, after all, the city that founded a civilization (or two).

Or look out at the aged squares and imagine how the locals lived in years gone by. You’ll pass by Piazza Campo dei Fiori which has been home to the same vegetable and fish market since 1869, and Piazza del Popolo, which literally means 'People’s Square' (though one could argue that the name actually refers to the poplar tree which stood next to the original chapel built in 1099).

It all makes the perfect backdrop for what is first and foremost a magical way to spend an evening with friends and loved ones. With wine in-hand you’ll float under bridges like the 15th century Ponte Sisto. The mood and conversation will drift along beautifully as you nibble on local delicacies like supplì and crocchette.

Three words sum it up: La dolce vita.