Best of Rome: Vatican and Colosseum Highlights

Best of Rome: Vatican and Colosseum Highlights
From USD $136.00
  • Duration: 4 Hours (approx.)
  • Product code: WIR_BES_ROM

This skip-the-line combo tour includes a morning visit to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel followed by an afternoon tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum - book together and save!

What We Love About This Tour: 

  • A two-part tour, with plenty of time in between for a leisurely Roman lunch

  • So many takeaways! Learn the meaning of “Caput Mundi,” how much work went into painting  the Sistine Chapel, and did all roads really lead to Rome? 

  • Skip-the-line access to THREE venues along this tour.

Meet your guide just steps from the Vatican and enjoy priority entrance as we head past the queues and straight inside the Vatican Museums. See the major works of art ranging from ancient Greek and Roman sculptures to Renaissance masterpieces, and learn how the two are closely intertwined. Much of this tour will be dedicated to the rooms of Raphael and the extraordinary frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. From the commissioning of this colossal masterpiece to the finishing touches applied by Michaelangelo Buonarroti, your guide will help you to discern between myth, fact, and popular Hollywood fiction regarding this majestic work of art. 

After spending ample time inside the Sistine Chapel you may remain inside the Vatican Museums as long as you like, or exit and visit St. Peter’s Basilica on your own.  

After a break for lunch, regroup at the Colosseum and enjoy fast track entry to the vast arena, the Icon of Rome built in 72AD to seat up to 50,000 spectators. Once inside, your guide will paint an accurate picture of the Gladiator games that took place in the Roman Empire’s most impressive arena, helping you to decipher between fact, fiction, and the images portrayed by big-screen Hollywood blockbusters.

After walking around the perimeter of the Colosseum, gaze down onto the arena floor and beneath to the maze-like underground level where man and beast awaited their moment of glory or met their fateful death. 

With the Colosseum behind you, travel even further back in time as you enter the Roman Forum: the true heart of Ancient Rome with monuments dating as far back as the 7th century BC. Learn of the legendary founding of Rome on the Palatine hill and how a she-wolf rescued and nursed the young twins Romulus (the first King of Rome) and Remus after they washed up on the banks of the Tiber River, and how these famous twins would pave the way for future tyrants, Emperors, and even Caesars who declared themselves Gods throughout the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. 

DEPARTURE:   Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 

DURATION: 4.5 hours total (8:45 - 10:45am and 3:00 - 5:30pm) 

What’s Included: 

  • Skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum & Roman Forum 
  • Skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel 
  • Fully guided tour, broken into two segments 
  • Small groups of max 15 participants

Not Included: 

  • Hotel pickup and dropoff 
  • Lunch
  • Gratuities

Important to Know:

  • The ground in the Roman Forum is composed of large stone or dirt pathways that can be difficult to navigate with strollers or wheelchairs. 
  • Only small bags or purses are allowed in the Vatican and the Colosseum. No large bags or weapons allowed, and a cloakroom is available at the Vatican only. 
  • Tour departs rain or shine
  • Unfortunately, wheelchairs and strollers cannot be accommodated on this tour. Contact us to determine the best way to visit Ancient Rome and the Vatican with small children or guests with reduced mobility. 

Important to Bring: 

  • Comfortable shoes for walking 
  • A hat and sunblock during summer months 
  • Water

Covid-19 compliance: For the most accurate and up-to-date information click here.    

  • In accordance with Italian Covid-19 safety regulations, all guests ages 12 and older will be required to show proof of Vaccination (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca) or a negative Covid-test taken within 48 hours of the tour.
  • Please note that due to current local Covid-19 measures, all customers will be required to bring and wear a mask during the entire visit. 
  • Temperature checks may also take place at tour venues; if your temperature is above 37.5°C you will unfortunately not be able to attend the tour.


 CANCELLATION POLICY

  • Changes and cancellation are possible free of charge up to 96 hours before the start time. If the desired change involves a tour of greater value, the balance will be due upon rebooking.
  • Any cancellations made within 96 hours and no-shows are non-refundable.
  • Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by at least one adult to join a tour or an activity.
  • See https://www.italiadeals.com/terms for complete terms and conditions