Best of Rome Full-day Guided Tour including Vatican Sistine Chapel & Colosseum

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1

  is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of travertine limestone, tuff (volcanic rock), and brick-faced concrete,[1] it was the largest amphitheatre ever built at the time and held 50,000 spectators. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum.

  1 hour • Admission ticket included
• 2

  is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum. For centuries the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archaeological excavations attracting 4.5 million or more sightseers yearly.

  1 hour • Admission ticket included
• 3
  Trevi Fountain

  A little more walking brings you to the Trevi Fountain, which famously featured in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain and make a wish, you will one day return to Rome! There will then be time for lunch (own expense). There are many places to choose from, whether you want a pizza, sandwich or 3course meal – your guide will be able to advise you!

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4
  Pantheon

  After a wander down a narrow “vicolo” you will arrive at the Pantheon, which houses the tomb of Raphael, the famous Renaissance painter and architect.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 5

  You’ll then pass the ancient Baths of Nero en route to Piazza Navona to view Bernini’s spectacular ‘Fountain of the Four Rivers’.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 6
  Vatican Museums

  The final stop on the tour, just across the Tiber, will be the Vatican City – the smallest country in the world! Here you’ll see the Vatican Museums, which holds a vast collection of stunning artworks including frescoes by Raphael, and Michelangelo’s famous ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket included
• 7
  Sistine Chapel

  is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope, in Vatican City. Originally known as the Cappella Magna ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored it between 1477 and 1480. Since that time, the chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket included
• 8
  St. Peter's Basilica

  It is then time for a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica where you will explore the numerous side chapels with their hidden crypts. You will see Michelangelo’s Pietà and your guide will explain why this is the only work that he signed. You will gain an appreciation of the mastery that went into the creation of Bernini’s altarpiece and learn how Michelangelo triumphed over his contemporaries for the honor to paint St. Peter’s magnificent dome. The tour will end in Saint Peter’s Square, where you can view Bernini’s statues and the famous chimney which announces the election of a new Pope. A couple of final anecdotes and it will be time for your guide will say goodbye, leaving you to enjoy the square under your own steam. A wonderful end to a tour of the Vatican!

  30 minutes • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• A dress code is required to enter places of worship and select museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
• Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers' full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

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