Best of Rome Full-Day Guided Tour: Colosseum, Vatican, Sistine Chapel & More

Highlights

• Private Rome Tour
• Entrance Fees Included
• Key Attractions

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Colosseum

   1h

   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.

2. 2

   Roman Forum

   1h

   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.

3. 3

   Trevi Fountain

   30min

   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!

4. 4

   Pantheon

   1h

   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.

5. 5

   Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

   1h

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

6. 6

   Vatican Museums

   30min

   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.

7. 7

   Sistine Chapel

   30min

   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.

8. 8

   St. Peter's Basilica

   30min

   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!

Before you go

Location