Icons of Rome in One Day (Vatican, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain)

Places visited (with skip-the-line tickets):

Colosseum
Imperial Forums
Piazza Venezia
Trevi Fountain
Pantheon
Piazza Navona
Vatican Museums
Sistine Chapel
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Square

Add-ons: limo/van service for entire tour

Duration: 7 hours

Difficulty: 3/3

Accessibility: all the venues we are visiting inside are wheelchair accessible; the walking tour is challenging because of the cobbled streets, so a van is necessary

Focus: Ancient Roman history, Archeology, Renaissance Art, Baroque Art, Lifestyle

Price: starting at € 630,00

Description

According to a local saying, to see Rome a lifetime is not enough. But, if you only have one day available, or if you are on a shore excursion during a cruise, this tour is for you! It’s packed with the most famous icons of the Eternal City, to give you a taste, and then go back some other time and explore further.

We’ll visit the Colosseum inside, going up to the first tier for an amazing view of the arena floor; then, we’ll walk alongside the ruins of the Roman and Imperial Forums to reach Piazza Venezia, where we’ll see the bombastic Monument to King Viktor-Emanuel II. A short walk, and we get to the Trevi Fountain, to toss a coin and ensure you’ll come back to Rome.

The Pantheon, one of the most amazing testimonies to the construction skills of the Romans in ancient times, will be our next stop. Originally a temple dedicated to all the gods venerated within the Roman Empire, it was later turned into a church, this way being perfectly preserved to the present day.

At Piazza Navona, one of the most beautiful squares in the world, we’ll have a quick lunch break before heading to the Vatican Museums. Here, we’ll see the Upper Galleries of the Papal Palace, including the stunning Gallery of the Maps; then, it will be time to meet Michelangelo and his breathtaking frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. A visit to St. Peter’s basilica and a view of the square in front of it will complete your unforgettable experience of the Eternal City.

Add-ons

If you wish to get the most out of this tour, I suggest using a chauffered, air conditioned limo or van pick you up at your place and take us around for the entire duration of the tour. At the end, we can either drop you back at your accomodation, or anywhere in the city centre. See “Prices” section.

Useful Info

If you are interested in booking this tour, please get in touch so we can talk over the details!

Then I’ll send you a detailed recap of the itinerary choosen, the cost of the tour and of the entrance tickets, as well as all the relevant info about our meeting point. The itinerary may run in reverse order for technical reasons.

This tour can be done either on foot, with a short taxi ride from Piazza Navona to the Vatican Museums, or, if you wish to be more comfortable and avoid quite a bit of walking, you can book a chauffered, air conditioned van as an add-on.

Lunch is not included in the tour rate; we’ll have a lunch break along the way, and depending on how much time you have, and on your preferences, it can be at a restaurant, a light lunch or some street food on the go.

Please note that there are security checks to enter both the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. Our skip-the-line tickets give us priority, but there might still be a certain amount of waiting in line that can’t be avoided. No pocket-knives, scissors, glass bottles, spray bottles (be aware of sunblock), tripods, professional video equipment, large backpacks or trolleys allowed inside. There’s no checkroom to leave any unauthorized items.

For all Vatican tours, be aware of the modest dress code! For both men and women shoulders/midriffs and knees must be covered. If you want to be comfortable in the hot Italian summer, it’s a good idea to bring a shawl to wrap around you if you are wearing shorts and/or sleeveless.

It is important that you are aware that the Basilica of St. Peter’s is still primarily a place of worship, not a museum; so it won’t be possible to visit the church if there’s any special lithurgy taking place (for example on religious festivities). Both St. Peter’s basilica and the Sistine Chapel can close without notice if the Pope is receiving guests and decides to access these venues. In this case, it’s not possible to ask for any kind of refund both of the tour or the entrance tickets, since it is something beyond my company’s control.

Shore excursions

If you are on a cruise heading to Rome, your port of call is Civitavecchia, located about 60 miles north of the city. Feel free to download my PDF with all the info about the port and how to get to Rome here.

Basically, you have 4 options, I’ll list them from the cheapest to the more costly (of course, more comfort comes with the upgraded options! To get a rough idea of the cost of the different options, please refer to the PDF mentioned above):

Get to Rome and back by train.
Take the train in the morning when it’s still cooler and you are fresh and energized, do the tour on foot/by taxi, and have a van to drive you back to the ship: this takes the hassle out of the return journey, making sure you get back to the ship on time. Besides, after a full day of sightseeing, you’ll be pretty tired, so it’s the perfect occasion to treat yourself to some luxury!
Use a van for the transfer from the port to the city and one for the transfer back.
Have a van pick you up at the pier, take you around for the entire tour, and drive you back to the ship.

I’ll be happy to send you a quote for the complete package depending on the option you prefer!

Prices

Cost Guideline - What's included:

Duration of tour	Up to 4 people
Up to 7 hours	630,00 EUR
+ each additional person over 18	60,00 EUR

For larger groups, I’ll be happy to send you a quote.
The tour rate includes your private guided tour – price is total, not per person.
Entrance tickets, transportation, meals, snacks and gratuities not included in above rates.
Tickets for the Pantheon can be bought on site or online (5,00 € per person, children under 18 are free).
Tickets for the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums are not included and have to be purchased in advance (subject to availability). Once you book the tour, I can either send you the link to book the tickets on your own, or I can take care of it (handling fees apply). Updated entry fees will be listed in the detailed trip summary you’ll get upon sending a request/booking.

Entry fees for the Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill are between 20-35 EUR per person depending on the kind of ticket purchased (standard, with Arena access etc.). Children under 18 get a free ticket.

Entry fees for the Vatican Museums are between 25-50 EUR per person depending on the kind of ticket purchased (regular, with access to the Vatican Gardens etc.). Children under 18 and students get a reduced ticket.

There’s a small fee to access St. Peter’s from the Sistine Chapel, which is not included in the tour rate but will be listed in the cost rundown you’ll get prior to confirming the tour.

Headsets are not included in the tour rate, but if necessary (from 5 persons up) will be listed in the detailed trip summary you’ll get prior to confirming the tour.

Transportation is not included unless you book the additional van service. Limo service for the entire duration of the tour (up to 2 passengers + guide + driver) is 350,00 EUR; van (up to 6 passengers + guide + driver) is 420,00 EUR. Pick up at accomodation in the city centre. Rates for shore excursions on request.

Please note that we reserve the right to vary the prices shown on this website at any time before you book (during Bank Holidays, National Holidays, Christmas Holidays, Easter Holidays, or last minute bookings).

You will be advised of the current price at the time of booking. Once you have booked we will not increase your tour price other than for changes in VAT or any other Venues or Government imposed levy.

Cancellation Policy & Refunds