1-Day Rome: Vatican & Colosseum Tour

Recommended by 90% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

7 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Discover the highlights of Rome, including its two most iconic sites, with this small-group, combo, guided tour. Explore Ancient Rome at the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, then take in the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Listen to an in-depth history of the Eternal City from ancient times to today, with wireless headsets available so you won’t miss a word.

Check off several Rome highlights in just one tour
Save precious vacation time with included transport
Listen to enriching background commentary on the history of Rome
A small group offers a relaxed pace and personal attention

What's Included

Professional English-speaking guide with wireless audio headsets
Visit inside all of the attractions
Colosseum entrance ticket (valued at €18 per person)
Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
Please note: Colosseum fees as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services.

Optional gratuities
Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off
Food and Drinks
Transportation between venues

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

Saint Peter's Square
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
End your guided experience in St. Peter’s Square, and enjoy the fascinating history and architecture of St. Peter’s Basilica from the outside.

Operating hours
.8:15 am

Itinerary

Arch of Constantine

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Colosseum

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Roman Forum

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Piazza del Risorgimento

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Vatican Museums

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Square

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please note: starting from October 18th, 2023, providing a first name and surname is mandatory.
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 attractions
Customers must adhere to the assigned guide throughout the tour. Access to the Vatican Museums requires escort by the assigned guide. Opting out forfeits tour rights and tickets without refunds.
Each traveler must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to the attractions

External guides cannot be added to the group after purchase.
Appropriate attire is required for religious sites. Avoid sleeveless blouses, miniskirts, shorts, and hat.
Moderate physical fitness is recommended. Wear comfortable shoes and bring sunscreen during summer.
Please note that the Vatican Museums are an active place of worship. Therefore, some areas may be subject to sudden closures without prior notice. We will not be held responsible for such closures.
Please be aware that during the Jubilee Year, certain areas of the Vatican Museums may be inaccessible due to religious ceremonies. These circumstances are beyond our control. Thank you for your understanding.
Please Note: From April 1st, 2025, the Meeting Point will be at: PARCO COLLE OPPIO - VIA DELLE TERME DI TITO, CORNER OF VIA NICOLA SALVI, INSIDE THE PARK
Please note that if the Sistine Chapel is not accessible for reasons beyond our control, no partial refund will be provided
If you have a pacemaker you will need to show a certificate, otherwise you will not be admitted without being screened
Not recommended for individuals with impaired mobility
The areas are not wheelchair accessible and may pose challenges for individuals with mobility issues.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.6

based on 80 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

He was very knowledgeable...

Gail_B, May 2025

He was very knowledgeable and engaging! The tour was a wonderful experience. We would do one at night

Great but tiring day

Jaclyn_C, May 2024

Great guides with clear and concise explanations. Made sure we saw the most important areas because there is so much to see. I appreciated that they gave us bathroom breaks. Doing the Colosseum and Vatican in the same day makes for a long day. If you have time or have walking/stamina issues, you might want to schedule these two tours on different days.

Poor Coordination and No Accountability, If you do book call a day prior

Leslie_W, Jan 2022

We scheduled this tour in October for a December 2021 vacation. Apparently we booked in the "peak" season so our tickets stated a 1415 show time for the afternoon Colosseum. Furthermore on 21 October we messaged Gray Line through the Viator site to confirm the tour time, verified 1415 show/1430 start. Fast forward to December. We attended the morning session with no issues, the guide however did not have any details about the afternoon session (separate guides/not coordinated). Then we get a call at 1330 saying we were a no show. While en-route Gray Line offered us on the phone to join the tour late, visiting just the Roman Forum, then we can purchase a separate unguided ticket to the Colosseum (they would not book for us). Since the rest of our vacation was already booked we thought sure, lets do that. While we waited for the group to exit the Colosseum we checked the admission booth just to make sure about the timing. Turns out the Colosseum would have been closed by the time the Gray Line tour of the Forum ended. So we just purchased last minute tickets to both and did a quick 45min run through the Colosseum then an hour in the Forum (forum stayed open a little longer). Had we not double checked we would have missed the Colosseum all together. So Gray Line was not even fully aware of the sites operating times. Their site now seems to reflect the current show times so hopefully that is fixed but reserve at your own risk. If you do, call them the day before and talk to someone. This aside, even if Gray Line had contacted us or told us the correct time when we verified the show time in October their Colosseum and Forum tour is NOT comprehensive (based on time allocated, you need more to go through exhibits and the underground area). The morning tour was similar, the guide was great but we only hit a few highlights of the Vatican museum. History junkies could spend a day there vs. the 1-2 hours we had, most sections like the Egyptian area we did not even enter. As far as accountability Gray Line refused to refund us 50% which we thought to be fair, especially since our tickets said "1430 start" and they sent a confirmation message. Their rationale was the 1430 start was their "peak season" and we should have checked their website or booked directly with them. During the morning session another family had an issue of having paid, vouchers in hand, but not on the tour list. It took 10-15 min for Gray Line to resolve so we started late so we certainly weren't the only ones with issues that day. Bottom line: if you do book with Gray Line, call before to verify everything is in order and check the start time / show location. But realize there are better options out there, especially for Rome.

Birthday Tour

Sharon_M, Jun 2019

It was my birthday and I went on this tour and it was awesome, the Vatican was amazing but best of all was the Colosseum. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the tumultuous history, and the amazing stories.

Read the fine print

Nikhil_S, May 2019

I would have given this tour 5 stars for its guides and ease of entry at Vatican and Colosseum, however I won't have taken this tour had I read the fine print telling me to go to the second meeting point on my own. I prefer to be transported to the second point in one tour by the agency itself instead of us trying to find the way and transportation in the foreign country.

Likely to Sell Out