Rome Full Day Private Tour: Driver, Access to Colosseum & Vatican
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Rome, Italy
- 7 to 9 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
If you’ve only got limited time in Rome, opt for a private sightseeing tour that allows you to tick off all of the top attractions in just one day. Perfect for first-time visitors on a time budget, this tour—which transports you between attractions in air-conditioned comfort—covers big hitters such as the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the catacombs. Plus, letting someone else drive gives you more time to focus on the scenery.
- See more of Rome in less time on a private sightseeing tour
- Ideal for first-time visitors with limited time in the ancient city
- Receive the undivided attention of a private guide and discover info you may otherwise have missed
- Avoid the hassle of taking unfamiliar public transport and travel in air-conditioned comfort
What's Included
- Colosseum tickets with official private guide
- Vatican Museums reserved tickets and official private guide
- Drop off under the ship in Civitavecchia port if the tour start from the port
- Transport by private sedan or minivan A/C
- Catacombs Tickets if the tour starts from Rome
- Colosseum entrance ticket valued at €18 per person
- Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
- Lunch Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We'll pick you up at your location in Rome city center at your Hotels, B&B, at 8:30 AM From the Port of Civitavecchia your driver will meet you under your ship on time Your Driver we'll have a signboard with your lastname printed on it. If the tour starts from Rome the drop off will be in St. Peter's Square at the end of the Vatican Museums tour. ( this is for the 7-8 hours tour from Rome ) For additional car disposal or transfer back to the hotel in Rome please send us a message for availability after booking (extra cost). From the port of Civitavecchia we'll drop you off under the ship on time around 5:00 PM or 5:30 PM depending on the ship departure. For post cruisers, arrival from the airports the Maximum number of bags 6 large and 4 carry on luggages. For last minute bookings (less than 7 days) we reserve the right to offer you alternatives or free cancellations if we are unable to carry out the service as described.
Itinerary
1
Piazza Venezia
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Circo Massimo
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Palatine Hill
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Colosseum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
5
Appian Way (Via Appia Antica)
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Catacombe di San Callisto
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Rome
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Spanish Steps
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Trevi Fountain
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Vatican Museums
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Each traveler must present a valid ID card or document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- For last minute bookings (less than 30 days) we reserve the right to offer you alternatives or free cancellations if we are unable to carry out the service as described.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 55 reviews
Jaime_B, Jan 2026
Raffaella was a wonderful tour guide. She is knowledgeable, prompt, and enthusiastic. It is absolutely worth booking a private tour through these museums, you won’t regret it!!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you very much. We're very happy you loved Rome and Raffaella . We all hope to see you again ❤️
Joseph_S, Nov 2025
Maximus was a great guide very knowledgeable and friendly would recommend him to anyone he was fantastic!!!!!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you very much. I’m very happy you loved Rome. I hope to see you again ❤️
MARILYN_F, Oct 2025
Excellent Guides. Excellent English. Very knowledgeable and personalized to our interests. Carlos our driver was a great driver though traffic and parking was challenging. Raffa our Vatican and Colosseum guide was so knowledgeable and gracious. Highly recommend this tour! Couldn’t have been better.
Mark_F, Oct 2025
This day flew by!!! It was VERY fast paced & one day isn’t nearly enough time for Rome. However, Max did an excellent job of navigating us in & out of every place quickly & efficiently. He is very patient and incredibly knowledgeable of EVERYTHING in Rome!!! We wish we could’ve spent 5 days with him!! Marina was the guide he arranged for us at the Vatican was also excellent, knowledgeable & efficient. Again, we wish we had at least a full day with her at the Vatican. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Max & Marina and are hoping to come back when we have more time and use their services again!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Ciao Mark,
thank you very much for your feedback. I hope you enjoyed your Italian Holidays. I'm sure to see you again in the future.
Ciao
Max
Omar_K, Aug 2025
Great Tour. A lot to cover in a single day. Would recommend if you are on a time crunch. Expect to do roughly 13-15k steps between Roma and Vatican City.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks for leaving your feedback. 13-15,000 steps seems a bit much considering you have the Mercedes minivan available from the morning until the Vatican Museums. However, you need to be patient and definitely walk through the catacombs, the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. At the end of the tour, the steps are about 7,000-10,000 maximum. See you soon and have a great holiday!
Regards
Max Parini
Allison_H, Jul 2025
What a great way to see Rome!! Both our guide Max (for our 1st part) & Raffa for the Vatican City part of the tour were absolutely fantastic!! They get you into all the places with ease and have intriguing tidbits to share! Highly recommend
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you very much for your support.
Nicole_L, Jul 2025
Max and Sabrina were wonderful and super knowledgeable. Could not have asked for better tour guides!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you very much. I hope to see you again.
Ciao
Michelle_R, Jun 2025
We had an unforgettable 7-hour private tour of Rome, and it exceeded all our expectations. Max was already waiting for us at our hotel before the tour even began. Such a great first impression! He was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. As he drove us through the city, he stopped at several key landmarks and shared the fascinating history behind each one in an engaging and insightful way.
Later, we continued to Vatican City, where we met Dennis. Dennis was equally impressive. He was
extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the Vatican’s history, art, and significance. He was a true professional and such a pleasant person to spend time with.
This tour was hands-down one of the best experiences. The personalized attention, deep historical knowledge, and warm personalities of both Max and Dennis made the day truly special. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rome!
JUAN_F, Apr 2025
Excellent day tour of Rome. We were able to see what we wanted with time to spare to return to our cruise ship in Civitavecchia. Our guide and driver Maxi was great and provided great information during our tour. His partner, Valentina (hopefully I'm remembering her name correctly) was amazing in providing us our tour of the Vatican Museum. Having the skip-the-line tickets ahead of time certainly sped things up, especially since we were visiting during the Pope's passing. Great day and great experience.
Joe_E, Aug 2024
Max was amazing. He was personable, knowledgable, and efficient without rushing us. I can't believe all we were able to see in one day. I am so glad I made the decision to book with him.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you very much. I am very happy you loved Rome. I hope to see you again Ciao
Nicole_M, Jul 2024
Our Rome in a Day experience was a wonderful way to end our vacation. The day was planned perfectly with the exact mix of sightseeing, education and shopping breaks. Our driver and guide were outstanding and did an exceptional job coordinating and planning our time together. Overall, exceptional experience!
Hope_R, Jul 2024
Fantastic!!! We had a wonderful day. Carlo, our guide could not have been more knowledgeable, personable and accommodating. Lorenzo was our guide in the museums. The amount of knowledge in his brain was insane! He could answer every question we had, and gave us so many interesting facts.
We were only in Rome for less than 48 hours and this was the best decision. We walked right into the Colosseum and Vatican museum. Everything was perfectly timed and on point.
Perfect day in Rome.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you very much for you support. We've forward this beautiful words to Carlo. Ciao
Karen_V, Jul 2024
The BEST day!!! We were picked up right on time by our amazing driver, Claudio. Really nice vehicle, cool air and cold waters. He took us around to all of the highlights / quick stops we could fit in before meeting our tour guide, Daniel, at the colosseum. Daniel gave us a great personalized experience with just the right amount of details. Anything we asked questions about, he knew it! After that, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peters. Never waited in any line because of Daniel and his preparedness. It was perfect. Hopped right back in van with Claudio and breezed back to the ship with plenty of time to spare. Our favorite day of our cruise. Worth every penny!!! Don’t hesitate to book. Just do it!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you very much for you support. We've forward this beautiful words to Claudio. Ciao
Adam, Jun 2024
We enjoyed our day but it was definitely not worth the huge amount of money we spent for 3 people. For the price we payed, catacomb tickets & lunch should have at least been included. Our guide for the Colosseum & Vatican was extremely nice but our driver was pretty terrifying. He drove through the streets at unsafe speeds that could’ve easily hurt someone & yelled out the window at other drivers on our return home. That was not very pleasant & not the type of service you would expect at this cost. I would not recommend this tour. Book them separately & research more ahead of time.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Dear Mr. Adam, let's start from the beginning to answer your review.
What stress were you subjected to during the tour?
Before booking you will have certainly checked the cost of the tour and what was INCLUDED and EXCLUDED from the cost of the tour.
The cost of the catacombs tickets and lunch, drinks are not included in our tours and you knew it and agreed to book knowing what was included and not included.
The first sentence shows the fact that you liked the tour 100%
Our guide Beatrice did an EXCELLENT job and you liked her too.
Marco has been working as a driver guide for over 30 years. In a city like Rome the maximum speed in the historic center is 5 km/h max 10 km/h
Driving through the narrow streets of Rome is a privilege that few can do to enjoy the city.
Obviously pedestrians have priority and our drivers are very attentive to tourists. Unfortunately they have a hard time moving and in our country drivers ask to move to avoid accidents, something that has never happened to us luckily.
MARCO is one of the best in Italy. Certain things are perhaps not done in the United States but in Italy they are customary and make people laugh or otherwise they can leave a bad impression, but obviously going to a foreign country changes customs. So rolling down the window to greet colleagues is not terrifying but a sign of friendship to say hello. That's it.
It is not possible to book the two services separately because the high cost of the tour, as you say, includes private mercedes minivan, private driver guide, gas, taxes, private authorized guide for the Colosseum and Vatican museums, skip the lines tickets for the Colosseum and Vatican museums.
Before leaving a bad review remember what you bought before and read what is included and excluded from the tour.
Over 25 years of experience in business, there is always a first time for someone who does not read the details and complains about everything but that you enjoyed. In this particular experience there is not even time for lunch. You had a good slice of pizza to go to see all the museums and attractions listed.
Rebecca_S, May 2024
Personable, professional, and very knowledgeable, Claudio made our tour both enjoyable and informative. As a native Roman, he provides an insider’s view into the secrets of Rome and its people. A 5-star rating comes easily for the wonderful Cicerone!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you very much for you support. We've forward this beautiful words to Claudio. Ciao
AnnaMarie_C, Nov 2023
Such an amazing time with Fabio and Monica!!! We had an incredible day and got so much in. They were accommodating to all of our requests and went above and beyond!
Linda_B, Nov 2023
Sistine chapel, Pieta, Colosseum. Loved it all. Max was amazing. We appreciated his passion and incredible knowledge. Brea
Dudley_C, Oct 2023
Really enjoyed the tour, and had a wonderful time. The tour guide was excellent. The history, the sites, and the culture were truly an enjoyable experience. Would gladly book this tour again. Thanks!
scott_r, Sep 2023
We got to see 90% of the items on our to-do list and enjoyed AC in the van in-between historical stops.
Caterina was our guide at the Colosseum and the Vatican. She was super knowledgeable and provided us with answers for any questions we had.
Traffic in Rome is crazy busy which limited our ability to see the catacombs at the end of the day but overall the tour was very good.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hello. Thank you in advance for your feedback but is not what really happened. The driver guide in the morning gave you the option to see the squares and fountains OR the catacombs. This is what we ask to everyone because sometimes our customers don’t want to see the catacombs but more. You prefer to see more of Rome. So we showed you the squares and the fountains instead of the catocombs otherwise we would have take you there. After your visit at the colosseum and the vatican museums at the end of the day, you asked the driver at 3:45 pm to take you to see the catacombs. Your answer was no because the extra time was not included and you did nor want to pay 2 hours extra. So we show you 120% more and not the 90% as you said.
Thank you again and we all hope to see you in the future.
Regards
Max Parini
Chantel_W, Sep 2023
Valerio was our driver & he was the absolute best. Showed us all the sights & kept our 7yr old son engaged & entertained. Lia was our guide & she was so full of information for both the colosseum & Vatican. She was so patient with our son. It was hot but he managed well enough.
I thank Max & his crew for an amazing job
Irina_M, Aug 2023
Do not hesitate to book this private day tour. It is absolutely worth it! Our driver/guide was Valerio and our Vatican and Colosseum tour guide was Elisa. Both were exceptional! Valerio picked me and my teenage daughter up at the cruise port on time, in a beautiful and comfortable vehicle. He had excellent communication, was very friendly, knowledgable, professional, and extremely helpful. Valerio had great suggestions for our tour while also listening to our requests. He went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing experience. I highly recommend Valerio as a driver and guide. You will not be disappointed! Upon arriving in Vatican City and at the Colosseum, Valerio waited for us while we toured with Elisa. She was extremely knowledgable, professional, organized, and a really lovely person. She was patient, answered all of our questions, and was a pleasure to spend half of our day with. We could not ask for a better guide. If you only have a short time in Rome and want to see the best highlights, while still allowing for customization, this is definitely the way to do it! I'm so glad we booked this tour!
Deborah_W, Aug 2023
Our driver George was so friendly and knowledgeable. It was so nice to have a quality and professional driver pick us up from the cruise port and show us around Rome. Maria Teresa, our guide in the Colosseum and Vatican was very informative! Great experience.
Madonna_N, Aug 2023
Stefano was right on time picking us up at the airport giving us a driving tour of Rome before we met with Lecia our tour guide. Lecia was very knowledgeable and provided many resources to enhance our tour experience. Her lunch recommendatio was excellent.
Melvyn_A, Jul 2023
Our guide, Max Parini, was absolutely the very best. It was literally like having a college professor guiding us. He was so informative by 3 pm we were on information overload which was just what we wanted. When I come back to Rome I want Max as our guide. We sure lucked out with Max. We saw too much to list everything. Not only was scholarly but very enthusiastic. Thank You Max
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thank you for your feedback. I hope to see you all again. Ciao
Tanya_P, Jul 2023
Max was excellent, very informative and knowledgeable. Adapted pace of tour to suit our needs. Best tour guide and driver. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thank you. I hope you've enjoyed your summer
Ann_C, Jul 2023
This is a great (if not the only) way to see the sights of Rome in one day. Very professional and knowledgeable guide. Skip the line feature is very helpful from a timing perspective but also keeps you out of the long lines in the heat.
Susan_F, Jul 2023
Our private tour of Rome was perfect. We had one day to see all the sights in Rome and chose the private tour with driver and skip the line passes. Our driver, Marco, drove us to all of the most important places in Rome. We have 3 children and to be able to see the Spanish Steps, Catacombs, Colosseum and Vatican Museums in one day was priceless. Our tour guide for the Colosseum and Vatican was very knowledgeable (her name is escaping me) and knew how to adjust the tour to keep the interest of our kids. I would like to mention that if you are claustrophobic you may want to skip the Catacombs as it is entirely underground in small tunnels.
Levi_L, Jun 2023
I wouldn't do this any other way.
I like more action and less dilly dallying, and this was all action. No waiting for a bus load of people to unload at every stop, close enough to talk with the tour guide -no ear phones to hear the guide because there are 40 people on the tour with you, no sitting in line, it was everything I hoped it would be.
Having Cristiano drive us from location to location while explaining the area and site was great. He recommended and set up lunch for us (table was set and first course was waiting when we arrived) which hit the spot after walking around the Vatican. He also recommended places for us to go the next day. Cristiano was awesome!
Lia was our guide for both the Vatican and Colosseum. She is a walking encyclopedia! She had so much knowledge and did a great job explaining everything to us. She would walk backwards explaining things to us which we were amazed she could do that through the crowds of people.
She also "skipped the line" like you wouldn't believe! The lines were crazy long (even the 'skip the line' lines) and Lia sliced through everyone with us and maximized our time seeing and learning about all the sites.
This was great way to take in a good chunk of Rome in a day and not waist any time doing it.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Thank you very much. We all hope to se you again.
Ciao
Krista_G, Mar 2023
We saw so many amazing things today! Max’s enthusiasm could not be beat, even when faced with two pre-teens who don’t know much history. This tour was absolutely worth it. He was easy to communicate with and took us to all of the best locations. When it says “skip the line,” he really means it! We didn’t stand in any lines anywhere!
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Dear Krista,
thank you very much. i am very happy that everyone loved my tour. Especially your kids.
I hope you enjoyed your holidays. Ciao
Max Parini
Eric_M, Jan 2023
Max was super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful during the whole tour. Highly recommend, great experience!
Response from Host, Jan 2023
Eric,
Thank you very much! I really appreciate it.
I hope to see you soon ❤️
Ciao
From $761.80
per person-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Rome Full Day Private Tour: Driver, Access to Colosseum & Vatican
55
9 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$761.80
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in Rome, Italy
- Holy Stairs (Scala Sancta) Tours & Tickets
- Palatine Hill (Palatino) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati (Basilica dei Santi Quattro Coronati) Tours & Tickets
- Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi Tours & Tickets
- Montecitorio Palace (Palazzo Montecitorio) Tours & Tickets
- Pyramid of Caius Cestius Tours & Tickets
- Piazza della Bocca della Verità Tours & Tickets
- Piazza Barberini Tours & Tickets
- Gigi Proietti Globe Theatre Silvano Toti Tours & Tickets
- Oratorio di San Francesco Saverio del Caravita Tours & Tickets
- Piazza Trilussa Tours & Tickets
- Trevignano Romano Tours & Tickets
- House of Augustus (Casa di Augusto) Tours & Tickets
- Column of Marcus Aurelius (Colonna di Marco Aurelio) Tours & Tickets
- Quirinal Palace (Palazzo del Quirinale) Tours & Tickets
- Piazza di San Cosimato Tours & Tickets
- Testaccio Market (Mercato Di Testaccio) Tours & Tickets
- Ponte Sisto Tours & Tickets