1-Day Rome: Vatican & Colosseum Tour
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Rome, Italy
- 7 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the highlights in Rome and the Vatican City—all in the space of a single day—on this in-depth, small-group tour. Explore the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Vatican Museums, and Sistine Chapel—all with the insight and personal attention of a guide exclusive to you and your group. Handy audio headsets ensure you don’t miss a word of the tour, plus, pre-booked entry makes the whole day hassle-free.
- Perfect activity for travelers short on time
- Hear your guide's commentary clearly with provided headsets
- All admission tickets are included for your convenience
- A small group means more attention from your guide
What's Included
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Visit inside all of the attractions
- Wireless Audio Headsets
- 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.
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and Drinks
- Transportation
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
- Saint Peter's SquarePiazza San Pietro, 00120
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
1
Parco di Colle Oppio
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Colosseum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
3
Roman Forum
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Palatine Hill
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Vatican Museums
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
6
Sistine Chapel
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
7
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 provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Passport or valid ID is mandatory on the tour day.
- It is recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a hat and sunscreen during the summer
- Heightened security may cause delays
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Customers must adhere to the assigned guide throughout the tour. External guides cannot be added to the group after purchase.
- Appropriate attire is required for religious sites. 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
- Archaeological areas involve walking on medium to hard surfaces
- 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 attraction
- 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.
- Access to the Vatican Museums is allowed only with the assigned guide. Guests who leave the group or skip this part of the tour will lose all tour services and tickets, with no refund.
- The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica are active religious sites. Access may be restricted, modified, or closed without notice due to religious events, papal audiences, maintenance, or special ceremonies, including during the Jubilee Year. These changes are beyond our control.
- If the Sistine Chapel is not accessible, 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
- 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
Reviews
4.5
based on 102 reviews
Juliana_C, Jul 2024
We enjoy the time with our tour guide. She is very pleasant. We have a great time. We will highly recommend her.
Shelly_M, Apr 2024
Everything we saw had a story. Our guide was so helpful and informed. We had a very intimate group of six people. Wonderful experience, terrific guide.
erin_e, Feb 2024
Guides were great for both tours.
Viator needs to list meeting point for the 2nd half of tour though. The combo tour starts near colosseum for 1st portion then you get yourself to vatican for 2nd half....butbit dosent list that. Tours themselves were fantastic.
Vickie_S, Nov 2023
The tour guide was very boring, also, after touring the colosseum and Roman Forum , no instruction was given regarding The Vatican portion of the tour so we missed it. The tour guide just left!
Roger_G, Jul 2023
The first part of the tour in Rome was informative. I had to ask about the tour to the Vatican City. There was no information on my booking papers. The guide that did the tour in Rome said this is the end of your tour and I was standing there thinking I know when I purchased this it said Rome and the Vatican. The Rome guide gave me a time and address to go to or I would have missed out completely on the second part of the tour. The guide for the Vatican City was not good at all. You could barely hear what was being said. We were left behind and lost our group. So we finished the day on our own
Craig_K, Nov 2022
So basically we had 2 different tours. We received info from Viator to meet for start of tour close to Colosseum. This was no problem and we found our tour guide easily. The guide for this part was very nice but was very hard to understand with her accent. We started with I think 12-13 ppl and as tour kept going on ppl kept leaving as was starting drag on till point it was just 3 of us. Where we find out that we need to figure out how to get to next meeting spot to start the vatican part of our trip. We had no info for this. We had to have tour guide call to figure out bc she had no clue we had anything else booked after. She gave me phone for company when called and guy said was impossible we didn't have info. I even showed the tour guide to prove this. None the else we got location and took taxi at our own expense to get to second part of trip. The tour guide at vatican was great. As was set up and poorly set up tour I would not recommend booking this tour with the company I Love Rome Grayline. I can't say for sure if was tour companies fault or Viator's but either way I wouldn't recommend. Colosseum was great to see but from our tour results and everyone leaving I would say most ppl will not enjoy the experience.
Response from Host, Dec 2022
Dear Craig,
thanks for taking the time and for leaving a detailed feedback about your experience! We are sorry it didn't live up to your expectations though we must say the tour is one of our best sellers and we don't get many complaints about it. As you say, it is indeed two tours put together which we call combo tour. There is a version that includes a transfer from the Colosseum to the Vatican and there is also a version that doesn't include transport, which is the option you opted for. We are sorry if the website didn't make this clear enough. We are going to conduct a content verification to make sure the options can be easily identified.
Best regards,
Gray Line Rome
Reviews Team
FellowTraveler203201, Nov 2019
Our guide for both tours was outstanding. The lunch was very good and the Vatican was beautiful. The Coliseum was nice and I enjoyed the history but it was very crowded and if it was considered “skip the line”, then something was wrong. I’d say the one very negative aspect of the tour is the fact you’re on your own after the Vatican tour. It would be better received if a van was waiting to take you back to your hotel.
Ann M, Sep 2019
Alexandra was great especially because she had pictures of what the colussum looked like originally. Lunch pizza good pasta not so much. Sauce tasted like sauce on spragettos . Frederico was excellent too
Explore49157040310, Jun 2019
Colosseum was good, then we it started to go downhill from there. Lunch was under cooked pizza. The Vatican portion may have been good, but the audio equipment used was out of date and sounded terrible. We could barely make out what was being said, and it resulted in a very disappointing tour
Marcy_G, Jun 2019
Took speed train into Rome from Florence to see highlights in one busy day. Have three children 9,14,16 years. Both tour guides were very nice, but difficulty at times understanding their English with accent making it tough at times to ask questions. Vatican extremely crowded on the visit. Still worth seeing but would have perhaps booked a private tour.
David_K, Jul 2018
Tour started out well but crashed and burned at the Vatican. Early morning pick-up was timely. Dropped off at Colosseum where Grey Line Carrani Tours staff seemed confused as to what they should do with our group of 3. It was our understanding per the web site that our tour would start at the Vatican versus at the Colosseum. Finally after much discussion and waiting we ended up joining the Colosseum tour. Our guide was very good. Knowledgeable and he had a great sense of humor. First part of the tour was a winner and we had no complaints. Our guide escorted us to an area where we met another couple and their daughter and we were escorted to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Nothing spectacular, but it met our needs. A bus picked us up after about an hour and we were transported to the Vatican. Upon arriving, we were assigned a guide for our tour. She informed us that the Basilica had closed at 1 PM and we would not be able to access the sight. Their was a Papal mass scheduled for the next morning and it was usually closed the day before as a result. Those in our group were all upset over this revelation. I specifically asked why our tour was not started at the Vatican - as noted in the tour information - versus the Colosseum so we could have accessed everything in the morning. The guide said she did not know and could not give me an answer. As we began the tour it was obvious the tour guide was knowledgeable, but was having a hard time capturing the full attention of the group. The Colosseum guide in the morning was better suited to relating to the group and offering an a keen perspective and an often off -beat perspective on things. Just before visiting the Sistine Chapel our guide instructed us to hurry to the Chapel, because she was informed it would be closing early. She would meet us at the exit in about 20 minutes after we had enjoyed our visit to the Chapel. Our group waited for the guide at the exit of the Chapel for over 30 minutes and she was no where to be found. Our group continued through the Vatican without guidance, but enjoyed each others company. We inquired, but were not able to gain information as to how we could access St. Peter's Square without exiting the Vatican entirely. My family and I exited at closing and had to walk several blocks to gain entrance to St Peter's Square at an alternate gate. Over all greatly disappointed in the Vatican tour and failure of Grey Line I Love Rome by Carrani Tours. I did contact Viator regarding the issue without resolution. I would not recommend this tour operator. The response I received from Viator was that the tour operator states that the Library at the Vatican was open and made available to our tour as a substitute for the Basilica. This was never communicated to anyone and we never did see the library. My question regarding the morning change was never answered and the tour operator should have known the Basilica was going to be closed due to the next day's Papal mass. Very disappointing.
lynnland, Jan 2018
What a day !!! Great team of guides . All very knowledgeable. A little confusion with guides in afternoon before heading into the Vatican. Truly amazing !
Jelissa_B, Oct 2017
Attended the tour with my husband. Our tour was extremely LONG, if you are doing this please come prepare there is a LOT of walking. I really enjoyed the tour, first we went to the Colosseum which included a walk next door. You get a very good visual and understanding on how the people in Rome lived. You learn about the rulers and how Rome is like a Lasagna of history. The lunch was a HUGE pizza pie, couldn't finish it. We then went to the Vatican LOTS of more walking. The weather was about 84 degrees and I was sweating but Rome has lots of water that you can drink for free public water fountains, great tasting water. I learned so much and the architecture is amazing, pictures can not grasp the beauty of seeing It in person. We had two different tour guide the guide for the Colosseum was very nice and detailed. The guide for the Vatican was good but the crowed made it more difficult to hear and get all the information needed. If your time is limited like ours then this tour is great.
Jennifer B, Oct 2017
Our tour guide did a great job of explaining everything and was very engaging! I loved how she showed some pictures of what areas would have looked like back then. It really brought it all together! Our Vatican guide did a great job also! He was entertaining but educational. Enjoyed both guides!
Laurie S, Oct 2017
Our One day tour was really two half day tours. No big deal to us, but things were a little unorganized in-between the two.
The line at the Colosseum was very long! Skip-the-line is definitely the way to go. You get in much faster with a group. Our guide was great. We learned a lot about the history of the Colosseum and the surrounding area. You will walk a lot!
It's hard to imagine going to Rome and not seeing The Vatican. I would say it's a must. However, the Vatican was mobbed. Even the tour group lines were long but moved much faster. Again, Skip-the-line is the way to go! Our Guide at the Vatican, Linda, was fantastic. She was entertaining, knowledgeable and funny! Since it was crowded it was hard to keep together as a group. She did a very good job of herding us around. There's so much to see. So many rooms to go through. It's hard to take it all in. The Sistine Chapel was not quite what I expected. It was crowded. They do want to you to be reverent so you're asked to be quiet. There were people in the Chapel shushing you. That was unexpected, but understandable.
The hotel pick-up and drop-off is great. I wouldn't recommend driving anywhere!
This was a good tour but it does take all day to do both. You won't have time to see anything else.
Veronica_S, Sep 2017
Lunch was horrible. Restaurant staff very nasty. Drapes in restaurant fell while waiting to be serve and place very very warm. no air-condition. did not even know 6 tourist missing from group. had to look for her and miss half the tour. need better guides giving instruction to tourist. Same happened in the Vatican. Lost the guide due to poor instruction....unacceptable..
Rene S, Sep 2017
Amazing. Both guides were fabulous. Best thing I did was to try to book this trip 24 hours before it began, so happy I was able to get in. I wasn't cheap but it was worth every penny! If you are thinking about it or still researching/reading reviews to find the best one.... STOP...... and BOOK IT!
Lynn C, Sep 2017
The tour guides were super knowledgeable. It was quite organized. The lunch was a bummer....food not good and was held in a very cramped, hot restaurant. I think whoever books this tour should be aware that it is VERY rigorous....LOTS of hills, steps, walking over VERY uneven surfaces.....And, in the summer, most of it in the hot sun. This would be a very long day for older people or anyone that can' walk for 7 hours straight. If you're up to that, it's great!
luis b, Jul 2017
Well worth it especially for the skip the lines because the regular lines were super long. The guides were very informative.
doonehc, Jul 2017
Our tour guides were WONDERFUL! Very knowledgeable and friendly. Both the Colosseum and Vatican were VERY crowded, but this was truly a skip the line experience. We felt like VIPs. This is a definite must tour when in Rome!!!!
Michelle S, Jun 2017
The tour was good. A little rushed but with so much to see I get why. The guides were knowledgeable about told the history well. Slightly disorganized but again over 30 people in the tour so I understand why.
I recommend doing this tour when you arrive then go back and spend more time later.
Kayla B., Jun 2017
Our tour consisted of being trudged around the colosseum/Paletine/forum by a guide who did not speaks good/understandable English, taken to the Vatican museum for lunch, while the food was good, be we waited 3hrs for our guide. The 2nd guide was a much better but the group had over 20people in it.
Lisa M, Jun 2017
Very well organised tour with friendly and knowledgeable guides. Both Colosseum and Vatican are crowded so skip the line tour is the best way to go
Lisa C, May 2017
I chose this tour partly because it offered hotel pick-up. The driver was on time, but did not speak English, and for an English-speaking tour, that presented a bit of a challenge and some confusion trying to determine if I was getting in the right vehicle. Once dropped off at the Coliseum, there was a bit of a wait with very little communication - nothing terrible, but just standing around for a long time wondering what was going on and waiting for the guide to show up. Our tour guide for the Coliseum left a lot to be desired. While she spoke English, she was difficult to understand and was not very enthusiastic or engaging. After the Coliseum, me and another couple were put on a bus to be taken to the Vatican. After getting through security, we were combined with a very large group who had a different morning tour. We were taken to the Vatican cafeteria and provided lunch lasagna, a very questionable pork? patty, veggies, tiramisu, bottled water, but the large group we combined with had been promised lunch THREE HOURS PRIOR, and they were extremely cranky and upset. I don't blame them, and it affected the entire mood of the group going forward. A different tour guide collected us for the Vatican museum tour. He was very knowledgeable and mildly engaging. It was extremely difficult to keep up with him in A such a large group, 30-40 people, and B so many tourists in general. I had to spend 90 of the tour concentrating on not getting lost in the crowd. No fault of the tour itself, it's just a popular destination. Overall, I was glad I got to see these bucket-list destinations, but the tour guides did not add much value to the experience. I won't say I was disappointed, but my expectations certainly weren't exceeded.
george_c, May 2017
The tour started on time, the Vatican Museum was not packed, Renata our guide was really knowledgeable and nice person, she made sure everybody understood her explanations, I recommend it, you won't be disappointed.
James F, May 2017
First off, let me start by saying that having to wait 40 minutes to get through the security check point at the Palatine Hill does not count as Skip the line in my book. That being said, the tour guide we had during the first half of the tour at Palatine Hill and the Colosseum was very informative and ran the tour at the right pace, plus the group was a nice size of about 15-20 people. However, the Hotel pick up and drop off at the Colosseum could have gone smoother, the mini van driver dropped us off in front and told us to find The lady in the pick jacket, and left. Well, there was no such person to be found until some 40 minutes later. In the meantime, myself and two other clients were just left wondering.
For the second half of the tour we were taken by mini-bus to the Vatican Museum were we were left in the cafeteria for an hour and 15 minutes and given a pre-set lunch, no choices. Personally, I would have preferred to pay less and pick my own food. After lunch we waited around for another 15 minutes until we were Handed off to another tour group of about 40 people. The tour guide for this group was hard to understand, he rattled off a rapid, non stop barrage of information in a monotone, that could barely be heard over the provided headsets. I soon gave up trying to listen to him. Also, he moved so fast through the crowded museum, that at times many of us who'd stopped to actually look at, or photograph something, had to run to catch up before we lost sight of him. In fact, on many occasions I seriously considered just giving up on the tour and proceeding on my own.
By the end of the day I felt as if the entire tour was a continuous series of Hurry up and wait episodes.
Peter B, May 2017
First class Tour with an excellent guide. Great to 'skip the queue' and to have lunch at a reserved table in the Vatican Museum. Our only complaint would be that there are too many people allowed in the Vatican - at times it was a real crush just moving around!!
David_R, Apr 2017
The hotel pick-up takes you straight to the Colosseum where you wait for groups to be assembled and headphones issued. The guide for the morning was Benjamin, a Mexican, but very knowledgeable about Rome and the Colosseum. The headphones meant that you weren't continually waiting for the group to assemble for the guide to give his commentary, and you are kept on the move but not rushed. We were shown around the ground floor area and then taken up to the upper level where you are able to get a complete view of the complex - a lift is available for those with walking difficulties. On leaving the Colosseum you walk to the Forum and Palatine Hill and are shown all the important features. Although many people opt to do these visits on their own, a guided tour means that you don't miss anything and can ask questions whenever you want. The tour ends with a grandstand view looking down at the Circus Maximus, and if you are on the lunch inclusive option you are taken by minibus to the Vatican having said farewell to your guide. Lunch was served in one of the Vatican cafes and consisted of a portion of cold lasagne, then a piece of meat which I took to be veal, served with grilled vegetables this course was also cold, then followed by tiramisu for dessert. Service was so slow that some of the group thought that the meal was over after the lasagne and left. We re-assembled for the afternoon part of the tour at 2.30 and had to wait for another group to join us before our visit started at 3.00 pm. The guide for the Vatican was Daniel, again another experienced and knowledgeable guide. The problem with this part of the tour was the sheer number of visitors, you were shepherded into already full galleries and just shuffled along - it was impossible to get a good look at everything and doubtless much is missed. In the Sistine Chapel we were allowed time to explore but owing to the number of visitors you cannot fully appreciate the artwork. From here we went to St Peter's Basilica which was much less crowded, and shown the various chapels and tombs. The tour ended outside in St Peter's Square at around 5.30pm. If you took advantage of the hotel pick-up in the morning be aware that you have to make your own way back to your hotel after the tour.
john r, Apr 2017
We had one day in Rome and this tour was an excellent learning and visual experience for the time we had. Our first guide took us through the Roman Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the various palace sites for different Roman Emperors each had to better the other. He drilled down into all areas for us and made our time very interesting. We were then transported to the Vatican for entrance and lunch in the Vatican Museum. After lunch, we were joined by a new guide who took us through the Vatican museum galleries - ending in the Sistine Chapel. Next he had our entrance tickets into St. Peter's Basilica where he again gave us a very detailed and interesting tour throughout. We toured St. Peter's Square with some great final highlights to complete our tour. Just an excellent experience!
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