1-Day Rome: Vatican & Colosseum Tour with Transport

Rome, Italy

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Rome, Italy

Rome: Vittoriano Panoramic Terrace & Palazzo Venezia Access

from $41

Rome, Italy

Entrance fee to the Wax Museum of Rome

from $19

Rome, Italy

St Peters Basilica Fast Track Entry with Audio Guide

from $27

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Discover Rome’s ancient and Renaissance histories, even if you're short on time, with this combination tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Vatican Complex. Leave the planning, logistics and organization to your guide, as you enjoy an itinerary that includes archaeological ruins, religious masterpieces, and free time for a leisurely lunch (not included).

Learn more than you could if touring the Rome solo
Get around the city with ease by traveling by coach
Relax with hotel pick-up from centrally located hotels
See the city's key highlights in a single tour

What's Included

Professional English-speaking guide and wireless audio headsets
Hotel pickup (only for centrally located hotels in Rome)
Colosseum entrance ticket (€18 per person)
Colosseum reservation fee (€2 per person)
Please note: Colosseum fees as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services.
Comfortable coach transfer between sites (if option selected)

Optional gratuities
Hotel drop-off
Tips and gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

* Tours with hotel pick-up: Be ready 45 minutes before departure in the hotel lobby (60 minutes for non-central hotels). Ask the reception or contact our booking office for information regarding service feasibility/coverage verification. If your hotel is not covered, please reach the meeting point on your own. * Meeting points: Colosseum Tour: COLLE OPPIO PARK - VIA DELLE TERME DI TITO, CORNER OF VIA NICOLA SALVI, INSIDE THE PARK 15 minutes before the start of your tour (please look for the I Love Rome logo carried by our staff). Vatican Museums Tour: Piazza Risorgimento (Bar - Caffetteria L’Ottagono, 400 metres from the nearest Metro A stop, Ottaviano) 15 minutes before the start of your tour (please look for the I Love Rome logo carried by our staff).

Itinerary

Begin your full day of visiting Rome's highlights with a morning pick-up from select, centrally-located hotels.

Head to the Colosseum and explore the first two tiers of the massive amphitheater with your guide, learning about its history as a source of entertainment for ancient Roman citizens.

Then, you'll have the opportunity to visit Palatine Hill, the place of the foundation of Rome, and the Roman Forum from the inside.

Stop to visit a local restaurant for lunch before continuing to the afternoon portion of your tour.

Head for the Vatican Museums, and follow your tour guide directly inside. Explore the extensive galleries and enter the Sistine Chapel to see Michelangelo's famous ceiling fresco and learn about the events that still take place there.

Lastly, visit St. Peter's Basilica where you can explore on your own.

Via delle Terme di Tito

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Colosseum

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Roman Forum

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

20 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
Providing a first name and surname is mandatory, so please provide the full names of all travelers when booking.
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.
Due to heightened security measures, you may experience delays at security checks.
This tour visits religious sites, and a dress code will be enforced. Visitors must be dressed appropriately: no sleeveless blouses, no miniskirts, no shorts, and no hats allowed

Each traveler must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry inside the attraction
Wear comfortable shoes, clothes and bring sunscreen during summer.
Vatican Cloakroom: Items larger than 40 x 35 x 15 cm must be stored. Prohibited items include suitcases, large bags, umbrellas, tripods, and signage. Shoulder bags up to 15 cm wide are permitted.
Colosseum Bag Policy: bulky bags, trolleys, and glass bottles are not allowed. No cloakroom facilities are available at the Colosseum.
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.
Moderate physical fitness required.
By purchasing this tour, the customer agrees to follow only the guide assigned to him/her. It is not permitted to add external guides to the group after the tour has been purchased. We inform our customers that, in such circumstances, access to the Vatican Museums will be granted only if escorted by the assigned guide and respective group. If one chooses to opt out, they will forfeit all rights to the tour and ticket, with no possibility of a refund.
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
The areas are not wheelchair accessible and may pose challenges for individuals with mobility issues.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Supplied by

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

4.3

based on 228 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sort by: Most insightful

Walking Tour

Kerma_L, Jul 2024

This walking tour covered all the areas listed in the itinerary. Our guides were knowledgeable, efficient, and punctual. Tips for summer tour - READ AND FOLLOW THEIR TIPS! *Arrive on time. *Wear comfortable, appropriate clothing for entry to religious sites, wear comfortable shoes & sunscreen, and bring water! The only reason I gave this tour a four instead of a five is that I had to remind the guide that we were on the full-day tour, which included a transfer. Without my reminders at the beginning and end of the first half of the tour, we would not have been transferred to the second portion.

Not the tour we were hoping for

ShelleyR_K, Jun 2024

Walking too fast, talking too fast, only one ear bud couldnt hear couldnt understand tour guide with accent. Too many people, too little time for pictures, eating or shopping. Rush rush to everything, gave us 15 minutes to lunch

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We understand that the fast pace, difficulty hearing the guide, and limited time for photos, meals, and shopping were frustrating. We appreciate your input and will work on improving these aspects to ensure a more enjoyable experience for all our guests. Gray Line Rome

Rome Tour of Vatican, lunch, colosseum

Heather_M, Mar 2024

The tour guides were outstanding. The lunch we ate outstanding. Very organized. Downfall the gentleman that picked us up I found out was a smoker. He smoked in his taxi mini van. I ended up with an asthma attack and a sinus infection. We were also told since we did not get a ride back the last guide would help us find the taxi station. He gave us verbal directions couldn’t find it and we had to flag a taxi down who charge us twice as much as it should have been after an 8 to 9 hour day and 7 miles of walking. We were exhausted but good exhausted.

Amazing day in Rome

mark5525, Feb 2024

Our experience with this tour was incredible. The entire process was flawless and our guides were knowledgeable and passionate about their segment of this experience. Lunch and transportation were both excellent . I would highly recommend this tour if you have a day in Rome!

This tour is a must see in Rome

James_P, Oct 2023

The skip the line feature saved us hours and gave us so much more. The Vatican/Sistine Chapel are huge draws and attract thousands a day. Lines and crowds are packed everywhere. Even with the skip the line feature expect very large crowds and a little wait time. Guides was great, and even the lunch was a 4 out of 5. Honestly it was a very tiring day with lots of stairs, so a very nice restaurant was a wonderful break in the middle. Traffic is bad and the streets are crowded. Expect some delays, but the tour company made it all work and we saw everything listed and had plenty of time for questions, and the guides were fantastic.

Fantastic

Leslie_B, Oct 2023

This tour was so well done. Our tour guide for the Vatican, Rita was fantastic. We were so happy also with the tour in the afternoon at the colosseum. So worth it. Our group was very impressed with this tour.

Perfect Day in Rome!

Janice_A, Oct 2023

Our tour included pick up at major hotels in Rome. We were so thankful to be able to arrange that with the tour director because it was our first visit to Rome. Wonderful tour on 22, September of the Vatican in the morning with Rita #16 as our guide. She was so knowledgeable and confident throughout the whole tour. Learned so much from her. So much history and beauty there. Lunch at a nearby Italian restaurant was great! Then in the afternoon Alexandria #11 tour guide showed us the Colliseum, Pallatine Hill and the Roman Forum. She was also very knowledgeable, and shared so much information with us. She was great and kept us very safe throughout. Loved the whole day! After the tour we walked around the square and found other things to do including seeing Trevai Fountain and take a carriage ride. It was easy to take a taxi back to our hotel. Absolutely would use Viatour again!

History

Anonymous, Sep 2023

I was so very impressed with the knowledge of each guide. I highly recommend this tour. It was very enjoyable.

Overall a very...

Ricky_Y, Sep 2023

Overall a very interesting and fascinating tour. However, it was extremely crowded in the venues and the earphones were not of very good quality. It was very difficult to hear the Tour Guide speak throughout the tour.

great tour

Mary_M, Aug 2023

the guide was very informative and was able to get our ticket s we didn't gave to wait in line. xxxxxx

Enjoyed both the Vatican...

harry_s, Aug 2023

Enjoyed both the Vatican and Colosseum tours, especially the latter. The Vatican Tour was three and a half hours of walking in the heat without access to water and no one advised us that we needed to bring our own water so were exhausted half way through. Also, it is false to state in advance that the Vatican and Sistine Chapel do not allow men to wear shorts. I suffered in hot blue jeans but noticed that about 20% of the men in the buildings wore shorts with impunity so in the future do not tell men they cannot wear shorts in 90 degrees when they can.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear Harry, We sincerely appreciate your feedback and thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We apologize that your overall experience was not entirely positive. With the extreme heat currently being experienced in Rome, we highly recommend bringing a refillable water bottle, as there are many free water fountains available throughout the city. If you don't have a bottle, you can also purchase water from vending machines at the entrance or during the break at the Vatican Museums' bar. Regarding the dress code, we understand your frustration but it's our responsibility to convey the rules communicated to us by the Vatican Museums' management. You should consider that the Sistine Chapel is indeed a church, which requires appropriate attire, we also understand the discomfort caused by the heat. We recommend wearing lighter fabrics such as cotton or linen instead of jeans. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed the Colosseum tour. We value your feedback, as it helps us improve our services for future visitors. We will take your comments into consideration and continue to strive for the best possible experience for all our guests. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you again for choosing our tours, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future for an improved experience.

Very organised and well...

Leianne_W, Jun 2023

Very organised and well thought out day trip! Dani and gloria the guides were brilliant, the company was fantastic. To everything in a day and lunch included in a ni e restaurant was 👌. I would definitely recommend the hotel puck up aswell.

Do NOT recommend.

Sherry_K, Jun 2023

This tour was chaos. They were very unorganized. We were picked up by a taxi, taken to a central drop off where we stood in the hot sun for an hour before the tour even started. The tour guide in the Vatican was great though. He dropped us off for the meal and it was terrible food! I couldn't even eat it. We were then picked up by another driver, taken to another drop off point and again had to wait in the hot sun for the colosseum, forum, Pakentine hill portion. That tour guide was not impressive at all. It was too long of a day and a lot of wasted time. I think you should tour all these sites, just not with this group and not in one day. it is too much.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Dear customer, thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent Vatican Museums and Colosseum guided tour. We apologize for the disorganization and the inconveniences you experienced during the tour. We understand that waiting in the hot sun for an extended period of time before the tour started was uncomfortable and frustrating. We apologize for the delay and any discomfort it caused you. Your feedback regarding the meal provided is duly noted, and we will work on improving the quality and selection of food offered during our tours. We appreciate your positive comment about the tour guide in the Vatican. Our guides strive to provide an informative and engaging experience, and we are glad to hear that this aspect of the tour met your expectations. However, we regret that the guide for the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill portion did not impress you. We will review the guide's performance to ensure consistency and quality across all our tours. We understand that the combination of all these sites in one day may have made the tour feel rushed and overwhelming. Of course, this is a combo tour we offer to people who are in Rome for a few days and want to optimize their time. Goes without saying that it is ideal to stay in Rome for several days and visit each sight thoroughly in separate days - there is so much to see in Rome! If there's anything else we can assist you with or if you have any additional comments, please don't hesitate to let us know. We appreciate your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future. Best regards, Gray Line Rome

Guide fabulous

Richard_G, Jun 2023

Short lady with the hip replacement was fabulous at the Colosseum and roman forum. Really provided a lot of information. Sorry I am bad with names.

Great experience

Kimberly_G, Jun 2023

Our guides were amazing and the ‘skip the line’ is worth every penny! We walked over 16000 steps so it is important to be somewhat fit if you are going to do this.

Vatican and Colosseum with skip the line

ERIC_B, May 2023

Great tour, we had 2 amazing guides. Both have great knowledge. Lunch which is included was good. We had lasagna to start, second course was pork with prosciutto, potatoes and salad, desert was tiramisus. This tour is a long day, make sure you wear confortable shoes. It took us 9 hrs. Would repeat.

Vatican and Rome

Jose_X, May 2023

The trip is good. The reason why I rate 4 and not 5 is because we do not like that they began late. It is important to consider that the tour is very tired, you have to walk a lot, but what you see is very beautiful.

Excellent long day - skip the line is worth it!

Jaz_F, May 2023

It was a very good tour and highly recommend skip the lines! The lunch restaurant was not that great - basically it’s a restaurant jam packed with tour operators taking prepaid packages. At the end of the Vatican tour they transferred us by small bus to the colosseum to start the second tour. It’s a very long day, tons of walking, wear comfortable shoes. We did 17,000 steps in total at the end of the day. Pick up was at 8am and we were back to hotel around 5:30. They do not transport you back at the end of the tour to your hotel. you must make your own plans to return to hotel.

A great tour.

Paul_F, Apr 2023

Both the Vatican and colleseum tours were excellent. The tour guides were great. The included lunch was disappointing. Highly recommend this tour minus the lunch.

Rome in a day / skip the line tour

Valorie_J, Apr 2023

Vatican City tour was excellent! Coliseum tour was a little rushed but good. Skipping the line was essential to getting through the whole tour!

Unbelievable City

Kim_U, Apr 2023

Tour and guides were great! It is a VERY long day and we were unaware we had to find our way back to our hotel.

Great experience

Jordan_C, Mar 2023

The history given by the tour guides between these two places was fantastic. The paintings in Sistene Chapel were so detailed and colorful, I could stare at them all day. The walk through the coliseum along with the history just seemed unreal.

Excellent, highly recommend

lisa_M, Feb 2023

Fantastic experience, some parts slightly rushed through BUT with seeing SO much and learning so much in a short space of Time was necessary and a brilliant experience! Rita the guide was amazing! And same again at the coliseum. Fabulous guides, helped make the tour unforgettable, highly recommend this tour

Rome in a day!

Cheryl_L, Dec 2022

We did Rome in a day- well two highlights anyway! The Vatican museums and church were beautiful with so much history. We saw the colosseum in the afternoon and it was awesome. If you don’t have much time in Rome, I definitely recommend this tour.

Great experience

Kelly_G, Oct 2022

Both of our guides were very, very knowledgeable. My husband loves the colosseum tour as he is a history buff and I loved the Vatican tour, as art is my interest. Fascinating!!

Nice combination of tours, but use the rest room before you start

stephen_B, Oct 2022

This is a mixed review of our tours. The first one involved the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. The guide knew her history. Unfortunately, she would not let us stop at the rest room even though it was after breakfast (lots of coffee and orange juice). She did not want to stop at the gift shop (several people in my party wanted to bring something home to their family from the Vatican). Instead she had us hold it until she led us all around the Vatican and stopped at some gift shops outside the Vatican where we were dying to find a bathroom. The person wanted to know our tour director so she could get her commission. Lots of uphill climbing. The second half of our tour, the Colosseum was great. Alexandria was fantastic. she was patient while some of us struggled to climb the hill at the Forum.

Perfect one day tour of Vatican and the Coliseum

Don_Y, Sep 2022

The Vatican and St Peters Basilica tour were amazing. Our guide basically added the latter site on the spot, which was a great bonus. The included lunch at a nearby restaurant was tasty and plentiful. The afternoon tour of the Forum and Coliseum was iconic.

Lots to see

Sharyl_M, Aug 2022

This is a day of walking. Had to wait for others to be on time. Be prepared for the heat. Lunch was very basic and could have been better for what was included. Water should be included.

Great tours!

Kenneth_B, Aug 2022

Amazing tour with very knowledgeable guides and a delicious lunch! Wear comfy shoes and bring a hat, umbrella, and water - it was scorching when we went. Great day worth every penny!

Not so great.

Eric_Y, Jul 2022

Overall, a so so tour. Vatican and Colosseum tour was ok, however the lunch was seriously lacking (think grade school lunch food here, not to mention that we were left to sit outside in the extreme heat of summer while there was room inside the restaurant). It gets worse from here as the “transfers” were less than adequate as they refused to turn on AC in the vans bc it was deemed too expensive (keep in mind record heat in Italy at this time). Net net, this is a Grey Line tour where they care more abt volume and not quality of service. I’d recommend finding another tour where you pick up lunch and a transfer on your own if you want to do both the Vatican and Colosseum.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Dear Eric, thanks for expressing your concerns and evaluating your combo tour! We are sorry you got the impression we care about volumes as opposed to quality, when we actually struggle to deliver the best service possible on a daily basis. This is also why we monitor our public reviews: we connect with our customers and collect data to make us better. Your feedback is therefore much appreciated but we apologize of course for any inconvenience. On a side note, we kind remind you that we also have a combo tour without lunch/transfer, which is apparently less expensive and leaves the customer free to eat anywhere and find their preferred means of tranfer from the Vatican to the Colosseum or viceversa. Best regards, Gray Line Rome Reviews Team