Sharing combo Tour: Vatican and Colosseum with Arena
Rome, Italy
5 hours to 6 hours 30 minutes (Approx.)
Offered in: English
Overview
Explore Rome’s top attractions without the long lines by booking a combination Vatican and Colosseum Tour. With this tour, you’ll breeze through long entrance lines with special skip-the-line access and enjoy a guided tour of both the the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. In a small group, you’ll discover the treasures of the Vatican in the morning before meeting up with a guide at the Colosseum in the afternoon.
- Skip long lines with priority admission to the Vatican and Colosseum
- Experience the magnificence of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- Explore the Colosseum and learn about the history of Ancient Rome
- Extend your day by adding on a tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
What's Included
Professional guide
Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel
Entry/Admission - St. Peter's Basilica
Entry/Admission - Colosseum
Entry/Admission - Roman Forum
Skip-the-line tickets
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Departure & Return
What To Expect
Itinerary
The morning part of your tour will start after having met the guide in front of the Vatican Museums entrance. Here you will have the opportunity to visit the Vatican Museums and Upper Galleries, including the one of the Maps, Tapestries, and Candelabra. The galleries are connecting the north section of the Vatican Palace with the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica of St. Peter’s. The rooms preserved many Roman statues discovered during the excavations and many spectacular painted rooms.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Included
Then, you will visit the Raphael Rooms and the Borgia Apartments.
The Raphael Rooms were part of the apartment of Pope Julius II and are the place where Raphael painted "The School of Athens" while Michelangelo was painting the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The Borgia Apartments, painted by Pinturicchio, was commissioned by the Spanish Pope Alexander VI Borgia. They are inside the oldest section of the Apostolic Palace. You will see the main rooms of it that preserve also part of the artworks from modern and contemporary art.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Included
When you will enter the Sistine Chapel, you will have the opportunity to admire Michelangelo's frescoes. The Renaissance “Genius” painted the chapel in the 1500s for the Pope Julius II and Paul III; Michelangelo first painted the Ceiling where he represented the Creation of the World, from the Genesis book, and stories of Noah’s life; when he was 61 years old he will come back to paint in five years only Last Judgement on the wall behind the altar.
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
After having visited the Sistine Chapel, you will approach St. Peter's Basilica. The Basilica was built from the 1506 and it has replaced the Medieval Basilica built under Emperor Constantine. The Basilica was built in 120 years by many architects including Raphael and Michelangelo. The inside decoration of the Basilica is very Baroque thanks to the “Genius of the Baroque Gian Lorenzo Bernini who projected the “Altar of the Chair of St. Peter” and the Baldachin. Inside the Basilica there is a beautiful chapel where is preserved the Michelangelo’s Pieta. The artists represent this painful moment with the body of Jesus laying on the laps of his mother after the deposition from the Cross.
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
After having met again your guide in the afternoon in our office in Via Frangipane, 30; you will approach the Colosseum. You will have the opportunity to visit the symbol of Rome with the Arena Floor, entering from Gladiator's Gate. You will have the chance to visit all the areas of the Colosseum, with the arena, the first, and the second level.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
OPTIONAL EXTENSION (if you would like to add this option to your tour, please let us know it in the moment of your booking)
If you choose the extended option you will continue the tour exploring the Roman Forum, the center of the political, religious, and commercial life in the ancient times, and follow your guide to the Palatine Hill, the center of legends and historical events.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Included
Enjoy our wonderful tour, TripAdvisor listing company.
Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. 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
- A current valid passport or ID document is required on the day of the tour for children under 18 as proof of age and for adults for the entrance to the Colosseum
- St. Peter's Basilica is a Church and as such the Vatican can decide to close it for religious functions without any notice. Local operator is not responsible for unexpected closure of the Basilica. If the Basilica closed for religious functions, you'll spend more time in the Vatican galleries with your guide
- Please be aware that to enter the Colosseum it is necessary to pass a metal detector security check. Visitors cannot avoid these checks. Even though skip the line tickets are purchased in advance, local operator is not responsible for time spent waiting to pass security checks
- The tour consists of 2 different tours: a Vatican tour in the morning and a Colosseum / Ancient Rome tour
- If you choose the option with Roman Forum and Palatine hill, the order of the visit of this tour can be: first Roman forum and Palatine hill and then Colosseum
- If you arrive late you might lose the entrance at the Vatican or Colosseum
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- This tour is not wheelchair accessible but may be adapted to an accessible itinerary if you contact us. Please note that, for disabled visitors with certified invalidity of more than 74%, the Vatican Museums offers free entry that is extended to a companion for visitors who are not self-sufficient. To benefit from this, make sure you mention it at the time of booking so that our staff may handle your request.
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Learn more about cancellations.
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