Best of Rome: Vatican & Colosseum Highlights

Meet your guide just steps from the Vatican and enjoy priority entrance as we head past the queues and straight inside the Vatican Museums. See the major works of art ranging from ancient Greek and Roman sculptures to Renaissance masterpieces, and learn how the two are closely intertwined. Much of this tour will be dedicated to the Raphael Rooms and the extraordinary frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. From the commissioning of this colossal masterpiece to the finishing touches applied by Michaelangelo Buonarroti, your guide will help you to discern between myth, fact, and popular Hollywood fiction regarding this majestic work of art. 

After spending ample time inside the Sistine Chapel you may remain inside the Vatican Museums as long as you like, or enjoy fast track entry to explore St. Peter’s Basilica on your own. 

After a break for lunch, regroup at the Colosseum and enjoy express entry to the vast arena, the Icon of Rome built in 72AD to seat up to 50,000 spectators. Upon entering the Colosseum, your guide will provide you with an authentic portrayal of the Gladiator games held in the grandest amphitheater of the Roman Empire. Their expert insights will assist you in distinguishing between historical fact, imaginative fiction, and the cinematic representations depicted in blockbuster movies.

After walking around the perimeter of the Colosseum, gaze down onto the arena floor and beneath to the maze-like underground level where man and beast awaited their moment of glory or met their fateful death. 

With the Colosseum behind you, travel even further back in time as you enter the Roman Forum: the true heart of Ancient Rome with monuments dating as far back as the 7th century BC. On Palatine Hill, you'll learn of the legendary founding of Rome and how a she-wolf rescued and nursed the young twins Romulus (the first King of Rome) and Remus after they washed up on the banks of the Tiber River. Your guide will share the fascinating story of how these famous twins would pave the way for future tyrants, Emperors, and even Caesars who declared themselves Gods throughout the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.