Best of Rome Full-day Guided Tour with Vatican Colosseum Trevi & Sistine Chapel

You will be met by your guide at the Colosseum, benefitting from fast-track access to avoid the lengthy queues. You will then tour the interior of this vast amphitheatre; a real triumph of Roman ingenuity.

Once you have toured the interior of the Colosseum, you’ll continue to the nearby Arch of Constantine and the Roman Forum. The Forum was focal point of life in the city, a place of commerce, politics and religion. Located around the ancient square are the ruins of the 1st-century Arch of Titus, the House of the Vestal Virgins, the Temple of Saturn, the Senate House, and the white marble Arch of Septimius Severus.

Next, a walk along the Via Sacra (Sacred Way) will take you to the Capitoline Hill and Il Vittoriano, a striking neoclassical building, affectionately named “the wedding cake” by the locals – you’ll soon see why!

A further stroll and you’ll arrive at the stunning Trevi Fountain. If you throw a coin into the fountain, there is a legend which states that you will one day return to Rome.

You will then have chance for lunch (own expense). Your guide will be able to offer suggestions if required – there is a lot of choice!

Once you have had lunch, the tour will continue into the Government District. Here you’ll be able to see the Parliament Building, the Palace of the Council of Ministers and the Column of Marcus Aurelius. Temple of Hadrian is located nearby – an imposing structure, built in honour of the Emperor Hadrian by his successor, Emperor Antonius Pius.

A narrow alleyway will lead you to the piazza della Rotonda, where you will find the Pantheon, the location of the tomb of the Renaissance genius, Raphael.

You’ll then pass the ancient Baths of Nero on your way to Piazza Navona where Bernini’s incredible ‘Fountain of the Four Rivers’ is located.

Just across the Tiber is the final stop on the tour -the Vatican City. Here you’ll see the Vatican Museums, which host an enormous array of spectacular artworks including frescoes by Raphael, and Michelangelo’s exquisite ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.

You will visit the Sistine Chapel, one of Italy’s most popular attractions, and still used today for the papal elections. The chapel is the location of Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment' and other frescoes depicting Biblical stories, such as the creation of Adam

It is then time for a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica where you will explore the numerous side chapels with their hidden crypts. You will see Michelangelo’s Pietà and your guide will explain why this is the only work that he signed. You will gain an appreciation of the mastery that went into the creation of Bernini’s altarpiece and learn how Michelangelo triumphed over his contemporaries for the honour to paint St. Peter’s magnificent dome.

There is still more to see though below ground level. You guide will lead you below ground to the papal crypt where, over the centuries, many of the Popes have been interred. This special place is a site of pilgrimage for many Catholics

After, you will view the most important square in Rome - Saint Peter’s Basilica.