Your full-day tour starts at the Colosseum, where you’ll avoid the long lines of tourists that will be queuing up for entry and enter the ancient world’s greatest sports arena without any waiting around. Your guide will introduce you to the enthralling tales of gladiators and martyrs that made the Colosseum famous while exploring the remnants of their history together.
Next you’ll head over to the Roman Forum to learn how the heart of Rome’s all-encompassing empire functioned and thrived. Forget battling through the crowds inside the Forum, your guide will lead you directly to a stunning lookout point. From there, you can take in the entire Forum complex, including the Senate House and the Temple of the Vestal Virgins. Your guide will make it easy to imagine how the Forum must have appeared 2,000 years ago with stories of war, politics, economics and religion that shaped the ancient city.
No walk through Ancient Rome would be complete without a visit to the Pantheon. This nearly 2,000-year-old building has the largest non-reinforced concrete dome in the world. As you view if from inside, you’ll hear the story of how it was built and why it has inspired so many other buildings, from St. Peter’s Basilica to the U.S. Capitol Building.
Your tour through the Historic Centre continues with a stop at the stunning Trevi Fountain, which is the largest baroque fountain in Rome. Legend has it that if you toss a coin over your left shoulder into the Fountain you’ll return to Rome one day.
Next stop is the Spanish Steps for a spot of people watching and plenty of photo opportunities. From here your guide will take you on the metro to the Vatican, where you will have a break for lunch before entering the Vatican City.
After lunch, your guide will take you to the Vatican Museums, where you’ll skip the long lines of people waiting to enter. With your Vatican expert to guide you, you’ll delve into one of the world’s greatest art collections.
This specially-curated Vatican tour highlights the best works in the vast collections here, giving you a broad understanding and appreciation of what you’re seeing. You’ll explore the sculpture galleries and the world-famous Laocoön Group before heading to the Sistine Chapel.
The tour ends with an introduction to the history of the Sistine Chapel, with your tour guide leaving you to contemplate Michelangelo’s frescoes. From here, you can choose between extending your stay in the Chapel and the Vatican Museums, or exit to St Peter’s Square and view St Peter’s Basilica in all its glory!
