Vatican and Colosseum Combo Tour: Don’t Wait in Line to See the Best of Rome

Start the day with a border crossing into Vatican City, where you breeze past the long lines and through an exclusive partner entrance into the ornate Vatican Museums. More than 200 tour operators have “Skip the Line” entry to the Vatican, but this Official Partner Tour grants you special access through the Private Partner Entrance, which allows you to enter immediately, saving up to four hours during peak season and giving you even more time to explore the beauty of the Museums.

Once inside, you and your small group enjoy all the highlights of the Vatican with an expert guide by your side. The tour takes in a treasure trove of artistic wonders, from masterworks such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes and 'La Pietà' in St. Peter’s Basilica to the precious relics, paintings, and tapestries adorning the museums’ gilded galleries. Throughout the tour, your expert, English-speaking guide shares fascinating insights only a local could know.

After your Vatican tour, enjoy free time to sample some authentic Italian cuisine (own expense) before meeting your next expert guide for a tour of the historical heart of ancient Rome. Begin by skipping yet another line to enter the Colosseum immediately. Dominating the center of the Eternal City, this ancient arena puts modern stadiums to shame.

Then your tour continues to the Palatine Hill, where Rome originated in a battle between two brothers. You are then taken from the origin of ancient Rome to its hub: The Forum, that bustling marketplace where business, politics, and religion mixed. No other tour takes you so close to so much of the history, significance, and fabulous riches of Rome.

Please note: During the low season, the itinerary described operates in reverse. Tour the Colosseum and Roman Forum in the morning, followed by the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica in the afternoon.