Private Rome WOW Tour: Vatican, Colosseum & Squares with Lunch

One day, seven stops, your own guide and driver

The Private Rome WOW Tour is a full-day guided experience covering the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and a driven tour of Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, and Pantheon. Pickup from your Rome hotel or Civitavecchia port, all entrance tickets, lunch at a selected restaurant, and a private car with driver are included. The tour runs 7.5 hours and operates in English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language. On Sundays and religious holidays when the Vatican is closed, the itinerary shifts to St. Peter's Square, Castel Sant'Angelo, and other archaeological sites instead.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Colosseum1h · entry included
2. Roman Forum30m
3. Rome Termini30m
4. Pantheon30m
5. Piazza Navona30m
6. Spanish Steps30m
7. Vatican Museums1h
8. Sistine Chapel30m
9. St. Peter's Basilica30m

Explore Rome's iconic landmarks

• Hotel pick-up by driver
• Drive through historic Rome streets
• Visit the Colosseum with guide
• See Roman Forum exterior
• Tour Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
• Explore St. Peter's Basilica courtyard
• Visit St. Peter’s Square and Pope’s Balcony
• Guided drive to Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Navona Square, Pantheon
• Enjoy included lunch
• Return to hotel or drop-off location

The experience

Your driver picks you up from your hotel, airport, or Civitavecchia port in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle and brings you to the Colosseum. There you meet your guide, who walks you through the Flavian Amphitheatre: the largest ancient amphitheater ever built, constructed between 70 and 80 AD from travertine limestone. The guide explains how it once held 50,000 to 80,000 spectators for gladiatorial contests and animal hunts. Your Colosseum ticket also grants access to the Roman Forum within 24 hours. The guide points out the remains from the outside and explains what you can explore on your own time.

After Ancient Rome, the car takes you on a driven tour of the city's most visited squares and fountains. You pass Trevi Fountain, a baroque masterpiece fed by one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied the Roman Empire with water. The route includes Piazza Navona, where you see the 16th-century fountain beneath an Egyptian obelisk, the Spanish Steps with the Church of Trinità dei Monti at the top, and the Pantheon, completed in AD 128 and still standing nearly intact. The guide narrates from the car and at each stop, though entry to some sites is from outside due to crowds and security lines.

You then enter the Vatican Museums, walking through galleries of tapestries, maps, and masterpieces from Italy, Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. The guide leads you into the Sistine Chapel, where you observe Michelangelo's frescoes and the "Last Judgment" in detail. From there, the guide brings you directly into St. Peter's Basilica's courtyard and explains its features while you photograph the interior without flash in a quieter atmosphere. The guide waits outside. You have time to see Michelangelo's Pietà and other highlights. Before returning to your location, you pass St. Peter's Square and the Pope's Balcony. Lunch at a selected restaurant is included during the tour, with dietary restrictions accommodated upon request.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off from your Rome hotel, airport, or Civitavecchia port.
• private car and driver for the full day.
• entrance tickets to the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica.
• guided tour in English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language.
• lunch at a selected restaurant with dietary accommodations.
• access to the Roman Forum and Palatine within 24 hours of your Colosseum visit.

Options for this experience

3 options

Fully Inclusive WOW Tour:Guide in 5 languages · 08:00COLOSSEUM, VATICAN AND PIAZZAS: (Trevi, Navona, Spanish Steps, Pantheon) takes in the Roman Forum from the outside, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Runs 7 hours and 30 minutes, with a private car at your disposal for the full day and pickup and drop-off in the city center. LUNCH IS INCLUDED at selected restaurants, with two courses and water. On SUNDAYS and religious holidays the Vatican is closed to visitors, so equally appealing alternatives will be suggested. Includes pickup.

Japanese-Language WOW Tour, All-Inclusive08:00Led by a Japanese-Certified Guide, with pickup included

Excursion Departing from the Rome Cruise TerminalGuide in 5 languages · 07:30COLOSSEUM, VATICAN AND PIAZZAS: (Trevi, Navona, Spanish Steps, Pantheon) takes in the Roman Forum from the outside, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Lasts 10 hours, with pickup and drop-off at the port and a private car at your disposal for the full day. LUNCH IS INCLUDED at selected restaurants, with two courses and water. On SUNDAYS and religious holidays the Vatican is closed to visitors, so equally appealing alternatives will be suggested. Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:30 and 08:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (5 to 17 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on site€ 5

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Rome Guided Visit

Is this one for you?Book the full WOW Tour to see both ancient Rome and the Vatican with one guide handling all logistics. Choose the Mini version if you have under 5 hours and want to skip the squares, or the Shore Excursion if your cruise ship departure time is fixed.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 17 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What's included in the Private Rome WOW Tour?

The tour includes pickup and drop-off from your Rome hotel, airport, or Civitavecchia port. Entrance tickets to the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica; a private guide in your chosen language; a car and driver for the full day; and lunch at a selected restaurant. Dietary requirements such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are accommodated.

Can I do this tour if I'm arriving by cruise ship at Civitavecchia?

Yes. The Shore Excursion option includes pickup and drop-off at the Civitavecchia port dock and runs 10 hours. The car stays with you during the tour, and transfers are scheduled around your ticket entry times. The operator will adjust timing if you need to return to the ship earlier or later.

What happens if I'm visiting Rome on a Sunday?

The Vatican is closed on Sundays and religious holidays, so the standard itinerary changes. Instead of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, your guide takes you to St. Peter's Square, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Aventine Hill (where you get panoramic views over the city), and other archaeological sites or alternative museums depending on availability.

Is there a shorter option if I only have a few hours?

The Mini WOW Tour runs 4.5 hours and covers the Colosseum and Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel only. It does not include the car at your disposal inside those sites, the squares tour, lunch, or St. Peter's Basilica. Pickup and intermediate transfers between stops are included.

How much walking is involved?

The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel involve significant walking through multiple galleries. The Roman Forum and Palatine have uneven surfaces but include wheelchair paths in parts. At the Colosseum, an elevator is available. The passage from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's Basilica has 50 steps downward and is not wheelchair accessible. If your group cannot manage the stairs, the guide can arrange entry to the Basilica by car from the outside instead.

What if the Basilica has long lines when we arrive?

St. Peter's Basilica stops selling skip-the-line tickets 3 days before your tour date, so you may encounter a queue. If lines are reasonable, your guide will help you enter. If not, the operator will provide skip-the-line tickets to the Pantheon instead, which is not included in the standard itinerary.