Our day of Roman adventure begins near the Vatican Museums with introductions and a briefing on what's ahead on our tour. We’ll skip the lines of tourists with our special entry tickets, and head into its galleries with a trained expert in art history. Spending three hours exploring the most important sections of the Vatican Museums, as well as the Sistine Chapel, the official residence of the Pope, viewing Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling and Pietà. You’ll receive an in-depth historical overview in our small private group.

Our incredible morning will be topped off with a delicious Italian lunch at a local restaurant over a lively discussion of Rome. After lunch, we will move to the historic center of the city or the ‘Centro Storico’. Here we’ll explore classical Roman streets and squares before moving to one of our favorite spots in Rome: the Pantheon, the best-preserved monument from ancient Rome. You’ll soak up the spectacular beauty of this world-renowned site, learning about its history and importance. 

From here we will head to the legendary and beautiful Trevi Fountain, where we’ll discuss the importance of water to the city, the competition behind its design, and the dramatic tale its sculptures portray. We will make our way to the Spanish Steps, which provide a beautiful panoramic point for views across the city. The afternoon in the historical center takes you to some of the city's most important sites, where you will emerge with a much deeper knowledge of how Rome has evolved over the centuries. 

At the end of this awe-inspiring day filled with some of Rome’s most famous sites, you will come out with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the city's art, architecture, history, and culture. 

 

Interested in exploring more of Rome? Try our Savouring Rome Food Tour or our Underground Rome Tour. 

For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.

Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.

You will meet your expert guide outside Bar-Ristorante da Paolo Via di Santamaura, 1 on the corner with Viale Vaticano. The tour will end at Centro Storico. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point details along with a map, and a 24-hour phone number for any last-minute issues. 

While your guide will do their best to show you the highlights of the Vatican Museums, there may be closures that are beyond our control: works of art can be on loan elsewhere or entire galleries may be closed due to private Papal or Vatican functions. Should this be the case, your guide will take you to one of the many other areas of the Museums.

How crowded are the Vatican sites?
Please be aware that during the summer travel period, the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica can be subject to extremely high levels of visitor traffic. It’s important to anticipate slower movement, limited visibility, and potential restrictions on accessing certain areas due to the density of crowds. Our experienced guides are adept at navigating through these challenging conditions and will strive to optimize your tour experience.

 

If you’d like to see the Colosseum, please take a look at our 'Rome in a Day, the Colosseum' tour.

 

Yes, depending on the time of the tickets we can try and arrange this. 

 

Kindly notify us if there will be children present at the tour. We recommend also looking into kid-specific tours such as the Vatican Tour for kids.

 

We will pre-purchase your skip-the-line tickets for the Vatican. You will be expected to cover the cost of your lunch and any additional refreshments.

Does this tour "skip the line"?

Our visit to the Vatican includes advance entry tickets, which allow us to skip the general admission line. However, we will still be required to wait in the security line. At times, this line may take up to 20 minutes. Regardless, our guide will spend this time wisely by providing an overview of the history of Vatican. The most important consideration is timing your visit to avoid large tour groups and cruise ships which cause excessive crowding. We schedule our tours to try and find the best conditions inside the museums. 

Are there any other tickets included on this tour?
Yes! It is now required to purchase tickets in order to enter the Pantheon. Context will pre-purchase these tickets in anticipation of your tour. 

Is there a dress code for this tour? 

The Pantheon and the Vatican are religious sites. Men should wear long shorts or slacks, and women should wear long shorts, slacks or skirts below the knee. Shoulders must also be covered; plan to bring a shawl to wear if your top has them exposed. Shorts above the knee are discouraged for adults and teens.

Do you reserve headsets for this tour? 

Depending on your group size, we may be required by the venue to order headsets in which case you’ll see a “Headset Fee” added to your order. If you would like to guarantee headsets for your tour regardless of your group size, please email us and we’ll be happy to get them reserved for you.