Rome · TOURS

The 15 Best Tours & Day Trips from Rome

772 tours  ·  from $2 a head

Everything with a guide, a coach or a scooter attached, in one list. The 15 below are the ones worth building a day around, priced and timed.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour with Optional Basilica - Meeting at Via Germanico
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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour with Optional Basilica

1.Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour with Optional Basilica

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 67,413 reviews · from $79Our pick

Join a Spanish, English, Italian, French or German-speaking guide for a 2.5 to 3-hour Vatican visit. You’ll pass through the Belvedere Courtyard, Gallery of Maps, museum galleries and Sistine Chapel, with optional entry to St. Peter’s Basilica and Michelangelo’s Pietà. Groups can be private or small, and skip-the-ticket-line access covers the museums and chapel.

“This is a incredible place. There is absolutely amazing history inside the walls of Vatican. The museum is breathtaking and of course St. Pietro Basilica too. This is definitely MUST place to see.”

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Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Guided Tour - Inside the Colosseum
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Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Guided Tour

2.Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 63,148 reviews · from $78

Walk through the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with a licensed guide, using headsets to follow the stories in busy spaces. The route can change, and an Arena visit is available with some options. Guides such as Andy, Aurora, and Valerie have been praised for their clear storytelling and lively approach.

“Andy was the best!! Such a good storyteller. This was our favorite experience in Rome. Highly recommend.”

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Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour - Understanding Michelangelo before the Sistine Chapel
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Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

3.Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39,149 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $22

Join an English-speaking guide for a roughly three-hour tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and, when available, St. Peter’s Basilica. You’ll see the Gallery of Maps, Pinecone Courtyard, Michelangelo’s frescoes, and La Pietà. Groups are capped at 20, with audio headsets; guides have included Sophia, Maria, Christian, Amy, and Laura.

“Guided 3 hrs tour with Amy in Feb 26. To Vatican museums, sistine Chapel and the Basilica. It was busy so it is well worth getting skip the line in guided tours, we saved hours! February is off season so it would be far busier at other times. We had group of c 20 with headsets and Amy did great job of keeping us together and narrating the tour. She was funny, personable and as an art historian, really knowledgeable about the museums collections. 3 hours is a real fly-by tour, but a great introduction.”

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Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour - The Roman Forum: temples, basilicas and public life
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Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour

4.Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 32,814 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $52Top rated

In 2.5 hours, a live guide leads you through the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum, explaining the sights that can be easy to miss on your own. Guides have included Henry, Leo, Aphrodite, and Alessandra, though your guide may differ. Check your booking option carefully: arena or underground access is included only when named in the tour title.

“Aphrodite was a wonderful tour guide showing us around the Roman Forum, Palentine Hill and the Colosseum. She answered all of our questions and went into great detail on the many interesting things we saw. She was great and we truly enjoyed our tour!”

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Rome: Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill - The Roman Forum, Where Rome Did Its Public Business
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Rome: Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

5.Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 27,897 reviews · 2.5 - 3 hours · from $55

Spend 2.5 to 3 hours at the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with a local guide and pre-booked entry. Guides such as Felicity, Alessandra, and Angela have been praised for lively storytelling, clear explanations, and a good pace. Headsets are included. The standard tour does not include the Colosseum arena or underground.

“Our guide Alessandra was absolutely incredible. She was exceptionally knowledgeable and clearly experienced in her field. Her passion for what she does—and her love for Rome—shone through in every part of the tour. Exploring the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum with her was both fascinating and unforgettable. I learned so much, and I appreciated how genuinely she took an interest in us, asking where we were from and what brought us to Rome. She made the entire experience feel personal and meaningful.”

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Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Guided Tour - The Roman Forum, at your own pace
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Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

6.Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23,903 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $59

Spend about three hours at the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum with a licensed English-speaking guide, or choose an audio-guide option. Hear how gladiator contests, Roman politics and the city’s founding fit together. The Colosseum Arena Floor is available with select options. Expect uneven paths, steps and crowds.

“Nice tour. Didn’t realize how violent history was. Andre (tour guide) very knowledgeable funny and interesting. Very crowded even in February!! I would recommend going earlier in the day to hopefully avoid crowds. If you have knee problems a little challenging because of steep stairs. Definitely not on a weekend. Toilets are an issue but cafe across the street allows use as long as you buy something first. I really did learn a lot. Great tour.”

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Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour - Belvedere Courtyard: a first look at the Vatican
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Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour

7.Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 13,872 reviews · from $130

An expert guide leads you through the Vatican’s courtyards and galleries to the Sistine Chapel, explaining Michelangelo’s *Creation of Adam* and *The Last Judgment*. Add St. Peter’s Basilica when available, but note that afternoon tours after 2 p.m. do not include it. Guides speak six languages.

“Our tour was wonderful. Antonio was an excellent guide - very knowledgeable, personable, and easy to understand. We really appreciated all of the information about the Sistine Chapel - we were able to better appreciate it when we were there because of the details Antonio shared. We wish we had gotten to see a bit more of the Vatican Museum but it was so crowded anyway and the Sistine Chapel was clearly the showstopper.”

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Rome: Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill Tour & Optional Arena - Entering the Colosseum by the gladiators’ gate
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Rome: Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill Tour & Optional Arena

8.Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill Tour & Optional Arena

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 13,839 reviews · from $58

In about two and a half hours, a live guide leads you through the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, explaining how ancient Rome worked as you walk among its ruins. Choose the arena-floor option to enter through the gladiators’ gate. Guides vary, with past tours led by guides including Olga, Maria, Stefano, and Alessandro Campioni.

“Alessandro champ was very knowledgeable explained everything with details. I really recommend this tour !!!!”

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Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour - Belvedere Courtyard: a first look at the Vatican
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Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour

9.Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 13,217 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $72

Join a licensed guide for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, with options to add St. Peter’s Basilica and a self-guided Dome visit. Expect major works, brisk movement through crowded galleries, and clear stories through an audio headset. Guides such as Henry, Zara, Eugene, Roberto, and Elena have led tours, but assignments vary.

“This was an excellent tour that exceeded our expectations. Our guide Zara was amazing, very knowledgeable, fun, and captivating even for our teenagers (who, as all teenagers, are not easy to impress ;) ). We all loved the tour and agreed that without her explanations we would probably get only 5% out of our visit, because there is just so much to see and it’s a real visual overload, and when you go as a family it is difficult to know what to focus on and you can possibly read all the descriptions. With Zara’s help within 2,5 hours we covered so much and felt so enriched and intrigued by…”

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Skip-the-Line Group Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica - Via della Conciliazione and Bernini’s square
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Skip-the-Line Group Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica

10.Skip-the-Line Group Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12,779 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $30

Meet in Borgo Pio for a roughly three-hour guided visit to St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Your guide explains what to look for before you enter the silent chapel. Check your chosen option carefully: not every tour includes St. Peter’s Basilica.

“Absolutely loved this experience. So worth it to get the most out of the experience. The tour guide is excellent at guiding the group to skip the line in a very busy area, and before seeing the sistine chapel she did a full explanation with photos because you are not able to talk while in the actual chapel. Made the experience so much more special. The Vatican museum is very large so having an expert guided tour is a must. Also recommend paying the 10 euros per person to climb the Duomo at the end of the tour, best views of the tour! Highly recommend this tour, it was our…”

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Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour - Palatine Hill and Rome’s beginnings
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Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour

11.Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 12,703 reviews · from $51

In 2.5 to 3 hours, a guide leads you through the Colosseum’s first and second levels, then the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The $51 tour includes skip-the-line Colosseum entry, but not the underground. Guides have included Chiara, Magda, Giorgio, and Gabriel; your guide and meeting point depend on the option booked.

“Our guide Ani was amazing. We are enjoyed all the time that we spend on tour.”

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Colosseum: Underground and Ancient Rome Tour - Step onto the arena floor
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Colosseum: Underground and Ancient Rome Tour

12.Colosseum: Underground and Ancient Rome Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 12,691 reviews · 3 hours · from $160

Visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, then enter the Colosseum’s underground chambers, arena floor, ground level, and second tier. Guides such as Carmelo, Teddy, Maya, and Enza are known for lively explanations and thoughtful answers. The three-hour walk costs $160 per person, includes admission and headsets, and is offered in English, French, or Spanish.

“Fantastic tour. So glad we done this tour instead of being self guided. We learned so much along the way.”

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Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Guided Tour - Tapestries, maps, and the Candelabra Gallery
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Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

13.Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 12,117 reviews · from $118

Visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel on a 2.5-hour guided tour, with skip-the-ticket-line entry, headsets and stops at the Gallery of Maps, Gallery of Tapestries and Raphael Rooms. Guides speak English, French, Spanish, Italian or German. Groups may be private or small, but the Sistine Chapel can be crowded, and St. Peter’s Basilica is not included.

“Laura was an absolutely fantastic guide, informative and entertaining with excellent knowledge. Would absolutely recommend this tour.”

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Rome: Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour - Inside the Colosseum with a guide
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Rome: Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour

14.Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 10,584 reviews · from $73

In 2.5 to 3 hours, a guide leads you through the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum. Choose the arena-floor option to enter through Gladiator’s Gate and stand on a partly reconstructed section of the floor. Guides vary by departure; Magda, Eni, Tiziana, Radu, and Marcelo are among the names associated with tours.

“Great experience for the entire family! Very informative too.”

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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Ticket-Line Tour - From the Belvedere courtyard to the Gallery of Maps
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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Ticket-Line Tour

15.Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Ticket-Line Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 10,486 reviews · from $130

Spend 3 to 3.5 hours with a guide in the Vatican Museums, including the Gallery of Maps, Raphael Rooms, and Sistine Chapel. A partner entrance helps you avoid the regular ticket line, and groups are capped at 20. Guides vary, with past tours led by Rita, Roberta, Luisa, and others. Some options include hotel pickup.

“Wonderful guide, very attentive to our experience and asked questions, she answered thoroughly. Very good experience. Highly recommend and would do it again.”

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