Experience the best of Rome on a tight schedule by joining a private day trip with a roundtrip transfer from the Port of Civitavecchia. Explore the highlights of this elegant city with skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter's Basilica. Meet your driver upon arrival at the port and make your way toward the city to find your guide. Learn all about the lives of the ancient Romans in the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. See how they lived and worked, how they worshipped, and how they were entertained by bloody gladiator spectacles. Browse through the large collection of world-famous artworks at the Vatican Museums before stepping into the Sistine Chapel to marvel at Michelangelo's mesmerizing frescoes. Admire the majesty of St Peter's Basilica for a comprehensive Vatican experience. Take a relaxing stroll through the historic city center, visiting the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. Finally, say goodbye to your guide and board your car to be taken back to the port perfectly in time for departure.

It is said that all roads lead to Rome, but if you only have a short amount of time in the Eternal City then you need to plan your journey carefully. Take this private full-day shore excursion from Civitavecchia cruise ship terminal and travel by comfortable Mercedes or Volkswagen minibuses to the center of Rome with a private driver/guide. Once in Rome, your first stop will be the Colosseum, where after a commentary by your driver, you will have the chance to visit inside avoiding the long lines to enter. Drive to Aventine Hill and stop for panoramic views across to Palatine Hill, with the Circus Maximus below. Continue to another of the 7 hills of Rome, called Capitoline, for breathtaking views of the Roman Forum and the old city center. Then, drive to Piazza Venezia, passing the Victor Emanuel Monument – known locally as the "wedding cake" - and the Pantheon. Enjoy some free time exploring the amazing 1st-century BC temple, now a church, where Victor Emanuel II and Raphael are buried. Continue to the Baroque Trevi Fountain and throw in a coin to guarantee you will one day return to Rome. Next, drive by the Spanish Steps and stop for lunch in a typical restaurant, suggested by your driver, or enjoy some free time on your own. Continue to the Vatican Museums, where you can skip the long lines to see the Sistine Chapel, either on your own or by hiring a licensed English-speaking guide. They will take you on a private 2-hour tour that includes St. Peter's Basilica. End your visit to the Vatican at approximately 16:00 for the 1-hour drive back to Civitavecchia, and a drop off directly by your cruise ship.

Your trip begins with collection from the cruise terminal in the morning, to arrive at the Colosseum by 11:00 AM, where you will be whisked to the front of the queue. Immediately begin exploring this majestic ruin, the largest amphitheater built during the Roman Empire, designed to entertain the masses with brutal, violent spectacles. Its capacity is estimated to have been 70,000 people, who were all admitted free of charge to watch vicious gladiator fights and hunting simulations involving exotic animals. Included in your skip-the-line tickets is the entrance to the Palatine Hill and Imperial Forums. Explore both above ground and below, marveling at the unbelievable engineering techniques of the Romans and the intricate theatrical system of hoists, ramps, and trapdoors that made the arena function (included in the underground option). For an extra fee you can purchase a guided tour option, an audio or video tour, or complete underground tour. All are available in many different languages. After about three hours, head over to St. Peter’s Square, where you can marvel at the Sistine Chapel, take in the ornate Basilica, and gasp at the massive outdoor plaza. The tour has 18 other possible stops, according to your preference, to be explored at your own pace. Wherever you decide to roam in Rome, the minivan will pick you up at 16:00, and you can take a nap while being safely returned to your ship.

You will be picked up from Civitavecchia harbor in an air-conditioned van, before being taken to the Vatican Museums. Don't worry about the crowds, as this tour includes exclusive skip-the-line access into the museums. The Vatican Museums are one of the world’s most visited museum complexes and are overflowing with masterpieces by many of the world’s most important Renaissance and Baroque artists. Your guide will lead you through all of the most important galleries providing a fascinating overview of the history and cultural significance. The tour includes visits to the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and other key museum highlights. After this, you will stop for a light lunch and enjoy some authentic Roman cuisine. You will then head to the Colosseum and once again, will skip the long queues outside. Here, your guide will make the world’s most famous amphitheater come to life, explaining its awe-inspiring structure, and recreating the days when it was filled with the sounds of roaring animals and crowds and the clashing swords of gladiators. After that, you will visit the Roman Forum which was once the ancient city’s social, governmental, economic and religious center. At the end of the day, you will be taken back to Civitavecchia port.

Start the tour at Civitavecchia Harbor where you will be picked up. Embark on a small group tour in and arrive at the Vatican Museums and meet your tour guide. Take advantage of your exclusive skip-the-line access tickets, entering the museums through a panoramic terrace where you can admire the stunning view of Saint Peter's dome overlooking the Vatican gardens.  Begin your tour of the collections which include a seemingly infinite number of masterpieces by Bernini, Raphael, Botticelli, Perugino, and other treasures - all incredibly united under one roof. Learn about how the numerous popes that have lived in the Vatican continuously enriched it with different artworks.  Admire the most beautiful Roman ancient statues and gaze in awe at the length of the enormous Tapestry Hall, before continuing on through the Hall of the Painted Maps. Finally, witness the unmissable ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and marvel at the sublime 'Last Judgment' by Michelangelo.

Our bus tour starts in the morning and is adjusted to ships' docking times. The tour returns to the port with plenty of time to spare. Our expert team has led thousands of passengers through the city and never missed a departure! We'll start the day with a panoramic drive along the Italian coast. Along the way, our expert local guide will point out the sights, as well as share the history of Italy and its capital. Our passionate, professional local tour guides are some of the best in Rome - with many years of experience and endless passion for our stunning city. First stop: the Vatican, the smallest country in the world. Avoid the queues with prearranged skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums, which house a vast collection of art and artifacts from Ancient Rome and the Vatican - the stuff of Dan Brown novels. Marvel at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, featuring Michelangelo’s iconic scene of God creating Adam. The chapel is the site of the conclave, where new popes are elected. See St. Peter's Basilica, the center of the Catholic religion and an architectural masterpiece. Inside, you'll see Michelangelo's famous Pietà, and the awe-inspiring dome. Then it’s time to see Rome itself, a city almost synonymous with civilization. Stand on top of the Capitoline Hill for a stunning view of the Roman Forum. Learn about the kings and dictators of the recent past while walking along the Via dei Fiori Imperiali, a road built as a stage for Mussolini's grand parades. Let your guide take you back in time as you see ancient Roman ruins and hear stories of some of Rome's most well-known figures like Julius Caesar, Augustus, Trajan, and Nero. See the Arch of Constantine, built in 315AD, before making your way over to the mighty Colosseum, one of the most recognizable structures in the world. After we will take a break during which you can shop and explore on your own. Your tour guide will assist you with tips and help you find the best restaurants in town. Next we will stop at the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, where tradition dictates that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder, you will one day return to Rome. Here the Italian director Federico Fellini, recognized as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, shot scenes for his critically acclaimed movie, "La Dolce Vita." At the end of the tour, we will bring you back to the port, with plenty of time to spare before your ship's departuer. With an architectural and cultural legacy spanning millennia, there’s no reason not to visit Rome. Join us on this shore excursion for the experience of a lifetime.

Enjoy a full-day, comprehensive tour of Rome, with direct transfers from the cruise terminal at Civitavecchia Port. Transfer by luxury vehicle to the city center, and start your sightseeing tour at Piazza Venezia and the National Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the 1st king of a unified Italy. Continue into the heart of Ancient Rome at the ruined temples of the Roman Forum. Learn about life in the Roman Republic at the massive amphitheater of the Colosseum. Next, get panoramic views of the domes of Rome from the hills of the Capitilone and Palatine. See the site of the Circus Maximus, an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills. Go to the remains of the Baths of Caracalla, the 2nd largest of the public baths in Ancient Rome. Then, marvel at the well-preserved façade of the Pantheon, Ancient Rome’s temple to all the gods. Be enchanted by Piazza Navona, with its handsome Baroque and Renaissance monuments, including Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. See another Bernini fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, and throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain on Piazza di Trevi. Enjoy a traditional Italian lunch, before spending the afternoon at the world’s smallest state in the Vatican City. Wander more than 7 kilometers of galleries in the Vatican Museums to see historic maps, masterpieces by Raphael, and Michelangelo’s glorious Sistine Chapel. End with a tour inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the most important church in the Catholic world, before returning to your cruise ship at the end of an enlightening day.

Fullday Best highlights: • The Pantheon ("temple of all the gods") is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). • Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. The fountain has appeared in several notable films, including "Roman Holiday", Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita", the eponymous "Three Coins in the Fountain", The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and "Sabrina Goes to Rome". • The Spanish Steps are a set of steps dating from 1723, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna (one of the most famous squares in Rome) and the top dominated by Trinita dei Monti Church. • Piazza Venezia is the central hub of Rome. One side of the Piazza is the monumental site of Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Altare della Patria, part of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, first King of Italy. • Roman Forum for centuries the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Ancient Rome (from outside). • Colosseum (Skip-the-line tickets included included in All-Inclusive Option) The Colosseum is the main symbol of Rome. It is an imposing construction that, with almost 2,000 years of history, will bring you back in time to discover the way of life in the Roman Empire. • The Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue. • Piazza Campo de Fiori: Lunch Time, Lunch included in a typical Roman Restaurant. • The Vatican Museums (Skip-The-Line Tickets included in All-Inclusive Option) are located within the city boundaries of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display. • The Sistine Chapel (Skip-The-Line Tickets included included in All-Inclusive Option) takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo. • St. Peter's Basilica: Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world.

Meet your guide and start the 50-minute drive outside of Rome to the tombs underneath Civitavecchia. Visit the Catacombs of San Sebastiano, the oldest Christian cemetery in Rome. Walk through the miles of underground passageways that make up this sacred site. Stand in the cavernous underground chambers where early Christians congregated. Hear about the burial practices of early Christians, and see religious symbols carved into the walls. Next, visit the Catacombs of San Callisto, the largest and most significant early Christian burial site in Rome. Travel back in time to the 2nd century and see the resting place of 10 martyrs, 16 popes, and hundreds of early Christians who died for their faith. Learn about the persecution of Christianity under the Romans as you walk through the underground labyrinth. Contemplate the faith of early believers in Christianity as you make your way through this somber resting place. Afterward, relax in the beautiful garden outside before returning to the port of Civitavecchia.

Meet your driver and then travel 20 minutes to Tarquinia, the capital of the Etruscans. An ancient civilization with their own culture and language, the Etruscans were an early adversary of Rome and were ultimately assimilated into the kingdom of Rome. Within the underground city of Etruscopolis however, the ways of this ancient people are once again brought back to life. This historic site contains a museum of recreated artifacts, which were lovingly crafted by the artist Omero, who is known as “the last of the Etruscans.” See tombs, homes, objects, and scenes of daily life. Understand Etruscan culture through objects as well as intricate dioramas. Explore an underground Etruscan quarry from the 4th-century BC which spans 15,000 square meters. Journey into the past, and see recreations of Etruscan homes. See what life was like in a time before the Romans had even conquered all of Italy. Afterward, have lunch at a typical trattoria in Tarquinia’s historic center.