Nancy Aiello Tours of Italy | Private Italy Vatican City Tours

This extended private guided chauffeured Rome shore excursion is designed to offer the most complete and satisfying experience of Rome for guests taking a cruise that stops in Rome for the day. We cover the best of ancient Rome must see sights plus the major sights of the Vatican City with the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Although very comprehensive, this private guided tour provides maximum comfort at an enjoyable pace that you set with the opportunity to have some free time for eating and/or shopping. A Nancy Aiello Tours English speaking licensed chauffeur will accompany you from the time you disembark the cruise ship, meet your private guide and return to the port in time to board your cruise ship.
Meet your personal English speaking licensed driver in front of your cruise ship at Civitavecchia Rome port of call. He will drive you safely in the comfort of a private fully licensed insured a/c deluxe Mercedes Benz vehicle to the heart of Rome to meet one of our licensed professional tour guides and you will start your private guided tour with an excellent overview of Rome entering into the ancient city through the Porta San Paolo gate, which is one of the main gates of the Roman Aurelian Walls. You will drive past and admire the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, the highest and the oldest Pyramid in all Europe, the Baths of Emperor Caracalla, one of the seven wonders of the Eternal City, and the Circus Maximus the largest stadium ever built for shows and chariot races. You will continue by skipping the line at the Vatican Museums to visit the remarkable Vatican Museum and the outstanding Sistine Chapel with its magnificent frescoes by Michelangelo where your knowledgeable guide will enhance your appreciation of this wonder by answering all your questions about this art lover's paradise. Your private tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel will end in St. Peter Square as you admire Michelangelo Dome and feel spiritual embraced by the two symmetrical colonnades of Bernini. Afterward your personable tour guide lead you on an amazing journey into the past of ancient Rome to learn about the fascinating history and splendors of the Eternal City by taking you to the archaeological area of Rome to visit the treasures of ancient Rome. Your personal expert guide will bring the Imperial Roman past alive as you will visit skipping the line the inside of the Coliseum, iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and one of the finest surviving examples of Roman architecture. For the ultimate exploration of Rome ancient past your tour guide takes you through the Roman Forum, once the heart of the Roman Empire. Though ruins are all that remain, there is enough to conjure up in our minds the mighty temples, basilicas and triumphal arches that stood in the glory days of the Caesars. Next you enjoy the nearby Capitoline Hill historic and religious center of Rome surrounded by the stunning Renaissance piazza designed by Michelangelo from where just like in ancient Rome you enjoy the breathtaking view over the Roman Forum and the adjacent city center square Piazza Venezia with its huge Vittoriano Monument A.K.A. ’wedding cake’. At the end of your private guided chauffeured ancient Rome and Vatican tour your personal driver transfers you back to Civitavecchia Rome port of call in time to board your cruise ship.
Please Note: This tour is not available on Sundays and on certain Holy days throughout the year. In 2012 the Vatican will be closed on February 11, March 19, April 9, May 1, June 29, August 15 & 16, November 1, and December 8, 25, & 26
Please Note: Your exact itinerary for the day will depend on what time the skip the line tickets at the Vatican will be arranged for. That time will be determined after the tour is confirmed.
Please Note: The Sistine Chapel is not available separately but is only able to be visited as part of the tour of the Vatican Museums.
Please Note: The Vatican has a dress code. No bare shoulders, no shorts, no dresses above the knee, and no bare feet or exposed midriffs are allowed.

* Private guided chauffeured Rome shore trip
* Multilingual licensed professional tour guide
* English speaking licensed driver
* Deluxe Mercedes Benz vehicle at disposal for the whole length of the shore trip
* Cruise ship pick up & drop off
* Skip the line Coliseum tour
* Skip the line Vatican tour
* Suitable for Children & Seniors
* Suitable for Disabled Travelers
* Length of the Shore Excursion: 10 hours (traffic pending)