Rome
 

Will be in Rome 21/2 days. Will arrive around noon on April 24 and get on cruise ship April 27. I want to book some tours in Rome in advance but there are so many to choose from I need advice on how do you choose the best one? The main ones I am concerned about is a guided tour to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St.Peter’s Basilica, Colosseum. Also could use help in choosing the best transfers from airport in Rome to hotel then from hotel to cruise port. We will get off ship in Athens and will spend 3 nights there before flying back to US. Will need transfers from cruise port to hotel in Athens and then from hotel to airport. So many choices just need to know which one will be best for a 77 year old couple. Thanks in advance for advice.

For the tours just book the offical ones.

https://www.museivaticani.va/content...html#lnav_shop

Click on tickets on the left. Not the best web design. At least it's not very obvious.

https://www.coopculture.it/en/produc...archaeologist/

The Coopculture site is for Colosseum tours. The Vatican site is for tours of the Vatican, which all include the Sistine Chapel.

Tours of St Peter’s Basilica, with official trained guides, are offered at set times if you just walk up to the information desk in the portico. Or you can pick up an audio guide.
https://www.basilicasanpietro.va/en/...ded-tours.html

Wednesday is when the Pope holds an audience in St Peter’s Square, and you can’t access the basilica until the afternoon. Go a different day.

You can pretty easily combine the Vatican and St Peter’s in one day. Grab a sandwich at Duecenti Grad in between, or have lunch at another restaurant of your choice.

If your stamina for walking is low, skip the Forum and Palatine Hill.

Others might advise on transfers. I found taxis worked fine, except for a very early morning trip to the airport, for which my hotel arranged a driver — no longer remember the firm’s name.

FYI, April 25th is a national holiday in Italy. I would investigate your tour options ASAP.

In case you look at the night tour of the Colosseum, I highly recommend that you DON'T do it. The lights in the arches that you see in pictures of the outside don't penetrate inside. It's very dark inside and you really have to watch where you're walking on the uneven surface.

If you're interested in the Pantheon, there is now a fee of 5 Euro, and apparently the lines can be long. A quick search showed some companies that do a tour that skips the line.

For your transfers, airportshuttle.it is good. I have used them many times.

SusanP's comment on the safety in low light in that building is spot on.