Vatican & Rome 3-Day City Pass with Transport & Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel

The Vatican card's star is entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, one of the richest art collections in the world. You walk past ancient sculptures such as the Laocoön group, the gilded Gallery of Maps and the frescoed papal rooms before reaching the chapel, whose ceiling scenes of Genesis and the vast Last Judgment draw visitors from every continent.

Vatican Museums tickets through the pass still need a time slot: reserve as soon as you book, especially from April to October. Allow three hours inside. The museums are closed on Sundays except the last Sunday of the month, so plan your Vatican day from Monday to Saturday. If you collect your passes on the same day as your visit, come to the desk at least an hour before your entry time.

The Basilica of St John Lateran and its cloister

St John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and the seat of the pope as bishop of the city, which is why it is called the mother of all churches. Founded in the fourth century, it was rebuilt many times; today its vast façade is crowned by giant statues, and inside, colossal marble apostles line the nave.

Your pass includes the cloister, a peaceful thirteenth-century courtyard with twisted columns inlaid with coloured mosaic, explained by a multimedia audio guide. Allow about an hour for the basilica and the cloister. Across the square stands the Holy Stairs sanctuary, and the Lateran Palace beside the basilica is also one of the two desks where you collect the passes, so many travellers start their three days here.

The Mamertine Prison and the Roman Forum area

The Mamertine Prison, the ancient Carcer Tullianum, lies at the foot of the Capitoline Hill on the edge of the Roman Forum. It is one of the oldest structures in Rome: an underground stone chamber where the state held its most important prisoners before execution. Christian tradition says that St Peter and St Paul were imprisoned here, and a small church was later built above it.

Visits are short, about thirty to forty-five minutes, and reservation is required. The site fits neatly into a day around the ancient centre: combine it with the Colosseum and the Forum, then walk up the Capitoline steps for the view over the ruins. Wear shoes with good grip, as the steps down to the lower cell are narrow.

Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

With the Rome card you choose two of five headline sights, and most travellers pick the Colosseum ticket, which also covers the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. The Colosseum, inaugurated in AD 80, held some fifty thousand spectators. The Forum was the political and religious heart of ancient Rome, and the Palatine above it holds the ruins of the imperial palaces and a superb viewpoint.

A Colosseum time slot is mandatory even with the pass, so reserve online as early as possible. Allow at least half a day for all three sites, start early to avoid the midday heat, and bring water, as shade is limited. The nearest metro stop is Colosseo on Line B, included in your transport card.

Your second choice: Castel Sant'Angelo, Capitoline Museums, Borghese Gallery or Circo Maximo

For your second free entry you can choose Castel Sant'Angelo, the round fortress on the Tiber that began as a Roman emperor's mausoleum and became a papal refuge, with a rooftop terrace looking straight at St Peter's dome. Or pick the Capitoline Museums, the oldest public museums in the world, with the bronze she-wolf of Rome and a gilded equestrian statue of an emperor.

Art lovers often choose the Borghese Gallery, set in a park villa and filled with Baroque marble sculptures and Renaissance paintings; entry is by timed reservation only. Families enjoy the Circo Maximo Experience, where augmented-reality visors rebuild the chariot-racing track around you. The two included entries apply to adult passes; children's passes include the transport, bus and discounts.

Getting around: hop-on hop-off bus and public transport

The pass includes 72 hours of unlimited travel on Rome's metro, buses and trams, which makes it simple to move between the Vatican, the ancient centre and the Lateran. Validate your transport card on the first ride. Metro Line A serves the Vatican area at Ottaviano and the Spanish Steps at Spagna, and Line B serves the Colosseum.

You also get a 3-day hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus with an audio guide app, perfect for an overview on your first morning or for resting your legs between sights. Charge your phone before you set out, as the audio guide and reservations work best on a smartphone. A guidebook and map are included to plan your route.