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

based on 32255 reviews

Duration:3 hours (approx.)
Location: Rome, Italy

From $80.65

Book in 2 easy steps:

1. Select A Date

2. Enter Total No Of Travellers

Infant (Age : 0 to 5)

CHILD (Age : 6 to 18)

ADULT (Age : 19 to 99)

Free Cancellation

Upto 24 hours in Advance.

Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Top Selling Tours & Activities

Excellent Quality

Viator Plus

Half-day Tours

Best Conversion

Likely to Sell Out

Likely To Sell Out

Walking Tours

Cultural Tours

Historical Tours

PRODUCT DETAILS
TRAVELER REVIEWS
TRAVELER PHOTOS

Spend more time inside with no-wait access to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica through an official Vatican partner entrance. On this comprehensive guided tour, you'll experience the best of the Vatican in just three hours, including the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and more. Navigate the vast complex of artwork and history with an expert, who will bring this ancient collection to life. Choose from several departure times and languages.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Vatican City
Vatican Museums tours with skip-the-line access are popular, yet even fast-track lines can be lengthy. This exclusive experience provides admission through a dedicated entrance, ensuring a queue-free visit.
2. Vatican Museums
Embark on an exclusive journey into the treasure trove of the Vatican Museums. Explore the intriguing Gallery of the Maps and Tapestries, immersed in tales of Vatican secrets. Marvel at captivating Italian maps, and be awe-inspired by the sculptures in the Gallery of Candelabras. Capture memories with a photo stop at the Pigna statue in the Pinecone Courtyard, crafted by the renowned Donato Bramante. Join our English speaking expert guide for an unforgettable experience in the heart of the Vatican City!
3. Cortile della Pigna
The Pineyard Courtyard at the Vatican Museums is a serene haven, blending classic architecture with lush greenery. Donato Bramante's Pigna statue stands as a bronze centerpiece, creating a peaceful retreat. Amidst this cultural richness, the courtyard invites reflection and appreciation for its timeless elegance.
4. Sphere within a Sphere
In the heart of the Vatican's Cortile della Pigna stands a notable bronze sculpture: Sfera con sfera (Sphere Within a Sphere) by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro. This captivating artwork depicts two fractured orbs resembling intricate machine gears, symbolizing the intricate and fragile nature of the modern world. Pomodoro began creating similar sculptures in the early 1960s, exploring the theme of complexity.
5. Gallery of the Maps
The Gallery of the Maps is a mesmerizing display of intricate cartography, spanning centuries. Immerse yourself in history through vividly detailed maps, capturing the beauty of geography and artistry.
6. Sistine Chapel
Explore the Museums rooms and then enter the incredible Sistine Chapel— the Pope's own sanctuary and a must-see on any Vatican visit. Stand beneath Michelangelo's iconic The Creation of Adam on the ceiling, and marvel at The Last Judgement, his vibrant mural gracing the wall.
7. St. Peter's Basilica
After marveling at the Sistine Chapel, your guide leads you to St. Peter's Basilica, the symbolic heart of the Catholic Church. Dive into its rich history, exploring Vatican art like Michelangelo's La Pietà, crafted when he was just 24. Admire Bernini's baldachin and bid farewell to your guide in St. Peter's Square. Note: On Wednesdays, due to the Papal Audience, St. Peter's Basilica and Square may be unavailable. Fear not, as an extended Vatican Museums itinerary awaits you as a perfect alternative.
8. St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Square is an iconic masterpiece in Rome. It embraces visitors with its grandeur. Designed by Bernini, the vast elliptical space is encircled by a majestic colonnade, symbolizing the Church's embrace. The central obelisk and fountains add splendor, while the stunning façade of St. Peter's Basilica stands as a beacon of architectural brilliance, inviting pilgrims and tourists alike to marvel at the heart of Vatican City.

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or any impairments requiring special assistance. We are also unable to accommodate strollers or baby carriages on our group tours.
• Avoid bringing large purses, bags, or backpacks on your tour
• At times, despite our priority access tickets, we may experience delays in getting through mandatory security checks when entering these venues
• St Peter’s Basilica is subject to last-minute closures for religious ceremonies. When this occurs, we're happy to offer customers an extended tour of the Vatican Museums. While we endeavour to tell tour groups ahead of time if there are any planned disruptions to the Basilica's opening hours, this is not always possible and in these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
• On Wednesdays, due to the Papal Audiences, access to St Peter's Basilica is not possible until 1pm
• St Peter's Basilica is not accessible on the evening tours

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Thomas_C
The tour guide was amazing the only complaint is we were to get back door access to the basilica but it's not available on Wednesday's and we weren't informed until the tour started. Viator should know these things. Otherwise great guide
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 16:19:49

Posted By : Jeff_I
This was a very long tour that felt even longer. Seemed to drag on just to stretch it out over the full 3 hours. The guide did her best to try to keep things entertaining but the constant repetition and slow pace just made it painful.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 16:11:34

Posted By : Monique_K
Our tour guide, Valentina, was very fun and knowledgeable. There was so much to see and we really enjoyed the tour.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 15:04:49

Posted By : Alan_N
Clause was very knowledgeable and explained things very well. I was disappointed that we did not get to experience St Peter’s Basillica due to the Jubilee celebrations but that is to be expected and we were told that we will get a partial refund. We enjoyed the experience very much.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 14:43:36

Posted By : Ginny_C
Fabio was a great tour guide! He kept us energized and was very knowledgeable. Would recommend this tour <3
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 14:25:08

Posted By : Danil_G
For an expensive tour (€273,- with my son) I have serious objections. I took this tour for my him to get some background information about this great museum and I expected to get in swiftly, but it still took us 30 minutes to get in. Could have been much sooner if she would have seen there was an extra line open for the groups. Tour guide strangely enough stayed mostly outside in the courtyards explaining things. We wanted to go inside and hear from her there. That was relatively short part of the tour (we left). Moreover it was way too busy in the museum, almost impossible to move. St Peter basilica was (understandably) closed because the Pope was holding a service (but why did we pay for it/ why is in in the tour then?). Tour guide was very nice but her pace was way too slow to really see the works you come to the Vatican to see. For this money you expect to see more and wait less.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 13:20:04

Posted By : Georges_F
The experience was overall exceptional thanks to our guide Amy who did a great job in making this long tour funny. She was very knowlegeable & i advice her for anyone who wishes to do an amazing visit to the Vatican.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 12:56:43

Posted By : Mel_W
Regrettably couldn’t understand the guide due to poor mic quality, crackling headphones and their heavy accent. But this wasn’t the worst part - I did not expect an empty private tour of the Vatican but we were hearded through the Vatican like cattle on a farm at all aspects we were told to keep moving and not stop. Meaning do not stop to appreciate what you are looking at, do not stop to take in what you are being told. There were so many people being squished through the halls before the chapel (that without being allowed to stop) we lost the guide for over an hour; Not that it mattered when you couldn’t makes sense of what you were told or what it correlated to when your being hearded along. I left the tour feeling like it was a total farce.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 12:01:50

Posted By : Rita_T
We all had a great time. The tour guide so knowledgeable.
No waiting to get in which was a big plus!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 11:35:09

Posted By : Stacie_W
Our tour guide was awesome. She was very knowledgeable and didn't rush us around. She even found us seats to rest for a few minutes in the Sistine Chapel.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 11:27:43