The Complete Vatican Tour With Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
3 hours
Max 20 people
Commentary: Guide · en
Rome, Italy
About this activity
Enjoy a comprehensive tour of the Vatican Museums followed by an exploration of St. Peter's Basilica.
Highlights
- Skip the line at the Vatican Museums with pre-reserved group entrance tickets, saving hours of waiting
- Visit the most essential areas of Vatican City - the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
- Enjoy a specially designed route highlighting all the works you wanted to see and a few surprises you won’t expect
- Stand in utter awe under Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and learn the incredible stories behind its frescoes
- Skip the line into St. Peter’s Basilica for a full guided tour including Bernini’s incomparable altar and Michelangelo’s "Pietà"
- With only 18 people (or fewer), a comfortable headset and an expert guide, your experience will be intimate and surpass your expectations
Full description
This comprehensive tour takes you deep into the Vatican Museums with an expert licensed guide to reveal the best of the museum's collections at a relaxed pace. Admire the Sistine Chapel, an innumerable amount of ancient sculpture such as the Apollo Belvedere and the Laocoön, illuminate stories tucked into the Raphael Rooms, and marvel underneath the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Enjoy skip-the-line entrance into both the museums and the basilica.
Take a walk through the Palaces of the Pope
A visit to the Vatican Museums is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With over four miles of galleries filled with works of art, masterpieces, and treasures coupled with entrance lines that stretch for hours, you can easily fall victim to ill-prepared plans. Not with us!
On our Complete Vatican tour, you'll experience Vatican City in the company of an expert licensed Vatican guide. One of our most popular itineraries this tour hits the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica all in one incredibly planned itinerary. (Trust us, we thought of everything!) With your guide and a small group, you'll be armed with an encyclopedia of knowledge.
You'll start in the Vatican Museums where we have carefully traced out an itinerary taking you past the most famed artifacts, including the ancient sculpture that inspired Michelangelo's depiction of God in the Sistine Chapel, the Belvedere Torso, the mythical Greek sculpture Laocoön & His Sons, the mind-boggling Gallery of the Maps, the Gallery of the Tapestries, and, of course, the *Stanze di Raffaello* - the rooms painted by Master artist Raphael - considered by many to be every inch as beautiful as the Sistine Chapel.
The highlight is, of course, the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo's towering frescoes threaten to overwhelm most visitors. You, on the other hand, will have already learned the purpose, dedication, and history behind the Chapel from your expert guide and will be able to pick out details others will miss.
As you depart the Sistine Chapel, you'll take the special, group-only entrance into St. Peter's (no waiting in lines) for a full tour of Christendom's most awe-inspiring basilica. From Bernini's towering baldachin to Michelangelo's peerless Pietá, your guide will reveal all the intricate details that make the church such a wonder, while also telling you the 120-year story of its construction.
With skip-the-line access, a small group, and the best, licensed guides in Rome, we don't just show you the Vatican, we explore its most interesting corners while helping you decode the art, architecture, and history that make it one of the world's top attractions.
Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesday mornings. It is subject to other closures during special celebrations/festivities, including the Easter ceremonies. On such days we will instead explore more of the Vatican Museums' galleries.
Sites Visited: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, Raphael Rooms, Apollo Belvedere & Laocoön & His Sons, Pinecone Courtyard, Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries
A visit to the Vatican Museums is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With over four miles of galleries filled with works of art, masterpieces, and treasures coupled with entrance lines that stretch for hours, you can easily fall victim to ill-prepared plans. Not with us!
On our Complete Vatican tour, you'll experience Vatican City in the company of an expert licensed Vatican guide. One of our most popular itineraries this tour hits the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica all in one incredibly planned itinerary. (Trust us, we thought of everything!) With your guide and a small group, you'll be armed with an encyclopedia of knowledge.
You'll start in the Vatican Museums where we have carefully traced out an itinerary taking you past the most famed artifacts, including the ancient sculpture that inspired Michelangelo's depiction of God in the Sistine Chapel, the Belvedere Torso, the mythical Greek sculpture Laocoön & His Sons, the mind-boggling Gallery of the Maps, the Gallery of the Tapestries, and, of course, the *Stanze di Raffaello* - the rooms painted by Master artist Raphael - considered by many to be every inch as beautiful as the Sistine Chapel.
The highlight is, of course, the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo's towering frescoes threaten to overwhelm most visitors. You, on the other hand, will have already learned the purpose, dedication, and history behind the Chapel from your expert guide and will be able to pick out details others will miss.
As you depart the Sistine Chapel, you'll take the special, group-only entrance into St. Peter's (no waiting in lines) for a full tour of Christendom's most awe-inspiring basilica. From Bernini's towering baldachin to Michelangelo's peerless Pietá, your guide will reveal all the intricate details that make the church such a wonder, while also telling you the 120-year story of its construction.
With skip-the-line access, a small group, and the best, licensed guides in Rome, we don't just show you the Vatican, we explore its most interesting corners while helping you decode the art, architecture, and history that make it one of the world's top attractions.
Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesday mornings. It is subject to other closures during special celebrations/festivities, including the Easter ceremonies. On such days we will instead explore more of the Vatican Museums' galleries.
Sites Visited: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, Raphael Rooms, Apollo Belvedere & Laocoön & His Sons, Pinecone Courtyard, Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries
Included / Excluded
- Local English-speaking guide
- Skip-the-line ticket for Vatican Museums
- Skip-the-line access into St. Peter’s Basilica
- Headset
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
- Lunch
Meeting point
Start Location
Bar L'Ottagona, centro piazza, Piazza del Risorgimento, Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy
Important information
Know before you book
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, or for wheelchairs or strollers. Please contact the Guest Experience team at +39 068-596-0143 (Italy) or 888-683-8670 (USA) to make alternative arrangements.
- Walks comply with all local government regulations. You may need to wear a mask or provide proof of vaccination to enter certain venues. Please refer to Italy government guidelines for the most up to date information
Know before you go
- This tour is in English.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
- The tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds can be provided for late arrivals or no-shows.
- If you cannot join your tour at the last minute (running late, etc), please contact us. We may be able to reschedule your tour with a small amendment fee depending on availability.
- All guests must pass through security. For useful information/restrictions about your tour in the Vatican Museum, visit https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en/visita-i-musei/consigli-utili.html
- All guests (including children) must bring ID on the day of their tour.
- Only small backpacks and handbags are allowed inside the Vatican Museums. Storage is available but please note you must return (about a 20-minute walk) to the entrance to pick up your items at the end of the tour.
- Due to the religious nature of the Vatican, all individuals regardless of gender must cover their shoulders and knees. Walks cannot be held responsible for those denied entry.
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, or for wheelchairs or strollers. Please contact the Guest Experience team at +39 068-596-0143 (Italy) or 888-683-8670 (USA) to make alternative arrangements.
- Tips/gratuities (for your guide) are always appreciated.
- Walks comply with all local government regulations. You may need to wear a mask or provide proof of vaccination to enter certain venues. Please refer to Italy government guidelines for the most up to date information
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity starts
Cancellations received greater than 24 hours prior to tour commencement are fully refundable. Cancellations received within 24 hours of tour commencement are nonrefundable. Amendment requests are subject to availability and price changes. Late arrivals and no shows are nonrefundable. This is applicable to any tour participant that fails to arrive, or arrives after tour departure.
Additional information
*Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St.Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and subject to other unexpected closures during special celebrations/festivities, including the Easter ceremonies. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinoteca Gallery.*