Guided Tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's
Rome, Italy
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Don’t be daunted by the vast size and huge crowds at the Vatican Museums. Skip-the-line tickets guarantee fast-track entrance so you can head straight inside with your guide and group. Focus on the highlights of the huge collection, such as the Belvedere Courtyard and the Octagonal, to cover the masterpieces in just a few hours, then enjoy time inside the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
- Priority admission to the Vatican Museums to zip past the line
- Visit with a guide to touch on the most important works quickly
- Linger in the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica to end the tour
- A group tour for a more budget-friendly price
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges.
- Headsets to hear the guide clearly.
- Skip-the-line admission tickets
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Via Tunisi, 5a, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
End point
- Saint Peter’s BasilicaPiazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Itinerary
1
Vatican Museums
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Sistine Chapel
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
St. Peter's Basilica
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.
- Please note that St. Peter's Basilica is an active parish and is therefore subject to unforeseen closures for spiritual celebrations.
- Please note: All guests must go through an airport-style security check. During peak and peak seasons, the wait time at security check can be up to 30 minutes.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.9
based on 247 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
English tour. Guide was hard to understand. I had already been to the Vatican, my last tour was extremely better.
It was worth the money to be able to skip the long lines and have access to the museum, Sistine Chapel, and the Basilica. However, the tour only lasted 2 hours and we felt as if we were very rushed. Our guide, Matt, was knowledgeable but I wished he would have talked more about the history of the Vatican and the Basilica.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Dear Tonya,
Thank you for your feedback.
We're glad you found value in skipping the long lines and accessing the museum, Sistine Chapel, and Basilica. However, we regret that the two-hour tour felt rushed, but that is the length of the tour.
We're pleased to hear that Matt was knowledgeable, and that you enjoyed touring with him.
Your feedback is valuable, and we hope to have you here in the future!
Best regards,
The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Staying with the tour not only helped skip the line to get inside, but also breeze through multiple lines to get from room to room once inside. The Vatican is crowded- some people seemed to think that paying to skip the line meant there’d be no crowd at all, but that is totally unreasonable. The tour guide made it as seamless as possible. She also pointed out a lot of detail that we might have missed. Definitely recommend.
disgraceful!. Do not go with these group. A 3 hour tour, finished in 1 hour. Couldn't hear the comms. Our tour guide didn't even tell us his name and when we raised that he was going to fast for the older people in the group, he said, don't worry about them and then had a go at the group to say they must walk faster. Because we were told to walk in a line, those at the back did not even hear the comms. Absolutely disgraceful. We couldn't even get into the Basilica - it was part of the package but they knew you couldn't on a Wednesday morning but still they offered the tour. Again all we can say is disgraceful and we request a refund
Our guide Rebecca was incredible. Funny, informative, and easy to learn from. Thank you for an incredible experience through a beautiful place.
We felt rushed, the guide was disrespectful and did not engage well or bring any passion to the job.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hello Sallty,
We urge you to please refrain for making irrelevant feedback as this impacts our reputation.
You had your tour with us on June 25th with one of the best guides the Vatican has to offer, what you are calling her is none of the attributes anybody that knows her or has dealt with her with agree with.
We are sorry this is the impression you got, far from reality. We wish you to have you here with us on another occasion and provide better experience!
We can assure you Stefania is one of the most prominent tour guides in the Vatican, she is very passionate and very knowledgeable on her field.
City Rome Tours.
The guide did not turn up we were given our tickets and told to just go on your own, no refund for this and no apologies for paying such high price for this tour not worth it.
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and personable. He added a lot of excellent context to the tour. He spoke 5 languages so he was able to communicate with everyone. Great experience, highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hi Russell,
Thank you so much for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with our tour guide. It's wonderful that his knowledge and personable nature added excellent context to the tour. The fact that he speaks five languages and could communicate with everyone is a big plus! We appreciate your high recommendation and hope to see you again on another tour.
Best,
City Rome Tours.
Guide was impatient for those of us not quite as mobile! He would suddenly take off in crowed situations and expect everyone to weave their way through!
Your ended abruptly at Sistine Chapel! Overall not "worth what paid for". This was not even a semi-private tour (maybe 10-12 people).
Our scheduled tour was cancelled just the day before. I had three tours cancelled or tried to reschedule in a week. Not sure I would ever use Viator again.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hey Paul,
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your disappointing experience. We'll address the guide's pace to ensure all participants can keep up in the future. Your input is valuable, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Ticket purchasing, pick up and meeting prior to the tour was easy. Our guide was knowledgeable and witty. Our tour was in the evening which was great as there were less people on the Vatican grounds. We had a great time on this tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hey Dion,
Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
We're delighted to hear that the ticket purchasing, pick-up, and meeting process was smooth and hassle-free. It's great to know that you found our guide knowledgeable and witty, enhancing your tour experience. Evening tours are indeed special, with fewer people around, allowing for a more intimate experience of the Vatican grounds. We're thrilled that you had a great time and enjoyed your visit.
We look forward to welcoming you again for another memorable tour!
Best regards,
City Rome Tours.
Buyer beware, the term “fast track” is deceptive. We waited for an hour to get in and only had 1 hour for the tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hello Mary,
Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with the "fast track" option. Please note that it is currently high season, which can lead to longer wait times despite our best efforts. We understand your frustration and are working to improve the entry process to better meet our guests' expectations. Your input helps us enhance our services. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Best,
City Rome Tours.
Our tour guide David was very detailed on telling us about the history of Michael Angelo’s work, the Vatican and other important things related to the tour. Just a little bit faster than I expected. Overall he was an excellent tour guide.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hi,
Thank you for sharing your review! We're thrilled to hear that Davide provided a detailed and informative experience about Michelangelo's work, the Vatican, and other significant aspects of the tour. We appreciate your feedback on the pacing and will take it into consideration. Overall, we're glad you found Davide to be an excellent tour guide.
City Rome Tours.
Guide was nice and knowledgable. Price was a ripp off. Organisation felt unprofessional. A lot of waiting and suddenly hurrying.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hello,
Thank you for your feedback. We're pleased to hear that you found the guide nice and knowledgeable. The price reflects the high demand during the peak season, which can also impact the organization and pacing of the tour. We appreciate your understanding and hope to provide an even better experience next time.
City Rome Tours.
Sistine Chapel of course! Very colorful and interesting tour. Effortless to get in and not overly long.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hi,
We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your recent positive review. It truly means the world to us here at City Rome Tours to receive such encouraging feedback from our valued customers.
Your kind words serve as a motivating reminder of why we do what we do every day - to provide exceptional service and products that exceed your expectations. We are thrilled to hear that your experience with us was a positive one.
At City Rome Tours, customer satisfaction is our top priority, and your feedback helps us to continuously improve and enhance our offerings.
Once again, thank you for choosing City Rome Tours. We look forward to serving you again soon and continuing to exceed your expectations.
Warm regards,
City Rome Tours.
Our guide was knowledgeable, but a bit too slow in moving the group to each location. Our tour was scheduled at 4 to start with directions to arrive 30 min before, but when we arrived we were told to wait and come back a little before 4. Then with no explanation, the tour didn’t get started until about 4:20. Entrance tickets showed a 4:30 start time. Recommend updating the site to reflect the correct time for expectation management.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hello Christine,
We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how your experience went with us.
We apologize for not having you understand the instructions in a clear manner, but it is clearly mentioned in the vouchers you receive immediately after booking that there is a meeting point and that is where you have to go to check in and redeem your voucher for actual tickets.
Thank you for your recommendation, we look forward to having you in the future for better experiences!
Regards,
City Rome Tours.
Disappointing experience with the Skip the Line: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel with St. Peter's Basilica Access tour. The tour title promises more than it delivers. The meeting point was confusing, with vague directions provided instead of clear instructions. Our tour guide lacked proficiency in English and had minimal knowledge of the sites we visited.
The tour felt rushed, focusing solely on fast-tracking us through the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. We spent minimal time in the Sistine Chapel, with just a brief ten-minute stay, before being released into St. Peter's Basilica to explore on our own. Much of the tour involved standing in a courtyard outside the museum, enduring the heat while the guide read from informational panels.
For those seeking a leisurely exploration of the Museum and Chapel, purchasing tickets directly from the Vatican at a fraction of the cost is recommended. Alternative means of accessing St. Peter's Basilica are also available, making this tour an unnecessary expense.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hello,
For future reference, please make sure you leave an accurate review with your name so we can track which tour you had and for which slot it was intended for.
Our guides are highly effective and knowledgeable, you need to know that we are in the middle of high season so things might feel like they're rushed through, tours are around 2 to 2.5hrs and all our guides follow this timeframe.
Lastly, people are very much free to purchase tickets directly from the Vatican but they have to wait at least 2hours in line for that. We offer different kinds of tickets which allow our clients a fast access and no time wasting making a huge line before entering and having to walk around the Museum, Galleries and the Chapel.
Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate it and we encourage you to please reach out to us directly on: info.cityrometours@gmail.com to know more about your experience.
Regards,
City Rome Tours.
The guide was funny but very informed on the historical information regarding the Vatican. I would do it again, such a great experience.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hi,
We are glad to read that you had a nice experience and enjoyed your tour with our guide Riccardo - he is one of our gems at the agency :)
At City Rome Tours, customer satisfaction is our top priority, and your feedback helps us to continuously improve and enhance our offerings.
Once again, thank you for choosing City Rome Tours. We look forward to serving you again soon and continuing to exceed your expectations.
Warm regards,
City Rome Tours.
Guide was nice and very knowledgeable, however we spent way too much time standing outside of the museum looking at pictures and hearing him describe what was inside va going inside and taking in the museum. Was very frustrating. Too detailed on history which we can read about. Wanted to walk more halls and keep moving not stop every 50 feet and listen for 10 minutes.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're glad to hear that you found our guide knowledgeable and friendly. We understand your frustration with spending too much time outside the museum and the desire to explore more inside. Your feedback is invaluable, and we'll work on balancing the depth of historical information with the pace of the tour to ensure a more engaging and dynamic experience for our guests in the future. We appreciate your insights and hope to welcome you back for a more satisfying visit.
City Rome Tours.
Vatican is huge but despite the size we were able to see the Museum: the amazing gallery of maps, the Laocoon group and of course the Sistine chapel and more… our guide gave us a very thorough insight about the chapel and Michelangelo’s work and with this it was a very cathartic experience to be there. At the end we could explore St Peters on our own. Great guidance, fully recommended! Thanks Chiara!
Response from Host, May 2024
Hi,
We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your recent positive review. It truly means the world to us here at City Rome Tours to receive such encouraging feedback from our valued customers.
Your kind words serve as a motivating reminder of why we do what we do every day - to provide exceptional service and products that exceed your expectations. We are thrilled to hear that your experience with us was a positive one.
At City Rome Tours, customer satisfaction is our top priority, and your feedback helps us to continuously improve and enhance our offerings.
Once again, thank you for choosing City Rome Tours. We look forward to serving you again soon and continuing to exceed your expectations.
Warm regards,
City Rome Tours.
Our tour guide was excellent and did an amazing job with what he had to work with. Engaging, funny, made sure that we saw the highlights and didn’t lose anyone from our group, despite this tour company often seeming to loose people. Unfortunately, he was let down by the disorganisation of the actual tour company. The tour was nothing close to the advertised length, almost to the point that I’d label it false advertising. We spent at least the first hour of ‘the tour’ waiting around outside the shop for the tour company to get themselves organised, and then more time queuing to get into the Vatican. It was advertised as a 3 hour tour and I suspect the actual tour was 1.5 hours at maximum.
We only booked this tour as there were no general tickets left for the Vatican museum, and I suspect this is why most people were on this tour. If you are too late to get general tickets and accept that this tour is a way of getting into the museum at a massive price premium, then that’s fair enough. I certainly wouldn’t recommend this tour company otherwise.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hello,
Thank you for your understanding. We want to assure you that the disorganization experienced during your tour does not reflect our standards. It's important to us that our guests receive the experience they expect and deserve. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and assure you that we will address these issues internally to prevent similar occurrences in the future. We appreciate your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a more seamless and enjoyable experience in the future.
City Rome Tours.
I had a frustrating experience with City Rome Tours. The ticketing process was unclear, leading to confusion at the tour start. I missed important information buried in excessive details on the website, emails and confirmation. The staff took no responsibility after failing to ensure all participants were ready before proceeding. The 10.30am tour guide was dismissive when I encountered issues and lacked compassion. Although they offered a later tour after this mistake, it was inconvenient, and the 2.30pm guide's unclear speech added to the disappointment. Overall, the service felt more transactional than customer-oriented.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hi Shahnee,
I hope you are well, at City Rome Tours, we are very keen about the service we provide for our clients. It is our top priority!
We do indeed send enough emails to our clients in order for them to receive enough and all information needed to arrive on time to the meeting point and not have any confusion on the booked date.
All participants are encouraged to arrive on time, so it is not our responsibility if people come in late to the meeting point. We did cater to you even though you left your original tour and we gave you spots for the tour that departed at 2:30pm. Our tour guides are professional and we partner with the best here at Vatican Museum, all our guides are Vatican licensed and approved.
We are looking forward to having you here on a different occasion for a different experience.
Best,
City Rome Tours.
The 16 Chapel and Saint Marcus Church. It was extremely crowded, and the true guide was somewhat difficult to understand
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hello Donna,
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent tour of the Sistine Chapel and Saint Mark's Church. I'm sorry to hear that your experience was marred by overcrowding and difficulty in understanding the tour guide.
We understand that visiting popular landmarks during peak times can result in crowded conditions, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused during your tour. Your comfort and enjoyment are important to us, and we regret that the crowded environment detracted from your experience.
Regarding the difficulty in understanding the tour guide, we sincerely apologize for any communication challenges you encountered. We strive to ensure that all of our guides are clear and articulate in their presentations, and we will address this issue with our team to ensure improvements are made.
Your feedback is invaluable to us as we continuously strive to enhance the quality of our tours and the satisfaction of our guests. If there are any further details you'd like to share or if there's anything we can do to address your concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us directly.
Thank you for choosing to tour with us, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a more enjoyable experience in the future.
Warm regards,
City Rome Tours.
Horrible experience would not recommend! When we booked with VIATOR we booked the fast track VATICAN(chapel and basilica) tour. When we got to our destination to meet our tour guide FRANCO, Franco guided us in to the Vatican museum did not give us proper guidance and ended up leaving us. We didnt get a chance to enter the St Peters due to the fact that he left us and we were lost. Keep it’s mind we were a group of 15 tourist trying to navigate a place we never been too. When asking for help they told us to exit and we had to exit through the entrance where we started. When we exited we got directed to the St Peters through the outside
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hello Isabel,
I'm truly sorry to hear about your disappointing experience with our tour. This is certainly not the level of service we aim to provide, and I understand your frustration with the situation.
I apologize for the confusion and lack of proper guidance you experienced with our tour guide, Franco. It's unacceptable that you weren't given the assistance you needed to navigate the Vatican properly, especially considering you were a group of 15 tourists in an unfamiliar place.
I assure you that we take your feedback seriously and will be addressing this issue with Franco and our team to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. Your satisfaction and enjoyment are our top priorities, and we deeply regret that we fell short in delivering on that promise during your visit.
Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment you experienced. If there's anything further we can do to make amends or assist you, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly.
Sincerely,
City Rome Tours.
the tour was shorter than expected/promised. this was promised lating for 3 hours, was about 1,5 in total.
I think we missed a lot out,
the tour guide was though very nice and prepared for the time she was there
Jumping the que was nice though with the pre-paid tickets.
we did not see a single painting, apart from those in the chapel.
It would have been also nice to hear a little about the cathedral, as she just left us there for a free program.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hello Arpad,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We apologize that the tour duration did not meet your expectations.
We are glad to hear that you found the tour guide to be pleasant and well-prepared, and we appreciate your positive feedback about the convenience of the pre-paid tickets.
We will take your comments into consideration to improve our services and ensure a more fulfilling experience for our guests in the future.
If you have any further feedback or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us directly. We value your input and strive to make every guest's experience exceptional.
Best regards,
City Rome Tours.
Never use the his company or Viator again. We bought online a guided tour of St Peters and the Sistine Chapel. Alfter our tour started at 1130, we were told St Peters was closing at 1230 and we would not be able to make it. We got half the tour advertised and neither the tour company or Viator would offer any sort of refund, they just said it not our fault. nEVER use them
Was so pretty but the tour was awful. No good information and the guide was so quiet. Only got 2 hours out of a 3 hour tour and she missed bits we had to go see after the tour finished. For the money it wasn’t worth it.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
We're sincerely sorry to hear about your disappointing experience during the tour. Providing insightful and comprehensive information, along with a memorable experience, is our top priority. It's regrettable to learn that the tour fell short of your expectations and that there were missed opportunities during your visit. Your feedback is crucial to us, and we'll use it to improve our services and ensure better communication and coverage during our tours. Please accept our apologies, and if there's anything we can do to make it right, please don't hesitate to reach out. We appreciate your understanding.
Our guide was phenomenal. The depth of her knowledge was incredibly impressive and she answered every question posed by members of our group. What a treat to be led through the museum by such a talented professional!
Guide was informative, knowledgeable and funny. Had a great experience! Beautiful sights and inspirational day.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Hi!
I am glad that you liked our service and you enjoyed your tour with us.
Kindest Regards
City Rome Tours
Seeing the Vatican museum was very interesting and informative. The Fast Track entry was greatly appreciated because there were so many people there. We were shown pictures of the Sistine Chapel that we could have found on the Internet. Our tour guide lost us along the way so we were on our own for most of the tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Hi!
Thanks a lot to share with us your experience. We are always trying to do our best for the clients. I will take care about what happen on the tour and never let something like this happen again.
Best Regards
City Rome Tours.
We enjoyed the tour the guide was great. We enjoyed the tour very much the guide explained everyone I would recommend this tour
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