Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour
Rome, Italy
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Explore the vast Vatican complex, without worrying about missing its highlights, on this group tour of its museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. Relax with a meeting point away from the busy main entrance, and let your guide lead you Renaissance artworks, frescoes, and religious artifacts, providing insightful commentary along the way.
- Choose from multiple time slots to suit your schedule
- Don't worry about language barriers with an English-speaking tour
- Hear every word your guide says with an included audio headset
- Learn more than you could compared to exploring solo
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Bypass the long lines of waiting tourists and head straight inside with fast-track entry.
What's Included
- Fast track entrance tickets
- Headsets to hear your guide better (Tours over 10 persons)
- Free Wi-Fi & Recharging station at the meeting point
- Welcoming staff at comfortable office
- Gratuities/Tips
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- St. Peter's Basilica is closed Wednesdays: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Via Germanico, 8, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Please be at the meeting point atleast 25 minutes before the departure time, inside the office Tours About
End point
- Vatican Museums00120, Vatican City
Ticket Redemption Point
Via Germanico, 8, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Itinerary
Meet your local guide at the tour office to enter the Vatican Museums. Then, with your skip-the-line ticket, step inside to start your Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour. Follow your guide, listening to tales of saintliness and scandal, and learn about the Vatican’s place as one of the holiest sites in Christendom.
Italian art flourished in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and the Vatican popes put together one of the world’s largest collections of private art with frescos, paintings, sculptures, and treasure. See the highlights as you walk through galleries such as Raphael’s Rooms, and hear stories behind works such as the "School of Athens"—a piece that features images of Michelangelo and Raphael himself.
Pass through halls such as the Gallery of the Masks and Gallery of the Maps. Then, make your way into the Sistine Chapel. A sacred spot and the private papal chapel, the Sistine Chapel is also renowned for its Michelangelo frescoes—"The Last Judgement" and "The Creation of Adam."
Finish up at St. Peter's Basilica, where you can see more works of art like "Pietà" and rub the toes of St. Peter for good luck.
Italian art flourished in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and the Vatican popes put together one of the world’s largest collections of private art with frescos, paintings, sculptures, and treasure. See the highlights as you walk through galleries such as Raphael’s Rooms, and hear stories behind works such as the "School of Athens"—a piece that features images of Michelangelo and Raphael himself.
Pass through halls such as the Gallery of the Masks and Gallery of the Maps. Then, make your way into the Sistine Chapel. A sacred spot and the private papal chapel, the Sistine Chapel is also renowned for its Michelangelo frescoes—"The Last Judgement" and "The Creation of Adam."
Finish up at St. Peter's Basilica, where you can see more works of art like "Pietà" and rub the toes of St. Peter for good luck.
1
Vatican Museums
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Sistine Chapel
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
St. Peter's Basilica
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- All visitors must pass through metal detectors at the security check point. Please expect to wait 20-30 minutes to clear security
- Luggage storage NOT available
- Not wheelchair accessible
- We are sorry to inform you that this tour is NOT wheelchair accessible. Vatican Museums provide wheelchairs free of charge in the main lobby. You can easily pick one up after you enter, before starting your own independent visit. If you are looking for a guided tour with wheelchair access, we recommend booking our private tours so a guide can lead you through the alternate routes
- All students should have their student identity card in order to get the discount for the admission fee.
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Pets are NOT allowed
- St. Peter's Basilica is closed during the following times: Wednesdays: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, December 24 and 31 During these times, the tour will visit other parts of the museums
- St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel close without notice on rare occasions; if this happens, your guide will take you to tour the Vatican Museums and/or the Sistine Chapel/St Peter's Basilica/Raphael Rooms instead
- Individuals with Disabilities MUST NOTE it on their booking.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.1
based on 9,397 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
102 reviews
Select a theme to learn more
Travelers find the tour well organized with clear communication and adaptable guides who maintain group cohesion in busy conditions. Guides are praised for their extensive knowledge and engaging storytelling, enhancing the educational experience. Iconic sites like St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel receive universal acclaim for their art and architecture. However, opinions on pacing vary, with some finding the three-hour duration either too rushed or too long for thorough enjoyment.
Was this helpful?
Traveler reviews summarised by AI
Sort by: Most insightful
The tour was terrible almost wanted to leave 20 min in. But I planed this trip for months. Our tour was in English and I learned nothing from the tour. Not sure it the tour guide did not have any actual knowledge of anything or a language barrier. Either way it was terrible. All the guide would say “you know?”over and over am sorry but no I don’t know thats why I paid for a guided tour at the end of the tour I could tell most of our group was so frustrated all we heard was you know like 500 times. Many left before the tour was over Nothing against him but he definitely lied on his application. Should not be allowed to give tours.
Get to the office 15 minutes before your tour should start. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and well organized.
Lovely experience. Enjoyed the tour with an experienced tour guide made me connect with my Christian faith.
Great tour! Our guide, Georgia, was fantastic! The tour covered so many things and was worth the value.
The Vatican tour is amazing but there are so many steps and it was challenging at times for us seniors! Also our tour guide was so quick we could not keep up and eventually were on our own!
We had a guide, Lucia, who was knowledgable, but it was difficult to follow any sequence of the history and timing of the artwork and information we were viewing. The guide had trouble keeping the group together, often walking way ahead of the group and thus, what she was saying in the earphone was different than what we were seeing from where we where in the tour. I believe she tried. It is not an easy tour with the throngs of people and different tours walking into our group.
Do not book with this company. The basilica was not open due to mass which they know as it’s the same time every week yet we’ve booked for the tour to include the basilica and paid extra and they will not refund for that part. The tour guide barely spoke English and was very difficult to understand. A complete waste of money.
Very crowded and felt rushed through some parts of museum and St. Peter’s. But great opportunity to learn the history. Guide gave good detailed information.
Be prepared for queues and crowds! Our guide ( im sorry i forgot her name but she was from Moldova and held a Moldova flag for us to follow- she was fabulous- very knowledgeable and friendly and helpful- kept the group together despite the chaos of an extremely busy day
The Vatican is very crowded. The lines were long but you move at a fair pace. The ear piece we were giving hangs on your ear, not in your ear, and is difficult to keep on especially when you look up. Our guide was not very friendly but was adequate.
I was a little worried at first when I checked in but we were so happy with our guide and the experience. I couldn’t imagine touring the Vatican museum without a guide telling us the history of this special place. Highly recommend the extra money to get the tour and skip the line.
We had an excellent time on this tour! It was easy to find the start location. Our tour guide Lucy was great! She made sure to keep a good pace so that we would not lose her but also so that we had time to take photos and really get a chance to take in all the beautiful artwork. She provided us with so many fun facts and pieces of history that helped make the tour more memorable. We had an overall amazing experience!
This was hands down the worst tour I’ve ever taken out of 30+ tours. Our guide, Antonio, was extremely long-winded and rude. When our group expressed frustration with the slow pace, he responded by lecturing us rather than listening to our concerns. We also spent over 30 minutes getting audio equipment sorted out, with multiple technical issues. The check-in staff were equally rude. Once inside the Vatican Museums, Antonio rushed through the exhibits, barely explained anything, and left several group members behind. Overall, this was a huge disappointment and one of the biggest letdowns of our trip to Rome. I would not recommend this tour to anyone. Save your time and money and book elsewhere!
Address was incorrectly printed on Viator in multiple locations and there’s no direct way to contact the tour group if lost. They were not accommodating at all and quite rude about their mistake. I would never book again, there’s not nearly enough helpful information if it’s your first time in Rome. Be careful with Viator tours in Rome, most are SCAMS according to direct site locations.
This was an hour too long. Our guide was very esoteric. Would have preferred plain english and simple explanations. We visited the Academia in Florence the next day and our guide told us much more about Michelangelo. In two hours you can walk past the boring statues and get to the Sistine chapel and then to st Peter’s basilica which is what everyone wants anyway. There is absolutely nowhere to sit and this tour did not take a break anywhere. The tourist attractions have become so crowded and most are under construction in some way or other. Cannot recommend this tour.
One of the most popular tours in Rome which becomes very crowded. Lots to see and take in as you do a lot of walking. Highlite was the Sistine Chapel with the incredible Michelangelo paintings! A must see!
Paulo was excellent with his knowledge and time management to enable us to see his magnificent wonder of the vatican
We had a great tour with our tour guide Paulo who is very knowledgeable and funny. He made sure the entire team stood together and he was always vigelent if someone stayed behind. He also challenged our knowledge and hinted to correct answers in an informative way.
Elizabeth was awesome and so sweet. She gave a great tour and was very sensitive to the fact is was hot and always finding shade for us to stand while she explained the art. Highly recommend.
Lucy did a great job . The head sets are a little static but they are not the tour company's. You have to use the Vatican headsets. She gave us a lot of wonderful information
Very nice tour- weather very hot so made it slightly uncomfortable- guide was good- still queued for a while even though it was beat the queue
But what amazing experience - best part for me was the basilica
Really enjoyed the tour. It was definitely worth it! Seeing the beautiful artwork which was explained in detail by Lilia was great. It was a little difficult for me to understand her as she spoke softly and had a thick Italian accent. She did her best and we enjoyed the tour.
Tour was good. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and kept our attention. It was very hot in the buildings as to be expected, I would have a personal fan with you, as at times it got crowded and very warm.
The premises are largely un-air conditioned so if a very hot day it is very busy and very overwhelming. Not suitable for those with mobility issues. That said we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. A little confused why one is unable to photograph is the Sistein Chapel because it’s a religious place but it’s fine in St Peter’s Basilica even during a service. Whatever do it if you can and do get skip the queue tickets and a guide - there is so much to every aspect of the experience
Great experience, great guide. There were so many incredible things to see! But St. Peter's Basilica was just incredible, awe-inspiring, and overwhelming!
Relatively large group, but we had headphones so we could hear well. It was a bit hard to ask questions because it was so busy, but she was full of knowledge and kept us informed throughout.
It was a looooong tour! The guide who was very sweet was very difficult to understand. It took two hours for us to make it to the Sistine chapel where we stayed about 10 minutes then we walked basilica on our own it was not guided
Very knowledgeable guide
Would be better if you could tour some of the actual museums
Most were bypassed
Our Ubers kept getting cancelled so we were late, obviously not the companies fault, but we had no way to contact anyone. I sent messages through the Viator app bc I wasn’t provided a phone number or email to contact anyone. At the pickup point they weren’t able to let us know who the guide was or how to find/contact them either. We did the tour without the guide. If this happens, your printed ticket from the pickup spot doesn’t have the basilica ticket. You have to explain at the gate and they’ll let you know the correct line to enter. I truly wish the company made an easy way to contact the guide so we could have caught up with them. Unfortunately, I have no review for the tour itself
Amazing tour! Antonio was hands down the best guide ever! Extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. Has worked for 25 years as a tour guide so knew all the ins and outs of Vatican City. Highly recommend this tour!
Member Pricing
From
$74.85
per personWas $78.80(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour
9,397
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$78.80
$74.85
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Rome, Italy
- Basilica of San Clemente Tours & Tickets
- Trastevere Tours & Tickets
- Basilica di San Lorenzo in Lucina Tours & Tickets
- Doria Pamphilj Gallery (Galleria Doria Pamphilj) Tours & Tickets
- Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola) Tours & Tickets
- Seven Hills of Rome (Sette Colli di Roma) Tours & Tickets
- Piazza di San Cosimato Tours & Tickets
- Sant'Angelo Bridge (Ponte Sant'Angelo) Tours & Tickets
- Church of Santa Maria della Pace (Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pace) Tours & Tickets
- Rome Civitavecchia Cruise Port (Civitavecchia Terminal Crociere) Tours & Tickets
- Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi Tours & Tickets
- Palatine Museum (Museo del Palatino) Tours & Tickets
- Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini Tours & Tickets
- Vatican Grottoes (Grotte Vaticane) Tours & Tickets
- Vittoriano e Palazzo Venezia (VIVE) Tours & Tickets
- Ponte Sisto Tours & Tickets
- Montecitorio Palace (Palazzo Montecitorio) Tours & Tickets
- Via Sacra Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Rome, Italy