The Complete Vatican Tour With Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

5773 reviews

3.5 hours

Max 20

Why take this tour?

Highlights

  • Skip the line at the Vatican Museums with pre-reserved group entrance tickets, saving hours of waiting
  • Visit the three most essential areas of Vatican City - the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica
  • 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 frescos
  • Skip the line into St. Peter’s Basilica for a full guided tour including Bernini’s incomparable altar and Michelangelo’s "Pietà"
  • With only 20 people (or fewer), a comfortable headset and an expert guide, your experience will be intimate and surpass your expectations
  • 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
  • Tour Includes
  • Local English-speaking guide
  • Skip-the-line ticket for Vatican Museums
  • Skip-the-line access into St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Headset

Take a walk through the Palaces of the Pope

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Total Customer Reviews: 5773

Verified Ratings
4.6 /5
based on 5773 Walks’ customer ratings
Rating summary by category
Guide
4.8/5
Guest Support
4.7/5
Latest reviews
Excellent
Excellent tour. The tour guide was brilliant; very knowledgable and enthusiastic. Wonderful experience. Would highly recommend
Verified · Jessica · Mar 27, 2024 · United Kingdom · Female · 25 to 34 years
Excellent
This was a wonderful and enlightening tour.
Verified · Karen · Mar 25, 2024 · USA · Female · 65 to 74 years
Excellent
Excellent tour and our guide was superb.
Verified · Mary · Mar 25, 2024 · USA · Female · 65 to 74 years
Excellent
Wonderful knowledgeable guides!
Verified · Lucio · Mar 20, 2024 · USA · Female · 55 to 64 years
Great
Our tour guide was fantastic! So knowledgeable, animated and engaging. We didnt realize how crowded the Vatican was going to be. We wouldnt have enjoyed as much with a different guide. She was amazing! I wish I could remember her name.
Verified · Heather · Mar 20, 2024 · USA · Female · 45 to 54 years

Meeting Point

Meeting Point Map ⟶

Meeting Point

Please meet your guide in the plaza outside of Antico Café Candia, Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM, at the bottom of the stairs. The closest Metro station is Cipro. Your guide will be in the center of the plaza holding a green Walks sign.

Please meet 15 minutes prior to the tour start time. 

FAQs

I am in a wheelchair/have a mobility impairment. Can I take this tour?
The Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair access, but they are not located on the group tour route. If you have a mobility impairment and/or use a wheelchair please contact our customer service department at [email protected] and we will be happy to work out a suitable alternative.
Does St. Peter's Basilica have a dress code?
Yes, although you aren't expected to dress as formally as if you were attending a mass. Unless you actually are attending a mass. The most important rule is NO SHORTS, that applies to both men and women. Shoulders must also be covered, so no tank tops. Small bags and umbrellas are permitted inside but large bags have to be checked at the entrance, next to the official audio-guides desk.
Is this tour accessible for wheelchairs, strollers or for those with mobility impairments?
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 [email protected] or call +39 068-596-0143 (Italy) or 888-683-8670 (USA) to make alternative arrangements.
What happens if St. Peter's Basilica is closed on my tour?
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. Your guide will still give you an introduction to the church should you wish to visit this on your own at a later occasion.
I want to take a selfie in the Raphael Rooms, can I bring my selfie stick?
No. Selfie sticks are strictly forbidden inside the Vatican Museums, along with flash photography. However, visitors are allowed to take non-flash photographs anywhere besides the Sistine Chapel.
What items can I NOT take into the Vatican Museums
Knives, scissors, and other cutting tools must also be deposited in the cloakroom as a precaution against harming the artwork inside. No hammers, either, as one was once used to smash Michelangelo's Pietá. This probably goes without saying, but firearms are also strictly prohibited for visitors within the Vatican Museums and you can't check them in the cloakroom.
I've heard the Vatican has a strict dress code. What should I wear?
It does, but it isn't anything too formal. The big rule is to make sure your shoulders and knees are covered - that applies to both men and women. Also remember that shorts of any length are not allowed at all in St. Peter's Basilica so if you are visiting both the Vatican Musuems and the Basilica, wear trousers or a long skirt. Occasionally visitors get away with wearing a bit less but it’s best not to risk it. Hats are also not allowed. Walks cannot be held responsible for guests who are refused entrance due to inappropriate dress so please remember to cover up.
IMPORTANT: Can I bring a bag into the Vatican Museums?
Yes, as long as it's within a certain size. You cannot bring any bag, backpack suitcase or container larger that 40cm x 35cm x 15cm into the Vatican Museums. In fact, size limits apply to all items; because of the sheer number of people that visit the Museums, space is at a premium. You can’t enter with medium to large umbrellas, any umbrellas with spiked tips, camera tripods, signage (apart from signs used by certified guides) or walking sticks – except those required by disabled visitors. All of these items can be left in the cloakroom, which is located at the entrance to the Museums. This means that you will need to walk 15 - 20 minutes back here after you finish your tour at St Peter's Basilica. On our afternoon tours you may need to leave the tour early to collect your bag before the cloakroom closes.
Why can't I take photos inside the Sistine Chapel?
When the chapel was restored in 1990 the biggest donors to the project (donating a whopping $4.2 million) were a Japanese television network. In return, they received exclusive rights to photograph and film inside and quickly banned any professional photographers from taking pictures. Although they didn't mind if tourists took photos, the Vatican guards decided to enforce the rule on everyone because it was impractical to differentiate between a normal visitor and who was a professional photographer. The Japanese network's exclusive contract has expired now but the rule persists. If you try to take any images in the Chapel Vatican, security is authorized to make you delete them.

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