Vatican Inside & Out: Sistine Chapel, Papal Train, & Summer Palace Lunch

8 reviews

10 hours

Max 15

Why take this tour?

Highlights

  • A full-day, small-group tour with an expert official Vatican guide
  • Skip-the-line to the Vatican Museums, enjoying a comprehensive tour including the Sistine Chapel
  • Visit the Vatican Gardens and take the Pope's private train, departing from the Vatican State Railway Station
  • Skip the line at the Papal Palace in Castel Gandolfo, a scenic hill-town where centuries of Popes have spent their summers
  • Enjoy a tasty buffet lunch at Villa Barberini with local produce and wine, including ingredients from the Papal farm
  • Sites Visited
  • Vatican Museums
  • Gallery of Maps
  • Gallery of Candelabras
  • Gallery of Tapestries
  • Octagonal Courtyard
  • Pinecone Courtyard
  • Raphael Rooms
  • Sistine Chapel
  • Vatican Gardens
  • Vatican Rail Station
  • Villa Barberini Gardens
  • Papal (Apostolic) Palace
  • Castel Gandolfo
  • Tour Includes
  • Skip-the-line Vatican Museum tickets
  • Skip-the-line Papal Palace & Garden tickets
  • Buffet Lunch of local produce
  • Audio Tour at the Papal Palace
  • Expertly guided walking tour
  • Local English-speaking guide

Experience the grandeur, gardens, palaces, and daily life of the Vatican

Book Now

Verified Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
4.5 /5
based on 8 reviews
Rating summary by category
Guide
4.4/5
Latest reviews
Great
This tour was well worth taking. Guides Kinga (in the Vatican) and Patrizia (at Castel Gandolfo) were very welcoming and informative. The lunch was pleasant, too.
Andrew · May 08, 2023 · Ireland · Male · 35 to 44 years
Great
A good day and a great lunch. Castle Gandolfo was a great stop and a nice train ride through the countryside. The day could have been improved by the person who met us in the morning giving a run down on what the day was going to entail as we didn't realise there would not be a guide with us all day and a few times we were unsure what to do.
Joanne · Sep 27, 2022 · Australia · Female · 45 to 54 years
Great
Great experience, the only negative was the tour guide left the group before we got on train back to Rome.
Cory · Aug 29, 2022 · United States
Excellent
The tour of the Vatican Museums and Castel Gandalfo was wonderful!!!! Very worth it. One BIG caveat though, make sure to Google map the EXACT location to meet your tour (and do it beforeha
Diana · Jun 09, 2022 · United States · Female · 55 to 64 years

Meeting Point

Meeting Point Map ⟶

Meeting Point  

Viale Vaticano 104, 00192 Rome. Meet your Walks Coordinator in front of Ristorante Da Paolo. The restaurant is located across the street from the walls of the Vatican, about 100 meters before the main museum entrance if you are arriving from the center of Rome. Your coordinator will be on the street corner holding a green sign or just inside the doors of the restaurant. Your Walks Coordinator will accompany you into the Vatican Museums to meet your guide.

Please meet 15 minutes prior to the tour start time.  

FAQs

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.
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.
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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