4 hours
2 languages
Private tour
Mobile ticket

Highlights

Climb up the 281 steps to the highest point of the Dome for one of the best views of the entire city of Rome, and your guide will show you landmarks and points of interest from this birds-eye view.

Inclusions

What's included

Private tour
Guardanteed to skip the long lines
Professional art historian guide
Admission ticket
Local taxes

What's not

Private transportation
Food and drinks
Gratuities

Itinerary

Start your Vatican tour right away with your skip-the-line tickets. You’ll meet your guide just outside the Vatican Museums,and be escorted straight in to the breathtaking exhibits. Your first stop is the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, and the Pinecone Courtyard. Next you’ll see highlights of the impressive collections of the Vatican Museums, including the stunning works of Raphael and Michelangelo, collected by various Popes throughout the centuries.
1 hAdmission included
Next, you’ll enter the glorious Sistine Chapel, where you’ll see Michelangelo's famous frescoes "The Last Judgment," and "The Creation of Adam."
1 hAdmission included
The Dome of St. Peter's Basilica is best seen from an up-close perspective. A short lift ride will take you to the main level inside the vault. From here, you’ll have a fantastic view of the staggering mosaics and stunning elaborate embellishments. This view affords the best perspective to appreciate the artisans’ skills and techniques used to create such intricate work. Climb up the 281 steps to the highest point of the Dome for one of the best views of the entire city of Rome, and your guide will show you landmarks and points of interest from this birds-eye view.
1 hAdmission included
When you return to ground level, you’ll explore St. Peter’s Basilica, and you’ll see Michelangelo's famous Pietà, the only piece of work he ever signed. You’ll learn how Michelangelo was chosen over his peers for the distinct honor to paint St. Peter’s heavenly arch. Then, you’ll visit the underground ecclesiastical tomb, where many Popes have been buried over the centuries. You will also explore the various houses of prayer, and shrouded graves.
1 hAdmission included

Cancellation

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Know before you go

Meeting point: At the stairs outside the Vatican museums (street address is viale Vaticano ). Your tour guide will be holding a sign with your name.
Pickup: Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by: Best of Rome Tours

Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult
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
Subject to favorable weather conditions. If the Dome is closed due to poor weather, you will be given the option for an alternative path inside the Museums, but no refunds if one of the areas is closed will be given.

How it compares in Rome

Its from-price is 109% above the median of the 8352 experiences we list in Rome.
It is longer than most of them.

About Rome

Rome layers nearly three thousand years of history into one walkable city, from the Colosseum and Forum to Baroque piazzas and Vatican art.

Ancient Rome is still in plain sight. The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill sit together at the city's heart, the Pantheon still stands with its open oculus, and fragments of temples and aqueducts turn up between apartment blocks. Across the Tiber, Vatican City holds St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Top-ranked sights in Rome: Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel.

See all 8352 experiences in Rome