3 hours
Skip the line
2 languages
Private tour

Highlights

You will meet your guide outside the Vatican Museum and bypassing the lines with your skip-the-line ticket you increase quick passage to the gallery complex. You go through a few of the historical centers displays and rooms; Gallery of Maps, Gallery of Tapestries and furthermore enter the Pinecone Courtyard. You at that point work your way towards the shocking Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's notorious frescoes; The Last Judgements and the Creation of Adam. (Talking isn't permitted inside the church so your guide will give you a full analysis before section).

Inclusions

What's included

Local guide
Professional art historian guide
Guaranteed to skip the long lines
Local taxes

What's not

Gratuities
Private transportation

Itinerary

Meet your guide outside the Vatican Museum and skip the line as you enter the Vatican Museums. Explore the various luxurious exhibitions and rooms; the Gallery of Maps; the Gallery of Tapestries and into the Pinecone Courtyard. Awesome bosses like Raphael and Michelangelo made a great part of the staggering fine art for the popes amid the Renaissance time frame.
1 hAdmission included
As you leave the displays you enter the glorious Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's famous roof frescoes The Last Judgment and The Creation of Adam on one of the sanctuary's dividers. (There is no talking inside the house of prayer so your guide will clarify everything before section).
1 hAdmission included
It is then time for a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica where you will explore the numerous side chapels with their hidden crypts. You will see Michelangelo’s Pietà and your guide will explain why this is the only work that he signed. You will gain an appreciation of the mastery that went into the creation of Bernini’s altarpiece and learn how Michelangelo triumphed over his contemporaries for the honour to paint St. Peter’s magnificent dome. There is still more to see though below ground level. You guide will lead you below ground to the papal crypt where, over the centuries, many of the Popes have been interred. This special place is a site of pilgrimage for many Catholics. Although talking is allowed, before you enter the crypt you guide will tell you where the most important popes are laid to rest.
30 minAdmission included
The tour will end in Saint Peter’s Square, where you can view Bernini’s statues and the famous chimney which announces the election of a new Pope. A couple of final anecdotes and it will be time for your guide will say goodbye, leaving you to enjoy the square under your own steam. A wonderful end to a tour of the Vatican!
30 min

Cancellation

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

Reviews

4.9

Ratings come from 53 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point: At the Vatican Museums entrance at the main monumental white door. Your guide will be holding a sign with your name on it.
Pickup: Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by: Tours of the Vatican with Francesco & his team

Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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
READ CAREFULLY: Because of the growing popularity of the current pope Francis and his intense activity in organising mass events in the Vatican some areas might get closed last minute without previous notice. This has already happened this year and can happen again during you Vatican tour. In case of such events our tour guide will provide you with a valuable alternative focusing the tour inside the Vatican museums
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Jubilee the Basilica might not be accessible as part of the tour. Unfortunately, we know that very last minute. In any case, you can go there after the tour, queuing.

How it compares in Rome

Its from-price is 126% above the median of the 8352 experiences we list in Rome.
Its length is typical for the group.
By number of reviews it ranks 1028 of 8352.

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