Home to the world’s largest private portfolio of artwork, the Vatican is a must-see for visitors to Rome, and the best way to explore it is with a guide. Learn about the highlights of Vatican City with an expert guide, visiting the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel. Explore intriguing sites like Raphael’s Rooms and then visit the Sistine Chapel to see incredible frescoes by Michelangelo. Choose the start time that better suites your needs.

Half-day Vatican Museums guided tour with fast-track access
Learn about the incredible Renaissance artwork inside Raphael’s Rooms
Visit the Sistine Chapel and marvel at Michelangelo’s 'The Creation of Adam'

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

This experience offers upgrades for early morning or after-hours tours of the Vatican.

What's Included

Headsets to hear your guide better (Tours over 10 persons)
Free Wi-Fi & Recharging station at the meeting point
Welcoming staff at comfortable office
Fast track entrance tickets

Gratuities/Tips
Hotel pickup and drop-off

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 Museums
00120, Vatican City

What To Expect

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.'

Vatican Museums

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

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

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

8,637 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 8,637 reviews

Good for Fast Entry

Aaron_W, Apr 2024

This was good for being able to skip the line and get some type of tour. I did feel rushed in some areas. It was also tough to have our group and then so many others that would cut everyone off so frequently our group would get split up.

Definitely worth paying the money for a tour!

jeffrey_P, Apr 2024

Check in/ finding meeting location went smoothly— they are a well oiled machine. We saved so much time walking by lines of hundreds if not thousands of people. Our tour guide was great and provided a lot of useful and enjoyable info! I can’t even imagine if we had to do it on our own— money well spent….

Well worth a visit

andrew_m, Apr 2024

St Peters Bascilica truly amazing as was the sistine chapel luckily we were told it was not as busy as usual so best to go off peak

An experience of ME

Harpreet_K, Apr 2024

From booking my tickets to the actual of them being actioned, appreciate your help in this matter!!!

Some areas closed

Jim_W, Apr 2024

St. Peters square and the basilica were closed at noon due to the holiday. I don't think I should have to pay the entire amount for just seeing the museum. We were never told this, so be careful when you book.

False Promises

Camila_R, Apr 2024

The tour was great but our group went on Good Friday and we only got to see half of what we paid for. Why still open tours when you’re not going to show the entire thing because of a holiday?

Vatican City, St Pietr’s Basilica & Sistine Chapel

Kaisra_K, Mar 2024

Really superb opportunity to see the Vatican City. St Pietr’s Basilica was fab too! A great display of art including the Sistine Chapel ceiling; Michelangelo’s amazing talent. Our tour guide was well-informed & friendly.

Superb Tour

Rick_N, Mar 2024

We were small group of four couples and all 8 of us had a good time. Tour leader was superb in every way. Highly recommend. Thank you.

Vatican tour

HEATHER_P, Mar 2024

What a carry on trying to find the voucher redemption point! Spent over an hour walking a bout, asking people where it was! Not easy to find. Map with voucher not accurate. Almost missed the tour, lovely man literally ran us up to the guide and we made the tour. The tour itself was amazing. Highly recommend the three areas, guide was so knowledgeable, kept us informed all the time.

Our guide Rudy

Andriena_D, Mar 2024

We had a fantastic experience with our guide Rudy ...he was great at explaining everything about the Vatican new his stuff was funny and so passionate about his job well done rRudy you made our experience worth the while.. Thank you....Arevidarci.

Terrible…

phyllis_f, Mar 2024

We went to the redemption center to find a sign on a closed gate saying yo go to another location. Had yo wait online told we missed our tour. They printed us a ticket…. we went to the museums with NO guide and then had to wait on a line at St. Peter’s for almost 3 hours. We are expecting a refund for the difference of a tour with a guide & without.. This was a terrible experience & it was our first with Viator.

Wow Tour

Claire_M, Mar 2024

Our guide was wonderful. She is passionate and knowledgeable and funny. I would do this tour and request her again. The Vatican tour with the museums is a bucket list trip. It was just wow. Highly recommend

Great tour!

Jamie_H, Mar 2024

Tour guide awesome! Informative! Good value for the money! Easy meeting location and helpful checkin staff.

Enjoyable , interesting. Relevant

helen_w, Mar 2024

We had a guided tour of the museum , Vatican City , chapel and St Peter’s basilica . So pleased we had a tour guide . Really fabulous guide ‘ Paulo ‘ on 9 th March . Missed all the queues . Paulo was so funny , engaging and knowledgable . Very patient , explained what we were seeing , without this the experience would have felt pointless . We have come away with a memorable o ce in a lifetime experience . Thank you

Best tour guide!

Lisa_C, Mar 2024

Our tour guide was brilliant. He was so knowledgeable and delivered the tour in a very immersive and encapsulating way. So glad we opted for this tour and My Mum and I had a wonderful experience.

Amazing

Holly_C, Mar 2024

The guide was absolutely brilliant, learnt so much, lovely group, easy access to the place, explained very well, access to all, easy to find in rome, had the best time thank you

Very enjoyable the guide was informative without being boring

Panayiotis_I, Mar 2024

The Sistine Chapel which was beautiful and St. Peter's Basilica was truly impressive in it's scale and splendor, and what it represented to Millions around the world.

go during a time with fewer crowds plz

Varun_K, Mar 2024

the vatican mediums and some of the raphael works of art. sistine chapel is not the same on tv as i don’t believe it’s possible to appreciate mr. Angelo without going

Rushed

Kristi_M, Feb 2024

The whole tour was very rushed, did feel like we got to look at 3/4 of the art and statues in the museum, and then at the end was like, you can go back and look at missed stuff, or go to see Church, can't do both...

Excellent Guided Visit to Vatican Museum

RONALD_S, Feb 2024

Our tour guide, Ilaria, gave my wife and I an enthusiastic, informative and special tour of the Vatican museum. We have been thru the museum many times, but Ilaria gave us new insights to the collection from her extensive art history background. We saw the Sistine chapel with her eyes which elevated an already spectacular place. I highly recommend this tour guide. She was worth the price of admissin

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