Rome

Semiprivate Group Tour Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel w/ lines

Rome, Italy

SKIP THE LINE GROUP TOUR VATICAN MUSEUMS SISTINE CHAPEL WITH PRIVILEGED ACCESS TO SAINT PETERS BASILICA

From $163.50

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

3 hours
Offered in: English

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Vatican museum's_Sistine Chapel & Basilica st. Peter with Private Tour

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Overview

Entrance queues at the Vatican are notoriously long. Breeze past the crowds with a skip-the-line admission ticket and enjoy a comprehensive tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. With the aid of personal headsets, your guide provides little-known facts and anecdotes about the Vatican’s art and architecture. A range of departure times and languages are available for your convenience.

Take a guided tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel
Avoid the long lines at the Vatican with priority entrance tickets
See Michelangelo's masterpiece—the Sistine Chapel
Listen to your guide clearly with provided headsets

What's Included

Local taxes
Professional guide
Headsets to hear the guide clearly

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via Santamaura, 21, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
If you come by metro/subway, closest metrostop is Cipro

Start time

11:00 AM

End point

Sistine Chapel
00120, Vatican City

What To Expect

Vatican Museums

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Strict dress code at the Vatican is applicable . Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women.

Children discount is applied from 14 up 18 years old with a valid ID card to be shown on site
Infants up to 5 years old are free.
Not wheelchair accessible due to some difficulties in Sistine Chapel (if you need an accessible tour please ask for our private tour.
The Basilica is often subject to sudden closures. In these cases it is not possible to guarantee access to the Basilica. Estimated time entrance in the museum is 45 minutes after tour departure, because you will have to pass the security check.
YOU NEED TO BE AT MEETINGPOINT NOT LATER THAN 20 MINUTES BEFORE TOURSTART, IF YOU DONT ARRIVE ON TIME YOU CANNOT RECEIVE A REFUND OR NEW DEPARTURE TIME
Semiprivate tour of 6 people excluding free children
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 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.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

153 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 153 reviews

Absolutely breathtaking!...

Monique_V, Jan 2024

Absolutely breathtaking! This was one of the greatest experiences we've ever had. Just loved it. The tour guide really knew what she was talking about, learned a lot. Grazie Mille!

AWFUL WORST TOUR EVER

hnlemaster, Nov 2023

AWFUL!! IF i could give zero stars I would. First off, we had our taxi drop us off at the address our voucher said and upon getting there it was NOT the correct location. I called the number and a lady sent me the new address via text message which was another 5 minute walk. Upon entering the correct building at 220 which was over crowded with people in no certain order or line. I waitied to the front and the man rudely told me to come back at 3 pm when my tour was for 245, When I told him this he said oh ok come back at 230. So I met my party and stood 10 mins in crowded area. Finally we left for our tour LATE. Our tour guide was nice and spoke English but radio cut in and out a lot during tour and the tour was a race. We were speed walking through all the museum parts and exhibits. Lost our guide for 30 minutes at least . Finally found her and then rushed through all the important parts. It was a disaster. Do not buy this tour. I’d highly recommend buying a private early morning tour. There’s over 25000 people going through daily and no time restraints. It is complete CHAOS. If there was a fire in the the museum people would die. People constantly pushing and shoving trying to get through. Absoutley ridiculous. Our tour guide Kara was nice but rushed through and was more worried about two children whose parents could care less if they got lost.

Great tour

David_O, Aug 2023

Really good tour! Very informative and very interesting. Tour guide was very well informed and the event was well managed.

Amazing experience!

Harini_R, Aug 2023

This was a great experience. Our tour guide Erik Walters was amazing, he is a scholar and his knowledge and wit made this a memorable experience! The best guided tour I have been to!

Great day

Mark_L, Jul 2023

Great guide all very interesting. Very busy and hot. Would recommend to go on a cooler day. Could hear well with the headset.

Terrible

Karen_M, Jul 2023

The tour company sent a message a few hours before and moved my tour time which messed up our entire day . Then the time they moved it to , the office was locked and had to stand with the other group for 44 min making us late . We wasted over 3 hours

Excellent group tour

Sandra_A, Jul 2023

Our guide, Francesca was excellent! The tour was very well organized, on time and and we saw everything with enough time. I really recommend this tour.

Don't book with seven hills

Dallas_L, Jul 2023

Seven hills changed the time of the tour 12 hours before. This conflicted with our schedule and they said they would not refund. I had to push them and they eventually did issue a refund. Terrible experience.

Missed Tour

Mario_G, Jul 2023

Unfortunately our tour was rescheduled to an earlier time the day before we were supposed to attend. We agreed to the new time, however we were about 10 minutes late as the metro took a bit longer than we expected. The guide could not wait for us and therefore we missed the tour. Further, I’ve reached out to the operator for a partial refund and they flatly refused.

DO NOT TAKE THIS GUIDED TOUR!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY!!

Kelann_S, Jul 2023

We originally had this booked for 11am, the company asked us to reschedule to 6:45pm or cancel. We moved to 6:45. We showed up at meet location and waited, we then were assigned a guide and a group. We walked to the door of the Vatican museums and waited outside. The same lady from the original wait location came to take us inside. Went through the security checkpoint and waited. At this point there are no other individuals or groups waiting. Just us. At 8pm the tour guide got tickets. We walked into the museums and waited to get our headsets. After numerous issues with headsets we were off. The tour guide is extremely difficult to understand, her English is broken at best. We barely stop at anything except the photos of the Sistine chapel outside. The rest of the tour is a rush and we get to the front door of the Sistine chapel where she takes our headsets and leaves us. It is 8:40. Of course the museum and the Sistine chapel is amazing. This company and the guide is horrible. The next day I contacted Viator for a partial refund. 7 hills tour company told them I was rude and did not stay with the tour. This is extremely inaccurate, as an American I take it very seriously not to be rude because I do not want to continue the narrative. I asked for them to get the tour company to identify me and my party. I have not heard back and do not have a partial refund. DO NOT TAKE THIS TOUR!!!

The tour was supposed to...

Louise_R, Jul 2023

The tour was supposed to start at 7 pm but at 7.45pm we were still waiting in the foyer of the vatican museum while the tickets were sorted out. Or was so disorganised. As a result we only had 2 minutes in the chapel due to having a taxi booked. On the plus side the guide was extremely knowledgeable.

Guide not Catholic

Kevin_H, Jul 2023

Guide did not know the difference between "Immaculate Conception" and "Virgin Birth". Also tried to skip showing the Raphael Rooms.

Mother Daughter trip

Timika_N, Jun 2023

Veronica was an excellent tour guide. Extremely knowledgeable. We truly enjoyed this tour. Highly recommend!

Extremely Disappointing Tour Experience - Requesting Full Refund

Priyanka_S, Jun 2023

I am compelled to share my recent experience with the tour at the museum, which was nothing short of a complete disappointment. We had made the decision to book this tour due to our travel circumstances, as we were accompanied by our baby and wanted to avoid any confusion or getting lost in the vastness of the museum. However, our expectations were shattered, and I firmly believe that a full refund is in order for the numerous issues we encountered. Upon our arrival, we were informed that the tour guide was unavailable, and instead, we were offered "skip the line" tickets as a consolation. While we appreciated the gesture, it paled in comparison to the absence of an expert guide who could have enhanced our understanding and appreciation of the museum's treasures. To make matters worse, we were directed to the ticket counter at approximately 3 p.m., only to be left waiting for an additional 40 minutes until the tickets were finally made available. This unnecessary delay not only disrupted our carefully planned schedule but also wasted valuable time that we could have spent exploring the museum. Adding insult to injury, we were provided with incorrect information regarding the closing time for the entrance to the Sistine Chapel. We were explicitly instructed to be at the chapel entrance by 4:30 p.m. as it supposedly closed around 4:45 p.m. However, it turns out that we were misinformed, and it was actually the entrance from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's Basilica that closed at 4:45 p.m. This erroneous guidance caused immense confusion, resulting in my husband, my daughter, and I getting separated when the entrance closed unexpectedly. I was forced to undertake a lengthy detour on foot, enduring approximately an hour of anxiety and stress, just to rejoin my family and enter the Basilica entrance line. As a consequence of this chain of unfortunate events, our tour began a staggering 45 minutes behind schedule, leaving us with a measly amount of time to explore the Vatican Museum. This significantly hindered our ability to fully immerse ourselves in the museum's wonders and appreciate its historical and cultural significance. Given the immense dissatisfaction and inconvenience we encountered throughout the tour, I firmly request a full refund for the entirety of this experience. Our expectations were high, especially considering the specific tour we had chosen to ensure a seamless and enjoyable visit with our baby. However, the absence of a guide, the protracted ticketing process, the dissemination of false information regarding closing times, and the subsequent separation from my family irreparably tarnished what should have been a memorable visit. I implore the tour organizers to take our grievances seriously and address this matter promptly. It is my hope that they will acknowledge the magnitude of our disappointment and provide a satisfactory resolution to this regrettable situation. In conclusion, I would strongly advise against booking this tour, as our experience left much to be desired. The lack of proper guidance and organization severely hampered our ability to make the most of our visit. I sincerely hope that appropriate measures will be taken to rectify these issues, and I eagerly anticipate a swift response regarding the requested refund.

Great to see, lots of people

Sarah_R, May 2023

We enjoyed seeing the Vatican museums and the Sistine chapel. It was very crowded and difficult to hear and keep up with our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable but her accent was strong. I am glad we did the tour.

Couldnt pay me to do this...

evan_k, May 2023

Couldnt pay me to do this one again. Unorganized, impersonal. Have to blame a lot of it on the Vatican itself as they stuff far too many large group tours into small hallways

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Lisa_K, May 2023

We had a great experience! Tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Would definitely recommend this trip and this tour operator. Will definitely use them again

Sistine Chapel

Julia_M, May 2023

Sistine Chapel amazing it was on my bucket list and hope to go again. The group manager was very knowledgeable and funny.

Brilliant.

Heather_R, May 2023

We had a brilliant tour around the Vatican. We skipped the queue straight away and walked straight in. Our tour guide, Monica was incredible. Her knowledge was exceptional and she was warm and friendly when we asked questions. THE best tour we have done.

Almost Perfect…

John_K, May 2023

The tour itself was great. Our guide was friendly, humorous and very knowledgeable. My reasoning for not rating this a 5-star experience was because of the encounter we had with the booking agent. We arrived 20 minutes early for our 11:15 a.m. tour where the agent directed us to walk across the street to a nearby café. Clearly there was a misunderstanding because our agent never came by to grab us for our tour, which led us to missing our originally scheduled time. Luckily, she got us into the next slot which was only 2 hours later. This was a magnificent experience otherwise! Highly recommend.

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