Experience an insider’s view of the Vatican Museums on this 3.5-hour, small-group tour. First, skip the line at the Vatican Museums’ entrance, and head in to explore its main exhibits. Your guide tells you little-known facts along the way that many other tour guide don’t know. Visit the Hall of Maps, the Belvedere Courtyard, and the Sistine Chapel. Plus afterward, skip the lines at St. Peter’s Basilica, too.

3 hour Vatican Museums tour
Small-group tour limited to 10 people provides an intimate experience
Skip the long entrance lines at the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica
See Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in the Apostolic Palace
Catch site of the modes of transportation of past and present popes in the Pavilion of Carriages
Visit the Pinecone Courtyard, Hall of the Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries, and Room of Muses
Hear lesser-known insider stories about the Vatican that aren’t told on other tours

What's Included

Skip the Line access to the Vatican Museums
Vatican Insider Guide

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transportation

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Via Tunisi, 4
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Plan on arriving to our meeting point at least 15 minutes in advance of your selected departure time. Meet our representative on the steps at Via Tunisi, located at the corner with Via Sebastiano Veniero. They will be holding a sign with the green EcoArt logo.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Meet for this 3.5-hour tour of the Vatican Museums at about 2:30p.m. in front of the entrance. Check in with your guide, and then when everyone from your group has checked in, skip the long lines at the entrance to avoid the heavy crowds.

Because your group will have 10 people in it at the most, it makes it easier to hear your guide while you follow him or her through the museum. Listen to interesting insider information about past popes, the Vatican itself, and mysteries that still go unsolved today.

Visit many of the exhibits and areas of the museum, including the Hall of Maps, the Belvedere Courtyard, the Gallery of the Tapestries, the Room of Muses, the Pinecone Courtyard, the Round Room, and the Candelabra Gallery. Your last stop in the museums is at the very famous Sistine Chapel.

After the Sistine Chapel, make your way to St. Peter’s Basilica. Taking the direct entrance from the chapel allows you to also skip the long lines here. Your guide leaves you at about 6p.m., and you’re free to explore all you want until closing time.

Vatican Museums

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Cortile della Pigna

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Sphere within a Sphere (Pass By)

Museo Pio Clementino

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Gallery Of The Maps

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Stanze di Raffaello

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Museos Vaticanos

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Vatican City

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children 5 and under are entitled to free access to the Vatican Museums (with proof of age)
Children aged 6-18 are entitled to a reduced entry fee (see tour and ticket pricing) and must provide proof of age.
Near public transportation
Children under 18 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.

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Maximum group size is 10 people.
At least 4 people are required for the guided tour option to take place.
Check-in is 15 minutes prior to the booked start time. Tickets are time sensitive and we cannot accomodate late arrivals.
Entrance into St. Peter's Basilica is separate from the Vatican Museums and is not included in your ticket. Entrance to the Basilica is free and does not require a ticket.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 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

5.0

199 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 199 reviews

Monica was a fabulous...

Linda_F, Sep 2023

Monica was a fabulous tour guide. She worked her magic navigating us through the crowds. I was sorry that the Basilica was closed that morning but the Pope is King. Monica’s knowledge of the history was outstanding. Grazie! Best to do this tour in off season

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear client, Thank you for your feedback. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our guided tour, and we're especially pleased to know that our professional guide was able to make your experience informative and also outstanding. We strive to provide enriching and enjoyable tours, and your positive comments reinforce our dedication to delivering exceptional service. We sincerely appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable tour in the future. Warm regards, EcoArt Team

For the $145 small group was not smaller than any other tour. No time to even ask a question.

Keith_J, Sep 2023

Lots to see but went thru so fast! The guide was very knowledgeable but spoke so fast and with a heavy accent had to take earpiece out. Didn’t get any hand out of Museum like the $60 tours did, overall paid to get in and skip the line, no noticeable difference if we elected the less expensive tour. 1:45 tour lengths

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear client, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We appreciate your feedback and are sorry to hear that your guided tour experience fell short of your expectations. Your satisfaction is very important to us, and we are always striving to improve. Our guides are dedicated and highly skilled. They undergo a rigorous selection process and possess proficiency in multiple foreign languages, which is a testament to their commitment to their role. Regarding the pace of the tours, we understand that the Vatican Museums can get quite crowded during the high season, and ensuring the flow of visitors is essential to prevent congestion and maintain a smooth experience for everyone. Our guides are instructed to adhere to the guidelines provided by museum security to facilitate this process. We value your feedback and aim to provide you with the best possible experience during your visit to the Vatican Museums. Warm regards, EcoArt Team

Amazing tour guide

Lama_A, Sep 2023

Our tour guide was amazing ! His knowledge and story telling style was unbelievable. We highly recommend this operator

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear client, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. Your kind words mean a lot to us, and we are truly grateful that you appreciated our efforts to make your guided tour incredible. We are dedicated to providing exceptional experiences for our clients, and your satisfaction is our utmost reward. Thank you for choosing EcoArt, and we hope to have the pleasure of serving you again soon. Kind regards, EcoArt Team

I enjoyed the tour and...

Peter_S, Sep 2023

I enjoyed the tour and the guide was excellent. I would recommend this tour and would encourage peeps to take it.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear client, Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are delighted to hear that your tour with us was wonderful. Creating memorable and enjoyable experiences for our clients is our top priority, and your positive feedback encourages us to continue delivering exceptional service. We look forward to the opportunity of serving you again and making your next experience with us even more exceptional. Warm regards, EcoArt Team

Fantastic experience!

Jason_B, Sep 2023

Nicoletta was a wonderful tour guide. She kept the group engaged, interested and extremely informed about everything we were seeing. I highly recommend her for your tours!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear client, We truly appreciate your feedback, and we're absolutely delighted to hear that you enjoyed our guided tour! Your satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us, and it's wonderful to know that we were able to provide you with an enjoyable experience. We're here to make your future experiences with us even more memorable. Thank you for choosing EcoArt, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another fantastic adventure in the future. Warm regards, EcoArt Team

You won’t regret booking this experience

Michelle_G, Sep 2023

Beautiful and overwhelming in the best way. Highly recommend. Very informational but to see this was incredible

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear client, We sincerely appreciate your feedback, and we're thrilled to hear that your tour with us was nothing short of incredible. Your satisfaction is our utmost priority, and knowing that we could provide you with such a remarkable experience is truly gratifying. Once again, thank you for choosing EcoArt, and we hope to have the pleasure of serving you again in the future for more amazing adventures. Warm regards, EcoArt Team

This Tour is a Must!

Amy_M, Aug 2023

Excellent tour! Our guide (Paulina) was very knowledgeable, friendly, and always happy to answer any questions we had. My husband and I learned so much and had a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear client, Thank you for providing us with your valuable feedback. We greatly appreciate your kind words regarding our guides. We take pride in our team's expertise and their ability to effectively communicate information to our clients in an interactive and engaging manner. We strive to ensure that every client has a memorable and informative experience, and your feedback reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality service. We look forward to serving you again in the future. Best regards, EcoArt Team

Excellent tour

Phillip_O, Aug 2023

Great guide who was very Informative Well organised and explained the areas properly highly recommend

Fantastic tour of the Vatican with Federica. The skip the line tour is so worth it .

David_H, Aug 2023

We had a great time with Federica as our guide. The team met us early exactly as planned and got us on our way right on time. Federica did a great job keeping us informed and was very accommodating. She gave us options and talked through what we wanted most throughout the tour to make our experience what we choose rather than a “canned” history lesson. Thanks for a great day

Can’t miss tour

Dory_S, Jun 2023

This was a wonderful way to see the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and skip the (very very long) line. Paulina was a lovely and very knowledgeable tour guide. It gets very crowded there this time of year (June) so be aware of that. Not the tours fault of course. We had a wonderful time.

Great experience!

Sommer_S, Apr 2023

This was my second time visiting the Vatican and I highly recommend an earlier tour. The small group allowed for us to ask questions for a more personalized experience. Our tour guide was so friendly and informative!

We had the 10:15 am tour...

tisha_s, Apr 2023

We had the 10:15 am tour with rosalba. She was incredible and so passionate. She was knowledgeable and made sure every person in our group was doing well. She was truly a great leader.

Ricardo gives a great tour

patricia_v, Nov 2022

Ricardo was wonderful - he was so passionate and knowledgeable about everything we saw. I would recommend him every time !

Great

Laurie_D, Nov 2022

Really, the only way to avoid the worst of the crowds and be amused while learning I do not like that this review requires 100 words

Great small group tour and host

Linda_D, Oct 2022

Our host, Eddie, was fantastic. He provided a lot of context for the exhibits throughout the tour. I loved the small group (10) and the skip-the-line entrance. Eddie had all members of our group in sight throughout the visit and made sure we had plenty of time to see the highlights.

Great Vatican tour with Oscar

kiran_u, Sep 2022

We booked with EcoArt online for the Vatican Tour and skip the line entrance to St Peters Basilica. We found the team easily on the stairs at the meeting point and our tour guide was Oscar. Oscar was great! The tour started on time and Oscar led 8 of us through at a very good pace. Oscar had great knowledge and stories to share throughout the tour and, of course, great tourguide humour! Oscar checked that we could enter the Basilica after the Sistine Chapel, as there are restrictions since covid. Thank you to Oscar and the EcoArt team! From Kiran, UK

Total VIP treatment here! Small...

Lisa_F, Sep 2017

Total VIP treatment here! Small group really means small group - it was just our family of four. We got to ask our really friendly, informative and professional tour guide any question, and could by-pass or move to areas of our own particular interest. A great tour, which opens your eyes to all things Vatican City! Paying for skipping the line really does save you hours in queueing, meaning you can save yourself at least half a day, which on precious holiday time is well worth the money! : Lisa, Australia