Rome
Top Rome landmarks

Skip the Line Tour: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Rome, Italy
  • 3 hours
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Spend a morning or an afternoon at the Vatican with this 2-hour skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter's Basilica. Get an up close and personal look at Michelangelo's masterpiece, his murals in the Sistine Chapel that changed the history of painting forever. See Raphael's cherubs. Gawk at the Gallery of Maps. Explore St. Peter's Basilica. And if you want more, upgrade to a full-day tour and visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Catacombs and more. Lunch can also be included.
  • Vatican and Sistine Chapel tour with transport from Rome to Vatican City
  • Skip the lines at the Vatican Museums with a fast-track entrance ticket
  • See top Vatican attractions: Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of Maps
  • Visit the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica and admire Michelangelo masterpieces like La Pieta
  • Upgrade to a full-day tour with an optional lunch, and see the sites of Christian Rome in the afternoon
  • Visit Basilica of San Giovanni, the Roman catacombs and Baths of Caracalla (full-day tour only)

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Get skip-the-line entry to the Vatican and St. Peter’s with an upgrade to see more religious sites.

What's Included

  • Professional guide
  • Hearphones
  • Gratuities
  • Pick up and Drop off
  • Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Piazza della Città Leonina, 8, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Choose between a morning or afternoon tour, climb aboard an air-conditioned coach near Rome's Termini station. Travel through the streets of the Eternal City, take in the views and hear fascinating commentary from your local guide. Pass through the Piazza del Popolo, cross the Tiber River, and spot the imposing Castel Sant' Angelo. 

Alight from your coach and skip the line at the Vatican Museums, home to some of the world's most renowned and recognizable artworks. Follow your guide down Guiseppe Momo's bronze spiral staircase to learn about the Flemish tapestries that grace the walls and about how they were based on paintings by students of Raphael, the Renaissance-era painter whose wall frescos of angels and cherubs are also in the museum. Then, head to the Sistine Chapel and admire Michelangelo's famed fresco. 

Next, follow on to St. Peter's Basilica to see another Michelangelo masterpiece: his amazing sculpture of La Pieta and discover the history of the church from your guide and hear little-known stories about the building and its construction. 

Alternatively, upgrade to a full-day tour which combines the morning with a walking tour of Christian Rome in the afternoon. 

Meet the guide and get ready for an engaging tour of Rome, seeing the most legendary Christian landmarks in this city. Stroll around Esquiline Hill, one of the city's famed seven hills, and home to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a massive church. Then head over to San Giovanni in Laterano, or St. John Lateran, a basilica that is the official church of the pope. Next door take a moment to see the Holy Steps, supposedly the staircase that was part of Pontius Pilate's palace in Jerusalem, which Christ would have walked on for his trial. Today pilgrims ascend the 28 steps on their knees, saying a prayer for each step. 

At the top of the steps in the Sancta Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies, a room that was once a depository for some of the holiest relics in Christendom. Objects included the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul, a chunk of wood from the table where the Last Supper was eaten, and the Holy Foreskin, the prepuce of Jesus, which was stolen in 1527 by a marauding German soldier in the Sack of Rome. (It ended up in the medieval hill town of Calcata, just north of the city.)

Later head to the Appian Way, an ancient Roman road to visit some important early Christian churches, including the Chapel of Domine Quo Vadis, which boasts a cemented imprint of the ghost of Christ. Also visit some of the catacombs, burial grounds of the early Christian community. After exploring underground, visit the old spa ruins at the Baths of Caracalla, and then finish your tour with a hotel drop-off or a drop-off in town.

Sistine Chapel

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • By pre-booking this tour it enables you to skip the long lines (which can take up to two hours) to enter the Vatican Museums.
  • Visitors must pass through metal detectors at the security check point. Please expect to wait 20-30 minutes to clear security.
  • A dress code is required to enter the Vatican Museums and knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. This dress code is strictly enforced and you will be refused entry if you fail to comply with requirements
  • Do you cater to wheelchair users? Do you or the Vatican provide wheelchairs? This tour is NOT wheelchair accessible. For your information, Vatican Museums provide wheelchairs free of charge in the main lobby. You can easily pick one up after entrance, 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.
  • This tour is not recommended for people with walking difficulties
  • Please note: If St Peter's Basilica cannot be visited because it is closed, you will spend more time in the Vatican Museums
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 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

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Reviews

4.0
1,072 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 1,072 reviews
Great tour and even better tour guide
Emily_W, Oct 2023
This was a great tour that saved a lot of time waiting in lines. Ricardo was very knowledgeable and great at dodging the crowds. We learned a lot and were able to appreciate the museum more than going on our own. I would warn you that there is a lot of walking and standing on this tour and no time for breaks. Be prepared with water!
Very rushed
Kaye_A, Oct 2023
So rushed, with a guide who spoke so quickly that I was sorry I bothered with a tour. Didn’t get one minute to appreciate what we were there to see
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Dear Kind all The visit includes important masterpieces to see and explain, so the guide can't stop the group for a long time, Thank you for your review Kind regards
Very informative guide and really pretty inside the museum
Donna_B, Sep 2023
Our guide was impressive! I couldn't believe how much information she knew. I was a little surprised by the amount of people squeezed into the Museum, and even though we had a skip the line group, it was a lot of waiting. It's warm inside, so I think i would go in late fall or early spring if I was to do it again!
Would go again
Brenda_S, Jul 2023
Our tour guide had so much helpful information about the Vatican. The history behind the art work was fascinating. He pointed out so many things we would have never noticed.
A truly incredible experience
Michael_B, May 2023
The knowledge of the guide and the fantastic displays of creativity were unsurpassed. The masters created without the aid of modern technology and tools - truly unbelievable!
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Kind customer, we are always happy to render a satisfactory service, thank you for your so positive and useful review, kind regards
Great day in Vatican Treasures, Sistine Chapel
Gudmundur_T, Apr 2023
A must see in Vatican Treasures, Sistine Chapel trip. Our guide was fine. Skip the line is also a must
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Dear Kind customer Thank you for your positive feedback! we are happy of your satisfaction. Kind regards
DO NOT BOOK HERE.
Sam_W, Jul 2022
DO NOT BOOK HERE. It’s a third party service. We booked a tour for 10am, showed up at 9:50 and they said we needed to wait 10 minutes for our guide. At 10:30 they took us to another place called “Rome Tours” where we got tickets. Then waited until 11:30 for a guide to show up. Save yourself a hassle and DO NOT BOOK HERE. Just book directly with Rome Tours or another agency that does just pass you down the chain.
Such A Wonderful Tour!
Barbara_G, Apr 2022
Thanks to our awesome tour guide, Cathleen, we were able to see the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel. We were there the day before Easter, so it was especially exciting to be able to watch all of the special preparations being made for the Pope the next day. The line to see St. Peter's seemed like it would be about 4 hours long, but we made it through in 1-1/2 hours. Cathleen was extremely informative and showed a great deal of patience answering questions and taking our photos. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in learning about the rich history of these Roman treasures, while beating the massive crowds with skip-the-line access.
Response from Host, Apr 2022
Dear Kind Barbara Thank you very much for your awesome review and your kind words for our tour and guide Cathleen , We hope see you again soon! thank you very much madame! Pina Mameli Sales Resp GLT
Disappointing
Cecelia_H, Oct 2019
This was a large group tour. We were bused to the Vatican and hurried through the museum. It was incredibly crowded and noisy. There was no chance to really look at what was on display and too many people. The Sistine ceiling probably suffers the same fate as the Mona Lisa: we've seen so many reproductions that the original can't live up to it. The noise level was amazing and the crowds were dense. It was like visiting a football stadium w/ a pretty picture on the ceiling. I do not recommend seeing it this way.
Great time!
George_N, Apr 2019
Skip the line is the way to go! Fun tour guide who knows lots about the Vatican. Great limo service.
Good experience
John_L, Jan 2019
This was our first trip to Rome, I chose Viator on the recommendation from another couple that really like them. The process from booking online and follow-up after the fact and up until the day of the event was really good. The tour guide was really enjoyable, the hotel pick-up was really nice as well. If you are the type that likes to breeze through the treasures around you then this is the tour to get because you do skip a huge line, but for what you pay and if you wanted more time to analyze what you are really seeing then I would suggest you pay the price at the location and stand in line or simple pay a few more dollars and skip the line-saving you about half of what I paid. Either way I personally would have liked a little more time, as I simple felt like I was being herded the entire time, which I do not like!
I just loved it as much as my 80year...
Linda P, Sep 2018
I just loved it as much as my 80year old mother....our tour guide Laura was great we had such a great french tour....thanks again
It was very well organized and it is...
Anna_B, Jun 2018
It was very well organized and it is the only way to go and skip the line and have a expert explain each chamber.
I did this tour on a Saturday...
Ana_S, Jun 2018
I did this tour on a Saturday afternoon and it was a regret. This is the busiest time one can attempt this tour. Our guide was constantly having to fight for a space for us so that she could provide her explanations. This was the 2nd time I did a guided tour and was disappointed that the Raphael rooms are not included in this tour. So if that is something you want to see make sure you book a tour that includes that. Also, don't do a Saturday afternoon in peak season. You can barely walk and you are rushed to see things and that is if you can see things. Either than that I think this tour is good but would be more enjoyable during a less crowded time.
Tour was very nice. Skip the line...
Terrance N, May 2018
Tour was very nice. Skip the line is the only way to go. We walked past almost a 1/2 mile long line and entered the Vatican Museum in under 10 minutes only had to wait for security. The Vatican was crowded due to the holiday May 1st weekend, not the tour's fault, but try to go during the week when it is less crowded if you can. We spent about 3 hours in the Vatican Museums. My disappointments were that we DID NOT visit the Raphael Rooms maybe due to crowds and we only got to spend 10-15 minutes in the Sistine Chapel. This particular tour Greenline arrived and left the Vatican via bus from central Rome. This is good if you don't want to travel to the Vatican yourself, but I feel that it cut the tour short. After leaving the Sistine Chapel which felt rushed, we had 10 minutes to walk through St. Peter's Basilica before the group had to get back on the bus and go back to the Greenline office. I would have rather had the tour end in the Vatican and be left with more time to walk through St, Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square on our own.
It wasn't until we got to the Louvre...
Angela M, Mar 2018
It wasn't until we got to the Louvre that I read the small print. We needed to go to an office a few blocks away to get the audio tour. The staff was not very helpful in answering questions. We also needed to give a 60 deposit for the audio equipment - which after the tour we had to walk back to the office again to return. They have audio sets at the Louvre - I would definitely go that route next time. My sons audio set did not work once we got to the Louvre. I definitely would not do this tour again.
I do not recommend this tour. We...
Michele C, Mar 2018
I do not recommend this tour. We were hurded in and through like sheep and not given sufficient time to look at any of the artwork. When we entered the Map Room we had to move so quickly through that I was not able to study any of what I made the trip for. Same with the Sistine Chapel-compelled to move through so quickly that there was no time to have a meaningful view and study. After the Sistine Chapel we went into St. Peters Cathedral and the tour guide left us on our own, giving NO information, no background, no history. The only positive thing the tour did was allow us to not wait in a long line to be pushed through the interior so quickly and with very, very little information. I do not recommend this tour and recommend you simply pay to skip the line in a different manner and take the necessary time to see what the Vatican has to offer.
Our Guide was personable and...
David K, Jan 2018
Our Guide was personable and knowledgeable. We were very happy with his presentation. The afternoon tour was very busy and, as he warned, if you fall behind you get swallowed up by the overlapping tour groups. Best to go in the morning as it is the only way to really appreciate the vast treasures on show at the Vatican museum. Would be better if tours could be spaced out more instead of a free for all.
Very comprehensive tour, guide was...
judith_s, Dec 2017
Very comprehensive tour, guide was knowledgeable and patient. Would recommend.
It was an awesome experience. A must...
Larry T, Nov 2017
It was an awesome experience. A must do! Even in late October it was very crowded, so don't try and do it on your own. Plus the knowledge the guides provide is priceless.
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