Begin your exploration of the Vatican Museums before the general public on this tour. With your small group and tour guide, head straight for the Sistine Chapel to marvel at its art and architecture as one of its first daily visitors. Continue to St. Peter's Basilica, listening to informative commentary on the history of the church and Vatican City as you walk. Entrance fees, guaranteed skip-the-line entry, and use of individual headsets are included.

Entrance to the Vatican Museums before general admission
Tour the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica with a guide
Small group means personalized attention
Headsets to hear your guide clearly

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

This exclusive tour allows you to see St. Peter’s chapel during mass.

What's Included

Early access to the Vatican Museums
Professional English-speaking guide
Headsets for groups of 6 or more
Maximum group size of 14

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
St. Peter's Basilica until Further Notice Due to Covid Restrictions

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Viale Vaticano, 100
Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano, at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). A representative will be there holding a sign reading “The Roman Guy.” We highly recommend that you arrive 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time of your tour to ensure a prompt start. • Subway/Metro - Take the Metro line A (the red line) and get off at either the “Cipro” or “Ottaviano” stop. The meeting point is on Viale Vaticano which is a 10-minute walk from each of the metro stops. • Walking - From St. Peter’s Square, take via di Porta Angelica and follow the Vatican walls (on your left-hand side) closely until you reach Piazza del Risorgimento. Turn left and continue following the Vatican walls until you reach Viale Vaticano. Turn left onto Viale Vaticano and cross over to the other side of the street. Walk up the street and you’ll find our meeting point about 100 feet away. BEWARE! This is at least a 15-minute walk. • Taxi - It is very important that you tell the driver “Caffè Vaticano” or Musei Vaticani. Our meeting point is a few feet away. Make sure you check for us on the other side of the street just in case your driver drops you off opposite the caffè. • Use your smartphone! - Type the words ‘Caffè Vaticano’ into your phone’s navigation system and the directions will bring you just a few feet away from the top of the staircase! Dates: Daily except Sunday ad Wednesday Return point: The tour will end at St. Peter's Basilica (except on Wednesdays).

End point

Saint Peter's Square
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
The tour will end at St. Peter's Basilica (except on Wednesdays when we finish inside the Vatican Museums).

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
A specific 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.
A fair amount of walking is involved, and there will be stairs between different levels. If you have any doubts about your mobility, we strongly recommend considering a private tour.
Not wheelchair accessible

Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please contact The Tour Guy to book a wheelchair accessible tour
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 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

Traveler Tips

Worth paying to get inside before it is "open" to the public.

Worth it to go early morning before the crowds and heat.

Be forewarned- there are a lot of stairs- a lot.

Reviews

4.5

679 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 679 reviews

Just wow!!!

Colleen_F, Mar 2023

Fabiola was great! She made the tour a wonderful experience with all her knowledge. The vatican is an overwhelming experience and my husband and I are going cherish the memories and photos.

Best guided tour we had on our trip!

Nicholas_J, Feb 2023

Our guide Maria-Elisa was absolutely fantastic. She was knowledgeable and passionate about the history and we thought she had a great personality throughout the tour. The group wasn't too big (I think 10 or 11 people) and I feel like we saw all the most interesting parts of the museums

Loved the tour

Angel_S, Jan 2023

Great tour, guide was very informative and patient. It lasted close to 5 hours and was very worth it.

Great Tour Guide

Daniel_R, Jan 2023

The best part of the tour was our guide, Maria, who's professionalism, sense of humor, and knowledge were fantastic.

Must do!

Melissa_N, Dec 2022

Fantastic! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about everything. I enjoyed the museums, of course the Sistine chapel and the Basilica was overwhelmingly beautiful. Behind the scenes is the way to go. People waiting in lines for hours.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Ciao Melissa! Thanks for taking the time to leave us this review and for booking with us. We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your tour of the Vatican with your guide. It really makes a difference to visit with a guide and get in early and we're glad you got to experience the value. We hope to see you again on a tour with us soon!

Excelllent and informative tour

Anthony_M, Nov 2022

Very knowledgeable and pleasant guide - made the visit. Avoided the crowds. Excellent way to visit the Vatican.

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Ciao Anthony! Thanks for booking with us and for taking the time to leave your review! We're thrilled you enjoyed the tour and that your time with the guide made the visit! It's great to get in early and avoid the crowds. We hope to see you again on a tour soon!

GREAT TOUR

Savannah_W, Oct 2022

Our tour guide was amazing and easy to understand. She was very knowledgeable about all parts of the tour. I highly recommend doing this. You see a lot in a short amount of time.

Inspiring and humbling

Mike_H, Oct 2022

Sara our Tour Guide was fantastic! Viewing the history and the efforts of so many artist throughout such a long time period was inspiring. Seeing the faith and determination of individuals who are looking for the best in life for themselves and others was humbling.

Great, solid tour

Sam_B, Oct 2022

Great tour! Our guide was very knowledgeable, charismatic, and had the energy to get us through an early morning, 4 hr tour. We hit everything in the Vatican Museum, she did a great job of explaining interesting points and history of the Sistine Chapel before entering (since you're not supposed to talk or take pictures while inside), and we had a good tour of the Basilica as well. Tour was worth it for the skip the line access, much needed explanations, and access to certain areas not available to normal visitors. Whenever possible, she also had us sit which was very much appreciated since there's basically no where to sit in the entire Vatican Museum.

Excellent tour

Francis_S, Oct 2022

Tour guide Frank was excellent in detailing the history and progression of catholic dynasty. His enunciation and knowledge was excellent

Response from Host, Oct 2022

We are happy you had a great time with Franco! He does know how to bring the church alive. Thanks for touring with us!

Exciting tour of the Vatican

LaxMom, Oct 2022

Sarah did an excellent job guiding us through the tour and explaining details that we would have otherwise never had discovered. The group was small and she answered everyone’s questions. She shared personal experiences which make the tour special.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

We are happy you had a great time with Sara! Small Groups and Personal touch makes all the difference. Thanks for touring with us!

Fabulous!!

Kathryn_F, Oct 2022

Jullietta was a fabulous guide, patient in her explanations and sharing great information. I was delighted to enter before most of the crowds.

Elisabetta is a fantastic...

Laraine_M, Oct 2022

Elisabetta is a fantastic guide. She led us through with expert commentary, and because group was not large, everything was easy. Loved it, & will definitely reccomend this tour. Thank you

Great Tour. Special access. Great Guide

Michael_P, Sep 2022

Lucia was a great tour guide. We skipped the line and had special access to some areas not offered to the other tours. Though you could spend all day or even multiple days at the Vatican Museums and the Basilica, if you are looking for a good half day activity, this tour checks all the boxes.

Great Tour

WalterF_B, Aug 2022

Excellent tour with a great guide who was very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and organized. Unfortunately, part of St Peter’s was blocked off for something going on with the Pope and the Cardinals and we didn’t get to see the Pieta, but everything else was great.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Ciao Walter! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour of the Vatican. We're sorry you didn't get to see Pieta, but sometimes there are events going on in the Basilca. Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review and for booking with us.

Wonderful experience!

Marla_M, Aug 2022

Great info and loved ease of getting thru lines.Maria Teresa, our guide, clearly had a passion for Vatican and was an amazing guide!

Absolutely the best tour

Barbara_C, Jul 2022

The entire tour was amazing and our tour guide Titti was friendly, informative and answered all question with expertise. She was enthusiastic and made the experience so much fun for us. Her incredible knowledge helped us to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the art that was created by the masters of their time.

Vatican Tour

Amanda_H, Jul 2022

Very informative and interesting tour! Great way to see the highlights of the Vatican, and definitely easier than trying to navigate on your own. Our guide was fantastic!

The Vatican Museums we’re...

Donna_L, Jul 2022

The Vatican Museums we’re very interesting and our guide was very knowledgeable. We did feel rushed and could have spent more time exploring.

Loved this tour!

Julie_G, Jun 2022

We loved the tour despite the huge crowds. Our guide, Raffa, was both knowledgeable and humorous. She made us laugh with all her fun facts! And she looked out for her group; no small task during high season. We would do the tour again in a heartbeat!

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Hi Julie! Thanks so much for joining us on this tour and for taking the time to leave a review! We're so thrilled you enjoyed your tour with Rafa! She is truly an amazing guide. Visiting with a guide, especially during the busy season, makes a big difference! We hope to see you again someday soon.

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