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
Via Germanico, 8, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Near Metro A: Ottaviano station. Please be at the meeting point atleast 25 minutes before the departure time, inside the office.

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

Traveler Tips

Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk pretty much non stop.

Skip the line is the only way to go, but still had an hour to 1.5 hour wait.

Must use tour or you'll spend your vacation standing in line.

Reviews

4.0

8,364 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 8,364 reviews

stunning

Ameerah_E, Sep 2023

The Vatican was stunning, better than imagined and the tour was very useful in understanding what we were saying. Our tour guide Salamon was very informative and great at explaining and guiding us around. would definitely do the experience again.

Tour should be divided as per visitors single with or without kids

Mahshid_F, Sep 2023

Tour guid left us in the last part of the visit in vatican, we went to St. Peter's Basilica without tour guid we paid for guided tour . In our tour we had family with small kids with baby carriage and in the areas with steps they needed to cary the carriages and babies and this was making us to move slower and took more time to visit all the areas.

Unforgettable experience at the Vatican tour

Felix_R, Sep 2023

The guide assigned to us was an excellent guide and explained every single detail of the tour outside and inside the Vatican. Very professional tour!

Terrible experience

Disha_A, Sep 2023

Worst tour company. We reached only 5 mins late (cuz of the traffic) and they said they cannot accommodate us anymore. We paid 165 euros for the 2 of us and it was a total waste. We knew on the way we would reach only 5 minutes later and tried calling the support team to inform or try and get the guides number but they clearly refused to accommodate us. We requested them to book us on their next tour but they didn’t help at all. Meanwhile, the company “maya tours” right next door were so helpful. They booked us on the tour which started 5 minutes before and the guy from the office came all the way inside to drop us to the tour group. Please beware and save your money.

Must see

Randy_C, Sep 2023

Sistine chapel is wonderful to see and St. Peter’s basilica was truly a sight! Our guide was entertaining and was careful not to lose anyone in our group! Appreciated!

Viewing the Sistene...

Eugene_S, Sep 2023

Viewing the Sistene Chapel was amazing. Our tour guide was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions.

Excellent Tour, very enjoyable, would definitely recommend.

Richard_C, Sep 2023

Visiting the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s Basilica was made even more special and memorable by our Tour Guide. He was so knowledgeable and made the tour so interesting. We really enjoyed our day. We would definitely recommend this tour

very poor tour, not worth the money paid.

Georgina_H, Sep 2023

We found that the guide was very dry witted & rushed, He kept going off in front of the group, the venue was very overcrowded anyway, his microphone kept going off so we missed most of what was said & when we asked for him to repeat his information he was rude & dismissive & accused us of not listening. Perhaps he should have ensured that the equipment was working before hand. Also the price of an entrance ticket was only 17 Euro, however, we paid 70 Euro each, totally not worth the money. The guide just gave us a map to explore St Peters Basilica, whereas the other guides took the time to speak to the attendees, not worth the money paid, will not recommend this company to anyone.

Too hot too crowded

Martha_G, Sep 2023

We were here on a mid September Monday, midday.It was obnoxiously crowded and hot. I would never book this tour during a summer month on that time of day. Also, if you want to actually study the art or really see do not do a group tour. It’s a rush through with no time to stop. Our guide, however, seemed really knowledgeable and was very friendly.

Enlightenment!

Mark_H, Sep 2023

The art was amazing. The crowds and the pace of the tour made it difficult to take it all in, might be worth going in after a tour on your own to be able to see more. I say that because our tour guide was exceptional and his historical art perspective was enlightening. Crowds were a bit much this time of year-not much can be done here I don’t think. Good overall. Thank you for your hospitality!

A COMPLETE SCAM!

Michelle_D, Sep 2023

DO NOT BOOK!!! This place is a complete scam. They took our money via Viator and then wanted us to pay cash. We took money out of their ATM to pay in cash instead and the money was never dispensed, but still came out of my bank account. We paid twice and never even got the service / tour.

A Must Do!

Dennis_G, Sep 2023

Beautiful experience. Moved along quickly…. Some folks had a bit of difficulty keeping up, but our guide was very aware and waited for all.

Good tour.

LINDA_B, Sep 2023

Meh…. Go to Rome - go to the Vatican. Never ending beautiful paintings etc. our guide was knowledgeable but nothing special. Once was enough.

The whole experience was...

Edward_F, Sep 2023

The whole experience was good for me being a Catholic . Our tour guide was great, he was a fountain of knowledge .

Lots of walking and steps !

Jana_B, Sep 2023

It was a wonderful site to see. But PLEASE … in your description of the tour … let people know it’s A LOT of walking and stairs ! I didn’t realize this. I wore comfortable shoes as you suggested but not for that !

Poor

Diane_N, Sep 2023

To start with the organisation at the depot is poor. Masses wait outside to be called by there ‘coloured sticker’ then follow the flag. We got into the Vatican walls only to be told we could not go to the Basilica as the Pope was in a meeting! The one part we really wanted to see. If we had known beforehand we would of asked for a refund. So 2.5 hours around the museum and the guide says it ends here… go into the Sistine chapel, sit and enjoy at your leisure. But no! Because we didn’t have a guide we weee rushed through by the attendants! Pascal the guide was good but I would not go with this Company again.

Vatican guided tour

Janet_C, Sep 2023

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable an gave us plenty of time to see everything! Spoke wonderful English too

Good tour

Jean_C, Sep 2023

Sara the guide was very pleasant and informative - kept our spirits up in the heat. Only disappointment was not being able to go into St Peter’s Basilica as the Pope was there and we weren’t informed about it giving us a chance to rearrange

Great experience Great Guide

Stephanie_W, Sep 2023

Our Tour guide was amazing. She managed to stay in control of the group despite impatient members of the group. She was very knowledgeable.

Wonderful

Adrian_S, Sep 2023

The guide was wonderful, we had a great experience and the wait was short I would recommend this fast track tour for all travelers… thank you

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