Best of the Vatican Tour: Fast Track Highlights
Description
Meet your expert guide by the Vatican Museum entrance and enjoy skip-the-line entry to what is arguably the most important collection of art in the world. Your guide knows every nook and cranny of the museums and will navigate seamlessly through the more than 1,200 galleries. Much of this tour will be dedicated to the majestic Sistine Chapel, from its commissioning to the finishing touches applied by none other than Michaelangelo Buonarroti. You will hear the true life story of this fascinating yet tormented artist, who considered himself a sculptor and not a painter yet dedicated countless years of his life painting frescoes on a ceiling 44 feet high. Learn of the physical and psychological damage inflicted on the artist as your guide helps you to discern between myth, fact, and popular Hollywood fiction regarding this epic work of art. At the end you can explore some of the remaining 1,400 galleries of art at your own pace.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your guide knows every nook and cranny of the museums and will navigate seamlessly through the more than 1,200 galleries while emphasizing the Rooms of Raphael, the Ancient Roman and Greek pieces in the Belvedere Courtyard and the Gallery of Maps while ensuring that you stay on track with an eye on the ultimate prize: the Sistine Chapel.
Much of this tour will be dedicated to the majestic Sistine Chapel, from its commissioning to the finishing touches applied by none other than Michaelangelo Buonarroti. You will hear the true life story of this fascinating yet tormented artist who considered himself a sculptor and not a painter yet dedicated countless years of his life painting frescoes on a ceiling 44 feet high. Learn of the physical and psychological damage inflicted on the artist as your guide helps you to discern between myth, fact, and popular Hollywood fiction regarding this epic work of art.
Enjoy Fast track entry to St. Peter's without having to exit and wait on the security line. Explore the Papal Basilica on your own.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A dress code is required. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women.
- Due to the route covered and/or transportation used, it is not possible to participate in this tour using a wheelchair, scooter, or other aid. Please contact us to inquire about customized tour options for guests with mobility challenges.
- Please note: This description is provided as a general example. Actual experiences may vary slightly depending on the season, local conditions, and other factors beyond our control
- On days immediately surrounding religious holidays at the Vatican, alterations to tours may become necessary due to partial closings of areas normally included in this tour
- Access to St. Peter's Basilica is not possible on Wednesday morning during the weekly papal audience.
- Please note that essential travel documents and final itinerary details might be delivered electronically closer to the activity date.
Reviews(449)
Tour and tour guide were good. Only reason for not giving 5 out of 5 was family of six that were in our group was late showing up and had a child in stroller and 3 elderly people that put us behind and slowed us down tremendously. The tour guide did the best she could but we ended up having to rush thru most of the exhibits due to being behind schedule and running out of time.
Maryanne was excellent. It was great to have an air conditioned lounge to gather in before the tour started. Very easy to locate. Just enough of the history and helpful information for us. If you want a deep dive or to linger longer, you might choose a different tour but this was the perfect length for us!
It was wonderful. From the time we got to the agency,all the way through the tour with a very jovial and knowledgeable Antonio, the tour was very memorable. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the Vatican and learn and it's history and also view the most iconic and breathtaking art and places, lile the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and more.
Nadya provided details on the art and context for the times. She was efficient and happily answered questions about the Vatican, Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Now that I've seen the brain background that God sits in in Michelangelo's god and man, I can't unsee it. It was alot of walking and there are a lot of people at the Vatican, so be prepared for that. I wasn't a fan of the type of headset that they used as it hung over your ear and I was worried it would drop.
A fast paced but knowledgeable tour. The Vatican was filled with people, but our tour guide helped us navigate the chaos and provide information to all the wonderful art and sightings we saw. It was hot without air conditioning but that isn’t the tours fault! It’s also worth noting it is a fast paced tour with not a ton of breaks or spots to sit down but it was a wonderful tour nonetheless.
Best of the Vatican Tour: Fast Track Highlights: Chiara was the best tour guide anyone could have wished for, she was so informative and funny that the whole group was captivated by her knowledge and wit, this is a ‘must do tour’ while in Rome.
Tour guide was amazing and helpful! Tour was insightful and informative. We enjoyed our time! Thank you Mariana!
We visited the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Square during one of the hottest days in Rome. The meeting point was easy to find in an air-conditioned place, which was great! Our guide Antônio gave us a lot of information but sometimes spoke a little too quietly and it was a bit difficult to understand him. All in all, the guided tour is worth it if it is a less hot day. We took magnificent photos: it was great!
This was a large group tour. Our expert tour guide was organized and maintained a positive, engaging, and fun experience for our group. She has a wealth of knowledge about the art and art history aspects of the Sistine Chapel. Highly recommend!
Highly recommended. It was a very interesting and educational. Nadiya was amazing and was happy to answer any questions with clarity and humour. The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking. Thank you Nadiya for taking good care of us ❤️ we will definitely use Italia Tours again.
