Rome: Skip the Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peter Small Group
Description
Enjoy a semi-private Vatican tour with a maximum of six guests. With your expert guide and skip-the-line tickets, explore the Vatican Museums, experience the wonders of the Pinecone and Octagonal Courtyard and the Belvedere Torso. Admire Constantine’s coffins and unique sculptures while learning about Church history, the Popes, and the artworks. After this, it’s time to head over to see one of the stars of the tour – Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Admire the 8,000 square feet of this masterpiece standing in its center surrounded by paintings. After the Chapel and all its glory, your tour guide will take you towards your final stop, St. Peter’s Basilica* where you will enjoy exclusive access to the most immense and ornate Catholic church in the world. Visit one of the most stunning pieces of art in the basilica, Michelangelo’s statue of the Pietà, depicting the Virgin Mary holding her dying child in her arms.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover some of the most famous paintings and sculptures from western civilization and listen to amusing anecdotes about the former popes and artists represented in the museums. With a small-group tour of maximum of 6 people, or in your very own private tour, easily manoeuvre through the crowded museums at a comfortable pace. After a view of the terrace over the Vatican gardens, make your way across the beautiful early Renaissance courtyard to admire Hadrian's Pinecone, and then to the modern art piece of Arnaldo Pomodoro. You will then head to the magnificent Octagonal Courtyard which is one of the most remarkable collections of Roman and Greek artefacts. Admire the famous Belvedere Torso, learn about the mystery of the Laocoön Priest of Troy, and visit the Muses Room. Walk through the beautiful galleries to admire an abundance of candelabra, tapestries, and maps. Then head to the Julius II apartments and see the grandeur and the magnificent details of the Raphael Rooms.
Admire the the famous frescoes, painted by Raphael and his workshop. Please note that the visit to the Raphael Rooms may not always be feasible.
Your comprehensive Vatican tour concludes with VIP entrance directly into St. Peter’s Basilica without standing in the long lines. Walking through the Basilica, you will learn all about the secrets of the magnificent and ornate decorations, sculptures, altars and chapels. Visit Michelangelo’s Pieta and walk down the main nave to admire the dome he designed that sits on top of the largest Catholic church in the world.
Next, learn of Michelangelo's masterpiece from your guide before you enter through a tiny door to admire the majestic Sistine Chapel. Take in its grandeur in contemplative silence as you admire this 8,000 square foot wonder. From January 12 through March 31, the Vatican Museums will be carrying out special conservation work on Michelangelo’s Last Judgment inside the Sistine Chapel. During this time, a scaffolding structure will cover the entire Last Judgment wall. The Sistine Chapel will remain open and fully accessible, but this specific artwork will not be visible during the restoration period. Thank you for your understanding as this masterpiece receives important care.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- *St. Peter’s Basilica is an active church and can be closed unexpectedly for liturgical ceremonies. If closed, your guide will provide a revised itinerary including more of the Vatican Museums. No compensation is granted in these circumstances.
- *Saint Peter’s Basilica is closed on most Wednesdays mornings due to the weekly Papal Audience. If you book this tour for a Wednesday the time inside the Vatican Museums will be extended.
- Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter.
- There is no photography allowed inside the Sistine Chapel.
- Please be aware that the Sistine Chapel is a Holy Place and talking during your visit inside is strictly forbidden, therefore your guide will give you an explanation of the Sistine Chapel beforehand during your tour, in order to give you a comprehensive explanation before entering the chapel.
- Guests with wheelchair accessibility needs will find difficulty with this small group tour. In order to ensure a barrier-free tour with alternative routes, please book the private version of this tour.
- Everyone in your group, regardless of age, needs a government issued ID to enter the Vatican Museums.
- IMPORTANT: Please advise our team if you believe that a disability qualifies you for complimentary access to the Vatican
- *Access to the Raphael Rooms is contingent upon crowd conditions, timing constraints, and guard-regulated routes. Including them may not always be feasible. In these cases, your tour guide will exercise discretion to adjust the itinerary, ensuring a high-quality experience
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues
Reviews(4,104)
I wanted to love this tour as much as the 5 others I took while in Rome, but I can’t. I left feeling confused about what I saw and completely rushed while passing through the museum. We toured on Wednesday morning, so we couldn’t see St Peter’s due to Vatican activities, meaning we spent extra time in the museum. I’d hate to see what the pace would have been if we had the normal speed through the museum! The guide mostly spoke while walking ahead, so it was extremely difficult to hear what she was saying from behind. She started out the tour by getting into an argument with another tour guide because our guide had us cut in line in front of them. It was embarrassing. We went on another tour to a different site with the same tour company and it was totally different, so at least the issue isn’t systemic. We were definitely sad that our experience in the Sistine Chapel was not a great one.
Our tour with Cristina was wonderful. Cristina’s knowledge of the city, country and Vatican was amazing! She is a true professional with a wonderful personality. Highly recommend!
We had a fantastic time visiting the Vatican! We honestly didn’t know what to expect, but we were all amazed by the experience. Nic was absolutely the best guide we could have asked for. He was knowledgeable, personable, and made the entire visit so enjoyable. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
Our tour was Privately guided which we highly recommend. We had the pleasure of being guided by Pamen on our tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. It was one of the best experiences during our trip to Rome. Pamen was wonderful and knowledgeable with the history and highlights that each domain of our tour within the Vatican City had to offer. She allowed us plenty of time to enjoy and relish the art and historical meaning that is held throughout the walls and rooms of such a special place. It was an unforgettable moment in time for our family and we will cherish it for many years. We hope to be back again.
Becky gave us an incredible tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s Bascilica. Her ability to condense so much of her knowledge on the vast subject matter into absorbable information so that we could enjoy the sites and appreciate the art without being overwhelmed was impressive. She was engaging and informative and obviously passionate about all there was to show us. She was great with our 11 and 15 year old children – keeping them interested during the over 3 hour tour which followed a 3 hour tour of the colosseum earlier that day, so no small task – asking them questions and answering theirs so they could put what they were seeing into historical perspective with entertaining stories to bring the art and architecture to life. We all had an amazing tour. Thank you, Becky
Tania was so knowledgeable and made the experience so great! Small group with the whole experience!!
Massimo our guide was incredible. He was knowledgable,engaging and passionate about explaining things. Making the tour fun with his humour and wit. He also pointed out great photo opportunities.We sailed round and packed so much more in being on a small tour. It felt like a VIP experience!
If you visit Rome and want to tour the Vatican, a small group skip the line tour is a must. Sure you pay for the convenience of not waiting in a long line, but you also receive details of the history of what you are seeing, combined with the background stories that only an educated guide can provide. We had Rebecca for our tour and she was so knowledgeable and attentive to our group of 7. Encyclopedic knowledge of everything we visited. She provided us time to explore as well, and breaks from the Roman heat.
Giovanna aka big mamma :) was an exceptional tour guide. Friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. A delight that shared history without being boring. Highly recommend.
We had an entertaining and fun tour that gave us just enough detail but kept things moving with a balance of stories and history!
