Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Tour
Description
Enjoy a group guided tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Benefit from skip-the-line entry and explore the vast collections of the Museums and admire the magnificent murals by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. Meet your tour guide and skip the long ticket lines at the Vatican Museums. Discover the highlights of the vast interior of the museums, including the Pine Courtyard, Belvedere Courtyard, the Gallery of the Maps, Candelabra Gallery, Pio Clementino's Rooms, and the Tapestry Gallery. Learn more about the fascinating artifacts and stunning artwork on display with your guide. Make your way to the breathtaking Sistine Chapel and admire the stunning frescoes of Michelangelo which adorn its walls and ceiling. Conclude the tour with priority and line-free access to St. Peter's Basilica, which you can explore at your own pace.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour start at our meeting point. Please come 15 minutes before starting time to the point for to avoid confusion and ensure smooth check-in. Once at the meeting point please come inside and check-in with the front desk.
With 20,000 works are on display, the Vatican Museums display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the most well-known Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world.
Commissioned in 1580 by Pope Gregory XIII, Gallery of the Maps contains a series of painted topographical maps of Italy based on drawings by friar and geographer Ignazio Danti.
Founded in 1771 Clement XIV and enlarged by his successor Pius VI, Pio-Clementino Museum houses works of Greek and Roman sculpture.
Built between 1473 and 1481, the Sistine Chapel it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescoes that decorate the interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment, both by Michelangelo. At the end of the tour if the passage to the St. Peter’s Basilica is open the guide will lead the group to the Basilica.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Dress Code; knees and shoulders must be covered
- Valid ID: Travelers are required to carry a valid identity document
- Due to the Pope's audience access to the St. peter's square in excluded from Wednesday morning tours
- Due to numerous number of stairs and uneven terrains wheelchair/walker users and slow walkers can not be accommodate
- Due to the Vatican Museums regulations persons with any sort of disabilities can not be accommodated
- Due to the Jubilee, some monuments may be under restoration. Please pay attention to any messages we may send regarding potential changes.
- Due to the Jubliee the St. Peter's Basilica maybe subject of last minute and unannounced closure and access to the Basilica is not guaranteed
- The Vatican Museums reserve the right to close any section, including the Sistine Chapel, due to unforeseen circumstances. In such occasions, no refund is guaranteed to customers
- "English Group Guided Tour" and "English Evening Group Tour" options require a minimum number of participants and if the minimum number is not met, Capitolium Tours, has the right to cancel bookings at any time, even 1 minute before starting time.
Reviews(794)
I sent a group of my tourists to this agency and they were really happy with the services that they received and I am glad that this collaboration ended up very well because that group was a VIP for me and they had lots of special requests that they received them and my tourists were happy with this agency. Good collaboration and nice choice. Thanks
Our guide was great. Went at a good pace with the most important information. No queues which was amazing.
Our tour guide Rita was fantastic, so much knowledge and interest. She made the tour easy and fun. Obviously the Vatican speaks for itself.
Great tour and tour guide! Highly recommend! Guide was friendly, informative, and fun. The art and architecture were stunning. So glad we opted for this tour.
This was one of the best tours I've ever taken and it's really because of Berna, our tour guide. As someone who isn’t religious, I appreciated that this tour felt secular. The stories she told about Michelangelo and the different Popes made this visit so worth it. She knew so much information about what we were looking at in the museum that I wouldn't have known otherwise if I had done this visit on my own. Definitely book this trip and ask for Berna if you can!
We appreciated that our tour guide did not overload us with details about every little fact on the immense artwork at the Vatican. He did, however, paint a beautiful image of the history of Italy and Rome while pointing out particular elements in each room/hall we visited. It was well worth the money to avoid the wait in line on the cold rainy day we visited the Vatican.
This was a great way to tour the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, by skipping the line and having a guide who was very knowledgeable. He was also very patient with my husband, who is 85 and uses a cane. He helped us get an elevator where possible. But note that there are still many stairs involved in the tour. Our tour group was only 7 people, so it was fairly easy to stick together, although it is a very crowded place. We were given headsets so we could hear the guide, and they provided an over-the-ear option for those with hearing aids, which was great. At the end, we were given the option to tour St. Peter's Basilica on our own as well. It was a great experience.
Wonderful! Our guid was attentive, very good explanation of museum. Great english and easy to understand. I have used Viator for a few tours now. They are great!
Guide was exceptional. She was extremely knowledgeable and balanced detailed explanations while? holding the interest of a group ranging from a twelve year old, 2 twenty year olds, their parents, and grandparent. Ludovicia(? Correct, spelling). Although the museum was very crowded, she kept track of us and was patient with answering our questions or stopping for photos, navigating both with ease. The handout with a guide to the images in the Sistine chapel was a bonus.
Amazing guide. Speaks perfect English without a strong accent. Was incredibly knowledgeable. Loved the intimate tour
