Product photo
Product photo
Product photo
Product photo
Product photo
Product photo
/ Person
Select date and participants
At least one participant is required. Please adjust and try again.

Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

3.5 (10)
Rome, IT
Share

Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

3.5 (10)
Rome, IT
Share
Please wait, fetching options!
Discover the highlights of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with an expert tour guide. Avoid the stressful long queues and get priority access to marvel at the awe-inspiring art collection. The Gallery of the Tapestries, with its elaborate Flemish tapestries, and the Gallery of the Maps, with its frescoes representing each of the Italian regions, will leave you breathless. But the true masterpiece awaits in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo's genius comes to life. As you explore, you'll learn about the Conclave election process and have the opportunity to find Michelangelo's face among the painted characters. This guided tour will take you on a journey through centuries of art and history, leaving you mesmerized by the beauty contained in the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

About this experience

  • Free Cancellation For a full refund cancel at least before the start of your booking
  • Admission Included
  • 2 hours
  • Suitable for 1-15 Participants
  • Small Group Tour
  • Guided Experience & Audio Guided
  • Priority access to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
  • Marvel at awe-inspiring art collection
  • Explore the Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of the Maps
  • Experience the beauty of Michelangelo's masterpiece
  • Learn about the Conclave and see the "Last Judgement"
  • Skip-the-line access to Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
  • Licensed Guide
  • Audio headsets
  • Food and Drinks
  • Hotel Pickup and Drop-off

How long before the event do I need to book?

  • You can book at any time before the event

Vouchers accepted in the following formats

  • Mobile

Your Itinerary

Vatican Museums

Marvel at the museums’ awe-inspiring art collection, world-renowned frescoes inside the Sistine Chapel, and the Renaissance era paintings in the Raphael Room with an advantage of avoiding the stressful long queue and get escorted inside the Vatican Museums through the priority access. After a regular security check, we will head towards the most important galleries and breathtaking masterpieces collection of art. At 75 meters long, the Gallery of the Tapestries is named after the elaborate Flemish tapestries that drape its walls. The Gallery of the Maps, painted between 1580 and 1585, takes its name from the 40 maps frescoed on the walls, representing each of the Italian regions and papal properties at the time of Pope Gregory XIII. Be mesmerized by the beauty contained in the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo’s undisputed masterpiece.

Admission Included

Sistine Chapel

You will hear details about the election process called Conclave which ends up with white smoke from the chimney installed in the Chapel. See original "Last Judgement" and try to find Michaelangelo's face in between more than 300 painted characters.

Admission Included

More about this experience

Introduction

Experience the renowned Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel like never before with the Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour. This exclusive tour grants you priority access, saving you from the hassle of long queues. Marvel at the awe-inspiring art collection within the museums, including the famous frescoes inside the Sistine Chapel. Immerse yourself in the Renaissance-era paintings in the Raphael Room and be captivated by the exquisite beauty that awaits you. Accompanied by an expert tour guide, delve into the rich history and remarkable masterpieces on display as you explore these iconic landmarks.

What to expect?

During this immersive 120-minute tour, you can expect to gain profound insights into the artistic wonders that lie within the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Delve deep into the Renaissance period as you admire the world-renowned frescoes, tapestries, and maps that adorn the galleries. Discover the fascinating stories behind each masterpiece, including Michelangelo's iconic "Last Judgement," and attempt to spot his face amid the hundreds of painted characters. Experience the wonderment of standing beneath the awe-inspiring ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, where you can witness the convergence of artistic brilliance and religious significance.

Who is this for?

This tour is perfect for anyone with a keen interest in art, history, and culture. Whether you are an art enthusiast wanting to explore the masterpieces of Michelangelo and other renowned artists or a history buff fascinated by the rich heritage of Rome and the Vatican, this tour provides a comprehensive and informative experience. It is suitable for all ages and backgrounds, making it accessible to families, friends, solo travelers, and couples seeking a captivating and educational adventure.

Why book this?

The Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour is your gateway to immersing yourself in the magnificent world of art and history. With priority access, you can skip the long queues and maximize your time exploring these iconic landmarks. Accompanied by an expert tour guide, you will gain deeper insights into the historical significance and artistic brilliance of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Allow yourself to be captivated by the awe-inspiring masterpieces that have stood the test of time. This tour provides an opportunity to explore the hidden stories behind each artwork, enriching your understanding of art and culture.

Good to know

Before embarking on this tour, it is essential to note that the total duration is approximately 120 minutes. The meeting point for the tour is Go tickets & tours. Prepare to be amazed by the extensive art collection in the Vatican Museums, including the Gallery of the Tapestries and the Gallery of the Maps. The Sistine Chapel, with its incredible frescoes and the famous "Last Judgement" painting, is the tour's highlight. Throughout the tour, you will also learn about the election process known as Conclave, which takes place in the chapel. To fully immerse yourself in this enchanting experience, ensure you have your camera ready to capture the breathtaking beauty that awaits you.

Reviews

Visitors who have embarked on the Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour have been left in awe of the experience. They praise the knowledgeable and passionate tour guides who bring the art and history to life, providing valuable insights into each masterpiece. Travelers are particularly fascinated by the chance to witness Michelangelo's "Last Judgement" up close in the Sistine Chapel and appreciate the intricate details of the tapestries in the Vatican Museums. Overall, visitors describe this guided tour as an unforgettable and enriching experience that leaves them with a deeper appreciation for art and a lasting sense of wonder.

Reviews

(10)

3.5 (10)

Sandra_S

Please ensure you buy "skip-the-line tickets" before arriving in Rome. We witnessed very very long lines at The Vatican and the Pantheon and it was EXTREMELY hot the days we were in Rome. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Rome. The excursions were very good. We did have an issue with this excursion. I had booked it for 2:30 p.m. on 9/16/23 bc I had already booked a Pantheon excursion for 11:00 a.m. that day about a month before arriving in Rome. The night before our excursion, VJ from Viator notified me the 2:30 p.m. tour had been moved to 12:30 p.m. with no explanation. I contacted him to let him know that time wouldn't work for us. Basically, he told me that was "too bad". Thank goodness I printed hardcopies of all my excursions and had them in my folder. I did this bc my phone is older and the battery drains quickly. I quickly took a pic of the overall excursion and my voucher and asked him to look for another one for us. He did locate another tour on 9/16 at 5:30 p.m. as that was all he could find. It was difficult locating the tour's starting location and the tour didn't start until 6:00 p.m. This meant we only had a quick 45 min. tour led by a tour guide and the rest was left for us to explore. Unfortunately, The Vatican closed at 8:00 p.m. So, we didn't have much time there. I was very disappointed about the time we had at the Vatican based on the money we paid for the tour. Also, I wasn't thrilled with VJ's above response to me. Please take note when visiting The Vatican; men and women must have their shoulders and knees covered. I didn't realize men needed both covered. Lucky for us, we met 2 young ladies who offered my husband a scarf in order to cover his shoulders. Then, the next day, 9/17/23, our Colosseum tour was moved from 11:30 to 12:10. Not a huge issue except if you had other issues planned prior to this. In addition, please plan for unexpected issues. We took a taxi from our hotel directly across the street from The Vatican and our taxi cab driver wasn't able to let us off in front of the Colosseum due to road construction issues and a bike race. The taxi driver drove us as close as he could to the Colosseum, and we walked the last 15 mins. and arrived in time to take the tour. My point is every time we planned to take an excursion, something happened which changed the time. Please allow yourself 15-30 mins. prior to each excursion in order to arrive on time. Also, it was very difficult to locate our 9/16/23 Viator location in order to start our Pantheon tour. This tour was self-guided, so not too much of an issue when we showed up 15 mins. late to the Viator location. The name of the business wasn't Viator. It was another Tourism shop. Also, not mentioned in Viator's descriptions. I wish Viator would send me a questionnaire for the other 2 excursions we took with them as there was some additional information omitted from the tour description regarding visiting a church in Corfu. One (men and women) must have their shoulders and knees covered. Hopefully, my review will help others.

Jeet1000

LOVED the statues, the murals, the tapestries, everything. Stunning. The Sistine Chapel was so much more vibrant than I expected. So much more beautiful than seen in photos. NOTE: There is no photographing or videos allowed and people were admonished loudly for trying. The guards continually tell people to be quiet and shout out NO PHOTOS, NO VIDEOS ALLOWED, which ruins the experience a bit. We did it through a tour company and wish we hadn't. A lot of time was wasted while they took us outside and showed us these display boards that showed how the Sistine Chapel changed over time. There were at least 10 of these boards set up with various tour groups all doing the same thing at each of the boards. Our guide was passive and didn't know how to get us in to see the board and we stood a lot waiting for a turn for something we cared little about. You skip the line but you are forced through quickly and are made to focus on art objects that they want to talk about vs. what you want to spend time on. Aside from the tour, the art is SO worth seeing.

frankkN3574RE

After planning for a year and booking a Vatican tour 3 months ago, the City Wonders company decided to cancel our tour the afternoon before the tour date. No explanation, just an email message. So my warning to fellow travelers don't believe ratings !

ericdF5709DI

Be wary if you contract with this company for a Rome tour. We scheduled three tours. The 1st one, a tour of the Colosseum, was canceled the eve before because the guide contracted COVID. Understandable. What wasnt was there was no plan B. No backup guide. Just a late evening phone call that said the tour is canceled. Fine, I thought. This was our 1st of 6 days in Rome. Surely we could reschedule. Yes, but the exact tour we had signed up for was unavailable every single day. That is not understandable. We had to settle for a similar, but less desirable to us, tour . Very next day, we had a semi-private tour of St Peters Basilica. We show up 20min early. No tour guide. 15min after your was to start, no tour guide. I called the number on our confirmation email 18 times. No answer. Tried online chat. No response "busy, try again later". Finally, someone else in our group, nobody I knew, yelled she had gotten through. The guide called in with a family emergency. Again, understandable. But no backup guide, no communication of any kind. We disbanded, made the best of it and toured the Basilica on our own. I managed, after many attempts, to contact City Wonders, later that day and was told id get a full refund. Hopefully, I will. But they never reached out to us. Today we had our 3rd tour - The Vatican museums and Sistene Chapel. Elena did a wonderful job. Highly knowledgeable and highly recommended. I would not use this company again.

Kirsty S

The Vatican is incredible but there's so much beauty that it's hard to know where to start looking without the help of an expert. We were lucky to have Hilaria as our guide on our recent tour of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. She's clearly extremely knowledgeable about art, given her background as an art restorer, but more importantly, she loves the contents of the Vatican Museum and that showed in her enthusiasm and the way her knowledge brought the pieces to life. There is no way I would have got as much out of my visit with a guidebook or one of those self-guided tours. Being able to have Hilaria describe the history of certain pieces and there to answer questions was a highlight of my trip to Rome.

gk430523

Once in a lifetime experience visiting the Chapel and Basilica. Guide had good knowledge on very detail and was friendly.

pkumar140213

Our guide made the tour very engaged and was knowledgeable and friendly. Overall a good experience in the Vatican

Michael_R

This tour is way overrated for what you get. You will be rushed through a very small subset of the Vatican museums, with almost no time to look at anything that the guide does not cover. You will not be guided through the Sistine Chapel or the Basilica, so that part of the Tour title is misleading. I would recommend touring the Vatican at your own pace, without a guide, unless you are ok with paying a lot to see very little.

d5v9n

The only and best way to have a view of the Vatican City. It would have been easy to be lost without the tour.

anupaml69

A great experience - once in a lifetime visit to the museum, Chapel & Basilica. You won’t want to wait in the line then be sure you book this activity. Guide was fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. Something you MUST DO when in Rome.
Collected by Evendo, Tripadvisor & Viator
2024-03-29 08:53