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Small Group Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, & St. Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

Roma, Italy
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From HK$581.99

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  • 3 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Discover the Vatican on a group tour of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums with an expert guide. Navigate the vast complex of rooms, artwork, and history with a guide, who brings the ancient collection to life. Skip all the entrance lines to explore halls such as the Gallery of the Maps; step inside the Sistine Chapel to admire ‘The Creation of Adam’ by Michelangelo and finish your tour visiting St. Peter's Basilica. Choose from several departures, or upgrade to a small-group tour.
  • Enjoy the Vatican highlights including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Choose from several different departure times, or upgrade to a small-group tour
  • Audio headsets are provided to make sure you can hear your guide clearly
  • Avoid long queues with skip-the-line entrance tickets

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

“Skip the line” with this tour means using a special entrance to bypass even the fast-track line.

What's Included

  • Reserved Priority Access to the Vatican Museums
  • Guided visit of St. Peter’s Basilica (If Option Selected)
  • Access to the Sistine Chapel
  • Audio headsets so you can always hear your guide
  • Small groups of 20 people or less
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Via Tunisi, 4
    Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy

    Meeting point: At the bottom of the steps across the street from the Entrance of the Vatican Museums. The steps are located right next to Caffè Vaticano on the corner of Viale Vaticano and Via Tunisi. The closest Metro stop is Line A (Ottaviano – Musei Vaticani).

End point

  • St. Peter's Basilica
    Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

What To Expect

Vatican tours with skip-the-line access are sought-after, so even the fast-track lines are long. This experience includes admission through a special entrance, so there are no lines whatsoever. Follow your guide directly inside the vast collection of private artwork that is the Vatican Museums.

Walk through the Gallery of the Maps and Gallery of Tapestries as you listen to tales of Vatican intrigue. Gaze at artifacts such as timeworn yet fascinating Italian maps, and admire the sculptures and candelabras of the Gallery of Candelabras. Stop for photos in front of the Pigna statue in the Pinecone Courtyard, designed by Donato Bramante.

Step inside the Sistine Chapel—the pope’s personal place of worship and a highlight of any Vatican trip. Stand beneath Michelangelo’s 'The Creation of Adam,' which cloaks the ceiling, and admire 'The Last Judgement,' his colorful mural that adorns a wall.

After your Sistine Chapel visit, continue to St. Peter’s Basilica, the symbolic heart of the Catholic church. Learn about its history and see more Vatican art including Michelangelo’s 'La Pietà,' which was sculpted when the maestro was only 24 years old. Gaze at the baldachino by Bernini, and then say goodbye to your guide in St. Peter’s Square.

Keep in mind that St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square might be unavailable on Wednesdays due to the weekly Papal Audience. As an alternative, enjoy an extended itinerary within the Vatican Museums, which still includes the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Rooms. If you want to make sure that St. Peter's Basilica and Square are included in your tour, don't select Wednesday as your travel date.

If you want to enhance your Vatican experience, select one of the following experiences:

Small-Group Tour in the morning: Enter the Vatican Museums as soon as it opens, before the other lines enter. Your tour is limited to 10 people for personal attention and information about the Vatican’s must-see sights.

Tour in the evening: Explore the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel after the doors close to the general public. A visit to St. Peter’s Basilica is not included.

Vatican Museums

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Basilica

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Square

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or any impairments requiring special assistance. We are also unable to accommodate strollers or baby carriages on our group tours.
  • Avoid bringing large purses, bags, or backpacks on your tour
  • We may experience delays in getting through mandatory security checks when entering these venues
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Saint Peter’s Basilica is subject to last-minute closures for religious ceremonies. When this occurs, we're happy to offer customers an extended tour of the Vatican Museums. While we endeavour to tell tour groups ahead of time if there are any planned disruptions to the Basilica's opening hours, this is not always possible and in these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • On Wednesdays, due to the Papal Audiences, access to St Peter's Basilica is not possible until 1pm
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 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.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

Arrive early since it is a bit difficult to locate the tour guide to check in.
Bring water with you as you won’t find any inside.
Don’t go on a Wednesday because the Pope will be doing mass and it supposedly gets really crowded.

Reviews

4.5
28,161 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 28,161 reviews
Vatican City Small Group Tour
Jeff_G, May 2023
Our tour guide was very informative and did an excellent job keeping the group together. We booked a small group tour, however, we were told a number of tour guides were out sick, which meant our group was combined with two other groups. About fifteen people total. We were told we would receive a refund due to this inconvenience. The issue was really the overall crowd size. Everything was shoulder to shoulder, with much effort trying to stay up with the group. We really had no time to stop and take a closer look at sculptures of note. The Sistine chapel was so crowded, we just walked from one end to the other and out. Once again, it wasn't our tour guide. It was the lack of a Vatican City plan to move people through comfortably and allow them adequate time to really enjoy the works of art.
Good tour if not so many tourists
AnneMarie_A, May 2023
Our tour guide (I believe she goes by Razi) was wonderful. She’s very knowledgeable about all the artwork, sculptures and frescoes in the Vatican museum, Sistine chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. We were only a group of 10 people so that was good….but there were sooo many tourists at the Vatican that day that we could barely go from one room to the other. Next time I’ll try and go on the early morning tours…maybe it’s less crowded. We chose the afternoon one hoping that most people go in the morning, I guess we were mistaken.
Well worth it!
adam_v, May 2023
Outstanding tour with just the right amount of commentary throughout the various highlights. Very enjoyable guide!
Wonderful experience
Angela_H, May 2023
Wonderful guide and tour! Guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and even took pictures for us. Would definitely recommend.
Great, but website misleading
Piyush_P, May 2023
It was not exactly what website describe. St. Peter's Basilica is not included. I called local tour, and she said same thing as a guide that St. Peter Basilica is Not Included in this package. Over all Guide was very good.
So enjoyable!
Casey_C, May 2023
We loved having Sal as our tour guide. He really knew how to handle the craziness of the crowd inside all the sites while keeping us engaged the whole time. I loved listening to him explain the history and stories behind all the art. I wish we could’ve seen more in the museums, but he courteously explained that there is so much, it would take days to see it all. I understand this but still appreciate the disclaimer. It was super satisfying to see the HUGE lines and be able to skip right through them. The only downside to this tour was the crowd, but that is completely out of the control of City Wonders. All in all, I would highly recommend this tour for first-timers to Vatican City!
3 plus hours of football shuffling for 30 minutes of pleasurable viewing.
Brett_S, May 2023
Our guide was excellent and did his best to navigate us through the labyrinth that was the Vatican, but overall it is frustrating to spend that kind of money and planning to be pushed and pulled through such an historical place like cattle.
Well worth it
Lynda_Y, May 2023
Excellent tour. A lot covered. The crowds were overwhelmkng but that is to be expected. GUide was very knowledgeable and pleasant
TOO RUSHED, but tour...
Lynn_W, May 2023
TOO RUSHED, but tour guide lady was wonderful. I definitely did not consider this to be a small group.
Very educational tour
Rocco_S, May 2023
Lots of information and a great education of the museum... Julia our guide was very knowledgeable and communicative on all levels....
The guide, Paola, was too...
Lorraine_K, May 2023
The guide, Paola, was too rushed and lacked detailed. I had been there before and I asked for more detail one time, she refused to give it because she said we needed to make sure the Sistine Chapel didn’t close. It wasn’t made clear when I signed up for the tour that the Sistine Chapel May close. ??
Awesome Tour
josephine_c, May 2023
Excellent tour. Our guide Ettore was very knowledgeable and lively. He did a great job keeping our group together despite having extra people. We would definitely recommend this tour
Great tour
Sara_R, May 2023
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. A bit slow at times but appreciated the history and the help navigating such a large tourist site that was very crowded. Overall would recommend!
Very Informative.
Lloyd_R, May 2023
The guide (MG) was very knowledgeable. We had difficultly hearing her, maybe it was the crowds inside that made it difficult. We appreciated how quick the entry was and how organized the tour company was.
Beautiful / extravaganza
darleneatrhpbnl, May 2023
Way too crowded. Lost the tour guide at one point as well as the communication and although she was very knowledgeable and friendly we never finished the tour due to the crowds .
Great experience. Very informative.
Thomas_K, May 2023
Great tour! Our guide Lorelai was outstanding and very informative. She did a great job making sure the group was together and providing us with a full experience while navigating the crowds. I don't understand the reviews that are upset about the crowds or the size of the group. It's says right on the event it's up to 20 people. It's a popular attraction. You're not paying for a private tour and the guides/tour companies have no control over how many other people show up. If that's what you're expecting, you may want to pay the $600 for a private early bird tour. These guides are doing an outstanding job!
Too crowded. We got to...
William_D, May 2023
Too crowded. We got to spend 5 min in Sistine chapel. Had only 30 min left to explore St Peter’s. Our guide was good.
Disappointed
Jessica_J, May 2023
Our group was of 20. It was hard to maneuver. We often had to wait for people. The Vatican is too busy for 20 people in a group. Our guide kept telling us to keep moving so I feel like I missed some items. He did not give us a tour of the Basilica at all. Only quickly told us some things to see. I was disappointed. For the most part he did a good job. In the future I would recommend a company that charged less and had fewer in the group. (I found out about the other companies after I was there).
False advertising “small group”
Khira_A, May 2023
Great tour guide but the tour felt very rushed. We barely had time to stop, take pictures, enjoy the art. At times it felt like we needed to push through the crowd and sprint after our guide that was already down the hall in the next room. Additionally, the tour booked was misrepresented and said it was a small group tour with no more than 20 individuals and we had 28. The group was way too big and we even lost 6 who went out the wrong door because again the tour guide was not always able to be well visualized in such large crowds. Then we spent time waiting around to try and find them but only recovered 2, leaving very little time in St. Peter’s Basilica due to the wasted time from trying to keep such a large group together. It definitely took away from the experience.
Mob scene
Mark_R, May 2023
The tour guide Amil was great. The amount of tourists even in mid May was just unbearable and you are herded like cattle around the building
Crushing!!!
MARY_M, May 2023
The personnel was doing their best but the group guide left us. Crushing mass of people, difficult to appreciate the beauty. Never saw the exterior compound beyond the front entrance
Getting there was a...
Eleni_P, May 2023
Getting there was a nightmare, the tour left with out us. Was not clear that we had to get 20 minutes early, and we had to pay 30 euro to even reschedule. No one to contact to let the guide know that we were going to be 5 minutes late due to issues out of our control.
Extreme crowds limited time in Vatican museume
liz_l, May 2023
The guide was great, the small group was 20 people and the tour itself, where they take you isn’t worth the stress of doing a tour. Having been to the Vatican before we knew what to expect, sadly our three hour tour ended 30 minutes early, it was OVER CROWDED, and the tour was of the courtyard, and then the the two Halle’s, tapestry and the other. We saw none of the rooms with beautiful oil paintings or statues. I was very disappointed, but the kids didn’t know any different. You will not see much of the Vatican museum on this tour…guide was very knowledgeable.
A must see while in Rome just be ready for crowds.
Peter_W, May 2023
Felt group size was too large given the over crowded conditions. Would have liked to have spent more time in the museum, but we were just getting rushed thru given how crowded it is. Distend Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica we’re both beautiful. Also no option to visit gift store and not even pointed out to us as an option. Almost think it would be better to have done the tour without a guide as would have been able to spend the time needed to better enjoy the museum.
Vatican City
Renee_R, May 2023
The Vatican was amazing as was St. Peter’s Basilica. Unfortunately our tour guide was not able to make it so we bought the audio tour guides instead. The tour company was very accommodating to find a quick solution for us.
The only way to visit the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, & St. Peter’s Basilica
Sarah_S, May 2023
A wonderful tour. Obviously, you have to deal with many crowds and if you're expecting a solemn, reflective experience in the Sistine Chapel you may not get that, but that doesn't mean it's not worth the visit (just to set the expectation). I really appreciated our guide Christian's insights and ways of making the history, art, and stories of the Vatican accessible, entertaining, and educational. A friend visited with a larger group and audio guide on the same day, and when comparing notes she hadn't seen many of the things I found most interesting, beautiful and enjoyable. Good for me, less so for her!
Unhappy
Yvonne_D, May 2023
The tour was not good because there were to many people there with their tour guide, which made it difficult to keep up with our guide. She did the best she could under the circumstances. The issue is a systemic problem. Very unorganized. Also, the meeting place to meet our guide at the bottom of the steps were not identified with a sign. I had to ask several people to help, because of language barriers it was difficult. I recommend at least a sign with Viator Tours on it.
Wonderful and fulfilling experience!
Suzanne_L, May 2023
Valentina was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about teaching us the history of the Vatican and the art we saw inside. We loved learning about it all and would definitely recommend to anyone to take this tour.
Knowledgeable guide
Brenda_N, May 2023
The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable. The Vatican was very very crowded and she did her best not to lose any of us. A tour guide is a must if you want to know what you are seeing and ours was great
Excellent tour.
Susan_S, May 2023
Cosimo was an excellent guide. He was extremely kind and patient. He had an excellent knowledge of the places we toured. He had a great sense of humor. We fully enjoyed our morning.
...

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Product code: 3731VATICAN

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