Skip-the-Line Group Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
A holiday in Rome without visiting the Vatican is like a day at the beach without swimming in the sea. See the best of the Vatican museums and gain direct entrance with skip-the-line access to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, while our excellent guides entertain you with stories that go with each masterpiece.
This budget-friendly tour is the best value for money for travelers that are interested in 1) seeing the museum’s highlights 2) meeting a new friend or two through your group and 3) skipping the lines (trust us, with over 6 million tourist spilling into the museum every year, you'll want it!)
Disclaimer: you will be entering the Vatican museum during one of the busiest times of the day. While the tour provides skip-the-line access, the crowds in the museum vary from day to day and some delay with security can be expected (it would be misleading for other tour operators to not tell you this!)
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Unforeseen events= The Vatican is its own country and therefore the Pope can decide also last minute to close St. Peter’s Basilica for ad hoc events. It is a very rare event during the year but it is possibile and we will do our best to inform you. If it is too late to inform you, our guide will extend the tour in the Vatican. Not to worry that the incredibile collection of Vatican Museums and the masterpiece of Michelagelo in the Sistine Chapel will still be included.
Most of our tours include the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. However, there are two specific options with different inclusions. You will find below:
Museums & SISTINE CHAPEL Tour – Includes the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel but does NOT include St. Peter’s Basilica.
ST.PETER'S BASILICA TOUR – Includes St. Peter’s Basilica but does NOT include the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Admission tickets to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and/or St. Peter's Basilica
Entry/Admission-Vatican Museums (NOT included if you book the option: ONLY ST.PETER'S BASILICA TOUR)
An expert tour guide with over 10 years of experience. Excellent story teller.
Entry/Admission- Sistine Chapel (NOT included if you book the option: ONLY ST.PETER'S BASILICA TOUR)
Guaranteed skip-the-line access
Entry/Admission - St. Peter's Basilica (check below to see which option does not include it)
If you book the “Museums & SISTINE CHAPEL Tour” option it does NOT include St. Peter’s Basilica.
If you book “ONLY ST.PETER'S BASILICA TOUR” option it does NOT include the Museums & Sistine Chapel.
Gratuities (Tips)
What To Expect
Borgo
Meet your tour guide at our office, located in the oldest neighbourhoods of the Vatican, Borgo Pio. Following a self introduction by your guide, you will walk through the charming shops of the Borgo, as he/she shares some local tips for eating and site seeing in Rome, including off the beaten track sites that you must visit during your holiday! Some background will also be provided on the history of the Sistine Chapel (we do it here as the chapel forbids noise and travellers are expected to observe silence once entering).
Via Della Conciliazione
Admire the flags and surrounding embassies as you walk through this street, which serve as the primary access point to St. Peter's Square, and by extension, to the Vatican City itself.
Options
Vatican Tour & Tickets - 8 AM
Vatican English Tour & Tickets
English Tour and Tickets
SKIP-THE-LINE Tickets & Tour
Duration: 3 hours
Includes: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
Meeting Point: Via Plauto 17A, 00193 Roma, Italy
MUSEUM+SISTINE CHAPEL+BASILICA
INCLUDES Tickets & Tour: VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST. PETER'S BASILICA
Duration: 3 hours
English Tour
Vatican Museums+SISTINE CHAPEL
INCLUDES Tickets & Tour: VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL
NOT included:: ST.PETER'S BASILICA
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Skip-the-Line Group Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
English Tour & Tickets
ONLY ST.PETER'S BASILICA TOUR
NOT included: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
INCLUDES Tickets & Tour:: ST.PETER'S BASILICA
Duration: 1 hour
Meeting Point: Via Plauto 17A, 00193 Roma, Italy
Reviews
10,651 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Very expensive price for a very disappointing tour!
Sarina E,
Jun 26, 2025
- Viator
1.00My family and I (4 people total) paid nearly $2000 for a tour of the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Nearly 2 of the 3 hours of our dedicated tour was spent waiting to meet the guide or listening to her point out where restrooms were. Although very nice, she shared VERY little information about the first 2 sites (spending only 5 minutes telling us about the Sistine Chapel!), and literally told us nothing about St. Peter's Basilica other than where the bathroom was. We learned more about all of the sites from our 10 minute taxi drive back to our hotel. When was asked Vatican Tours (the tour company) about a partial refund, they told us that they could not provide this without us engaging Viator first. When we asked Viator, they simply said 'no' without any explanation. So, please be aware of what you are getting with these two companies -- clearly not a company that cares about the experiences they provide or the customers they serve. You'd be better off going with Eyes on Rome -- this company provided an excellent tour with a very knowledgeable guide for a fraction of the price.
Pacing issues
George M,
Jun 26, 2025
- Viator
2.00You don't get to see nearly as much as you would with out the tour. I felt like we rushed past so many pieces of art and we didn't get enough time in each room. Personally if we get to go to the Vatican again. I would just buy the tickets online and go at our own pace.
Great Vatican City Tour
Andres G,
Jun 26, 2025
- Viator
4.00Very informative and knowledgeable, but at times, kind of repetitive, which was almost to the extent of being obnoxious.
Very disappointed in this...
Jaimie M,
Jun 26, 2025
- Viator
1.00Very disappointed in this tour. We paid to see the see the top sites at the Vatican in 3 hours & only got to experience one out of the three, the Sistine Chapel but yet it still took the entire 3 hours. I understand the Vatican & St. Peter’s Basilica having unique availability due to the Jubliee but then the tour should have been shortened to 1 hour to view the Sistine Chapel & then we should have been able to view/explore the Vatican museums on our own. We did not pay to walk mindlessly through the Vatican shops/museums for two hours, we paid for “Skip the Line” as the title suggests. I will be reaching out further to request a partial refund.
The sights were...
Bonnie S,
Jun 25, 2025
- Viator
4.00The sights were spectacular, but the tour was just okay. The tour was a little slow moving and boring at times. The tour required an advanced checkin, but the tour company kept us outside for 30 minutes before the actual tour began. The venues were extremely crowded and the heat in June was pretty rough (nothing against the tour company; it’s just summertime in Rome). The skip the line feature at the Vatican is a must and definitely worth having a tour guide. Come to the tour hydrated, but still bring a bottle of water. Toilets are limited, but the guide was great at pointing out opportunities to use the facilities. Overall, it was a good tour with great sights, but the hot weather in Rome made it pretty miserable. Take the earliest booking of the day, if possible.
Related Experiences
Operated by Vatican Tour