Skip-the-Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's | Small Group

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Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

Why book this tour? You visit the Vatican once in a lifetime! Skip-the-line access means you’ll have more time to explore millennia of art and history within these hallowed walls without waiting in the long general admission lines.

In 3 hours, explore the highlights of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica in a small group.

Get straight inside with skip-the-line access to see a host of treasures of the Vatican City, all with enlightening storytelling from a passionate guide.

Dive into the Vatican’s must-see attractions with the highlights you absolutely can't leave Rome without. This tour has been specifically designed to get you inside as quickly as possible with skip-the-line entry.

This is the perfect tour for families traveling with small children or teens, people who "don't do" museum tours, or those who have limited time and want to see the Eternal City in less than an eternity.

The tour includes the big 3: Museums & the Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's!

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

MEETING POINT IS VIA SANTAMAURA 14B, What A Life Tours

St. Peter's Basilica is an active parish and therefore subject to last-minute closures due to mass or other religious events. In these cases, we will offer an extended tour of the Vatican Museums (including areas normally not part of the tour). Please note that 2025 is the Jubilee year, closures of St. Peter's Basilica can happen anytime without further notice. No refunds are issued for unexpected closures.

All participants (including under 18s) must bring valid ID.

All participants MUST cover their knees and shoulders during visits to religious sites, the Vatican Museums included. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.

Please notice that we are not responsible for the number of visitors the Vatican Museums allow inside.

Large umbrellas are not allowed, please leave these at your accommodations.

No pictures, videos, or speaking is permitted in the Sistine Chapel.

We recommend you bring your own headphones as the ones provided by the Vatican have a single earpiece only, and you may prefer to use both earbuds to hear the guide better.

Your tour voucher is valid only for the day and time reserved. We’re unable to accommodate late arrivals due to a strictly timed entrance ticket to the Vatican Museums. Missed tours or tickets due to late arrivals are non-refundable. Please allow extra time to reach the meeting point as Rome's streets can be confusing. Meeting time is 15 minutes before the start time of the tour.

Powerbanks are not permitted inside the museums, please leave these at your accommodations.

ACCESSIBILITY: While the Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair access, they are not conveniently located on the group tour route and only give access to specific sections of the Museums. As a result, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walkers on this tour.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Meeting point easy to find for a stress-free check-in

Entry to the Sistine Chapel

Guided tour with skip-the-line entry to St. Peter's Basilica

Tickets included

Headsets to hear the guide clearly

Skip-the-line entry with ticket to the Vatican Museums

Small Group

English-speaking licensed tour guide

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Gratuities

What To Expect

1

Meeting Point: The meeting point is our office, very close to the Museums' entrance, the exact address is Via Santamaura 14B. The closest Metro stop is Ottaviano. Please allow extra time due to traffic during the summer months! AFTERNOON TOUR - Meeting Point: Our office is located 2-min away from the Vatican Museums' entrance, the exact address is Via Santamaura 14B. If you do need assistance with how to reach the meeting point, please don't hesitate to contact us.

10 minutesAdmission Not Applicable
2

Vatican City

We continue our visit entering Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Encircled by a 2-mile border with Italy, Vatican City is an independent city-state that covers just over 100 acres, making it one-eighth the size of New York’s Central Park. Vatican City is governed as an absolute monarchy with the pope at its head. The Vatican mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, issues passports, licenses plates operates media outlets and has its own flag and anthem. One government function it lacks: taxation. Museum admission fees, stamp and souvenir sales, and contributions generate the Vatican’s revenue.

Admission Not Applicable

Options

Wednesday's Tour (NO BASILICA)

Wednesday's tour itinerary: • Please note that the 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM tours on Wednesdays do not include St. Peter's Basilica.

High Season 2025

Important info: •Small Group •Meeting Point: Office - Via Santamaura 14b

Low Season 2026

Reviews

4.88

6,015 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

5540
309
111
29
26
  • Great tour!

    Katherine S,

    Jun 30, 2025

    - Viator

    5.00

    Had a great tour and would recommend! Was with my son who is 13, and we both enjoyed the tour and learned a lot- my son even retained a lot! It was nice to have the guide to expedite the process and to explain the history and get us through the crowds. It was 3 hours which ended up being perfect, not too long and not too short either. Afterwards there is the option to stay at St Peter’s and/or explore the Vatican more if you want. Worth the money and Viator was easy to work with and communication was great!

  • Ennio was informative and...

    Gregory B,

    Jun 30, 2025

    - Viator

    5.00

    Ennio was informative and always kept his guests at the forefront. If I come back to Rome, I would like to do a different tour with him as the guide.

  • If you haven’t been here before, get a guide.

    wjh00,

    Jun 30, 2025

    - Viator

    5.00

    This was a wonderful experience. Our tour guide Valentina was knowledgeable about the Vatican, the art and places to occasionally dodge the crowd. She was also great with our two kids (9 and 12 years old, one with special needs). The museums are extremely crowded but she made sure to show us the key sights stopping to educate us along the way. She also did a great primer on the Sistine Chapel before beginning the tour. This was great because there is no talking in the chapel. Yes, you can buy individual tickets and save a lot of money. But if it is your first time, get a guide. The amount of history in this place is overwhelming. Having a knowledgeable person showing us the way enhanced our experience.

  • Beautiful tour.

    Suzy W,

    Jun 29, 2025

    - Viator

    5.00

    We had a wonderful tour of The Vatican with Eugene. He was a wonderful guide. Sadly, the basilica was closed and we were unable to enter.

  • Great tour

    Jill P,

    Jun 29, 2025

    - Viator

    5.00

    Great tour. Mario was fantastic. We enjoyed the tour and his knowledge of the Basilica and its art was amazing.

From EUR 99

4.88
6,015 reviews