Skip-the-Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's | Small Group
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
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.
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.
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 To Expect
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! If you do need assistance with how to reach the meeting point, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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.
What‘s Included
Headsets to hear the guide clearly
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
Skip-the-line entry with ticket to the Vatican Museums
Small Group
English-speaking licensed tour guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Options
High Season
Important info: •Small Group •Meeting Point: Office - Via Santamaura 14b
Low Season
Wednesday Tour (NO BASILICA)
Important Information: • Please note that the 9:30 AM tours on Wednesdays do not include St. Peter's Basilica.
Reviews
6,886 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Wonderful experience and knowledgeable guide!
Vacation547079,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00There were 9 of us on the small group tour with Maria. She was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. Great experience and I can’t say enough about how great Maria was!
Very good tour!
Jose B,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00What a tour, Fabrizzio was very knowledgeable and on point, the organization and points of interest, very good your I would recommend, grazie!
Eugene is great!
lillies895,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Eugene was absolutely fantastic during our Vatican tour. From the moment we met him, he was warm, knowledgeable, and incredibly engaging. He navigated the crowds with ease and made sure we never felt rushed, while still giving us so much insight into the history, art, and symbolism throughout the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. His explanations were clear and fascinating, and he answered every question with patience and enthusiasm. You can tell he truly loves what he does. Our experience would not have been the same without him, and we would recommend Eugene to anyone visiting the Vatican.
Brilliant tour with John .
Clare G,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Do it! It was excellent ! John was a brilliant guide. He has an impressive range and depth of knowledge about the Vatican and its treasures. He took time to answer questions and to explain what were to see in the Dustine chapel. The illustrated sheet he gave us ensured I could understand what I was looking at when I got into the chapel. The exhibits were just beautiful and so many of them it was hard to know where to look and that is only a fraction if whst there is there. The Sistine chapel was as wonderful as I hoped it would be. John whisked us through any queues. Be prepared to walk a very long way. The meeting point was easy find and staff there were helpful. Thanks
Great tour guide and highlights of a huge place!
Julie D,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00An amazing tour! Our guide, Mario, was so much fun, and very knowledgeable. We really appreciated his humor and personality! We felt very informed about what we were seeing.
Entertaining
BackPacker236497,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Mario was great — his jokes, anecdotes and opinions made the tour very enjoyable. Also I’m typing this extra sentence because a review on Tripadvisor requires a miniumum of 100 characters so I’ve reached it now.
Beautiful experience
Barbara Z,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beautiful experience ! Eugene was an excellent guide, informative and entertaining! Made the tour fantastic! Would highly recommend the tour and especially Eugene as your tour guide
Outstanding tour
Christian O,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Mario was outstanding and engaging in his tour. I would highly encourage people to do this tour. Being able to skip the lines and see and understand the most important pieces allowed the Vatican and St Peter’s church to be accessible.
Maria was an incredible guide!
Explorer43172702881,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Maria was an incredible guide. She brought energy, knowledge, and humor to our tour. We saw so much but she helped us focus on one or two things at each stop so it was meaningful. We had several folks in our group with mobility issues and she worked her magic to get us on elevators that other tour groups couldn't use. Definitely recommend Maria!
Fun and informative
RosanneDeBen,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide, Yanira, was excellent. She is very knowledgeable, engaging, entertaining, professional and was sensitive to individual needs, such as taking breaks for those with mobility challenges. She has the gift of being very knowledgeable and being able to share all that information in a way that makes it accessible and interesting to all the participants who may have different levels of knowledge.
From €99.00
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Operated by What a Life Tours