Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Spend more time inside with no-wait access to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica through an official Vatican partner entrance. On this comprehensive guided tour, you'll experience the best of the Vatican in just three hours, including the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and more. Navigate the vast complex of artwork and history with an expert, who will bring this ancient collection to life. Choose from several departure times and languages.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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.
At times, despite our priority access tickets, we may experience delays in getting through mandatory security checks when entering these venues
St Peter’s Basilica & Sistine Chapel are 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.
On Wednesday mornings, access to St. Peter’s Basilica is not included due to the Papal Audience. Entry is only possible after 1:00 PM.
St Peter's Basilica is not accessible on the express tours options
Please be advised that access to St. Peter's Basilica will not be guaranteed unless the names of all participants in the booking are provided in advance. This requirement is essential for security and the Venue organizational purposes. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in ensuring a smooth and enjoyable visit.
Please note that if you choose the “St. Peter's Basilica Tour Only” option, access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel will not be included.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Audio headsets so you can always hear your guide
Guided visit of St. Peter’s Basilica (except: Wednesday morning & if Express option selected)
Reserved Priority Access to the Vatican Museums (except St Peter's Tour Only option)
Group of 20 people or less (except St Peter's Tour Only option, 25)
Access to the Sistine Chapel (except St Peter's Tour Only option)
Leaflet for the visits of Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Basilica (except St Peter's Tour Only option)
Gratuities
If you book “St. Peter's Basilica Tour Only,” access to the Vatican & Sistine Chapel is NOT included
What To Expect
Vatican City
Vatican Museums tours with skip-the-line access are popular, yet even fast-track lines can be lengthy. This exclusive experience provides admission through a dedicated entrance, ensuring a queue-free visit.
Vatican Museums
Embark on an exclusive journey into the treasure trove of the Vatican Museums. Explore the intriguing Gallery of the Maps and Tapestries, immersed in tales of Vatican secrets. Marvel at captivating Italian maps, and be awe-inspired by the sculptures in the Gallery of Candelabras. Capture memories with a photo stop at the Pigna statue in the Pinecone Courtyard, crafted by the renowned Donato Bramante. Join our English speaking expert guide for an unforgettable experience in the heart of the Vatican City!
Options
Vatican Evening Tour
Skip-the-Line Access: Enjoy a Skip-the-Line access to both the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel to maximize your time inside.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Early Evening Departure: This early evening tour finishes at a perfect time for dinner.
Ends at Sistine Chapel: This option ends at Sistine Chapel. Please note St. Peter's Basilica is not accessible in the evening tour
Vatican Special Evening Group: Escape the crowds and visit the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel at sunset on this small-group tour of max. 22 participants.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Express Semi Private
Express Semi Private: 2-hour Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour [10 people maximum]. St Peter's Basilica Access is NOT included.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
St Peter Tour Only- no Vatican
St. Peter's Basilica Express: Experience St. Peter’s Basilica on this express guided tour with reserved entrance [Vatican & Sistine Chapel Excluded]
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Not included: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel access is not included in this option
Starting point:
Piazza della Città Leonina, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Group - Spanish
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica tour with Spanish-speaking guide & small group of 20 people or less.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Semi Private - English
Experience the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica with an intimate group of up to 10 participants.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Group - Italian
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica tour with Italian-speaking guide & small group of 20 people or less.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Museums only
2 hours highlights tour of the Vatican Museums (does not include St. Peter's Basilica).This tour ends at the Sistine Chapel.
Duration: 2 hours
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Group - English
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica tour with English-speaking guide & small group of 20 people or less.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Private - English
Tailor your Vatican experience to perfectly suit your needs on this private tour, with an expert, English-speaking guide
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Express Group Tour
Express Group Tour: 2-hour tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel in a group of 20 people. Access to St Peter's Basilica is NOT included
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Small Group - English
Experience the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica with a small group of up to 15 participants.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Vatican Express Small Group
Express Small Group Tour: 2-hour Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Small Group Tour [15 people max]. St Peter's Basilica is NOT included.
Starting point:
Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Reviews
38,277 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Vatican
Connie Y,
Oct 8, 2025
- Viator
5.00The tour involves a lot of walking. Our tour guide, Iman, was excellent. He was knowledgeable and passionate about art/history.
A fluke experience, maybe
Alice Y,
Oct 7, 2025
- Viator
3.00We were unfortunately part of a group tour on a day when the Vatican’s internet went out for an hour. As a result, we spent the first 30 minutes in line waiting to get in, which we understood was not under anyone’s control. However, once we entered, we perplexingly had to wait around for our tour guide to switch one of our tickets from an erroneously under 18 ticket to an adult ticket. As a result, we started our tour about an hour late (it was also not switched but we were still let through because of the general confusion of the day). This tour meets in the AM and PM and our tour guide had a PM tour. As a result, we speed-ran through the Vatican museums to finish on time. We had an hour less in the museums than normal in order to get enough time in the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Cathedral so the tour could end on time. Very unfortunately, we realized at the end that this meant that we were not able to re-enter the museums. As such, we had essentially paid for the Vatican museum tickets only to be rushed through in 30 minutes. If we wanted to re-enter, we would have to wait in the 5hour line for unbooked tickets and pay again. While I understand that the 30 minute wait outside the Vatican was unavoidable due to unforeseen circumstances, I don’t really understand why our tour group had to wait an additional 30 minutes to switch out a child to adult ticket. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and handled the situation professionally but I think that additional 30 minutes was an unnecessary miss from the tour company that we could have spent actually enjoying the museum.
This is a tough review as...
Sean W,
Oct 7, 2025
- Viator
3.00This is a tough review as our tour guide was awesome on 4 Oct but this was the most expensive tour in all of Italy and we did not get what we paid for. However, if you are doing the tour make sure you call and verify St. Peter’s is actually open for tours!!!!We paid an insane amount of money and flew from the US to be told we can’t tour St Peter’s. We paid for all three so at a minimum they should have called and reimbursed 1/3 but no we found out at the start of the tour.They played it off that it was the Popes fault but happily kept our money. With that said the rest of it was amazing hence why I still have 3 stars. It might only be an October 25 problem for the Jubilee! They will say St Peter’s in free so tour it on your own. This tour was a fast pass and the line always had 1,000 plus in it for our remaining days.
Awesome
Nicholas C,
Oct 7, 2025
- Viator
5.00It was very organized and easy to get there. Our guide had a lot of knowledge about the tour. It was a great experience and i would recommend this tour.
Vatican
Douglas B,
Oct 7, 2025
- Viator
5.00Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and easy to understand. Glad we hired a tour. A lot to see and appreciate.
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Operated by City Wonders Ltd