Rome: Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour

Your experience

Highlights

• Don't waste your time waiting in line to enter the Vatican Museums; it's far better to take in all the famous landmarks. Admire over 70,000 masterpieces made by the hands of Raphael, da Vinci, and Bernini. Discover Michelangelo’s frescoes and the Renaissance art that can be found inside the Sistine Chapel. The most famous Roman sculptures are present for you to view, as well as all the important masterpieces of fine art. You can later visit the Madonna della Pieta sculpture at St. Peter's Basilica on your own.

Full description

Experience time travel to Rome with a guided trip through a number of its outstanding sights, such as the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, using no-wait-in-line passes. Furthermore, you can take time to explore St. Peter’s Basilica by yourself. Begin your trip at the Vatican Museums, benefiting from fast-track entry, which will give you more opportunity to delve into the details of its wonders instead of spending most of your visit waiting in queues for tickets.The journey starts at the Armour’s Courtyard, and this is where you get an impressive view of the Vatican Gardens from above. During your initial point of call, you will visit more papal structures before finally reaching the Pine Cone Courtyard in the center.The latter has been a summer residence for popes, while now it is the location of the Pius Clementine Museum where you can come across impressive pieces of Greco-Roman art like Apollo Belvedere and Laocoön Group. During your sightseeing, make sure to stop at these three galleries that lead to papal apartments: The Gallery of Candelabras that exhibits beautiful Flemish atelier works under Peter Van Aelst’s leadership, and The Gallery of Maps painted on frescoes by order of Pope Gregory XIII, showing different parts of Italy in detail with illustrative maps. End your visit with two masterpieces from the Vatican collection – Raphael’s Rooms located within Pope Julius II's apartment, and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel which features extraordinary works by Michelangelo depicting scenes from the Book of Genesis and the Last Judgement.After leaving the Sistine Chapel, walk straight on the pathway to St. Peter’s Basilica, which is private and exclusive for you to observe some other notable works, including Michelangelo’s Pietà sculpture and Bernini’s Baldachin, just to mention a few among numerous other historical relics that represent centuries of great tradition. It must be pointed out here, however, that if we come here on a Wednesday morning, this pathway will not be available, and therefore it could lead to an unplanned situation in which we are forced to change our route. In such cases, the whole agenda of our tour program will concentrate only on visiting museums during our stay in Rome.

Includes

• The main things you will experience are the Vatican Museums without lines, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, and if it is possible when you come, also St. Peter’s Basilica entrance with no waiting again. The guide will have headsets for you to hear him or her better and more clearly.

Not includes

• One of the additions to the package is transportation to and from your place of residence or hotel, including meals and drinks. Similarly, another point of interest is the escorted tour that includes St. Peter’s Dome and a combined visit to St. Peter’s Basilica.
• Tips

What to bring

• ID for children that’s a passport or student card

Not allowed

• Shorts
• Scooter
• Unachieved, the objectives and sharp weapons remained.
• Pets
• The sleeveless tank top has an opening in its upper chest area that can be skillfully fastened with buttons or a zipper.

Know before you go

• For the sake of security, the organizers of this event have come up with a measure where all people accessing it must go through an airport-style security checkpoint at the main entrance. At certain hours, there are times when it might take about thirty minutes for the whole process if you happen to arrive during peak hours.
• Take into account that the Louvre is among the largest museums globally, so expect many people. The tour happens in a place of worship, so there are rules on dress code that must be respected. Before entering, it’s a must for the tourists to check if they are not wearing sleeveless tops, miniskirts, or shorts because such articles of clothing should not be worn either in European churches or on Islamic territories. Besides, headwear needs to be taken off too.
• In case you are not able to arrive at the group’s meeting point within the specified time, unfortunately, there is no way for you to join the tour and have your booking rescheduled or refunded. For example, St. Peter’s Basilica is closed every Wednesday morning and sometimes at other times with short notice due to religious activities. As a result, if your trip falls on those days, then your tour will be limited to exploring the museums only without a visit inside St. Peter’s Basilica.
• Visitors with a minimum of 74% disability, supported by medical certificates, in addition to caregivers, get free admission to the Vatican Museums. It is important to ensure that these details are checked when making reservations for the tour.