Rome: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tour with skip-the-line Basilica access

Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel

Explore the Vatican Museums on a small group guided tour with skip-the-line access. Your licensed guide leads you through the most celebrated galleries, including the Gallery of Candelabras, the Gallery of Maps with its sixteenth-century frescoes depicting Italian regions, and the Gallery of Tapestries featuring Flemish Renaissance works. You then enter the Raphael Rooms, home to the famous School of Athens.

The highlight is the Sistine Chapel, where you admire Michelangelo's ceiling fresco of the Creation of Adam and the monumental Last Judgement on the altar wall. Headsets are included so you can hear your guide's commentary clearly throughout the tour.

Skip-the-line access to St. Peter's Basilica

After the Sistine Chapel, your guide accompanies you to St. Peter's Basilica through a reserved passage, bypassing the long public queue. Inside you see Bernini's bronze Baldachin above the papal altar and Michelangelo's Pietà. Please note that access to the Basilica is not available on Wednesdays or during religious ceremonies; on those days the tour ends at the Sistine Chapel.

Not allowed

• Shorts
• Short skirts
• Sleeveless shirts
• Large bags or backpacks
• Umbrellas

Know before you go

• A strict dress code applies: shoulders and knees must be covered. Airport-style security screening is required at the entrance.
• On Wednesdays and during religious festivities, skip-the-line access to St. Peter's Basilica is not possible.
• Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the tour starts. No refund is given for late arrivals.