If you're looking to experience the best of the Vatican Museums but don't have all day, then this expertly crafted tour is the perfect choice.

You'll discover the highlights of this incredible museum, including Michelangelo's awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel frescoes and Raphael's iconic School of Athens. You'll see how these two artists drew inspiration from ancient masterpieces like the Laocoon and the Belvedere Torso. After your tour, your guide will escort you to the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica where you can marvel at Bernini’s incredible bronze baldachin and Michelangelo’s moving Pietà in the world’s most impressive church, on your own accord.

Your knowledgeable guide will give you fascinating anecdotes about the Catholic faith's mother church.

Easy to book on line. Information received prior on where to meet and how to get there was excellent. Easy to find pick up zone. Very knowledgeable guide. Knew his subject well. Good size private group. Audio link with guide was excellent so you could hear everything well. Tour in English made it easy to understand. Jumping the Q and seeing the main parts was ideal to get the history of the Roman Empire and how it evolved with the Pope.

Sehr kompetenter und freundlicher Guide. Wir fühlten uns die ganze Zeit sicher und gut aufgehoben. Kleine überschaubare Gruppe, daher nur kurze Wartezeiten. War für uns ein tolles Erlebnis.

Guide was very good but couldn’t always hear what he was saying properly. Very busy. Not enough time to stop and look at everything properly.

Very knowledgeable guide, gave lot’s of information without overwhelming us

Wir wurde von unserer erfahrenen Führerin Maria Leticia gelassen durch die Besuchermassen geführt. An langen Schlangen vorbei konnten wir die drei Bereiche ohne wesentliche Warzezeit betreten. Mat´ria Leticia ist es gelungen, uns in der überschaubaren Zeit reichhaltige Informationen und besondere Aspekte der Sehenswürdigkeiten zu vermitteln.

Why you’ll love this…

Take the chance to see ancient sculptures including Laocoon and Belvedere Torso
Get the most out of the Vatican with skip-the-lines access
Marvel at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Marvel at Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s frescoes in the Raphael Rooms.

Important to know

Not allowed:

Large bags, backpacks, tripods and large umbrellas cannot be brought into the museums. These items will have to be left at the museum coat check and retrieved after your visit. It would be best to leave such items at your hotel

Know in advance:

Please note that the Raphael Rooms are part of this 3-hour itinerary; please notice that due to crowding, timing and direction flows of crowd traffic dictated by the Vatican Museum staff on the day of the tour, the tour operator may not be able to make this stop within the designated time frame
To obtain the student discount, you must show a valid student ID must on the day of the tour. If a student does not have a valid student ID, they may be charged a new full ticket price by the Museums, which must be paid on the day of the tour
Please inform if any travellers have mobility concerns so that the tour operator can best accommodate you
A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
Please note that the Vatican Museums provide free entrance for visitors who are (according to the requirements stated by the Vatican City) at least 74% disabled by presenting the appropriate certification and, if one needs assistance by another person, that person also receives a free entrance. Please inform your local tour operators when booking if you fit into these requirements, and they will remove the pricing of the entry tickets from the price of the tour
For reservations made less than 72 hours in advance, access to the Basilica cannot be guaranteed due to ticketing restrictions
The Basilica of St. Peter's may be subject to unscheduled closings and late openings for religious ceremonies. The local provider will not provide refunds for last-minute closures. Your guide will still give you an introduction to the Basilica should you wish to return on your own time during your visit to Rome

Cancellation policy

Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins.

What’s included

Expert English-speaking guide
Entrance fees
Guided tour
Headsets (to hear the guide)
Skip-the-line tickets

What’s not included

Food and drinks
Transportation

Booking fee

Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.

Location

Viale Giulio Cesare 237, 00192 Rome, Italy

Meeting point:

You will meet your guide at the flower stand located on Viale Giulio Cesare. They will have a Through Eternity sign or flag.

Provider

Through Eternity

What people say about this experience

4.5/5

All reviews are verified

Based on 11 reviews

Review categories

Staff

4.5/5

Value for money

4.1/5

Service

4.5/5

Safety

4.5/5

All ratings (11)

5 stars (7)

64%

4 stars (3)

27%

3 stars (1)

2 stars (0)

1 star (0)

T
Trev on tour
Travelled as a couple
26 April 2024
5
United States of America
Easy to book on line. Information received prior on where to meet and how to get there was excellent. Easy to find pick up zone. Very knowledgeable guide. Knew his subject well. Good size private group. Audio link with guide was excellent so you could hear everything well. Tour in English made it easy to understand. Jumping the Q and seeing the main parts was ideal to get the history of the Roman Empire and how it evolved with the Pope.
C
Christian aus Börnsen
Travelled as a couple
10 September 2024
5
United States of America
Sehr kompetenter und freundlicher Guide. Wir fühlten uns die ganze Zeit sicher und gut aufgehoben. Kleine überschaubare Gruppe, daher nur kurze Wartezeiten. War für uns ein tolles Erlebnis.
T
TUI Musement Traveler
27 May 2024
5
United States of America
J
Jenny
Travelled with family
30 June 2023
3.8
United States of America
Guide was very good but couldn’t always hear what he was saying properly. Very busy. Not enough time to stop and look at everything properly.
B
Bird
Travelled as a couple
12 June 2023
5
United States of America
Very knowledgeable guide, gave lot’s of information without overwhelming us
H
Hermann
Travelled as a couple
29 October 2023
4.6
United States of America
Wir wurde von unserer erfahrenen Führerin Maria Leticia gelassen durch die Besuchermassen geführt. An langen Schlangen vorbei konnten wir die drei Bereiche ohne wesentliche Warzezeit betreten. Mat´ria Leticia ist es gelungen, uns in der überschaubaren Zeit reichhaltige Informationen und besondere Aspekte der Sehenswürdigkeiten zu vermitteln.