Skip the line Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour + Optional Colosseum
Ready to unlock the secrets of the Vatican? Join us for an unforgettable 3-hour guided tour through jaw-dropping halls, legendary art, and stories that shaped history. Skip the lines and dive into the Vatican Museums with your expert guide—exploring the Pinecone Courtyard, epic sculptures, and the stunning Galleries of Candelabra, Tapestries, and Maps. If the timing’s right, you might even catch the Raphael Rooms. Then comes the showstopper: the Sistine Chapel. Stand beneath Michelangelo’s masterpiece and feel the awe. With small groups and headsets (for 5+), you won’t miss a moment. WANT TO LEVEL UP YOUR DAY IN ROME? At checkout, be sure to select and purchase the “Rome Highlights” option to add a guided afternoon tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. It’s the ultimate Rome-in-a-day experience—iconic, seamless, and unforgettable from start to finish.
Options
Rome Highlights Option
COMBO: Vatican + Colosseum: Make the most of Rome in 7HRS with 2 guided tours, early start & 2 meeting points to reach on your own for a 1Day Experience!
What's included in Skip the line Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour + Optional Colosseum
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Vatican Museums
Being the burial place of St Peter Rome, the Vatican has always been considered a holy city – a second Jerusalem, but besides that its museum is a chest of countless masterpieces: the astonishing gallery of statues, the fascinating gallery of maps, the gallery of tapestries and the Raphaels rooms. During your visit to the Vatican Museums you will have the opportunity to learn about the great artists who helped embellish one of the most fascinating sovereign states in the world.
Sistine Chapel
Than prepare yourselves for a Stendhal syndrome effect as you enter the Sistine Chapel and lift your head up to the the most-probably most-famous and most-admired ceiling in the world and immerse yourselves into the “last judgment”, the seemingly never-ending fresco magnificently adorned by Michelangelo’s life-like, potent figures of Adam, God and Saints, and try to spot the artist’s self portrait on St. Bartholomew! Here the conclaves of cardinals have come together periodically, throughout the centuries, to elect a new pope, and Pope John Paul II called it the “Holy Spirit’s place of action”.
ONLY IF ROME HIGHLIGHTS OPTION SELECTED AND PURCHASED AT CHECKOUT: After your morning visit to the Vatican, make your way to the SECOND MEETING POINT for the afternoon tour. Check-in takes place at 2:45 PM at the Towns of Italy Tourist Hub & Cooking School, Via Quattro Novembre 139, Rome. Tour departs at 3:00 PM. Continue your Roman journey with a guided walk through the city’s ancient wonders. Begin at Trajan’s Column, where your guide will introduce the history of the Imperial Fora. Then step into the Roman Forum, once the beating heart of Roman public life. Explore temples, arches, and ruins filled with stories of emperors and citizens. The experience ends on the Palatine Hill with a stop at the scenic Farnese Terrace, offering unforgettable views over the ancient cityscape—a perfect finale to your full Roman adventure.
Inclusions
- ONLY IF ROME HIGHLIGHTS OPTION PURCHASED AT CHECKOUT: Guided visit of the Roman Fora & Palatine Hill
- Professional, licensed English-speaking tour guide
- Guided tour of the Vatican Museums
- Skip-the-line admission to the Vatican Museums
- ONLY IF ROME HIGHLIGHTS OPTION PURCHASED AT CHECKOUT: Guided afternoon tour of the Colosseum
- ONLY IF ROME HIGHLIGHTS OPTION PURCHASED AT CHECKOUT: Entry to the Colosseum - Arena Floor excluded
- Access to the Sistine Chapel
- Headsets to hear the guide clearly (for groups of 5+ participants)
- Access to St Peter's Basilica
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Big bags and liquid bottles will not be allowed inside the museums
- This tour is not suitable for guests in wheelchair or with impaired mobility
- Due to exceptional religious events, St. Peter's Basilica might be closed without any notice
- Entry to the Vatican Museums is based on strictly timed tickets. For this reason, late arrivals cannot be guaranteed access
- Kindly take note: St. Peter's Basilica will not be accessible for visits on Wednesday. The tour will solely encompass the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
- Please note that the tour includes the guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. 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
- Even with the skip-the-line entrance, there is still a compulsory security check which may cause some delays in entering the museum •
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting Points
- Meet at Viale Vaticano 100, by the stairs next to Caffè Vaticano (look for the “Towns of Italy” sign). Be there 15 min early. ONLY IF you booked the ROME HIGHLIGHTS OPTION: second tour at 3:00 PM, Via Quattro Novembre 139. Be there 15 min early. Reach each MP at your own pace.
Redeem
Ticket Redemption
Starting in 2025, there will no longer be a guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica, but entry will still be included in the ticket price