Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and Basilica Small Group Tour
Discover the best of the Vatican City in a 3 hour tour of the Museum, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica. Skip all the lines and be guided through the largest collection of art in the Western Hemisphere. Your professional English speaking guide will walk you through the Gallery of Papal Carriages, Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps, Pinacoteca and the Sistine Chapel. The last part of the tour quickly brings you into St. Peter’s Basilica, exclusively going down the Scala Regia and passing in front of the Pope's office and the Swiss Guards! Be prepared to be amazed by the grandeur and splendor of man's creation.
Options
Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and Basilica Small Group Tour
What's included in Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and Basilica Small Group Tour
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Vatican Museums
Start your tour at the renowned Vatican Museums. Aside from being the home of the Pope, Vatican city is also home to the Vatican Museums, the world’s largest collection of art with 9 miles of art that could wrap around the Vatican walls 4 ½ times! It contains 54 museums, 1400 rooms, chapels, and galleries. Aside from the renowned Sistine Chapel, the museums also display the only work of Leonardo Da Vinci in Rome, St. Jerome, the Raphael Rooms, and the Pinoteca, which contains collections of the Popes, all dating back to the middle ages and are set in chronological order.
Sistine Chapel
Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is possibly the most well known masterpiece in modern day, with over 5 million visitors per year. It was a project the artist took on reluctantly because his focus was sculptures, and he would complain about the physical toll it took on his body. It is said that the design of the chapel from Pope Sixtus IV, is modeled after Solomon’s temple from the Old Testament, measuring at just larger than a professional basketball court! There are many more frescoes to admire here from other artists, including: Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Roselli and Sandro Botticelli.
St. Peter's Basilica
You will head through a secret entry into our last stop on the tour, St. Peter's Basilica: the largest basilica in the world, with markings inside the church to ensure every other basilica would fit inside. The curious visitor is treated to Michelangelo’s Pieta at the front, 150 mosaics, and Bernini’s baldacchino, which stands at 96 feet tall and 100,000 pounds of bronze! Surprisingly, there is only one actual painting in the basilica, and it can be spotted hanging above the Pieta. Many popes are buried in the church or are on display, but most of the popes are buried underneath the basilica including St. Peter, the first pope.
Inclusions
- Professional English speaking guide with a clear diction
- Ear phones are included for groups of 6 or more
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and Drinks
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please bring a bottle of water per person.
- If it is raining carry umbrellas that are compact and can be folded and not ones that have sharp pokey end. The long one give by your hotels will have to be checked into the cloakroom of the museum and involves a 1 km walk to get it back again.
- Carry medium size back packs as large ones will be checked into the cloak room and involves a long walk to get them back.
- The following items along with the bags will have to be checked into the cloak room: glass bottles of any kind, swiss knives, wine openers, large tripods and large bags.
- Photography is permitted in most rooms but without flash. It is prohibited to photograph inside the Sistine Chapel.
- Entry to St. Peter's Basilica may be subject to unexpected closures or limited availability of tickets. If an area typically included in the tour is closed, our guide will provide an explanation and show an additional site or gallery to compensate As these circumstances are beyond our control, we appreciate your patience and understanding.
- You can also chose to climb the dome on your own, for a separate fee.
- On Wednesdays the Basilica is closed until noon due to the Papal Audience.
- Please note: 2025 is a Jubilee Year and Basilica tickets sell out very quickly. If you book less than 72 hours before your tour, we cannot guarantee direct access to St. Peter’s Basilica. However, you’re still welcome to visit on your own—with a short wait at the main entrance—while guests with tickets enjoy direct entry with our guide from 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
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Bring Umbrellas that can fold and are not long have a pokey end
- The tour ends in front on the Basilica. You can spend more time inside the Basilica but you cannot go back to the Sistine Chapel nor the Museum.
- Not recommended for clients who cannot climb and decent stairs
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting Points
- Meeting point: Bus stop opposite Viale Vaticano 91, along the Vatican walls, marked “49”. With your back to the Museums’ entrance, it’s 100m left, uphill. Our guide will hold a sign "Europe Odyssey – Viator" 10 minutes before the tour.
End Points
- Our tour ends in the center of St.Peter's Square.
Redeem
Ticket Redemption
• Your guide will have your entry ticket at the beginning of the tour. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Itinerary involves 2.5 km of walking • Visitors must pass through metal detectors at the security check point. Please expect to maximum wait 20 minutes to clear security even with skip the line option. • Travelers carrying large backpacks, glass bottles, large tripods or umbrellas which cannot fold will have to check in their belonging in the cloak room. At the end, one would have to walk 1 km to retrieve their belongings from the Vatican Museum. • Strollers/ Prams are allowed in the Vatican museum but have to be checked in to the Basilica's cloakroom while entering the St.Peter's. Retrieving them is pretty easy. • 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 maybe refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements • The itinerary is not wheelchair accessible unless the person in the chair can stand up, climb and descend a few stairs. *Please note: 2025 is a Jubilee Year and Basilica tickets sell out very quickly. If you book less than 72 hours before your tour, we cannot guarantee direct access to St. Peter’s Basilica. However, you’re still welcome to visit on your own—with a short wait at the main entrance—while guests with tickets enjoy direct entry with our guide from the Sistine Chapel. As these circumstances are beyond our control, we appreciate your patience and understanding.