vatican museum guided tour or not

• Pilgrimages
• Rome Day Tours
• In the Media

Guided tours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

The Catholic Traveler’s Guide to Rome is offered completely free to be sure you have the best pilgrimage experience – and is only possible because of my generous supporters. Please consider supporting my work through Patreon or Substack , or a one time tip through Venmo . 🤍

I think most people can get by touring the Vatican Museums on their own without a guide. Simply using an audio guide or a guide book is all most need. Here’s why…

Nearly 30,000 people visit the Vatican Museums each day.

30,000 people. Every day.

This looks miserable because it is miserable.

Some of the best works of art are housed in the Vatican Museums. There are some amazing private guides. Despite this, the biggest complaint I hear about visits to Rome is how miserable the Vatican Museums were.

Plus, admiring beautiful art is a very personal thing. If you go alone, you can go at your own pace. You can sit and enjoy a work of art. You can venture off the typical tourist itinerary – there’s a reason it’s Vatican Museum s and not Vatican Museum. There are lots of galleries in the Museums that most people never visit.

Go it alone

You can, and should, book a ticket to the Vatican Museums on their official website.

The Museums are nearly always packed, but later in the day the crowds start to thin out.

My favorite time to visit is during the Night Openings of the Vatican Museums . This is seasonal and a really cool and unique experience.

Another new(ish) option is to book breakfast at the Vatican Museums . You pay a little more, but get in before the crowds. If you go this route, go straight to the Sistine Chapel to enjoy it before the crowds. Then you can back track and visit the rest of the Museums.

Guided tours

If you feel you need a guided tour, you have tons and tons of options. I’ve listed some of the best here…

For a private guided tour, I recommend Agnes at Understanding Rome . She’s professional, fun, and engaging. You should let her know I sent you. You should also book early as she’s quite popular.

One of the best guides out there is Liz Lev . She’s often booked solid and also a bit more expensive than most other guides, but she’s worth the price. She’s a good friend, let her know I sent you.

If you have the means, I highly recommend becoming a Patron of the Arts for the Vatican Museums . The perks are amazing, the price probably isn’t as much as you’d expect, and the guides are excellent. In fact, the first time I took a Patron tour, my guide was the same woman who guided U.S. Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama – and it was just the two of us.

The official Vatican Museum tours are hit or miss. More often than not, it’s a miss. Once I had the Vatican assign an excellent guide to me. Once. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few great guides employed by the Museums, but you don’t get to pick.

What to avoid

Any of the big tour companies in Rome – especially if you are Catholic. I lived across the street from one of the biggest companies (even endorsed by the Vatican) for two years, I heard nonstop bashing of the Church. I currently live across from another one of the big ones, I don’t hear Church bashing every day, but the tours sound really lame.

Anyone who harasses you near the Vatican to “skip the line.” It’s a rip off. Just don’t.

Join my email list for travel tips, pilgrimage announcements, and stories from nearly 20 years of leading pilgrimages.

Click here to read the most recent newsletter.

• Ferragosto - August 15
• Holidays in Rome
• Where to Stay
• Where to Eat
• Best Time to Visit Rome
• Top 10 Tips for Rome
• Bathrooms in Rome
• What to Pack & What to Wear

Money Matters

Getting Around

Getting to Rome

• Learn Italian
• Rome & Vatican Tours
• Italy Tours
• Transfers & Transport
• Sign up & get a FREE ebook  Subscribe Today!  Our New Italy Travel Website Is HERE  Visit Napleswise Now!
• Romewise Home Page
• Visiting the Vatican
• Vatican Museum Tours

Vatican Museum Tours - How to pick the best one?

By Elyssa Bernard

December 21, 2023

Wondering which of the many Vatican Museum Tours is right for you?

There are so many options, so h ow do you decide which one to take?

Vatican Museum Tours - Why it's so hard to choose

One of the questions I get most often is "How do I decide which Vatican tour to take?"

I know there are a lot of choices.

There are early morning tours, small group tours, tours that include Saint Peter's Basilica, the  Necropolis of Via Triumphalis  or the Vatican Gardens . . . And even then, there are a lot of different companies that offer the same or similar tours. 

So how do you choose?

I'm going to break down the different TYPES of tours, and then give you links to book the best ones of each type.

On this page about Vatican Museums tours, you'll find:

• Is it worth taking a Vatican tour?

Tours through the official Vatican website

• Standard Group Tours of Vatican Museums
• Vatican Museum Tours before Opening Hours
• Super-speedy Tours of Vatican Museums  - head straight for the Sistine Chapel and bypass the rest
• Small/ Semi-private Group Tours of Vatican Museums
• Vatican Museums on Friday or Saturday Night
• Private Tours of Vatican Museums
• Vatican Gardens and Vatican Museum Tours Combo
• VIP Vatican Museum Tours with out-of-hours viewing of Sistine Chapel
• Tours that include the Vatican + Colosseum
• Do it yourself - build the Vatican tour you want!

Vatican Museum Tours - Is it Worth Taking a Tour?

I love to visit the Vatican Museums on my own because I can take as long as I want, and linger over a painting or a room if I feel like it.

But that is partly because I am lucky enough to live here and be able to visit often.

I've also taken part in pretty much every Vatican tour out there, and love that experience also.

Now the question is, is it worth taking a tour to visit Vatican Museums?

In my opinion, absolutely yes.

Here's why:

• Easy -  Your tickets will be bought and ready, nothing for you to do but show up.
• Focused -  With the vast amount of art to see in the Vatican Museums, having a guided tour can help you to focus on just some of the most important sections and pieces.
• Just the right amount of sight-seeing -  On a guided tour, you will keep your visiting time to a limit, and won't overdo or exhaust yourself trying to "see it all."
• Help with your questions -  When you have a guide, there is someone to answer your questions as they pop up. This happens to me all the time and I find myself asking museum guards (who may or may not know the answer), or trying to look things up on my phone. It's considerably nicer to have a knowledgable guide who can tell you (correctly, and in person) just what you want to know.
• Don't miss a thing! -  On a guided tour, you will no doubt see things you would have overlooked on your own. This also happens to me a lot in Rome, and every time I take a guided tour with an expert, I learn something new. The first time I went to the Vatican Museums on my own (years ago), without a guide, I breezed past the  Laocoön sculpture because I didn't even know what it was, let alone to look for it!

And if you take a more special kind of guided Vatican Museums Tour , like a private, small-group, out-of-hours tour, then it can make an even bigger difference.

Vatican Museums Audio-Guide

You may also decide to skip the Vatican Museum tours, and visit on your own with an audio-guide.

This can be a good compromise, because you will get more information than you can from the little printed info-cards next to some of the pieces in the museums.

I still would recommend a human guide because they are better able to bring the whole thing to life for you, and are there to answer questions.

If you do decide to use the Vatican Museums Audio-Guide, you can book this when you pre-book your Vatican Museums tickets through the Vatican website, or, you can opt to get the audio-guide once you enter the museum.

Vatican Museum Tours - Which One is Right for You?

One of the most frequent questions I get is, which Vatican Museum tours do you recommend?

And of course, there is not one right answer: this depends on what you are looking for, how much time you have and want to commit to, and your budget.

All Vatican Museum tours include skip-the-line tickets, a visit to the Sistine Chapel , and a licensed tour guide  (someone who is knowledgable and who is legally allowed to take you on this tour.)

Most tours are offered in English or Italian.

You can usually book a guide in other common languages too, such as Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, etc.

There are also a few options for pre-booking special tickets, without a tour.

 🤙 Roaming in Rome? 📱

Get yourself an Italian eSIM for calls, messages and data when traveling here.

Save on data charges with plans from just 19€ from Holafly - our recommended eSIM provider!

Click here to get yours now  and use code ROMEWISE to save 5%!

What happens when you book a tour of the Vatican Museums using the official Vatican Museums website ?

First, you will pay less, as there is no tour agency or middle-man.

Second, you will be assigned a tour guide who is directly employed by the Vatican Museums.

What is the difference between booking a tour of the vatican through the vatican website and a tour agency?

All guides who give tours of the Vatican Museums must be licensed guides and they must have permission from the Vatican Museums to give tours there.

The difference between a Vatican Museums employee/guide and an outside guide may simply be in the quality of the guide.

I must say that I have taken tours with Vatican Museum employees/guides, and some of them have been fantastic.

But you just never know.

No matter what tour you book, unless you hire a private guide that you either know or who has been recommended to you, you have no way of knowing what that guide will be like.

Reasons to choose booking with the Vatican Museums or with a tour company

Sometimes, tickets and tours may not be available on the Vatican Museums website but you might find more availability for tickets and tours on a certified reseller such as Tiqets, Get your Guide, or Viator.

Or, perhaps you have heard about a specific tours company or tour, such as Walks of Italy, who offer two of the most popular tours of the Vatican Museums, Pristine Sistine, and the Vatican Key Master Tour in which you get to open the museums.

Read on to discover more tour options, and the differences between the different types of tours you'll find, both on the Vatican website and on outside tour company sites.

NEW FOR 2024!

The archeological area of the Vatican Necropolis of Via Triumphalis is now open for visitors.

This is an ancient Roman burial site that is within the Vatican walls and before now was very difficult to get access to.

You can only enter as part of an official Vatican tour group, and tickets need to be purchased through the official website .

This is an entirely separate visit, so you will not have access to either St Peter's Basilica or the Vatican Museums.

Click here to watch my YouTube video about it and see what it's like!

Vatican Museum Tours - Skip the Line Group Tours

One of the most popular of the Vatican Museum tours is the group tour .

You skip the line of course, and have a knowledgable guide so you don't have to think about what to see or where to go.

All of these tours  include the Sistine Chapel , usually ending there.

St Peter's Basilica Shortcut

You can only take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St Peter's Basilica if you are on a tour that INCLUDES the basilica.

The shortcut is open from 9:30 am - 5 or 5:30PM, and it's ONLY accessible to tour companies or private guides that you book OUTSIDE the Vatican Museums website.

The Vatican Museums does not have any ticket or tour that includes the shortcut.

This means that you won't have access to the shortcut during the  KeyMaster tour , the  Extra Time tour , or any other tour that does not specifically include the basilica.

If you book any tour of the Vatican Museums, you can check the details to see if it finishes in the  Sistine Chapel  or the basilica.

Click here to view a map of Vatican City  (it will open in a new page.)

When you take a group tour, you will have what's called "whisper" headphones, so the guides can speak in a normal tone and you can easily hear them.

As of January 1, 2024, all group tours will be limited to 20 people.

The best part about this kind of group tour is the price.

This is the least expensive option of the Vatican Museum tours.

Visit the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public on this special access tour.

There are many options even for taking a group tour.

Click the below to book a group tour of the Vatican Museums that includes:

• Only the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (and not St. Peter's Basilica - just access, but no tour)
• The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica (this is an excellent tour because you skip ALL the lines, even the priority lines, AND you get a tour of the Basilica)
• Handicapped access (most tours do NOT accommodate wheelchairs , so you need to pick one that specifically DOES. This tour covers the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel but not St. Peter's Basilica.)
• The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and The Pinacoteca (The Pinacoteca is the Vatican Museums Paintings gallery - most tours skip this but it is amazing, full of masterpieces, and worth the time if you have it! The Basilica is not included on this tour, but you can visit on your own without queuing.)
• The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica with Hotel pick-up/drop-off 

A word about "skip the line"

Of course one of the benefits of taking a tour is the possibility to skip the line.

You can skip the line even without a tour, simply by pre-booking your tickets.

HOWEVER, you should know that nobody can skip the line for security, and when Rome is really crowded, as it is nearly all the time lately, you may find a bit of a wait to get through security.

So prepare yourself for that, and also plan to arrive a bit earlier than your entry time to give yourself plenty of leeway in case of long security lines.

Vatican Museum Tours - Early Access

The Vatican Museums open at 8AM Monday - Saturday. (There can be different closing times depending on the time of year.)

However, it is possible to gain early access to the Vatican Museums.

There are two things you need to know about this kind of tour:

• There are a LOT of companies doing this , so you will not have an exclusive visit (although of course there will be a lot FEWER people than during the morning rush.)
• In order to get the advantage of seeing the Sistine Chapel before the crowds arrive, you will need to rush through the rest of the Vatican Museums on your way there, missing most of the major works of art along the way. Either the tour will go back through so you can see the rest of the museums at a slower pace, or, if the tour itself does not offer this, you can do it on your own. In either of these cases, you will wind up in the Sistine Chapel a second time before you finally exit.)

That said, it will still feel like a special experience to get in there before the crowds fill in.

Also, many people do want to "just" see the Sistine Chapel, so this helps to keep the visit short if you want to.

For a more exclusive experience, jump down to this section .

As of January 2024, it will only be possible to gain early access to the museums by booking a tour.

Previously you could book early access entrance tickets, but these have been removed with the extension of the opening hours from 9AM to 8AM.

Open the Vatican Museums and turn on the lights of the Sistine Chapel!

One of the most special tours I ever took was with the Key Master of the Vatican Museums .

We literally went through the museums and opened them up and turned on all the lights.

You can book this through Take Walks and I assure you it will be one of the most amazing things you've ever experienced!

Before Hours Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel and Basilica Tour

With this 3-hour tour, you will go with group of around 15 people into the Vatican Museums before they open to the general public. 

Click here to book this Early Access Group Tour of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

The perfect 3-day itinerary in Rome

Trying to figure out how to organize your visit to Rome? I've got the perfect 3-day itinerary for first-time visitors (or those who have not been here in a while.) It works for a 2.5 day visit as well.

In my 3-day itinerary, you'll see all the major must-see Rome attractions like the Vatican , Colosseum , Trevi Fountain , Pantheon , Piazza Navona , Spanish Steps , Castel Sant'Angelo , and much more.

And if you have more time, or want suggestions for extra/other things to do, you'll find that there too.

Visit my page with the best 3-day itinerary in Rome for first-timers .

Speedy Express Tours of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Maybe I should have put this one at the top of the page.

One of the most common questions I hear about the Vatican Museums is:

Can I just go see the Sistine Chapel ?

I've answered this before (the answer is no) and even with a tour that guarantees this, you really cannot. 

There is an "express route" to the Sistine Chapel from the entrance of the Vatican Museums, which skips the Pinacoteca, the Pio-Clementine Museums, the Egyptian and Etruscan wings.

But you still have a lot of museum to get through before you make it to the Sistine Chapel, so even without visiting any of the above, and bee-lining to the chapel, it will still take you at least 30 minutes just to walk there quickly, without stopping to look at anything. 

That said, there are tours that help you do this.

In the section just before this one, about Early Access Vatican Museum Tours , you have options for going in before opening hours.

In theory, these could also be considered as fast tours, since you do go directly to the Sistine Chapel.

But with the above, you are also given the chance to go back and take more time in the museums.

No matter what season you visit Rome, here are 4 things never to leave at home:

Disclosure: If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site!

Normally I would urge you to visit the rest of the museums, as they are chock full of some of the world's most amazing and beautiful art.

But maybe you have really limited time, or who have been to the museums before and want to re-visit just the Sistine Chapel.

So, you can book an Express tour:

Visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with option to add on St. Peter's Basilica .

Your guide will provide explanations of the Sistine Chapel, but as you are sort of speeding through the rest of the Vatican Museums, you won't get detailed explanations of what you're walking past.

Vatican Museums - Small Group Tours

In the section above, there is a link to a small group, exclusive tour.

That tour goes inside the Vatican Museums early, before they open to the general public.

It's an amazing experience and I highly recommend it! (More about this below.)

If you're looking for an excellent truly small group Vatican Museums tour, click here.

Their small-group tours are max 20 people, but when you go to choose your date, you can see they also offer even smaller groups or private tours (which costs a bit more but may be worth it.)

Ready to plan your trip?

Vatican Museums - Private Tours

Taking a private tour is exactly what it sounds like: this is a fantastic option if you want a completely private, personal tour, with the guide focused just on you.

Of course, if you are a family or group of 4-6 people, it becomes more affordable.

Click here to book a private tour (minimum 2 people), of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

Vatican Museums + Vatican Gardens Combo Tour

The Vatican is home to some amazing gardens , which are beautifully kept and landscaped.

But they are in two places: one is just behind St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

The other is in the summer residence of the Pope, Castel Gandolfo .

You can easily book the Vatican Gardens tour through the Vatican Museums website .

It includes entry to the Vatican Museums but no tour or guide.

If you want, you can book this through an outside agency so you get a more complete tour experience.

See below for options.

Tour of Vatican Museums and Vatican Gardens in Vatican City

With this small-group tour, you will first visit the Vatican Gardens.

After visiting the gardens, your group will head inside to tour the Vatican Museums, finishing inside the Sistine Chapel.

Click here to book a Vatican Gardens + Vatican Museums combo small-group tour.

Currently unavailable - stay tuned for the updates!

Visit to Vatican Museums and Gardens in Castel Gandolfo

If you have a full day to dedicate to this, and want to experience something really special, a whole world of tranquility, quiet and beauty, away from the hustle and bustle of Rome, this is a wonderful tour.

It allows you to skip the line and visit the Vatican Museums, then walk through the Vatican Gardens and get on a train that will take you just half-hour outside Rome to the summer residence of the Pope: the stunning Barberini Gardens at Castel Gandolfo , only recently opened to the public. . 

 🔐 Store your bags and luggage securely! 🧳

We're parterned with Radical Storage who have locations across Italy for you to keep your luggage safe before and after check-in, while on day trips and for everything else between 👌

Click here to book now and use code ROMEWISE to save 5%!

VIP Vatican Museum Tours with out-of-hours Viewing

There are a good selection of Vatican Museum tours that offer early morning entry to the museums (see above.)

This means that although your group is going in before the normal opening time, you will also be going in with all the other tour groups doing the same thing.

Which means it is not quite as exclusive as it sounds, even if it's definitely less crowded than going at opening time (which is why it's actually a pretty affordable tour, usually costing less than 100€ per person.)

If you're really looking for an exclusive visit to the Vatican Museums out of hours, here are a couple of options:

VIP: Sistine Chapel Private Viewing and Small-Group Tour of the Vatican's Secret Rooms

Visiting the Vatican Museums after hours and seeing the secret rooms was one of the best tours I ever took.

You can read more about it on my dedicated page .

VIP Vatican Museum Tours - After Hours Private Viewing of Sistine Chapel

For a really special experience, book a VIP tour , that features  after-hours viewing.

You really do have a much more exclusive experience than the groups going before the Museums open.

Most Vatican Museum tours do not offer this option, so you will have the Sistine Chapel almost entirely to yourselves.

Click here to book your VIP tour of the Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel Private Viewing.

And for an even more exclusive, private, truly after-hours tour, you can book this one.

Tour the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum on the same day

While I normally don't recommend this, sometimes a day is all you have, and you really want to fit in these two Rome must-sees.

You can try to do this on your own, but if you want to make the most of this day, especially if you are doing this as a shore excursion, I really recommend doing it as a guided tour.

Click here to book visit my page about this, for more details .

Click here to book a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum in one day .

You can also book a night tour of the Colosseum at certain times of the year, so you could see the Vatican Museums during the day and then do this night tour.

Do it yourself - build the tour YOU want!

If you are still not sure which tour to book, you can  visit this tour booking page where you can choose the length of the tour, the time of day, and the maximum group size you want  (the smaller the group, the more it costs per person.)

Click the "filters" button and go through and check the boxes you want, and you'll see all the tour options available according to your criteria.

Want to save this to Pinterest? Pin it here!

Romewise's Top Travel Resources

Ready to book your trip to Rome? Take a look at these helpful links to companies we use and trust:

• Keep your travel spending simple with the Wise card, which removes all the worry about exchange rates and high transaction fees all over the world
• Search for and book your perfect accommodation
• Our complete guide to what to pack for Rome
• The number one travel accessory, a multi-point travel adapter and voltage converter  
• Browse a huge range of tours in Rome and beyond
• Experience unique tours and special access to Rome's most popular sights  
• Protect yourself with comprehensive travel insurance

Within this post there are some affiliate links for products and services. For more details about our affiliate policy click here .

Get your 100%  free  Rome trip planner now!

Simply sign-up today for our free newsletter and get the Romewise Quick Start guide to Rome:

We are committed to respecting your data. Click for our Privacy Policy .

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?

Please come over to the private Romewise Facebook group and join in the conversation.

You will often find me there, happy to answer your questions / comments!

You will also meet other Rome lovers and experts, too.

What are you waiting for?

Come join in the fun !

Read here about our sponsorship policy

Top attractions and tours

• Colosseum - Don't miss visiting Rome's most iconic monument
• Vatican Museums - This is where the Sistine Chapel is
• Pantheon - Book ahead and skip the line
• Galleria Borghese - You'll need to book ahead for one of Rome's best museums
• Castel Sant'Angelo - See Rome's history through its architecture
• Rome City Pass - A great way to make your Rome visits easier

Disclosure : If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site!

New to Romewise? Start Here

Get the most out of Romewise

Coming To Rome?

Weather in Rome

Accommodation

Already in Rome?

Things to Do

MORE CITYWISE WEBSITES:

Florencewise

Atlantawise

Citywise LLC

Home    |    About Me     |    STORE     |    Privacy Policy    |    Legal Disclaimer    |    Affiliate Disclosure    |   Contact Me

Copyright © 2009-2024 by Elyssa Bernard, Romewise.com | All Rights Reserved.

Vatican Museum Tours – How to Choose the Best One?

• 0 Pinterest

Are you looking for the best Vatican Museums tours ? In this article, you will find a detailed travel guide about the different kinds of tours available to visit the Vatican Museums.

Here you will find all the details you need about private tours, group tours, family-friendly tours, at-night tours, early access tours, themed tours and more. Find out which Vatican Museums guided tour matches your needs, and how to find the best price.

If you already know which Vatican Museums tour you want, go ahead and book your Vatican Museums guided tour . Otherwise, read on to learn more about all the possibilities you have to discover the Vatican.

Is it worth taking a Vatican Museums tour?

Yes! A Vatican Museums guided tour is certainly worth it. The Vatican Museums house one of the largest art collections in the world. To see everything, you would need to walk about 7.5 kilometers!

There are 22 different galleries with over 20,000 paintings and sculptures on display, so it is easy to feel lost and overwhelmed. A guided tour helps you make the best of your time at the Vatican Museums.

Besides those 22 galleries, you also have the chance to visit the Sistine Chapel — a must-see sight on nearly every tour. Michelangelo’s enormous frescoes are impressive on their own, but they only truly come alive when put into their historical and cultural context, which the expert guide will explain in detail.

You should now decide how you want to explore the Vatican Museums — on your own or with a guide.

If you prefer to explore the Vatican Museums on your own, you can book a single entry ticket to visit the museums at your own pace. Your best option is to book skip-the-line Vatican Museums tickets online ahead of time, otherwise, you can check our guide about Vatican Museums last minute tickets .

There are also tickets that allow you to add on breakfast, lunch or entry to other attractions. You can read more about these options in our in-depth guide to Vatican Museums tickets price .

Please note that these tickets give you entry to the Vatican Museums, but you will not have a guide to accompany you during the visit.

If you prefer to have an expert accompany you to provide context and ensure you don’t miss anything important, then you can book a guided tour to get the most from your visit to the Vatican Museums.

Read on to learn more about all the different types of tours available, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs and interests.

Why book a Vatican Museums tour?

It’s easy and convenient! – You will only need to show up at the meeting point at the right time, and the guide will take care of everything, including the skip-the-line tickets, which are always included in the tour packages.

Save time and don’t miss anything – You will have so little time, yet so much to see. How to decide where to focus your attention? No need to fear, your guide will be there to help.

They know the Vatican Museums like the back of their hand. They’ll take you on the quickest and most scenic routes to the must-see masterpieces and the hidden gems easily overlooked by the average tourist.

Get to the heart of each museum – The guided tour allows you to ask your guide all the questions you want. The expert guides are very knowledgeable about the paintings and sculptures on display. They’ll be there to share historical anecdotes and engaging details about the stories behind the masterworks, and the geniuses who painted and sculpted them.

• Vatican Museums tickets & tours

Which Vatican Museums tour is best for you?

Each tour is unique. You should consider which type of tour best suits your needs and interests. The tours differ in several ways.

• Group size . You can choose from semi-private or private tours to small or larger group tours.
• Duration . Some tours last only 2 or 3 hours, while others are half-day or full-day experiences.
• Number of sights . Some tours focus only on the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, while others include visits to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Gardens or even other sights in Rome, such as the Colosseum.
• Special focus . Some tours are specially designed to be family-friendly for those with young children. There are also early access and evening tours to visit at special times and Hidden Vatican Museums tours to see sections closed to the general public.

Whichever tour you choose, they all include skip-the-line Vatican Museums tickets and an expert tour guide.

Vatican Museums Group tours

These are the most popular choice for a guided visit of the Vatican Museums. In fact, group tours are typically the cheapest option among the tours of the Vatican Museums, because you share the cost of the guide with many others.

Group tours allow you to meet people from around the world, as the groups generally have around 25 people each. However, there are also options for smaller groups of 6 to 12 people, which are more private and a little more expensive.

There’s no need to worry about not hearing the guide if you are at the back of a large group. Everyone is given whisper headphones so that you can clearly hear what the guide is saying, even at a normal speaking volume.

• Vatican Museums group tours

Among the group tours, there are also several different options, such as tours with early entrance or evening tours. You can find below an explanation of these options.

Vatican Museums Private tours

If you’re looking for a more personalized experience, then Vatican Museums private tours with your very own guide are just the thing. The tour can focus on what you’re most interested in, from specific works of art and architecture to the rich cultural and religious history hidden around every corner.

You can choose from small group tours of up to 10 people, semi-private tours of up to 6 people or private tours exclusively for your own group. With a small group, you will have a more personal experience and be able to appreciate the Vatican Museums at your own pace.

You will have the guide’s full attention for any questions you might have, just not inside the Sistine Chapel, where everyone must remain silent. Make sure to switch that phone to vibrate!

Private tours can be combined with visits to other sites, such as the Vatican Gardens , St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel . You can also choose from tours lasting only a few hours or half-day and full-day tours with pickup directly from your hotel.

• Vatican Museums private tours

Vatican Museums Family-Friendly tours

If you’re hoping to keep your kids entertained while they learn a bit about the history of the Vatican and the artworks in the museums, then you can book a tour that has been specially designed for kids.

Specially-trained guides will uncover the mysteries hidden in the paintings and sculptures of the Vatican through stories that are engaging for children of all ages (and the curious child inside each one of us).

These are generally private tours, which allows the guide to design the tour specifically for the needs and interests of your family.

Scavenger hunts, trivia and iPad games are some of the fun activities in store for your little ones to get the most out of their time at the Vatican Museums (and so the parents can take a break from figuring out how to keep them from getting bored and restless!).

• Vatican Museums family-friendly tours

Vatican Museums Audioguided tours

You can add an audioguide to any of the Vatican Museums tickets for €7, or €5 for children under 12. The audioguides are available in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, German, Chinese and Korean.

This is a budget-friendly option that allows you more freedom to explore the Vatican Museums at your own pace. However, there’s no way to ask questions if you have any doubts and an audioguide is generally less engaging than having a real person guide you around the museums.

• Vatican Museums audioguided tours

Avoid the Crowds – Early Access & At-Night Vatican Museums tours

Remember that the Vatican Museums are some of the most visited museums in the world and are busy year-round, especially during the summertime when over 30,000 visitors will arrive every day.

Vatican Museums Early Access tours

Avoid the bulk of the crowds at midday and enjoy a more leisurely tour experience. Early birds can take an early access tour of the Vatican Museums to beat the heat and the crowds of tourists.

Tours start before 8 AM, and you enter just as the Vatican Museums are opening for the day. Tours are generally small groups of less than 15 people or private tours. Some even guarantee a highly-qualified tour guide, who has a Ph.D. degree in either archaeology or art history.

For more details, check out our guide on Vatican Museums Early Access Tours .

• Vatican Museums early access tours

Vatican Museums At-Night tours

Your visit to the Vatican Museums doesn’t have to be one where you’re jostling with sweaty tourists under a sweltering sun. Vatican Museums at night tours allow you to avoid the heat and the largest crowds.

Only available on Fridays and Saturdays from May to October, at-night tours are a good way to avoid the crowds that pack into the Vatican Museums during the day. This way, you will be able to take your time admiring each work of art without someone bumping into you.

Typically, these tours are private or offered to small groups of up to 12 or 18 people. Since they are only available to a limited number of visitors on weekends, it’s important to book your tour well in advance as they often sell out weeks or even months ahead of time.

• Vatican Museums at-night tours

Is the Sistine Chapel included in the Vatican Museums tours?

Yes! The Sistine Chapel is always included in your ticket.

If you prefer to avoid the crowds at the Sistine Chapel, consider booking an early access tour that lets you enter before the general public. With this option, you can head straight to the chapel first thing in the morning, before it opens to the public.

Early access tours offer a unique opportunity to enjoy the peace and serenity of the Sistine Chapel, allowing you to fully appreciate Michelangelo’s masterpieces on the altar walls and ceiling. It’s an unforgettable experience that you won’t want to miss.

Early Access guided tours start at €55, which includes both the early access ticket and a guided tour of the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. For a deeper dive into early access tours, see our guide on Sistine Chapel Early Access tickets & tours .

• Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel tours

Is St. Peter’s Basilica included in the Vatican Museums tours?

Yes! St. Peter’s Basilica is included in most Vatican Museums tours. St. Peter’s Basilica is an active church and is free for all to enter.

Normally, you have to wait in line for a security check, but if you book a guided tour, you can go right in. The guide will lead you through a special side door connecting the Sistine Chapel directly to St. Peter’s Basilica after visiting the museums.

• Vatican Museums & St. Peter’s Basilica tours

Are the Vatican Gardens included in the Vatican Museums tours?

Yes, as long as you book a tour that includes the gardens. This is actually the only way to visit the Vatican Gardens, as you cannot explore the gardens on your own, but only as part of a guided tour.

The standard tour covers only the Vatican Gardens and the Sistine Chapel, but there are other tour options available that cover additional areas of the Vatican Museums.

• Vatican Museums & Vatican Gardens tours

Are the Pontifical Gardens in Castel Gandolfo included in the Vatican Museums tours?

Yes, as long as you choose a tour that includes the Pontifical Gardens. This type of tour allows you to step into the Pope’s shoes, specifically how he spends his summer vacation.

The Gardens of the Pontifical Villas are not actually part of the Vatican and are located at Castel Gandolfo — 25 kilometers southeast of Rome, so keep in mind that you will need to budget time to travel there and back.

• Pontifical Villas day tours

What are the Hidden Vatican Museums tours?

Some areas of the Vatican Museums are closed to the general public and can only be accessed as part of a guided tour with an exclusive Hidden Vatican Museums tour.

This is the only way you can see the Chapel of Nicolas V, the Bramante Staircase and the Cabinet of Masks. These are premium tours with a hefty price tag because the Vatican charges a substantial fee to open these sections. However, this is a very exclusive experience in rarely seen areas of the Vatican.

Can you take a tour of both the Vatican Museums and other attractions?

Combined guided tours are a great way to save time and money if you plan to visit multiple attractions in Rome. You can visit some of the must-see experiences, like exploring the Colosseum and receiving the Pope’s blessing in person at a Papal audience.

You can choose from various combined guided tours, such as:

• Vatican Museums and the Colosseum : Explore the two most important attractions in Rome, the Vatican and the Colosseum & Roman Forum.
• Vatican Museums and a Papal Audience : Witness the Pope in person at a Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square, available only on Wednesdays.
• Vatican Museums and the Vatican Gardens : Discover half of the Vatican City that is composed of the Vatican Gardens, which are only accessible as part of a guided tour.
• Vatican Museums and a hop-on hop-off bus tour : Get skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and enjoy a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour in Rome.

Are there any free Vatican Museums tours?

There are no free tours of the Vatican Museums. However, some visitors do qualify for free admission.

All children under 6, disabled visitors plus one companion, the priest of a pilgrimage group and university professors of certain disciplines always have free admission.

How to cancel/modify your Vatican Museums Tour?

When booking a tour through an online provider, it’s important to be aware that their cancellation policies may vary. While some providers offer a full refund if canceled 24 hours prior to the visit, others may have a no cancellation policy.

To avoid any inconvenience in case you need to change or cancel your booking, it’s recommended to choose an online provider with a flexible cancellation policy. However, it’s crucial to carefully read the terms and conditions to avoid unexpected complications.

Are there any Vatican Museums tours included in the Roma Pass or Omnia Card?

No. Neither pass includes any Vatican Museums tours. The Omnia Card only gives you entry to the Vatican Museums, plus many other attractions in Rome, but a tour of the Vatican Museums is not included. The Roma Pass doesn’t include tours or entry into the Vatican Museums.

Why is it called the Vatican Museums and not the Vatican Museum?

That’s because the Vatican Museums, as the name suggests, is actually composed of a number of different museums. All of which can be included on a guided tour. Upon entering the Vatican Museums, you are actually entering a collection of different buildings and museums full of priceless masterpieces to appreciate. You will be able to explore the following.

• Sistine Chapel
• Raphael Rooms
• Pinacoteca Vaticana
• Gregorian Egyptian Museum
• Gregorian Etruscan Museum
• Pio-Clementino Museum
• Chiaramonti Museum
• Lapidary Gallery
• Gregoriano Profano Museum
• Lapidario Profano ex Lateranense
• Pio Cristiano Museum
• Christian Lapidarium
• Jewish Lapidarium
• Ethnological Museum
• Carriage Pavilion
• Christian Museum
• Profane Museum
• Room of the Aldobrandini Wedding
• Chapel of St. Peter Martyr
• Collection of Contemporary Art
• Borgia Apartment
• Niccoline Chapel
• Chapel of Urban VIII
• Room of the Immaculate Conception
• Room of the Chiaroscuri

There are also some special sections that are closed to the general public and open only for group tours.

• The Vatican Gardens
• The Villa Barberini and its gardens
• The Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo
• The Hidden Pontifical Villas
• The Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis
• The Carriage Pavilion

It’s important to keep in mind that the Vatican Museums house one of the world’s most extensive art collections. In fact, if you were to view every painting and sculpture in the collection, you would need to walk over 7 kilometers!

There are a number of renowned masterpieces exhibited that you don’t want to overlook.

• Michelangelo’s masterpieces “The Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgement” are unmissable, spanning dozens of meters on the ceiling and main altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.
• In the Raphael Rooms, the highlight is Raphael’s “School of Athens.” Try to spot the famous faces from the Renaissance and antiquity, including a self-portrait of the painter himself!
• One of the most coveted paintings in the Pinacoteca Vaticana is Caravaggio’s “The Entombment of Christ.”
• Another notable piece in the Pinacoteca Vaticana is Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished painting “St. Jerome in the Wilderness,” which is his only artwork in the Vatican.

Nevertheless, these four are just a few of the many popular examples of what you can find in this vast collection.

What will you see inside the Vatican Museums?

The Vatican Museums are home to an unparalleled collection of more than 70,000 paintings and sculptures, of which only 20,000 are currently on display. Its origins date back to the 16th century when Pope Julius II conceived the idea and began to contribute artworks to the legendary exhibitions.

The two biggest highlights of Vatican City are the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. The Sistine Chapel boasts Michelangelo’s world-renowned ceiling mural, while St. Peter’s Basilica is a remarkable example of Renaissance architecture and stands as the largest church on the planet.

In addition to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, there are dozens of museums in the Vatican to explore. Here, you can marvel at both contemporary and classical works of art created by some of the finest painters and sculptors to have ever lived.

With over 6 million visitors annually, the Vatican Museums rank among the most visited art museums in the world. It would take weeks, if not months, to fully explore the collection. However, if you have only one day, make sure you do not miss the masterpieces described below.

The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel holds some of Michelangelo’s most timeless works of art. One of these works is “The Creation of Adam,” a panel from a series of murals that stretches 40 meters across the ceiling. In this panel, you can see God reaching out his finger to mankind, creating a powerful and iconic image.

As you stand in front of the altar wall, you will see Michelangelo’s incomparable fresco, “The Last Judgement,” covering the entirety of the wall. This piece of art is 14 meters high and stretches 12 meters across, with over 300 figures depicting the Second Coming of Christ. It is an awe-inspiring work that captures the power and majesty of this important religious event.

Despite its historical and artistic significance, the chapel still serves as the site of the papal conclave, a centuries-old tradition where the cardinals gather to choose a new pope. Visitors can gather outside the chapel to observe the color of the smoke leaving the chimney, eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new pontiff.

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world, stands tall and wide, covering over 23,000 square meters. Its dome, which is the tallest building in Rome by law, reaches a height of 136 meters, making it a remarkable feat of Renaissance architecture.

Apart from the grandeur of its architecture, you can also appreciate the frescoes and sculptures inside the Basilica, including Michelangelo’s renowned “La Pietà,” which he sculpted at the age of 24. Bernini’s baldachino is another highlight, a canopy beneath the dome that marks the burial site of Saint Peter, where Christians can reflect on the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18: “you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.”

Bernini’s baldachino features four bronze columns on marble plinths that reach a height of 20 meters, serving to mediate the vastness of the church to a human scale, similar to how Jesus mediated the glory of God for humanity.

It’s important to note that St. Peter’s Square and the Basilica are inaccessible on Wednesdays as part of a Vatican Museums tour due to the weekly Papal Audience . However, if you plan to visit on a Wednesday, you can purchase separate tickets to attend the Papal Audience. You can find more information on Papal Audience Tickets, Tips & Schedule in our complete guide.

The Raphael Rooms

Divided into four magnificent chambers, the masterpieces of the great Renaissance artist Raphael await you. Each room is adorned with giant frescoes that depict mythological and historical events on the walls and ceilings.

The most celebrated of these paintings is The School of Athens. If you look carefully, you can see that Raphael included a self-portrait, as well as portraits of some of the brightest minds of his own time and antiquity, including Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Plato, and Aristotle.

Pio Clementino Museum

One of the most significant historical pieces in the Vatican Museums is the Belvedere Torso, a fragment of a marble statue of a male nude that dates back to the first century BC.

The influence of this piece can be seen in the works of Renaissance artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo, particularly in their depictions of male figures in paintings and sculptures.

For instance, Saint Bartholomew in Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” bears a striking resemblance to the Belvedere Torso.

The Pinacoteca

The Pinacoteca, or Art Gallery, features numerous timeless paintings, including Leonardo Da Vinci’s only work in the Vatican Museums, which is an unfinished painting called “St. Jerome in the Wilderness,” located in Room IX.

Alongside Da Vinci’s masterpiece, you can also appreciate other masterpieces in the Pinacoteca Vaticano. Bellini’s “Pietà,” Raphael’s “Madonna of Foligno” and Carvaggio’s “The Entombment of Christ” are just a few of the other outstanding artworks you will find in this gallery.

Borgia Apartments

Bernardino di Betto, better known as Pinturicchio due to his small stature, was responsible for the frescoes that decorate the six rooms of the apartments once inhabited by Pope Alexander VI, or Rodrigo de Borja.

Today, most of the rooms house the Vatican Collection of Modern Religious Art, which includes Vincent Van Gogh’s “Pieta,” Salvador Dalí’s “The Announcement,” and August Rodin’s “The Thinker.”

The Belvedere and Pine Courtyards

This area may seem like a single courtyard, but it is actually divided into two distinct sections: the lower terrace, known as Cortile del Belvedere, and the upper terrace, called Cortile della Pigna.

The latter takes its name from the four-meter bronze pinecone situated in a large niche in the Vatican wall, which once served as a Roman fountain and dates back to the first century AD. Dante even mentioned this pinecone in his Divine Comedy, describing a giant’s head as “long and large as is at Rome the pine-cone of Saint Peter’s”.

On the west side of the Belvedere Courtyard, you will find the Gallery of Maps. Unlike other galleries in the Vatican, which feature frescoes depicting religious and historical events, this gallery has a more geographical theme, with maps painted on the walls outlining regions of the Italian peninsula.

Vatican Gardens

Although the Vatican Gardens are not part of the Vatican Museums, visitors can book guided tours that include the gardens with their visit to the rest of the Vatican. The only way to visit the Vatican Gardens is by joining a guided tour, as exploring the gardens on your own is not permitted.

Covering about half of the entire Vatican’s area, the Vatican Gardens span 23 hectares. Legend has it that the gardens were founded with soil transported from Mount Calvary, the site where Jesus Christ and thousands of early Christians were crucified.

Pope Francis opened the gardens to the public in 2014, making it a relatively new opportunity for visitors to explore this secluded area of the Vatican. The gardens feature statues, fountains, and a remarkable collection of Blessed Virgin Mary shrines, which have been contributed by countries from around the world since the early 20th century.

We hope this guide helps you make the most of your visit to the Vatican Museums and the Gardens. Divertiti! 😊⛪

Share it on Pinterest 🙂

• In the Press
• Work with us
• Rome & Vatican Rome Vatican Colosseum Rome Food
• Italy Florence & Tuscany Venice & Northern Italy Pompeii & Herculaneum Amalfi Coast & Capri Naples & Southern Italy

The Best Vatican Tours in 2024: Find Your Perfect Itinerary

Fri 28 Jun 2024

There’s nowhere quite like the Vatican Museums. A treasure trove of art and culture that’s unique in the world, it’s here that you’ll find some of the most iconic testaments to human creativity ever made. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, The Raphael Rooms, St. Peter’s Basilica…and that’s just for starters! 

But whilst a visit to the Vatican is an absolute bucket-list must, we’d be the first to admit it’s not without its challenges. The Museums are HUGE - with over kilometers of galleries to navigate, you can quickly lose all sense of perspective here. To make things more challenging still, the Vatican can get very crowded indeed. That’s why we think a guided tour is the best way to visit. But which tour should you take?

At Through Eternity we recognize that all travelers are unique. That’s why we don’t believe in one size fits all itineraries, and instead offer a range of different Vatican tours designed to suit various audiences. Hate dealing with crowds? We’ve got an option for you. Want to get to the highlights with a minimum of fuss? We’ve got you covered. Are you a completist who wants to see everything there is to see in the Vatican? You’re speaking our language!

We have spent countless hours sitting down together brainstorming how best to organize our Vatican tours, and we’re very proud of what we’ve come up with. In this article I’m taking a look at the various Vatican itineraries we offer, and what kind of traveler they suit the best. Read on to find out the best Vatican tour for you!

1.  Early Morning Vatican with Sistine Chapel Semi-Private Tour

You’ll need to be up at the crack of dawn to join our special Early Morning Vatican tour, but just this once it’s well worth setting your alarm clock early! With its marvelous art treasures including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms, the Vatican Museums house one of the best - and busiest - art collections on earth. Every day thousands of visitors travel from all across the globe to traverse the Vatican Museums’ 7 kilometers of galleries; Forget jostling for the perfect view in the Sistine Chapel and steal a march on the crowds by joining our early morning itinerary to see the Museums at their least crowded. 

Who Is This Tour Perfect For? This tour is best for visitors who want the opportunity to see the Sistine Chapel and other Vatican highlights with fewer crowds.

Tour Duration: 3.5 hours

Group Size: A maximum of just 10 participants. Also available as a private itinerary .

2.  Essential Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums & St. Peter's Basilica Semi-Private Tour

You could easily spend a day more poring over everything there is to see in the Vatican, but it can be a pretty exhausting experience. If you are the kind of visitor that doesn’t want to devote a whole day to a museum, then our Essential Vatican Tour is for you. On this itinerary we focus on the highlights, devoting most of our attention to the Vatican heavy hitters - that means the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, the Ancient Sculpture Collections and St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s still plenty to be getting on with, but it means you’ll finish your visit to the Vatican ready for more adventures rather than heading back to your hotel exhausted.

Who Is This Tour Perfect For? Visitors looking for a crash-course in the Vatican that will take them straight to the highlights

Tour Duration: 3 hours

Group Size: The maximum group size for our Essential Vatican tour is 10 participants. This itinerary is also available as a private tour . 

3.  VIP Vatican In a Day Semi-Private Tour

Specially designed for visitors looking for a more in-depth exploration of the Vatican Museums than offered by most tours, our VIP Vatican tour provides a complete picture of the art and history of the Vatican Museums. Led by expert art historians, in addition to detailed up-close discussions of masterpieces like Raphael’s School of Athens and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes, we’ll also have the opportunity to take a deep dive into the classical sculptures collected by popes over the centuries, including the Laocoon and Apollo Belvedere. The longer running time of this itinerary means we’ll also get to visit the Vatican’s picture gallery, a fabulous collection that is usually overlooked by visitors that is home to the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in Rome. To round things off, we’ll skip the lines at St. Peter’s to gaze on Michelangelo’s Pietà and the dramatic works of Bernini.

Who Is This Tour Perfect For? Art buffs or history enthusiasts looking for an in-depth exploration of the Vatican’s masterpieces in the company of a knowledgeable expert. 

Tour Duration: 5 hours.

Group Size: The maximum group size for our VIP Vatican tour is 10 participants. This itinerary is also available as a private tour . 

4.  Rome in a Day with Vatican and Ancient City

There’s so much to see in Rome that it can overwhelm even the most seasoned traveler. When you only have limited time available in the Eternal City, things get even more complicated. If you have only one day to see it all, then you’re going to need a little help. That’s where we come in! We’ve designed our comprehensive Rome in a Day tour to get you to the highlights fast: from the the epic grandeur of the ancient world in the Colosseum and Roman Forum to the masterpieces of Renaissance art in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, we’ll make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Who Is This Tour Perfect For? Visitors short on time in Rome but want to make sure they can see the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel alongside other city highlights in one day.

Tour Duration: 6 hours.

Group Size: This itinerary is our most popular private tour, so it’s reserved just for you and your group. We also sometimes run this itinerary as a small group tour with a maximum of 7 participants. Click here to check availability . 

5.  Private Vatican Night Tour

If you’re looking for a different way to experience the Vatican, then our Vatican at Night tour is well worth considering. Only available in the Summer months, entering the Vatican Museums after hours is a very special feeling. Enjoy the Sistine Chapel with fewer people blocking your view, and wander through the Raphael Rooms and classical sculpture gardens in the cool of the Roman evening. Best of all, Michelangelo’s frescoes and the rest of the masterpieces housed in the Vatican museums look at their spectacular best as the golden light of twilight suffuses the airy halls. With an expert art-historian on hand to guide you through the collections, this is a great and unique way to explore the Vatican Museums.

Who Is This Tour Perfect For? Anyone who wants to see the Vatican Museums in a new light. Perfect for returning visitors to the Vatican Museums!

Tour Duration: 2.5 hours

Group Size: This is a private tour, so will be reserved just for you and your group.

6.  St. Peter’s Basilica Tour with Dome Climb and Papal Crypts

Ok, we don’t actually visit the Vatican Museums on this tour, but our in-depth St. Peter’s tour is the perfect complement to our Vatican itineraries. Whilst we visit St. Peter’s on most of our Vatican tours, limitations of time mean that we can’t provide much more than a taster to the largest and richest church on earth. For that, you need to join a dedicated tour that gives St. Peter’s the time and attention it deserves. On this itinerary we’ll have the chance to climb to the top of Michelangelo’s dome as well as descend into the fascinating papal crypts. You’ll also have plenty of time in the basilica itself, where we’ll be able to learn all about amazing artworks from Bernini’s baldachin to Michelangelo’s Pieta and much much more. 

Who Is This Tour Perfect For? For visitors who want more than just a taster of the artistic and architectural riches of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Group Size: The maximum group size for our St. Peter’s Basilica tour is 10 participants. This itinerary is also available as a private tour. 

MORE GREAT CONTENT FROM THE BLOG:

• How to Climb the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica
• 7 Things You Need to See in St. Peter's Basilica
• Art and Faith in the Vatican: The History of St. Peter's Basilica 
• Visiting St Peters and the Vatican Museums: A Practical Guide 
• A Guide to the Vatican Gardens 

Post Categories

Suggested Tours

Early Morning Vatican with Sistine Chapel Semi-Private Tour

St. Peter’s Basilica Tour with Dome Climb and Papal Crypts

Essential Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums & St. Peter's Basilica Semi-Private Tour

VIP Vatican In a Day Semi-Private Tour: Experience Art and History As Never Before

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive 5% off your first booking!

You'll also receive fascinating travel tips and insights from our expert team

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Thank you for subscribing!

You should shortly receive a confirmation message with your discount code. If you do not receive this within 5 minutes, please email [email protected].

The Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Vatican: Tips, Tricks + FAQ!

Planning a trip to Vatican City and not quite sure where to start? Home to several incredible sights, a strict dress code, some of the most famous works of art on the planet, and enormous crowds, visiting the Vatican for the first time can be a bit overwhelming.

In other words, visiting the Vatican packs quite the punch considering that Vatican City is the smallest country in the world!

Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Vatican, from the best way to enjoy the museums to when to go to exactly what to wear.

Table of Contents

What to See When Visiting the Vatican

Important tips for visiting the vatican museums, should you take a vatican museums tour, all about visiting st. peter’s basilica, how to get to vatican city, faq about visiting vatican city.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail.

When visitors talk about visiting the Vatican, they’re most commonly referring to visiting the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, but visiting Vatican City can easily extend beyond those popular sights.

Here are the parts of Vatican City to consider when planning your visit, from the incredibly popular to the fairly niche.

St. Peter’s Square

St. Peter’s Square is the easiest part of the Vatican to visit–you can simply walk in and admire the beautiful oval square and exterior of St. Peter’s Basilica without any advance planning.

The Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are home to some of the most incredible works of art in the entire world, including Raphael’s most famous frescoes and the Sistine Chapel.

You will need a ticket or tour to visit, and when people talk about how long the lines are to get into the Vatican, they’re most commonly referring to the lines for the museums–we’ll cover more on that in the next section of this Vatican City blog post.

The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel, with its magnificent ceiling painted by Michelangelo, is one of the most well-known houses of worship on the planet.

It is accessed through the Vatican Museums and cannot be visited separately.

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church on the planet, and a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture (Michelangelo and Bernini both contributed to its design).

It is free to visit, but you will need to pass through a security checkpoint to enter, and the lines for that can get very long.

You can also visit the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica (unlike visiting the basilica itself, climbing the dome does require a ticket–more on that below), and from there you can admire incredible views of St. Peter’s Square.

Vatican Necropolis

The Vatican Necropolis (or “scavi”) lies below St. Peter’s Basilica–and even below the “grotto” area that is also under St. Peter’s Basilica.

This area was a cemetery dating back to the first century, and, most importantly to Christian history, it is the presumed resting place of St. Peter himself.

Tours are required and absolutely must be booked in advance. If you’d like to tour directly with the Vatican, there are directions for how to email them (yep, it’s done by email!) here . 

Alternatively, this well-reviewed tour will allow you to visit the Vatican Necropolis and is much more straightforward to arrange.

Check availability and book your Vatican Necropolis tour today!

The Vatican Gardens

The Vatican Gardens are beautiful and exclusive–only a handful of reservations are accepted per day (so like the Necropolis, you absolutely must plan ahead), and therefore they are never crowded.

Like the Vatican Necropolis, the Vatican Gardens must be visited as part of a tour like this .

Book your Vatican Gardens tour today!

Papal Audience

When the Pope is at home in Vatican City, he gives an audience each Wednesday morning in St. Peter’s Square that is open to anyone who would like to join.

Tickets are free but must be booked in advance .

The Vatican Museums house the largest private art collection in the world–and despite the enormous amount of art and historical artifacts displayed, only the tiniest sliver of the complete collection is on display to the public!

Beautiful, overwhelming, and one of the most highly sought-after art museums in the world, visiting the Vatican Museums can be a bit of an intense experience.

Here’s what to know before you go.

Don’t rush to the Sistine Chapel.

I know on our first visit to the Vatican Museums, we were highly anticipating the Sistine Chapel and always hoping it was coming up soon… but it’s one of the last things you see, so be sure to appreciate everything along the way!

Plan to spend at least two hours in the museums.

Three is even better, but it is hard to visit the Vatican Museums in less than two hours without simply making a beeline for the Sistine Chapel and not paying attention to much else.

Once you add in time to get there, security checks, potentially waiting in line, and maybe visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square, it’s best to consider visiting the Vatican at least a half-day commitment if you’re going to be touring the museums.

Strongly consider booking a guided tour.

Guided tours add so much context to a Vatican Museums visit, and offer the opportunity to learn so much about the history of the art in the museums. They also make visiting the Vatican far less stressful from start to finish.

We’ve visited the Vatican Museums both independently and with a guided tour, and after experiencing both, strongly recommend a tour.

This is the tour we took and loved, and this is another great option .

Book your Vatican Museums tour today!

… and at the very least, absolutely book skip-the-line tickets.

Absolutely don’t want to take a Vatican Museums tour, or just don’t have the budget for it?

That’s completely understandable. In that case, we recommend booking skip-the-line tickets (ideally these early-access ones , but skip-the-line tickets for the normal operating hours are very helpful as well).

I’m not exaggerating when I say that the lines to access the Vatican Museums are the worst we have ever seen at any museum in the world. 

During one of our longer trips to Rome, we stayed just beyond the Vatican Museums for a solid month and walked past the line for the museums almost every day–and as mid-October turned into mid-November, the lines remained incredibly overwhelming.

Grab your first-access skip-the-line tickets or general admission skip-the-line tickets for the Vatican Museums now!

Keep in mind alternative hours.

The typical opening hours for the Vatican Museums are Monday – Saturday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (with the last entry at 4:00 PM).

However, there are a few ways to access the Vatican Museums outside these hours if you’d like to mix up your visit!

Early Morning VIP Entry

With early-morning entry, either via pre-booked tickets for an independent visit or via a tour, you can enter the Vatican Museums as early as 7:30 AM, therefore avoiding the worst of the crowds (and during warm weather, the worst of the heat).

This incredibly popular tour a tried-and-true early morning option for touring the Vatican Museums!

Book your first-access Vatican Museums tour or skip-the-line tickets today!

Friday Nights Between April and October

For seven months out of the year, the Vatican Museums are open on Friday nights until 11:00 PM (last entry at 9:30 PM), and we can personally attest that visiting the Vatican Museums at night is an incredible experience (and far less crowded than general entry hours).

We took this amazing tour on a Friday night and loved it!

Book the Friday night Vatican Museums tour we loved today!

Last Sunday of the Month

The Vatican Museums are typically (and unsurprisingly) closed on Sundays, but on the last Sunday of the month, the museums are open until 2:00 PM (last entry at 12:30 PM).

Like many free museum days around the world, the general rule of thumb with visiting the Vatican Museums on a free Sunday is that it’s a great option for those on a strict budget, and a terrible one for those who want to avoid extremely heavy crowds.

Make sure to follow the dress code!

There is a dress code for visiting the Vatican Museums. Essentially, no shorts, no bare shoulders, no cleavage, and no hats. 

In our experience, this is most strongly enforced in the Sistine Chapel, but as a gesture of respect and to avoid the risk of being denied entry, you should absolutely follow the Vatican Museums’ dress code.

We recommend light, loose clothing that will allow you to stay both covered and   cool, because the museums can get very warm.

With limited exceptions, there is no air-conditioning in the museums.

Only a few rooms are air-conditioned, so as you can imagine, during Rome’s hot summer months it can be a bit blistering inside the Vatican Museums.

Avoiding the heat (which is, of course, made even worse due to the heavy crowds that are normally visiting the Vatican) is another good reason to book an early morning or Friday night Vatican tour–not only will there be fewer crowds, the museums will be much cooler!

Don’t take photos in the Sistine Chapel.

Despite this being obviously and clearly banned, complete with repeated announcements every few minutes from the security officers and strict enforcement, you’ll still see people trying to snap photos of the Sistine Chapel. Don’t be one of them!

The photos of the Sistine Chapel I’ve used in this Vatican blog post are stock photos for that reason.

Don’t plan to eat at the Vatican Museums if possible.

There is a cafeteria inside the museums selling basic meals and snacks if you get hungry, but with so much incredible food to eat in Rome, it’s best to plan your meals for before or after your Vatican Museums visit if at all possible.

You won’t see the famous spiral staircase isn’t until the very end of your visit.

It’s one of the absolute last things you’ll see in the Vatican Museums–even after the Sistine Chapel–so don’t expect to see it early on!

Yes, absolutely!

We think the Vatican Museums are one of the best places to splurge on a tour in Rome–even more than at the Colosseum.

The context gained is incredible, and having a tour guide also makes visiting the enormous museums much less stressful and overwhelming.

We’ve visited the Vatican both independently and with a tour, and absolutely preferred our visit with a tour.

We took this Friday evening tour and loved it, but this tour is another phenomenal option.

Shop excellent, well-reviewed Vatican Museums tours today!

Sprawling and stunning, St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world and an absolute must-see sight when visiting the Vatican.

St. Peter’s Basilica is free to enter.

You do not need a ticket to enter St. Peter’s Basilica–it is completely free to visit!

… but you do have to go through a security line first.

This line follows the curve of St. Peter’s Square and tends to grow throughout the day, and is in place for security. You’ll pass through a metal detector and have your bags checked when you reach the front.

The line can get excruciatingly long–if you’re not visiting St. Peter’s Basilica as part of a longer tour, we recommend arriving either very early in the morning (it opens at 7:00 AM every day except Wednesday) or in the early evening–the crowds often start to die off a couple hours before closing (6:00 PM or 7:00 PM depending on the time of year).

You should absolutely visit the dome.

The view overlooking St. Peter’s Square from the cupola is one of our favorite views in all of Rome–and the views of the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica from above are pretty phenomenal, too.

We absolutely recommend climbing the dome when visiting St. Peter’s Basilica unless 1) you have difficulty climbing large amounts of stairs (you must climb a minimum of 320 steps to access the dome), or 2) you’re uncomfortable in tight spaces–there are some very closed-in areas on the way up.

You can buy tickets inside St. Peter’s Basilica, and they’re currently 10 Euro for a ticket that involves a partial elevator ride, or 8 Euro if you’re willing to climb all 551 steps (the elevator ticket lets you bypass 200 or so steps).

The biggest benefit to the cheaper ticket, though, is not the lower price but the fact that it normally has a much shorter line than the elevator option!

Vatican City is located in the heart of Rome and is easily accessed by either foot, metro, or bus.

Keep in mind that unless you’re on a special tour that gives you a workaround (more on that in the FAQ section), it’s a 15-minute walk around the edge of the Vatican from St. Peter’s Square to the entrance to the Vatican Museums.

St. Peter’s Square is closer to Centro Storico, so if you’re approaching by foot, you’ll likely come across it first.

We absolutely love walking through Rome, and one of our favorite walks winds from Centro Storico all the way to St. Peter’s Square–in other words, the Vatican is absolutely accessible by foot!

For example, St. Peter’s Square is a 35-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain and a 25-minute walk from the Pantheon.

Those times might sound long, but in addition to all the general beauty of Centro Storico, you’ll find some interesting highlights along the way such as Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo.

From St. Peter’s Square, it’s another 15 minutes by foot to the entrance to the Vatican Museums. 

There are two metro stops close-ish to the Vatican: Ottaviano and Cipro, which are each a short walk from the Vatican Museums entrance.

There are several bus lines that stop near Vatican City, with the most frequent being 40 and 64.

Have more questions about visiting the Vatican?

Here are the answers to some of the most common Vatican City FAQs!

Can you reach St. Peter’s Basilica from inside the Vatican Museums?

Yes… but only on a tour.

There is a semi-infamous door between the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica links the two together and makes it possible to go right from the museums into the basilica without taking a (long) walk and waiting in line again, but independent visitors cannot use it.

Some guided tours, though, like this one , do give you the opportunity to use this door.

Otherwise, you’ll need to wait in line to enter St. Peter’s .

What is the Vatican City dress code?

When in the Vatican Museums, Vatican Gardens, St. Peter’s Basilica, or Sistine Chapel, you’ll want to avoid wearing anything sleeveless, any shorts, or showing cleavage.

Hats are also not allowed.

If you’re just visiting St. Peter’s Square, you don’t need to subscribe to the dress code.

You can see the official language of the dress code here .

Is Vatican City a country?

Yes, it is–it’s the smallest country in the world, covering only 0.2 miles of land area.

It’s also one of the only absolute monarchies in the world, with the Pope ruling it both as the Pope (overseeing The Holy See, aka the Catholic Church), and the King (overseeing the country of Vatican City).

Vatican City is not part of the UN, but The Holy See (aka the Catholic Church) is a permanent observer of the UN.

Do you need your passport to enter the Vatican?

Even though it is a country, there’s no need to bring your passport when visiting the Vatican.

Can you visit Vatican City for free?

If your goal is only to step inside the country of Vatican City, you can enter St. Peter’s Square (for free, and without waiting in line) and St. Peter’s Basilica (for free, but after waiting in line) to pay a quick visit to the country.

Can you get a Vatican City passport stamp?

No, Vatican City doesn’t offer passport stamps.

However, you can buy a postcard in the gift shop and mail it home from Vatican City! 

It will be processed through the Vatican’s mail system, and many people use it as a unique souvenir from their visit to the Vatican in lieu of a stamp.

Can you see the Pope when visiting the Vatican?

We covered this a bit above, but essentially, every Wednesday morning that the Pope is in Vatican City, he’ll give an audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Can you just visit the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City?

No, you can’t.

The Sistine Chapel is one of the final stops when touring the Vatican Museums and can’t be seen without visiting the museums.

Is St. Peter’s Basilica part of the Vatican Museums?

No, it’s not.

You can visit St. Peter’s Basilica separately from the museums.

Should you visit the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day?

You can, but be prepared for a long day, as you’ll have to enter both areas separately… unless you book a tour that includes both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, that is.

In that case, you’ll be able to seamlessly visit both without exiting the Vatican Museums and waiting in an additional line to access St. Peter’s Basilica.

This tour is a popular option that includes both!

Book your Vatican Museums + St. Peter’s Basilica tour today!

[convertkit form=828904]

About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

2 thoughts on “The Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Vatican: Tips, Tricks + FAQ!”

I am SOOO happy I followed your link for a tour to Vatican City and everything in it! We’re going there 1st week of April and all of the tours through their website were booked or super $$$! I went to your link for TakeWalks Tours and got a great price for the Chapel, Musuems and Basilica! I’m going to keep scouring your site for our perfect Italian vacation!

That is so wonderful to hear, thanks for sharing, Julie! I hope you guys have an incredible trip to Italy! 🙂

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Visiting the Vatican Museums – All You Need to Know for a Perfect Tour

Visiting the Vatican Museums, one of the largest museums in Rome and also one of the most famous museums in Italy , requires some good planning. Being so popular, you will likely find a long line at the entrance. Being so old, you will definitely be overwhelmed about what to visit in the short time you can afford inside.

Being one of the main landmarks of Vatican City , this wonderful museum is pretty much always included in the private Vatican tours as well as the more generic tours of Rome .

I wrote this guide to visit the Vatican Museums to avoid as many surprises as possible and ensure a smooth tour. Here you will find important information regularly updated about visiting hours and closing times, ticket prices, and how to skip the line when visiting the Vatican Museums in Rome.

Table of Contents

Our tips and guide to visiting the Vatican Museums

Is it worth visiting the vatican museums.

The Vatican Museums enshrine five centuries of history and artwork donated to the popes by the world’s leaders, kings, and queens, as well as the pieces purchased and commissioned by the popes themselves throughout history.

Historical pieces like clothes and carriages and historical areas like the different popes’ apartments sit side by side with immortal artwork such as Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel and the frescoes of Raphael’s Rooms.

First and foremost, you need to accept the idea that you can’t just show up at the entrance of the Vatican Museums and get in straight away. There will be a long queue or it might even be closed, so if you haven’t done a minimum of planning, you might end up wasting time and missing one of the best places to visit in Rome .

Tickets for the Vatican Museums

From January 1st, 2024, the tickets for the Vatican Museums will be more expensive, priced at 20€ instead of the current 17€.

To fight the phenomenon of unauthorized ticket resales, the Vatican Museums will introduce nominative tickets and will start checking IDs at the entrance.

Skip the line

Nobody likes standing in line for hours on end, especially when there is an easy way to avoid this. While you can just turn up and buy your ticket, this is no guarantee that you will do it as easily as you think.

In Rome’s most famous landmarks , it’s of paramount importance to arrive with your ticket already purchased. There are many websites where you can buy your ticket to the Vatican Museums online, one of the most popular is Get Your Guide .

Join a tour

Alternatively, instead of just booking your entrance, you can join a private tour of the Vatican Museums. Along with the admission, a private tour includes a guide who will take you directly to the most famous spots you would probably miss if you were on your own or that you would have to look for.

A guided tour is more expensive than a single admission ticket but has the perks of saving you time and making your visit more complete with historical facts and anecdotes. We recently took a very exclusive private tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and loved it.

Check closing time…

Even though an art gallery, the Vatican Museums are closed on Sunday, except if it’s the last Sunday of the month when there is free entrance. The Vatican Museums also close on the main religious holidays when other museums are actually open, such as Easter Sunday and Monday, November 1st (All Saints’ Day), December 8th (Immaculate Conception), Christmas and Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve, December 31st.

… and the new opening hours

Starting January 1st, 2024, the Vatican Museums announced that they are going to extend their visiting time by two hours, one extra in the morning and one extra in the evening. So instead of opening at 9 am, it will open at 8 am, and instead of closing at 6 pm, the Vatican Museums will close at 7 pm. This applies to every day from Monday to Saturday.

From the beginning of March 2024 when the high season starts, the Vatican Museums will extend an extra hour on Friday and Saturday, closing at 8 pm only on these two days.

Follow the dress code

Again, even though visiting the Vatican Museums might just seem like entering an art exhibition, you need to keep in mind that they are located inside Vatican City. This means that you are expected to follow the Vatican dress code you would follow when visiting the Basilica of Saint Peter and its underground Roman necropolis .

What is not allowed in the Vatican Museums?

Large bags, backpacks, and suitcases are not allowed in the Vatican Museums and you will need to leave them in the cloakroom. Apart from these types of bags, among the obvious objects that are not allowed in the Vatican Museums are firearms, knives, scissors, and any sharp and dangerous object.

Are photos allowed in the Vatican Museums?

You can snap your pictures without using the flash everywhere in the Vatican Museums except for the Sistine Chapel and the frescoes of Michelangelo. It’s also not allowed to take videos, use selfie sticks, or use professional photo and video gear, including a tripod. Anyone visiting the Vatican Museums should be aware of these rules as there are staff and guards everywhere who will ask you to delete your photos.

Be mindful of the noise

This doesn’t apply to all the areas when visiting the Vatican Museums but only when you are inside the Sistine Chapel. Here, in fact, you will be asked to be silent or to speak by whispering so that the experience of your fellow visitors won’t be ruined when admiring Michelangelo’s masterpieces.

Check out our guide to eating near the Vatican!

WANT TO SAVE THIS FOR LATER? PIN IT TO YOUR BOARD!

About The Author: Angela Corrias

Visiting Rome in June – All You Need to Know (2024 Edition)

Is Rome Walkable? How to Plan and Enjoy a Walk in Rome!

Where to Stay in Rome in 2024 – Top 12 Rome Neighborhoods

Visiting Rome in May – All You Need To Know (2024 Edition)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Italy Travel Experts Tours and Vacations

The Best Vatican Tours To Take in 2024 and Why + Maps

Sean Finelli Last Updated: February 21, 2024

You already know that a trip to Rome is not complete without a visit to the famous country within the city: Vatican City. But there are so many different tour options, so how do you choose? It all depends on your travel interests and schedule. In this guide, you’ll discover our best Vatican tours and which one’s right for you.

Pro Tip: It’s easier to organize your trip when you have all your resources in one place. Create a browser folder and bookmark this post in your browser along with our article on the best Colosseum tours . We also have a dedicated guide to all things Vatican City where you’ll find everything you need.

All Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica Tours

All of our Vatican tours include skip-the-line tickets, local English-speaking guides, a tour of the Vatican Museums, and a visit to the Sistine Chapel. The right Vatican tour for you will depend on your interests, whether you want to see the Sistine Chapel without the crowds, and how much time you have to soak up all this beauty.

To help you find your perfect Vatican experience, here is a link bank of all our tours, followed by more in-depth descriptions and maps below.

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if a Vatican tour is worth it .

Express Vatican Tours (2 hours)

• Vatican Night Tour with Sistine Chapel
• Ultimate St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Climb

Classic Vatican Tours (2.5 – 3.5 hours)

• Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel
• Skip the Line Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica (start times throughout the day)
• Exclusive After Hours Sistine Chapel Tour with Aperitivo

Full Experience Vatican Tours and Combos (4 or more hours)

• St. Peter’s Dome Climb and Sistine Chapel Combo Tour
• Sistine Chapel, Vatican Gardens & Castel Gandolfo Day Trip
• Rome in a Day Tour Including Colosseum and Vatican Museums
• Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Vatican Highlights Combo Tour

Vatican Tickets

Skip-the-line tickets for a self-guided Vatican visit:

• Purchase skip-the-line Vatican tickets

1. Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel

Everyone knows the Vatican Museums are filled with crowds most of the day. That’s why this Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour is ideal if you want to avoid the crowds and heat. Why? It enters before the general public so you can enjoy a less-crowded time throughout your tour.

With fewer crowds and cooler temperatures inside the vast Vatican Museums, you can easily follow your guide through the Vatican’s galleries and museums. Explore the Pio-Clementino, the Gallery of Tapestries, and Raphael Rooms as your guide brings each location to life.

Of course, you’ll visit the Sistine Chapel where you’ll stand in awe under the centuries-old ceiling that has captivated travelers from around the world. Starting your day early in the Vatican is the best way to maximize your vacation.

2. Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Vatican Highlights Combo Tour

Want to see both the Vatican and the Colosseum? This combo tour gets you more bang for your buck by combining them! You’ll enjoy skip-the-line entry at both the Colosseum and the Vatican. First, dive into ancient Roman history at the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill where you’ll walk in the steps of Gladiators and Emperors.

After lunch, rejoin the tour at the Vatican to hear stories of papal intrigue and see some of the world’s most celebrated artworks by masters like Raphael and Michelangelo, and, of course, the Sistine Chapel.

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if Rome tours are worth it .

3. Private Skip the Line Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel

If you don’t have time for an early morning tour or would prefer to visit in the afternoon, then our Private Skip the Line Vatican Tour is the one for you. With multiple start times throughout the day and skip-the-line tickets, you’ll find a time that’s just right for you and get straight to exploring.

4. Rome in a Day including Colosseum and Vatican Museums

Our Rome in a Day Tour is one of our most popular tours to date. You start your day with a comprehensive tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica with an English-speaking guide. Then you head to the city for a walking tour of the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Trevi Fountain. End your day tour of Rome with a full Colosseum tour that includes the Roman Forum.

This is a great way to get the main highlights of Rome before you head out to discover it even better on your own. We provide transportation from the Vatican to the center of Rome, but this tour spends a lot of time on your feet. You’ll be ready for a delicious dinner when you’re done exploring one of the best tours of the Vatican and Rome!

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our  best Rome tours to take and why .

5. Ultimate St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Climb

Looking for the best views in Rome? We know where to go. Our Ultimate St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Climb  takes you to the top of the famous dome right as it opens and before there are any lines. Most of all, it’s before the heat of the day!

After you’ve climbed to the incredible lookout and soaked up those views, your guide will escort you into St. Peter’s Basilica for a guided tour that includes the Papal Crypts. For a quick tour of St. Peter’s and the dome, this is one of the best Vatican tours you can take.

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our  Vatican Guide for more info.

6. Exclusive After Hours Sistine Chapel with Aperitivo

Looking for that truly exclusive opportunity to enjoy the Vatican and Sistine Chapel? This might just be what you need. With a late afternoon entry to the Vatican, you’ll be led with your small group through the highlights. Then you’ll step into the Sistine Chapel along with no more than 100 other people (usually at least 2,000 during the day)!

Your guide’s stories about this magnificent ceiling will come to life as you experience quiet time in the Sistine Chapel that few ever will. Afterwards, enjoy a drink on us during your aperitivo in the Pinecone Courtyard.

Not ready to book a tour? Find out how to visit the Sistine Chapel .

7. St. Peter’s Dome Climb and Sistine Chapel Combo Tour

Want to get more bang for your buck? Book our St. Peter’s Dome Climb and Sistine Chapel Combo Tour . No matter how many times you’ve been to Rome, this is a great way to start your trip.

Enjoy views from the most scenic viewpoint at St. Peter’s Basilica before the crowds and the heat. Then follow your guide to your skip-the-line entrance at the Vatican where you’ll see the top highlights before stepping into the Sistine Chapel.

8. Vatican Night Tour with Sistine Chapel

On this guided Vatican visit, enter the Vatican Museums after hours and experience the museums with very few other people. You’ll feel like a VIP on this after-hours night tour of the Vatican. It’s the best way to really enjoy the quiet solitude in the 9 miles of museums here.

Not to mention, you’ll get to stand under the Sistine Chapel with just a handful of people around you. It’s almost as exclusive as you can get without booking a private tour. This Vatican Night Tour only runs on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer, making it a very exclusive experience.

9. Skip the Line Vatican Tickets

Want to explore the Vatican Museums at your own pace but with the benefit of skip-the-line tickets? Then reserve your own tickets with our privileged access that lets you bypass the crowds.

You’ll meet our helpful attendant near the Vatican Museums entrance, where they’ll escort you past the general line and into the reserved group entry. There you’ll go through security and be free to explore the Vatican and Sistine Chapel as long as you like.

10. Sistine Chapel, Vatican Gardens & Castel Gandolfo Day Trip

Are you visiting Rome on a Saturday during the spring or summer months? Why not make a whole day of it with our Vatican Museums, Gardens, and Castel Gandolfo Day Trip ?

With this experience, you will take a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Gardens, and a day trip by train to the Pope’s summer residence. A return train ticket and delicious lunch fit for a pope are included!

Here’s Where To Stay in Italy’s Most Popular Destinations

Rome , Florence , Venice , Amalfi Coast , and Capri

Best Hotels & Where to Stay

Reader Interactions

Comment (1).

July 5, 2019

We are currently looking at all the various tour possibilities. Do you have tours which cover one or more of the restricted hidden areas of the Vatican Museums; namely the Bramante Staircase, the Niccoline Chapel and the Cabinet of Masks? Thank You.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• In The Press

POLICY & TERMS

• Cancellation Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy

First Time in Vatican: Guided Tour or Self-Guided Walk?

First time exploring cultural treasures of the Vatican … Do you need a guided tour or will a self-guided walk through the Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, will suffice?

Last updated: June 28, 2024

First Time Visiting the Vatican

The smallest country in the world, the Vatican is one of the busiest places on Earth. From early morning until late afternoon, the place is filled with people traveling from all over the world. Some of them come to Rome with one intention – to visit the Vatican.

Unlike these travelers, we had a lot more interest in the capital of Italy and its landmarks. The Vatican?.. We treated it like what it was, a separate country, and devoted the whole day to exploring its remarkable historic and cultural treasures.

But the question whether we needed a guided tour that promised to enhance our first visit to the Vatican puzzled us a lot. At the end, we adhered to a Skip-the-Line guided tour . Yet if you have a lot of knowledge, even if it’s not firsthand, you can do just fine with a self-guided walk through the opulent buildings and a lush garden.

HOW TO VISIT THE VATICAN FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH AND WITHOUT GUIDED TOUR

Guided tours tickets.

Both ways of visiting the Vatican, its Museums and Garden – via self-guided walk or group or private tour – work. Yet if you are looking for detailed information, history, and stories behind the cultural masterpieces in the City, a guided tour comes in handy.

Having said that, you might get overwhelmed by the amount of tour offers available on the streets of Rome, especially near the Vatican. Based on our experience, you should never pay the initial price. Instead, bargain.

Tour prices offered by representatives of small travel agencies clustered near the Vatican are almost always higher than those you can get online or even inside the Vatican Museums. We were asked for 50 euros per person initially. But after some “negotiation” the price dropped to 35 euros. The better way, though, is to get the tickets in advance with additional services thrown in.

Best Time to Visit the Vatican without a Tour

Visiting the Vatican on your own is more than possible. One of the main reasons that push people to get private or guided tours is time. Waiting in a line to get to the entrance door can take hours and hours. Arriving later in the afternoon may help reduce the waiting time.

Additionally, if you prefer to stay away from any guided Vatican tours, choosing the right season is crucial. The winter months (except for the period between Christmas and January 6) are usually the best.

On top of that, if it happens to rain in Rome on the day of your visit to the Vatican, rest assured, you will find smaller crowds inside. On the other hand, the Gardens of the Vatican City will be closed.

Visit the Vatican on a Guided Tour

So, it’s your first visit to the Vatican and you decided to take a guided tour. Great! The advantages of the tours far exceed their prices.

First of all, you skip the line. No more time wasted outside, waiting for your turn to enter. Second, forget about the second line and tour the Vatican in reverse, from the Vatican Museums all the way to the St. Peter’s Basilica, exploring the treasures of the Sistine Chapel along the way.

How to Visit the Vatican without a Guided Tour

You start your self-guided walk through the Vatican either at the Vatican Museums or at the St. Peter’s Basilica. Regardless of where you start, you can go only until the Sistine Chapel . After that you have to return to your point of entry and resume your exploration by starting it from the other side of the city-state (you will see two separate entrances).

So if you visited the Museums first, now you have to exit the Vatican City, re-enter the streets of Rome, and make your way to a separate entrance of the St. Peter’s Basilica. Here you may see another long line with people aching to finally enter the church. On the bright side, the admission to the St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square is free .

How to Photograph Vatican’s Masterpieces during Your First Visit

You can use a camera or a cellphone to capture your visit to the Vatican. Non-professional photography is allowed everywhere except the Sistine Chapel. You are not allowed to do any sort of photography in the Chapel. People still try to take a few sneaky shots. You will see a lot of that. Inside the Museums. make sure to switch to flash-free shooting.

You may also enjoy:

Dining experience at the café museum: good, intriguing, and disappointing, outdoor adventures: top 5 things to do at lake casitas, a quick guide to visiting prague on a weekend, 6 reasons to visit rijksmuseum in amsterdam.

This is somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for such a long time! I usually prefer to walk around places by myself but recently I had a guided tour of a National Trust and learnt so much that I wouldn’t have otherwise – so I’d probably consider a guided tour at the Vatican, too (especially if it cuts down on the waiting time!).

I don’t take tours often either, but was glad that we decided to stick to it in the Vatican. 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Get in touch

Sign up for newsletter.

Join Roads and Destinations' mailing list and get new blog updates, upcoming events, and exclusive travel resourses.

Vatican Guided Tour, Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Vatican Museum Customized Private Tours, Official Travel Agency

• Vatican Guided Tour
• Rome by Night and Private tour of the Vatican Museum
• Private Vatican Museums Tour + Colosseum at Night – Vatican Guided Tours
• Sistine Chapel Private Tour – Official Vatican Museum Guided Tours and Tickets
• Vatican Private Tour Guide | Official Vatican Private Tours and Tickets
• Vatican Tours For Kids And Families Skip The Line Entry | Vatican Private Tours
• Private Vatican City Tour For Kids and Treasure Hunt Experience
• Vatican Early Entrance Tickets And Private Vatican Museum Guided Tour For Kids
• Vatican tour with kids | Guided Tour of the Vatican by Night Tour for Families
• Vatican Private Tour Pope’s Summer Residence From Rome
• Private Sistine Chapel Tours And The Colosseum Arena Floor Vip Experience
• Vatican Museum After Hours Private Tour With Aperitif – Vip Experience
• Vatican Museum breakfast and tour | Early Private Tour Of The Vatican with Breakfast
• Vatican Private Tours | Tour Of The Vatican City
• Exclusive Tour of the Vatican-pope’s Summer Residence Gardens
• Vatican Gardens private tour including Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel
• Exclusive Vatican City Private Tour And The Best Of Rome In One Day
• Vatican Museum By Night Private Guided Tour and Tickets
• Private Vatican Museum Tours Exclusive Early Entrance
• Vatican Private Guided Tours | Exclusive Guided Tour | Best Of The Vatican Museum
• Express Private Sistine Chapel Tour and Vatican Highlights
• Special Vatican Museum Guided Tour Cabinet Of The Masks
• Vatican Tour – Small Group Tours
• Vatican Gardens
• Papal Audience and Vatican Group Tour
• Catacombs Group Tour
• Vatican and Colosseum Tours Semi-Private or Private guided Tours
• Vatican City Early Access and Sistine Chapel Tour – Small Group or private tours
• Early Vatican tours – Sistine Chapel early morning entrance and tour for Kids Small Group
• Afternoon Vatican Museum Tour, Sistine Chapel Tours Small Group
• Vatican Night Tour – Small Group Special VIP Entrance
• Vatican Tour and Tickets – Best of the Vatican City Small Group Tour
• Sistine Chapel Ceiling – Vatican Museums Immersive Tour – Michelangelo’s frescos
• Semi-Private Sistine Chapel Early Entrance Vatican Tour
• Sistine Chapel official Tour with Early Access and Private Express Tour of St Peter’s Basilica
• Special Small Group Colosseum and Vatican Tour
• Tour of the Arena Floor Colosseum Sistine Chapel Tour- VIP Entry

Special Semi-Private Vatican City Tour Up To 10 People

• Vatican City Early Morning Tour Super Fast Track Colosseum’s Arena Tour
• Semi-Private Tours – The Vatican City and Colosseum Tour Special Access to Arena

Papal Audience and Vatican Museums Tour

• Rome Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour with Skip-the-line Colosseum
• Papal Audience + Exclusive Visit to the Vatican and Sistine Chapel
• Vatican Museum Disabled Access Skip-The-Line Guided Tour
• Ancient Ostia Tour
• Angels and demons
• Borghese Gallery
• Castel Gandolfo Papal Palace and Villas
• Rome Catacombs Tour and Ancient Appian Way Private Tours
• Colosseum Private Tours | Ancient Rome Guided Tours and Tickets of the Colosseum and Roman Forum
• Ponza Island Tours | Day Trip From Rome To Ponza Island
• Rome by Night escorted Tour | Private Tours Of Rome At Night VIP Chauffeured Service
• Rome Shore Excursions | Rome Highlights Private Cruise Ship Excursion From Civitavecchia
• Rome in one day Tour- Vatican Museum and Rome Private Tours in a day
• Rome In 2 Days | Rome And Vatican City Private Tours In Two Days
• Rome Walking Tour | Evening private walking guided Tours | A Stroll To Discover The Highlights Of The Eternal City
• Tours of Tivoli Day Trip From Rome | Tivoli, Villa D’Este and Villa Adriana guided Tours And Tickets
• Rome Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour and Vatican Museum tour
• Skip-the-line Colosseum & Vatican Museum Tour
• VIP Tour Vatican Museum & More
• Vatican Museum Group Tour & Rome Private Sightseeing
• [email protected]

• +39 0669348035
• 08:30 AM - 8:30 PM Rome (IT) Local Time

Proceed Booking

Already a member, don't have an account create one., or continue as guest, adding item to wishlist requires an account, official vatican city tour small group max 10 participants privileged entrance.

Vatican Guided Tours | An ideal tour for art lovers and lovers of Roman history! Skip The Line and enjoy a quick entrance to the famous attractions in the Vatican with an experienced guide.

Vatican City Tour inclusions:

Sistine chapel.

• Vatican Galleries
• Raphael’s Rooms
• Pope Borgia’s apartment

St Peter’s Basilica

Special Semi-Private Vatican City Tour Up To 10 People 3 hrs. | Start: 8.30 a.m. | Participants: Max 10| Headsets provided Meeting Point: Comuticated at the time of booking.

This official Vatican city tour specifically designed for a group of no more than 12 participants. We believe that a group this size is just perfect, and the guide can offer a more personalised experience to the participants. It will be easier to communicate with your guide and have your questions answered about the fascinating artworks inside the Vatican Galleries and Sistine Chapel. As you walk past the fabulous Vatican galleries , you will see incredible collections of works of art from the Greek and Roman period, many of which were commissioned or procured by the Popes.

The expert guides, for your Vatican City Tour, have many years of experience in taking tour groups to the Vatican galleries, so are very familiar with the treasures inside and the famous and infamous stories attached to them. Not many visitors are aware that there are so many galleries that it is not possible to visit them in a day. As such, the tour will focus on the most important galleries and the collections they contain.

Vatican Museums

The Vatican City tour kicks off at 8.30 a.m., and you will learn about history and art, the popes, and politics. Your guide will share with you insights about the famous artists who were commissioned by the popes to create magic such as Raphael. The artworks denote the time of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. As headsets provided, you will be able to hear your guide clearly as you walk through the Vatican galleries. You will visit the apartment of Pope Julius II and see the four rooms, famously called Raphael’s Rooms. The artworks here are nothing but exquisite and include famous works such as Deliverance of St Peter, Fire in the Borgo, and The Parnassus. You will also see the apartment of Pope Borgia’s which was painted by Pinturicchio. Your guide will reveal some exciting stories of the Borgia Family.

The Sistine Chapel does not allow talking so your guide would have briefed you about what you can expect to see in the Sistine Chapel. Do not miss out on viewing the Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement. It is so compelling and astonishing. You will not miss it! Today, the Sistine Chapel is also actively used for Pope elections. There is a chimney connected outside, and if white smoke is visible, it means a new Pope is elected. If black smoke is visible, indicating a Pope has not chosen yet.

As part of the Vatican city tour, the tour enters through a hidden passageway reserved for skip-the-line ticket holders. That’s right; you will have direct entry into the Basilica. You will see the bronze baroque styled ‘Baldachin’ created by Bernini, the magnificent ‘Pieta’ sculpted by Michelangelo and also admire the Chair of St Peter. It was projected by Bernini using the Baroque influence which was soon going to take the Vatican by storm. This part of the tour is not guided and is available only if the direct passage from Sistine Chapel is open. 

Vatican City Tour – This VIP tour allows you to see the famous Vatican Galleries as well as the most famous churches in the world!

See other Vatican tours!

Important Reminder – Special Semi-Private Vatican City Tour Up To 12 People

• This tour is not available for visitors who use wheelchairs as well as visitors with hearing disabilities. We are more than happy to organize private tours for wheelchair and hearing disabled visitors. Please contact us.
• Please wear comfortable shoes as there is a fair bit of walking.
• There is a dress code to the Vatican which applies to children too. Shoulders and knees must be covered.
• If St Peter’s Basilica, or Sistine Chapel,  is closed for a religious function at short notice as it is a working church, you will be spending more time in the Vatican gallery’s with your guide.
• The Vatican Museums get rather busy during summer and after a bank holiday.
• This tour is not available on Sundays or religious holidays.

Related Tours

Castel Gandolfo Papal Palace, Villas, and Gardens

Online Enquiry Form

Email Address*

Your Enquiry*

Vatican Museums

Where we are.

General information +39 06 69883145 [email protected] Office of the Directorate +39 06 69883332 [email protected]

Publications and Merchandising

Sculptures >

Publications >

Gift ideas >

Prints and Posters >

Accessories >

Home decor >

Follow us Menu

Social media

Support menu, patrons of the arts, choose your tour, aree tematiche, museums and vatican collections.

Vatican Gardens

Papal Palace & Secret Garden of Castel Gandolfo

Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis

Tour itineraries for

Schools – education.

Universities

Blind visitors

Deaf visitors

Search Menu

Advanced search.

• How to arrive

• Guided tour

Cookie Policy

We and selected third parties use cookies or similar technologies for technical purposes and, with your consent, also for other purposes as specified in the cookie policy. Refusal of consent may render the relevant functions unavailable. You can consent to the use of such technologies by using the "Accept" button. By closing this policy, you continue without accepting.

Your consent preferences

The following panel allows you to express your consent preferences for the tracking technologies we use to provide the features and perform the activities described below. To learn more about the usefulness and operation of these tracking tools, please refer to the cookie policy. You can review and change your choices at any time. Please note that refusal of consent for a particular purpose may render the relevant features unavailable.

Strictly necessary functions

These tracking tools are strictly necessary to ensure the operation and provision of the service you have requested from us (e.g. language settings) and therefore do not require your consent.

Google Tag Manager Read the information

Navigation tracking consent

Allows the storage of (web) cookies or device (app) identifiers related to the analysis, e.g. the duration of the visit.

Consent to customisation

Enables customisation-related archiving, e.g. suggestions on videos.

Marketing Consent

Allows the storage of (web) cookies or device identifiers (apps) related to advertising.

Consent for sending user data

Set consent for sending user data to Google for online advertising purposes.

Consent Personalised Ads

Set consent for personalised advertising.

Security Consent

It allows the storage of security-related information, e.g. authentication functionality, prevention of fraudulent activity and other user protections.