Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

A visit to Rome may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you don’t want to spend it waiting in line. Our tour guides can help. Make the most of your Roman adventure by spending a few hours in some of the grandest structures in the world: The Vatican Museums. 5.5 million people visited the Vatican Museums in 2013, and with our No Wait Access, you’ll be one step ahead of those trying to explore Vatican City on their own.

No passports are needed to enter Vatican City from Italy, but a tour guide will help you fully appreciate everything there is to see in the walled, sacred City. We offer three tours every day, two beginning in the morning and one in the afternoon.

You’ll learn all about the fascinating history behind the architecture and art found in the Vatican Museums with the help of our English-speaking guides. During your three-hour tour, our guides will pass on their expert knowledge about the Chapel’s secrets that may not be noticeable to someone with an untrained eye.

Vatican City: Living History

Considered the world’s smallest nation with an area encompassing 110 acres, Vatican City is its own sovereign nation in the heart of Rome. The Vatican Museums, with 54 galleries and 2000 rooms, encompass much of the city and culminate with the Sistine Chapel. On your tour, you’ll view beautiful masterpieces including portraits, tapestries, sculptures, the Gallery of Maps and even ancient Egyptian artifacts, showcasing the global reach of Catholicism. 

Despite being an ancient city where time seems to stop, Vatican City has embraced modernity. In 2008, photovoltaic panels were installed on the football field-sized roof of Paul VI Audience Hall, a building that sits on the border of Vatican City and spills into Italy. In addition, an advanced, state-of-the-art HVAC system will be installed in the Sistine Chapel during 2014 to help protect the artwork and reduce degradation. 

Sistine Chapel: The Jewel of the Tour

A large but non-descript brick building from the outside, one could hardly imagine the beauty and grandeur found within the Sistine Chapel. Consecrated in 1483, the Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope. Michelangelo painted his fresco masterpiece on the Chapel’s ceiling from 1508-1512, and the ceiling remains one of the most iconic pieces of art in the world. It is awesome to behold.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Designed with input from Michelangelo and Raphael, St. Peter’s Basilica, consecrated in 1626, is the world’s largest church: So large, in fact, that it took 120 years to build. The building is 452 feet (138 meters) tall, and the area of the Basilica’s interior space is nearly 4 acres. It was built over Old St. Peter's Basilica, built in the 4th century on the spot considered to be the burial site of St. Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. In 1950, after years of excavation and study, the Church officially declared the site to be the burial place of St. Peter. It also serves as the resting place of 91 Popes and various friends of the Church.

Our tour allows visitors to skip the long Basilica lines and enter the facility from the Sistine Chapel. You’ll get headsets for every person, and we keep the groups small so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and can feel comfortable asking questions. With our help, your visit to Vatican City will be the highlight of your Roman vacation, an experience to be remembered for a lifetime.