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Vatican Group Tour: Exclusive Sistine Chapel Visit and St Peter's Basilica Exploration

4.7

206 Ratings

Roma

Experience an exclusive 3.5-hour Vatican group tour, visiting the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public. Explore the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica with a top-rated local guide.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Vatican Museums - Early access into the museums, 1 hour before the general public, Rooms of Raphael, Hall of Maps, Ancient Sculpture Gallery, Belvedere Courtyard, Cortile della Pigna
Sistine Chapel - The Sistine Chapel
St. Peter’s Basilica - St Peter Basilica
La Pieta - inside St Peter’s Basilica
Cortile della Pigna - Inside Vatican Museums
Baldacchino di San Pietro, di Bernini - view inside the Basilica of Sant Pietro

What's Included

Headsets provided for larger groups (6+) for clear guidance
Get exclusive early entry to the Vatican Museums
All fees and taxes are included - no hidden costs
Enjoy an intimate tour experience with small group sizes
Be guided by an expert, fluent in English

What's Not Included

Transportation to and from the meeting and end point
Food and beverages
Gratuities (optional)

Additional Information

Embark on an exclusive 3.5-hour tour of the Vatican in a small group, led by a highly-rated local guide and gain early access to the Sistine Chapel before it’s open to the public. Experience the serene atmosphere of the chapel and marvel at the magnum opus of Michelangelo, then proceed to visit the Vatican Museums - believed to be the finest repository of art in the world, showcasing spectacular pieces like the Laocoon and the Apollo Belvedere along with other hidden gems. Your tour of the Vatican will also encompass St Peter’s Basilica, where you will witness Michelangelo’s Pietà and enrich your knowledge about art, history and faith.

As this is a walking tour with steps and staircases, comfortable walking shoes and a bottle of water are strongly recommended.
Please advise if any travelers have mobility concerns so that we can best accommodate you.
Please note that the Vatican Museums provide free entrance for visitors who are (according to the requirements stated by the Vatican City) at least 74% disabled by presenting the appropriate certification and, if one needs assistance by another person, that person also receives a free entrance. Please inform us when you are booking if you fit into these requirements and we will remove the pricing of the entry tickets from the price of the tour.
Please ensure you arrive 10 minutes early and at the right meeting point as we cannot wait for late arrivals
At the end of your tour, you are required to return the headset provided to you to your guide. In the event that you do not return the headset, you will be subject to a fine of €100 for lost property.

Location

Viale Giulio Cesare, 237

Viale Giulio Cesare

You will meet your guide cy the flower stand on the corner of Viale Giulio Cesare and Via Leone IV. They will have a Through Eternity sign or flag.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.7

(206 Ratings)

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Karen

Apr 23, 2024

Great experience. - Emma was absolutely fantastic! Our group was very small and although the Vatican was extremely crowded we really feel this was a personal experience. This was by far our favorite tour experience over 3 weeks in Europe!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Robert_q

Apr 20, 2024

Vatican tour - Our tour guide Maria Letizia Bruschi was excellent, very informative and had a great personality. A lot to see in short amount of time but she managed the group well.

Review provided by Viator

Connieh924

Apr 14, 2024

Wonderful way to start the day. - Thomas Robinson was a delightful guide, thoroughly entertaining, knowledgeable, erudite and quite adept at making his way through the crowds. He gave us a fascinating look at the history, art, religion, times and personages of the Vatican. We very much enjoyed the tour! He was also kind enough to send me a list of books to help further my interest in Roman history - and I have ordered several already! Great tour and wonderful tour guide. Thank you Thomas!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Cynthia_w

Apr 7, 2024

Amazing tour guide - The guide was phenomenal. A true historian that made the tour the best. Even my teen enjoyed the tour and he isn’t a fan of history.

Review provided by Viator

Susan_c

Apr 6, 2024

Very happy with an early, small group tour - This area is crowded most of the time, but the small group tour meant that we got the most out of our visit. The tour guide was great-friendly and with lots of information to help us appreciate what we were seeing!

Review provided by Viator

Bayu2024

Mar 25, 2024

amazing! - thomas was an amazing guide! he is so so knowledgeable about the vatican and rome history, not to mention super witty and kind! we loved every second! thank you thomas!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

C480

Mar 21, 2024

Great tour with the political and historical understanding behind the art - Tom was a great guide. He provided lively and interesting background that helped appreciate the art. His discussion of the Sistine chapel really enhanced the viewing of the frescoes. Tom also provided a historical and political understanding of the art and the buildings that gave an insight on the collection. His tour of St. Peter’s Basilica was great, getting us close to the amazing mosaics. Through the entire tour Tom kept the group engaged and provided a great experience

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Patsy_w

Mar 11, 2024

Great tour and guide - We enjoyed Maria's knowledge and excitement about the tour. She made it very enjoyable. We got in early and boy was it great. When we left the lines were huge to get in.

Review provided by Viator

Laurenmq5068he

Apr 2, 2024

Great tour to see the Vatican City. - I genuinely enjoyed my tour with Through Eternity. We had Francesco as our guide and he was really funny. He can speak three languages (that I know of) which is great! Before entering the Sistine Chapel, Francesco went over the paintings we would see. You're not allowed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel so I really appreciated Francesco talking about how the paintings were made, who they were from, and how it got there. Francesco also highlighted important statues, tapestries, and paintings in the Vatican Museums. FYI you won't see everything, but just imagine seeing all 44,000 statues and paintings. You would be there for hours. The last stop was the Basilica and which was really cool.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lakshmankumar_s