Includes
- Reserved entrance to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- Direct skip-the-line access to St. Peter’s Basilica
- Tour available in English, Spanish or French
Ticket validity: 1 Day
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour Highlights
Discover the highlights of the Vatican Museums on a 2.5-hour guided tour! Explore the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, admire Michelangelo’s masterpieces, and hear fascinating stories from your expert guide. Tours available in English, Spanish, and French.
More Info Read LessLive Guide
Experience the magic of the Vatican Museums with an expert live guide. You'll hear fascinating facts and stories about the artworks on display, and you'll gain valuable insight into the history of the Vatican museum complex and authority. Tours are conducted in English, Spanish, and French and last about 2.5 hours.
What You'll See
Your guide will lead you through the Vatican Museums, highlighting masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. Explore the Sistine Chapel, marvel at Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment, and visit important galleries such as the Borgia Apartments, the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms, and the Sala Rotonda. After the Sistine Chapel, enjoy guided access to St. Peter’s Basilica, where you’ll see the Pietà, Bernini’s Baldachin, the Papal Altar, the main nave, side chapels, and the tombs of Popes, while learning about the history, architecture, and art that make it one of the world’s most extraordinary churches.
Important Information
Ticket instructions:
1. Select your preferred tour language, date and time at the time of booking.
2. After purchase, you will be contacted at the phone number provided during the booking process for any follow-up requests.
3. On the day of your tour, please arrive at the Touristation Vaticano Office, Viale Vaticano 95 (50mt away from the Vatican Museums' entrance), at least 15 minutes before your scheduled start time.
4. Please present your printed or digital email reservation to the staff at the Touristation Office.
Please note: Tours operate daily except Sundays. Tickets for this tour are non-refundable.
History of the Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums were established in February 1506 after Pope Julius II heard of a marble sculpture discovered in a vineyard near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. He sent the artist-architect-sculptor-engineers Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarroti to see the sculpture, which they quickly recommended he purchase from the vintner. The scultpure, now known as Laocoön and His Sons, depicts the Trojan priest Laocoön and his two sons being attacked by giant serpents. It was probably sculptured between 27 BC and 68 AD.