vatican city tour from rome

ENTIRE VATICAN & VATACOMBS: FLAGSHIP VATICAN TOUR

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Our Flagship Tour of the Vatican and Vatacombs

Meet your expert guide by the Vatican Museum entrance and after brief introductions enjoy skip-the-line entry to what is arguably the most important and largest art collection in the world.

The Vatican Museums weren’t always as we know them today. For over five hundred years, celebrated Popes slowly gathered and commissioned works of art from the most talented painters, architects and sculptors in Italy and brought them to the Vatican to showcase them for their own personal enjoyment and that of a carefully chosen circle of clerics, artists, nobles, and scholars. Each new Pope sought to leave a legacy, commissioning chapels, frescoes, sculptures, libraries, paintings, courtyards – one masterpiece after another until the Papal Collection finally grew to more than 70,000 works of art spread over 1400 galleries.

In 1771 Pope Clement XIV finally opened the doors to the public, making it possible for us to enter the Holy See and walk in the footsteps of Popes and the most celebrated artists from Renaissance and Baroque Italy.

On this epic Vatican Tour you’ll walk in the footsteps of Popes and Renaissance Masters as you take in the Rooms of Raphael and of course the Sistine Chapel from its commissioning to the finishing touches by none other than Michelangelo Buonarroti. With an expert guide, learn to discern between myth, fact, and popular Hollywood fiction regarding this epic work of art.

Enjoy fast-track access to St. Peter’s Basilica to view masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini among others before descending to the Papal crypts below. We conclude on the portico with an overview of Bernini’s magnificent piazza (St. Peter’s Square), the central obelisk, and of course the Swiss Guard.

• Stand just feet away from Michelangelo’s remarkable frescoes in the Sistine Chapel
• Take in the beauty of the extraordinary rooms of Raphael
• Skip all lines with priority tour operator access
• Visit the “Vatacombs,” the eerie resting place of former Popes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica
• Expert local guide
• Skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums
• Room of the Muses and Belvedere Torso
• Pinecone Courtyard
• Octagonal Courtyard
• Rooms of Raphael
• Gallery of Maps
• Laocoonte Sculpture 1st Century AD
• St. Peter’s Basilica
• Vatacombs (papal tombs beneath St. Peter’s)
• Visit to the Necropolis / Scavi
• Transport to and from meeting point

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Tour departs rain or shine
• Unfortunately, wheelchairs and strollers cannot be accommodated on this tour. Contact us for private tour options for your group.

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Vatican Tours

Despite being a religious state, Vatican City isn’t exclusively for followers of the Catholic faith. In fact, this small country offers a treasure trove of historic buildings and a rich cultural heritage that will captivate tourists and art enthusiasts alike.

Situated right in the heart of Rome, the Vatican is a foreign state with some strict entry rules, and due to its popularity, it remains bustling with visitors all year round.

The Vatican City: the Smallest Country in The World

The Vatican isn’t just the smallest country in the world. This tiny State, with a population of less than 500 inhabitants, is renowned as the famous headquarters of the Catholic religion and the home of the Pope.

You have two options to explore the Vatican: you can visit it during a self-guided tour or join a guided tour of the Vatican. Personally, I’d recommend the latter, even if you happen to be a permanent resident of Rome. And now, let me explain why.

Are Guided Tours of the Vatican Worth it?

In a nutshell… yes. While it’s possible to explore the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica on your own, a guided tour can truly make a difference.

Why Opt for a Vatican Guided Tour

• A guided tour typically covers all the main attractions of the Vatican in a well-organised single tour of a few hours.
• The Vatican Museums are truly vast and filled with exquisite artworks. In fact, they’re so extensive that attempting to visit them independently can be overwhelming. With a guided tour, you can focus on the essential highlights without running the risk of getting tired before you’re even halfway through the visit.
• Even with a skip-the-line tour, queues for the Vatican Museums can be incredibly long. Choosing a guided tour with authorised tour operators can be a smart solution, as it grants you access through partner-exclusive entrances.
• Exploring the Vatican with professional guides allows you to discover fascinating anecdotes and insights that you wouldn’t come across during a self-guided visit.

Types of Vatican Tours

There are several options for visiting the Vatican. Let’s explore them.

Guided Tours of the Vatican

As I mentioned earlier, a guided tour is definitely the best way to make the most of your visit to the Vatican. I’ve tried visiting the Vatican on my own multiple times, and having an expert guide by your side can truly make a difference. These tours usually start at a meeting point in the area.

Group Tours of the Vatican

This is the most common type of tour. Many tour operators offer tours in small groups, so following your guide and moving around the Vatican Museums is not complicated at all. Besides, if you ever feel like breaking away from the group, you can always rejoin them and continue at your own pace.

Private Tours of the Vatican

This is a decidedly luxury option. The price of a private Vatican tour is higher than a group tour. The advantages? You’ll have the guide entirely at your disposal. Moreover, many private Vatican tours include pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or apartment.

Vatican Early Opening Tours

Among the various guided tours, both private and group, there are some that grant access to the Vatican Museums at their early opening. As I’ve mentioned before, the Vatican is one of the major tourist attractions in Rome, and there’s often a very long queue to get in.

So, if you want to see them without the typical crowd that fills them, I recommend booking one of the Vatican’s early opening tours. You’ll literally be the first to step inside the Museums and the Sistine Chapel, and your visit will have a whole different feel.

Self-guided Tours of the Vatican

If you’re on a budget, you can still visit the Vatican by purchasing an entrance ticket to the Vatican Museums without a guide. However, this option may entail waiting in line at the entrance for as long as 3 or 4 hours. The same goes if you decide to visit only St. Peter’s Basilica, which doesn’t require an entrance ticket.

Skip-The-Line Tours of the Vatican

Let me tell you: skip-the-line tickets for the Vatican are worth every penny of their price.

In the past, I worked for a tour operator, and for work-related reasons, I visited the Vatican several times with a skip-the-line service. I can assure you that if you choose the right tour operator, you won’t even wait for 5 minutes at the entrance. You’ll bypass the long queue that starts from Via Leone IV and goes all the way to the Vatican ticket office. And you’ll thank me for recommending this type of tour.

After-Hours Tours of the Vatican

From April to October, the Vatican stays open on Friday evenings. So, if you wish, you can opt for one of the enchanting evening tours of the Vatican offered by tour operators. Not only will you see the Vatican in a completely different light, but you’ll also avoid sightseeing during the hottest hours of the day.

Tours of the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo is a delightful town on the shores of its namesake lake, located about 24 kilometres southeast of Rome. It’s been the summer retreat for the Pope for centuries.

And now, you have the fantastic opportunity to join a tour of the Pontifical Villas, where you can travel to Castel Gandolfo and explore the beautiful gardens and historic residences that belong to the Vatican, just outside the confines of Vatican City itself.

These tours are typically available during the summer months, and you can easily reach Castel Gandolfo by train from the Vatican Museums. Once there, you’ll be guided through the extensive gardens and the Apostolic Palace, which serves as the official residence for the Pope during his stay at Castel Gandolfo.

Major Attractions in Vatican City

There’s so much to see within Vatican City, and it’s an incredible place to explore.

What to See Inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica , you’ll have the chance to visit:

• Bernini ‘s stunning colonnade in St. Peter’s Square
• The magnificent Baldacchino, a work of art by both Bernini and Borromini
• Michelangelo’s breathtaking Pietà , located in the right nave of the Basilica
• The lid of Emperor Hadrian’s sarcophagus
• The tomb of Pope Alexander VII, crafted by Bernini
• Michelangelo ‘s iconic Dome
• The Vatican Grottoes: the final resting place of the Popes and St. Peter himself.

What to See Inside the Vatican Museums

Now, when you venture into the Vatican Museums, make sure you don’t miss out on these incredible sights:

• The Tapestry Room, filled with intricate and awe-inspiring tapestries
• The Pinacoteca, which houses masterpieces by Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, the Perugino, and Caravaggio
• The Pio-Clementino Museum, dedicated to statuary, where you’ll find the impressive Laocoön sculpture group
• The Gallery of Maps
• Raffaello’s Rooms, including the famous ‘School of Athens’ fresco
• The magnificent Spiral Staircase
• The Sistine Chapel
• the Vatican Museum Gardens

Time Needed to Tour the Vatican

Most guided tours at the Vatican run for a standard 2 to 3 hours, giving you an overview of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and the iconic St. Peter’s Basilica. These tours usually start early in the morning or early in the afternoon, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the place.

Of course, nothing is stopping you from entering the Museums when they first open and spending the entire day delving into the wonderful art collections they hold.

Dress Code for the Vatican 

The Vatican is a religious site, and although it attracts many tourists, it does have a conservative dress code. It’s really important to respect this dress code if you want to be allowed entry. Many foreign visitors are disappointed each year when they’re turned away due to inappropriate attire, and I don’t want you to be one of these.

To enter the Vatican, it’s important to:

• Avoid short skirts and shorts
• Cover your shoulders and arms
• Steer clear of plunging necklines and cropped tops
• Remove hats before entering
• Wear anything that might offend Catholic morals or decency
• Cover any tattoos you might have

I know it gets scorching hot in Rome during the summer, but it’s crucial to adhere to these rules. My advice for the hot months is to wear a long dress or lightweight suit, or perhaps bring a light jacket to cover your arms and shoulders before entering. You can show off your sexiest outfit after you’ve completed the visit.

Tip: By dressing respectfully, you’ll ensure a smooth visit to the Vatican and demonstrate your appreciation for the sacredness of the place. 

Tips For a Great Vatican Experience

And here we are at the end of this guide to Vatican tours. I’ll share a few extra tips that might come in handy in addition to what’s already been mentioned.

• Make sure to visit the Vatican early in the day – you can’t imagine how crowded it can get.
• Only book guided tours from professional authorised tour operators.
• Always double-check the opening times, especially around religious dates and events throughout the year.
• Purchase your ticket several weeks in advance, as they often sell out quickly.
• Upon entering the Vatican, you’ll go through a security check with a metal detector, similar to airport security. Be sure to read the rules on the official Vatican website . Among other things, you can’t bring knives, scissors, umbrellas, or cameras with you, and even things like tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed.
• Once inside the Sistine Chapel, remember not to take any photos or videos – it’s strictly prohibited, and the security personnel may ask you to delete any shots you’ve taken in front of them.
• Accessing the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel requires payment, but on the last Sunday of each month, you can enjoy free admission to both the museums and the Vatican Gardens from opening until 12:30 PM. Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica alone is, instead, always free, so you can still marvel at its grandeur without any cost. Happy exploring.

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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!

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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.

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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

• 9.10 / 10 45,594 reviews | 468,494 travellers Very good visit with lots of historical information. Worth it. 8 María Fuensanta
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service starts
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Skip the notorious queues of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Explore these iconic cultural landmarks accompanied by an expert guide , stress-free!

What's Included?

On this guided tour, you'll enjoy skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, all accompanied by an expert guide.

Vatican Museums

Home to one of the world's largest art collections , the Vatican Museum features countless Renaissance masterpieces and sunning classical sculptures. During the tour, our guide will take us through the Gallery of Maps , Raphael Rooms , Tapestry Gallery , and more impressive rooms!

The Sistine Chapel

On our tour, we'll also discover the iconic Sistine Chapel—home to works by some of the most famous Renaissance artists, including Michelangelo 's ceiling fresco, a cornerstone of High Renaissance art. Please note that the Sistine Chapel is a place of worship, and photos/videos cannot be taken inside. Furthermore, talking is not permitted inside, so explanations from the guide will be given outside.

St. Peter's Basilica

Generally, it'll be possible for you to enter St. Peter's Basilica from the Sistine Chapel following the tour. However, due to masses and other religious events , it may not be possible on the day of your visit. If you'd like to visit St. Peter's Basilica after your tour, you can do so from St. Peter's Square!

Get the Most out of Your Visit

Just a stone's throw from the Vatican are some of Rome's most iconic sights. If you'd like to discover the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill, have a look at our Rome Combo tour !

More Activities

Check out more ways you can see the Vatican Museums with Civitatis !

More Information

The activity takes place with a guide that speaks in English.

English–speaking guide

Skip the line admission to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel (worth € 19 ( US$ 20.80))

Individual headphones

When to book?

You can book up until 2 hours before the activity as long as there are still places. Book now to guarantee your spot.

Type of voucher

Electronic. Show the voucher on your phone.

Accessibility

Not wheelchair accessible.

Sustainability

All services published on Civitatis are carried out in accordance with our Sustainability Code .

Our providers commit to:

• Provide a safe and satisfying experience.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle.
• Incorporate eco-conscious technologies.
• Uphold fair employment standards.
• Foster the growth of local communities.
• Preserve the integrity of local culture.
• Safeguard both cultural and environmental heritage.
• Ensure ethical treatment of animals.
• Operate with honesty and transparency.
• Encourage sustainable behaviors among customers and staff.

This particular activity contributes as follows:

• Printed material is avoided.
• No single-use plastics are used.
• The activity helps the dissemination of local cultural heritage.
• No printing of documentation required.
• Promotes local employment.
• Has a gender equality policy.
• Has a carbon footprint offset policy.

Tourismotion Roma Show more

Corporate name: NAFASP SLU

Not permitted.

Frequently asked questions

Q - Will we visit the Gregoriano Egiziano Museum?

A - No, this tour does not include a visit to the Gregoriano Egiziano Museum.

Q - Does the tour visit the Bramante Staircase or Momo's spiral staircase?

Q - What if our group is large?

A - If your group is 15 people or more, we cannot always guarantee that you will be in the same group. If you would like a more personalised service, we recommend the private tour of Rome.

Q - Is it possible to organize a visit to the tomb of Saint Peter during this tour?

A - No. The visit to the tomb of St. Peter and the necropolis below the Vatican basilica can only be booked with a formal request to the Office of Excavations, following a rigorous protocol.

Q - How many people visit per group?

A - A maximum of 24 people per guide.

Q - Can I go back inside the Vatican Museums after the tour?

A - No, you can only go in with the guide. However, you can stay in the museums once the guided tour has finished.

Q - Does the Vatican have a luggage locker?

A - There is a left-luggage service in the Vatican Museums.

Q - Can I bring my backpack?

A - You can only enter with small backpacks. Access with pushchairs/strollers, large backpacks or long umbrellas is not allowed.

Q - Does the tour visit the Pinacoteca?

A - No, the tour does not visit the Vatican Pinacoteca.

Q - Is it possible to climb the dome of St. Peter's Basilica?

A - The climb to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica is not included. Once the tour is over, you can stay in the basilica to go up on your own. The price is 10 euros per person.

Q - Does the tour visit the Raphael Rooms?

A - Only if there are not too many people that day. Sometimes the waiting time is more than half an hour.

Q - Is it possible to access the Vatican Museums with pushchairs/strollers?

A - No, access to the Vatican Museums with pushchairs/strollers is not allowed. They can be left with the museum's left-luggage service before entering the museum.

Q - Can I go on this private tour with a group of school children?

A - This is not possible. For school groups, access reserved for schools must be expressly reserved through the Vatican website.

Q - What should we take into account before visiting the Sistine Chapel?

A - The Sistine Chapel is a place of worship. Therefore it is not allowed to talk or take pictures or videos. For this reason, the guides talk about the Chapel outside the Chapel.

Q - Can you tour the Vatican on your own?

A - While you can tour the Vatican without a guide, we recommend booking a tour so that you see the highlights and some hidden gems!

Q - What should I wear to the Vatican?

A - The dress code for the Vatican Museums is strict but easy to respect. Low-cut or sleeveless dresses, miniskirts, shorts and hats are not allowed. To cover knees and shoulders you can buy plastic cloaks to wrap around. Inside it is preferable to wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers. We also recommend wearing comfortable footwear as there will be some walking as part of the tour.

Q - Why do this activity with Civitatis?

A - At Civitatis we guarantee the best quality and prices, click here if you want to know how we select our activities .

Q - How to book?

A - To reserve the activity, choose the date and complete the form on this page. You will receive your confirmation immediately.

If you have any other questions please contact us.

Free cancellation

Meeting point.

Viale Giulio Cesare 229, in front of the Giulio Cesare cinema (A Ottaviano Metro)

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11 Impressive Vatican City Tours from Rome in 2024

Which Vatican City tours are best? Is it worth getting a guided tour of the Vatican?

Situated just 3 miles (4.7km) outside of Rome, Vatican City is a must-visit destination for any traveler heading to Italy’s charming capital! Home to some of the world’s most iconic and significant religious landmarks, including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, this small city-state has a rich history and cultural heritage that attracts millions of visitors every year.

And, of course, with those millions of annual visitors comes lines… long, long lines. Which brings me to my point – guided tours of Vatican City are unquestionably worth the time and investment since many of them include skip-the-line entry, saving you hours! Plus, they provide you with a unique opportunity to learn all about the Vatican’s history, art, architecture, and get insider information from knowledgeable guides.

Don’t have time to scour the entire post for the best tour? No worries!

The Early Morning Vatican: Small Group Tour Max 6 People or Private is undoubtedly the #1 tour on this list!

⭐ 2,300+ 5-Star Reviews ⭐ Viator’s Badge of Excellence ⭐ Skip-the-Line Entry ⭐ Visit the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public!

But with so many different tours available, how do you know which ones are worth your time? That’s where I come in!

When it comes to visiting the Vatican City, there are endless options for tours available. From private tours to small group tours, walking tours to bus tours, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which one is best for you.

That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the top-rated tours led by local companies in Rome so you don’t have to do all the digging. As someone with a whole lot of Italian heritage (my last name is a province in Northern Italy) and a lot of experience in finding the right tours in Italy, I can attest to the quality and value of these tours.

From comprehensive tours to Vatican City that cover all the must-see sights to more specialized tours focused on specific aspects of the city, here are the top-rated options in Italy!

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11 BEST Vatican City Tours

1. early morning vatican: small group tour max 6 people or private.

Undoubtedly the #1 tour on this list thanks to its unparalleled opportunity to experience the Vatican’s majestic beauty without the bustling throngs of tourists is this Early Morning Vatican Tour !

This exclusive tour offers an intimate view of the Vatican’s treasures, including the world-renowned Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. With a maximum of six people per group, you’ll have a near-private viewing of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, letting the profound art and architecture resonate with no distractions.

The early morning slot not only means cooler temperatures, but also entry into the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public . That’s about as “quiet” in Italy’s peak season as you’re going to get! Your knowledgeable guide will also provide captivating insights into the history and secrets of the Vatican while ensuring a personalized experience.

Whether you choose the small group option or decide to go private, this 3.5-hour tour promises an unforgettable, serene exploration of one of Italy’s most sacred sites.

2. Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

Another fantastic tour with over 2,400 5-star reviews, the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour is designed for those who seek comprehensive insights into Vatican City’s art and history.

With skip-the-line access, you can avoid the lengthy queues and delve straight into the cultural heart of the Vatican’s opulent galleries. On this 3-hour tour, you are accompanied by an expert guide who brings to life the stories behind the masterpieces housed within the Vatican walls. Plus, you won’t need to worry about hearing your guide even if it’s majorly crowded since every guest gets their own personal headset!

With all entrance fees included, this is a great option for those looking for a hassle-free, all-inclusive tour of the Vatican City.

3. VIP Small Group Vatican, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour

Short on time but want to get the most out of your visit to the Vatican? I’ve got you covered! The VIP Small Group Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and Basilica Tour offers an exclusive, 2-hour experience for those eager to discover the Vatican without having to set aside an entire day for the excursion.

Perfect for those who aren’t as, we’ll say enthusiastic , about art and history, but still want to experience the highlights of Vatican City, this tour includes skip-the-line access and a

4. Skip the Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St Peter Small Group Tour

Another great option for those seeking a small group tour limited to just six people , the Skip the Line: Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Small Group Tour is a meticulously crafted experience designed to cover the Vatican highlights while providing a deep dive into the history, stories, and secrets held within its iconic walls.

This 3-hour journey is led by a professional guide whose passion and knowledge of the Vatican’s art, history, and architecture are second to none. Ideal for couples or friends traveling together who want a more intimate and personalized tour, this option offers plenty of time for questions and reflection.

Plus, with skip-the-line access, you’ll avoid wasting precious vacation time in the queue!

5. The Original Entire Vatican Tour & St. Peter’s Dome Climb

Discover the Vatican like never before with The Original Entire Vatican Tour & St. Peter’s Dome Climb ! This comprehensive, 5-hour adventure combines the essential Vatican City tour with the rare opportunity to ascend to the top of the famous dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Starting with the Vatican Museums, your knowledgeable guide will escort you through a plethora of art and historical artifacts, leading to the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s ceiling will leave you spellbound.

After the chapel, you’ll make your way through the elegant halls to visit St. Peter’s Basilica itself. Unlike other tours, this experience doesn’t end there. Prepare to climb up to the terrace of St. Peter’s Dome — a challenge met with a rewarding panoramic view of Rome perfect for the ultimate photos!

With all entrance fees and a professional guide included, this tour offers an in-depth journey through the heart of the Vatican’s majesty, complete with the breathtaking cityscape that is often missed by most other tourists.

6. Private Early Bird Vatican Museums Tour

Possibly even better than the first early bird Vatican tour I mentioned in this list, the Private Early Bird Vatican Museums Tour guarantees that only your group will participate, making it the perfect choice for family or friend groups who want an exclusive tour!

As the sun begins to rise, you’ll accompany your personal guide through the tranquil corridors of the Vatican Museums on a journey tailored to your interests. This immersive 3.5-hour tour allows you to relish the art and splendor at a leisurely pace, free from the pressure of daytime crowds.

Starting early means you’ll witness the Vatican’s masterpieces, like the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, in a quiet setting. Ideal for aficionados and first-time visitors alike, this tour pledges a unique and introspective Vatican experience.

All entrance fees are included in every package on offer, however, those seeking hotel pick-up and drop-off should choose the “comfort” or “luxury” option to ensure a seamless start to their day at the Vatican.

7. Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums & St Peter’s Semi Private Tour

Did you know that most “small group tours” departing from Rome actually have a maximum head count of 20 people ? Doesn’t sound very “small”, now does it? Well, for those looking for a cohesive exploration of Roman Catholic splendor with 10 or fewer people, this Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums & St Peter’s Semi Private Tour offers a comprehensive glimpse into the art and architecture of the Vatican.

Over the course of 3 hours, your guide will lead you through the halls of Michelangelo’s most famous work, the Sistine Chapel, as well as the Vatican Museums, and St. Peter’s Basilica.

With skip-the-line access and an intimate group size, you’ll have plenty of time to ask questions and soak in all that this holy city has to offer. Plus, with a complimentary headset and audio system included, you’ll never miss a detail along the way!

8. After Hours Private Tour of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Ever wanted to visit the Vatican after dark when most of the other tourists have left? Well, the After Hours Private Tour of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel does just that!

Accompanied by a personal guide, delve into the Vatican’s art collections, marvel at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel without interruption, and gain special access to sections that are usually closed to the public during the day.

With the personal touch of a private tour, tailor the experience to your preferences and examine the treasures of the Vatican under the tranquil cover of night! Easily one of the best Vatican city tours available, this opportunity is surely a unique one.

9. Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

Easily one of the most popular choices on this list, the Skip-the-Line Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour offers a seamless journey into the cultural heart of the Holy See.

With priority access, you’ll be ahead of the crowd, exploring the exquisite tapestries, classical sculptures, and historical artifacts alongside a knowledgeable guide. In this 3-hour tour, you’ll also get access to the Cortile della Pigna, the Sphere within a Sphere, and the Gallery of the Maps in addition to the chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.

With a maximum group size of 20 people, you’ll have access to personal headsets you have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and listen to the knowledge of your expert guide!

10. Skip-the-Line Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s | Small Group

One of the top-rated Vatican city tours on this list, the Skip-the-Line Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s | Small Group promises a valuable and intimate experience with a maximum group size of 12 people.

In just 3 hours, explore the world-renowned collections of art and architecture found within the Vatican walls, including Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel. With special access to the Raphael Rooms, you’ll have plenty of time to take photos and admire the beauty of this holy city.

Plus, with a professional guide and personal headsets provided, you’ll have access to all the fascinating information and history along the way!

11. Complete Early Morning Vatican Tour | Small Group

Rise early and beat the crowds with this 3.5-hour Complete Early Morning Vatican Tour ! With a maximum group size of 12, you’ll have a personal and insightful tour through the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica before they open to the general public.

Skip-the-line access allows you to make the most of your time as you learn about the Vatican’s rich history and iconic art while an expert guide by your side provides historical and cultural context.

Perfect for early risers and anyone looking to make the most of their time in Vatican City!

Vatican Museum Hours

In 2024, the Vatican Museums have arranged to be open between 8:00AM and 7:00PM Monday through Saturday, with Fridays and Saturdays planning to extend their hours to 8:00PM starting March 1st. The museums are closed on most Sundays.

The last Sunday of every month, the museums will be open from 9:00AM to 2:00PM. If you’re looking for a hours on a specific day that you’ll be visiting, be sure to check out their 2024 Official Openings and Closings Calendar !

FAQ: Vatican City Tours

In this last section, I’ve provided some additional information surrounding Vatican City including the best day of the week to visit, what you should bring with you on a guided tour, if you need your passport, and more!

Which Vatican City Tour is Best?

The Early Morning Vatican: Small Group Tour Max 6 People or Private is arguably the best tour option for those looking to have a more intimate and personalized experience. With a small group size, you’re guaranteed a level of attention and interaction with your guide that larger groups simply can’t offer.

This tour is ideal for visitors who want to explore the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica without the usual crowds pressing in. By starting early, you also enjoy the serenity of the city before most tourists are awake, making this tour a top choice for both first-time visitors and seasoned Vatican explorers alike.

Plus, with entry to the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public, you’ll have time to soak in the stunning artwork without being jostled by crowds. You’ll also get to enjoy skip-the-line entry to the other areas, so even if they do start getting busy, you won’t have to wait!

Is It Worth Getting a Guided Tour of the Vatican?

A guided tour of the Vatican is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment ! The Vatican is not only rich with art and history, but it is also extensive and complex. A knowledgeable guide offers invaluable insight into the vast collection of art, the stories behind the frescoes, and the historical significance of each site within the city-state.

Furthermore, a guide can help navigate the labyrinthine corridors and point out details that you might miss on your own. With their expertise, you can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Vatican treasures.

And let’s not forget the practical benefits – guided tours often come with skip-the-line access, which is a huge advantage, considering the long queues that are the norm at popular attractions like St. Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel.

Can a Tourist Just Walk into Vatican City?

While anyone can walk into the main areas of Vatican City during its opening hours, entry into the landmark sites like the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica requires official Vatican City tickets. These can be purchased directly from the Vatican Official Website for those not interested in a tour, or they are included in the price of a guided tour when you book with a local company.

The public areas that one can freely access include St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican Post Office, among a few other minor sites. However, for a more immersive experience that allows access to some of the most famous art and historical sites in the world, securing a ticket, preferably as part of a guided tour, is necessary.

Moreover, security checks similar to airport screenings are a prerequisite for entry to these attractions, so be prepared to queue for this process if traveling independently.

How Much Does it Cost to Go to Vatican City?

General admission to the Vatican Museums starts at about 20 euros for an adult ticket if purchased online from the Vatican’s official website, not including the 5 euro online booking fee.

Guided tours, on the other hand, can range from $45 for a basic group tour to upwards of $150 or more for private Vatican tours or semi-private Vatican city tours with added perks such as early access or after-hours entry.

When considering a tour, remember that many options include added benefits like skip-the-line access and expert guidance, which can significantly enhance your visit.

What are the Top 2 Must-Sees if You Come to Vatican City?

When visiting Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica are the two must-see attractions that top the list . The Sistine Chapel is world-renowned for Michelangelo’s breathtaking ceiling frescoes and The Last Judgment.

St. Peter’s Basilica, on the other hand, is not only an architectural masterpiece but also an important religious site, home to significant works such as Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s Baldacchino. Both these sites encapsulate the artistic and spiritual heritage that Vatican City is famous for.

How Much Time is Enough for the Vatican?

A comprehensive visit to the Vatican typically requires at least half a day to fully appreciate the rich historical and artistic significance of its many treasures .

For those intent on a more detailed exploration, especially if attending with a guided tour, allocating a full day would allow enough time to absorb the grandeur of the museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica without rushing. That way, even when the guided portion of your exploration reaches its end, you have still allotted enough time to check out the other areas of the Vatican.

Remember, this duration includes time for security checks, potential queues, and leisurely paced walks through the extensive collections and corridors.

What is the Best Day of the Week to Visit the Vatican?

The best day of the week to visit the Vatican is often considered to be Tuesday or Thursday . These days tend to be less crowded compared to Mondays, which can be busier due to other museums in Rome being closed, and Wednesdays, when Papal Audiences are held attracting additional visitors.

Weekends, especially Saturdays, typically see a massive influx of tourists, so it’s advisable to visit mid-week if you’re looking for a quieter experience. Additionally, being aware of the Vatican holiday calendar can help in planning your visit, as religious events and celebrations can significantly affect crowd levels and availability.

Pro Tip: please remember that if you’re visiting the Vatican in Italy’s peak summer months, it will be busy regardless of when you go. If you’re hoping for the least amount of other tourists, then an early morning Vatican tour like this one is usually going to be your best bet! Just don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a major attraction all to yourself since it’s very unlikely that will happen during the busy season.

How Long Does a Vatican Tour Take?

Most tours of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica can take anywhere between 2 to 4 hours . If you opt for a more in-depth tour that includes the Vatican Gardens or the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo, it can extend to a full-day outing of approximately 5 to 7 hours.

For an independent visit without a tour guide, you can expect to spend as much or as little time as your schedule allows, keeping in mind the Vatican’s opening hours.

What Should I Pack for Tours of the Vatican City?

When preparing for a tour of the Vatican City, it’s important to pack accordingly to ensure you’re comfortable and respectful of the venue’s dress code. Essentials to include in your prep are:

• Modest Clothing : Shoulders and knees must be covered, as the Vatican enforces a strict dress code in places of worship. Shorts, mini skirts, sleeveless dresses, and lowcut tops are forbidden and entry will be refused.
• Comfortable Footwear : You’ll be walking a lot, so wearing comfortable shoes is key. Leave the heels at your hotel for this one!
• Reusable Water Bottle : It’s essential to stay hydrated, especially in the hot summer months. There are several water fountains where you can refill your bottle which saves on single-use plastic. I always bring this LifeStraw bottle with me to Europe and I absolutely love it!
• Snacks : a protein bar and small bag of pretzels or other light snacks can be a savior if you booked a half or full-day tour.
• Sun Protection : If you’re visiting in the summer, sunblock, sunglasses, and a hat are advisable.
• Small Backpack or Bag : To carry your essentials, but be aware that large backpacks may not be allowed in. Always check beforehand with your tour operator what you’ll be allowed to bring.
• Camera (without flash) : Flash photography and selfie sticks are typically prohibited inside the museums.
• Copy of Your Ticket : Either a printed copy or a digital version on your mobile device, to avoid any issues at the entrance.

Remember to pack light, as you might need to go through security checks, and heavy, bulky items can be an inconvenience.

Do You Need a Passport for a Vatican Tour?

While the Vatican City is indeed a sovereign state, you do not need to present a passport to enter the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, or St. Peter’s Basilica .

However, you must have a valid ticket to enter the attractions inside the Vatican. It’s important to keep your ticket with you at all times during your visit, as security may ask to see it at any point. Be sure to have a form of government identification with you, just in case, especially if your ticket is for a reduced category – such as student or senior discounts – as you may need to prove your eligibility.

It’s always best to check with your tour operator for any specific requirements before your visit.

Jump to the bottom of the post looking for the best tour? No worries!

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Visiting the Vatican City is a must for anyone interested in history, art, or religion. With careful planning and preparation, you can make the most out of your visit and create unforgettable memories on your trip to Italy.

Remember to pack appropriately, have proper identification, and enjoy every moment of these unique Vatican city tours !

Hey there! I'm Emily Concannon, a seasoned globetrotter who has backpacked her way across over a dozen European countries, immersing myself in the diverse cultures, languages, and cuisines of the region.

My passion for travel transcends personal experiences; I've spent years learning how to transform my globetrotting knowledge into personalized itineraries for fellow travelers worldwide.

With a tally of 26 countries (and counting!) under my belt, my day job involves extensive research on different countries which often leads me to booking a new adventure every chance I get!

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Visiting the Vatican - Top tips you need to know!

By Elyssa Bernard

August 8, 2024

Planning on visiting the Vatican when you come to Rome?

Here's everything you need to know!

Visiting the Vatican - everything you need to know

Here is what you really need to know about visiting the Vatican:

• When to go ? (what time of year and time of day)
• What to see ? (St. Peters Basilica and the Vatican Museums, and much more!)
• Which should you visit first, the Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel) or Saint Peter's Basilica ?
• How to skip the lines for Saint Peter's Basilica ?
• How to get tickets/skip the line to the Vatican museums ?
• Can you just visit the Sistine Chapel ? 
• Can you see the Sistine Chapel without crowds ?
• How do you visit the Vatican Gardens ?
• How do you visit St Peter's tomb ?
• How to plan all your Vatican visits for your trip ?
• How to get to the Vatican ?
• Where to eat near the Vatican ?

The first time I came to Rome as an adult, I missed seeing the Sistine Chapel because I had no idea the Vatican Museums closed at 2pm (long before smartphones and Google, ahem.) 

It must have been a Free Sunday, when the Vatican Museums are open and free but with reduced hours.

Now that I live here, I go often to Saint Peter's Basilica , Saint Peter's Square , and the Vatican Museums .

I also helped thousands of our guests plan their visits in the 17 years we ran our B&B .

Based on years of first-hand experience, I know what to do and what not to do.

You can avoid a stressful visit to the Vatican by reading my tips first!

QUICK FACTS ABOUT VISITING VATICAN CITY

• You don't need a passport.
• Vatican City is a separate state from Italy, with just over 500 residents.
• The two main places to visit are Saint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums (where the Sistine Chapel is.)
• The pope is head of Vatican City.
• The pope's church is not Saint Peter's Basilica. It is Saint John in Lateran.
• You can visit the Vatican, and you can stay nearby, but you cannot sleep inside the Vatican.

Visiting the Vatican - When to go

• There really is no "best day" for visiting Vatican City, i.e. when there are fewer people. The Vatican is Rome's most popular tourist destination and is pretty much always busy. You might consider Tuesday or Thursday as your best bets. Dates around a weekend can be a bit busier, and on Wednesday there is (usually) the Papal Audience , meaning even more crowds.
• In the mornings, many tour groups show up, including those offering early skip-the-line access. Also, people in general come early to try to "beat the line," so you may find the Vatican Museums much more crowded in the early morning than you expect, and  slightly less crowded in mid-afternoon.
• St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums tend to be even more crowded on Saturdays, when Rome fills up with weekend visitors.
• The Vatican Museum is closed Sundays, except for the last Sunday of every month , when they are free . This is the most crowded day you can imagine for visiting the Vatican Museums .
• On Wednesdays (except for  July , when the pope generally takes a break), the pope holds an audience at St Peter's Basilica . In warmer months, it will be in Saint Peter's Square . In colder months, or if it's raining , it will be in an auditorium-type hall just to the left of the basilica. This means that the whole area will be packed due to all the people who attend the papal audience , many of whom visit the Vatican Museums after the audience.
• If you do visit Vatican City on a Wednesday, keep in mind that St Peter's Basilica will be closed until the papal audience is over (around 12-1pm.)
• As for time of year, winter low season months are best if you want to be more relaxed and find smaller crowds. This means most of December (except  December 8 , and Christmas through the Epiphany, January 6 ), January and February . Believe it or not, it's Vatican City is just as crowded between Christmas and January 6 as it is during summer .
• Here's  how and when to include visiting the Vatican in a 3-day itinerary in Rome .

IMPORTANT TIPS :

• To visit St Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, you must be properly dressed : no bare knees, midriffs or shoulders.
• Sandals and jeans are fine.
• Be careful when wearing knee-length shorts and skirts; the opinions of the Vatican guards as to what is acceptable may vary.
• You may wish to bring a scarf or sarong ,or wear the kinds of shorts that have attachable legs, such as hiking trousers .
• In a pinch, you will find plenty of vendors just outside the Vatican, who sell t-shirts or scarves.

No matter what season you visit Rome, here are 4 essential things we recommend never leaving home without:

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!

Visiting the Vatican - What to see?

The main things to see when visiting the Vatican are  Saint Peter’s Basilica  and the  Vatican Museums .

You can see one and not the other, although v isiting both in a single day is very do-able.

Looking for Michelangelo's masterpieces?

Michelangelo’s Pietà is inside Saint Peter's Basilica .

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican Museums .

Just try not to plan any other big visit like another museum or archeological site like the Colosseum  for the day you visit the Vatican, as you will be pretty exhausted.

Do you really want to visit the Vatican and Colosseum in one day? Here's how!

Or take the stress out of it by taking this "Rome in a Day" Tour with Vatican, Colosseum & Historic Center.

St Peter's Basilica

Saint Peter’s Basilica  is a Renaissance-era church and by many standards, the world’s largest. 

The Vatican is a basilica but not a cathedral, as it does not have its own bishop.

The main cathedral of the “Bishop of Rome”, as the pope is called, is San Giovanni in Laterano, or Saint John in Lateran .

But the pope is head of Vatican City , where he resides.

It's a little confusing isn't it?

Anyway, just think of the Vatican as a huge church, with a lot to see inside.

Click here to read more about what exactly the Vatican is.

Click here to visit my dedicated page all about Saint Peter's Basilica and its history, and things to see and do there.

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St Peter's Dome

It's worth  visiting the basilica's dome , but you should know it can get a little crowded up there, and there are a LOT of steps.

The first level is 231 steps, but there is an elevator option.

( Someone in a wheelchair or with walking difficulties can take the lift to this first level.)

The second portion is another 320 steps, with no elevator option.

The dome gets narrower as you go up, so you will be climbing this part single file, and with the roof slanting over your head.

I say this as someone with a close relative with vertigo: you may want to avoid climbing the dome at the Vatican if you suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia.

But if none of that is an issue, then do it!

You'll love the views from up there, both of the church and of the surrounding city.

Visit my dedicated page all about Saint Peter's dome and how to climb it.

Michelangelo’s Pieta

My favorite piece of art inside of  St Peter's Basilica  is Michelangelo’s Pietà .

Actually, it may be my favorite piece of art in the world.

An exaggeration?

I can't help it...just look at it:

It’s on your right as soon as you walk inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

When I visited it with my mom, she cried, saying “look at her face, it’s just about a mother’s love for her child."

Unfortunately, someone wielding an axe once attacked it, and it’s now behind glass.

But you can still see it very well.

And take note of Mary’s face.

It’s really special when you see it in person.

Michelangelo Tidbit :

This was one of Michelangelo’s first major works.

He made it when he was only 22.

He was not sure people would know he did it, so he snuck in late one night and carved his name (Michelangelo Buonarroti) on Mary’s sash.

The Pietà is the only sculpture Michelangelo ever signed (or needed to sign.)

Vatican Grottoes - The Tombs of the Popes

Inside Saint Peter's Basilica, you can go down one level and see the area where some of the popes are buried.

Saint Peter is said to be entombed just underneath the church .

This is why many popes are also buried here. 

It's quite interesting to visit the popes' tombs , called the Vatican Grottoes   - there is a lot of history down there.

Don't worry, it's not dark or claustrophobic.

On the contrary, it's a huge open space full of light and lots to see (no photos allowed.)

To visit the Vatican Grottoes, get up close to Bernini's Baldachin and look for the entrance nearby.

It's free to visit the Vatican Grottoes.

You should make sure you are done visiting the basilica or have a plan to go back up, because the normal route through the grottoes has you exit the basilica entirely.

Not to be confused with St. Peter's tomb

When people talk about visiting the Vatican grottoes, they are referring to a place where you can see the tombs of many popes (as I wrote above.)

But this is not the same as visiting the  Vatican Necropolis , where St. Peter is said to be buried.

A  visit to Saint Peter’s tomb , also referred to as a scavi  visit, is a special and wonderful thing to do, and I highly recommend it.

(" Scavi " means "excavations".)

It is a delicate archeological site, and they only take 250 people in per day, in 12-person tours at a time, so you must  book way in advance . (No photos allowed.)

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!

The Vatican Museums

The second major site to visit at the Vatican is the Vatican Museums.

This is the part about Vatican City that will take most of your time and energy.

The Vatican Museum contains the world’s largest private art collection (and just imagine that much of the art they own is not even on display!)

They are called "museums" and not just singular "museum" because the museums were started in 1506 and have been added to many times over the centuries.

They now occupy many different buildings all connected to on another.

That's one reason there is so much to see!

You will see a lot of art inside the Vatican Museums, including paintings, sculptures, ancient artifacts, and much more.

I think the number one thing people want to see when they visit is the Sistine Chapel.

For more about the Vatican Museums and Sistine chapel, visit my dedicated pages:

• Visiting the Sistine Chapel
• Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel
• Visiting the Vatican Museums
• Vatican Museums Must Sees
• Vatican Museums Tickets
• Vatican Museums Tours
• Vatican Secret Rooms

More things you will see at the Vatican:

Besides the two main sites - the museums (Sistine Chapel) and the basilica, there are more things you will see when you visit Vatican City.

Look for these as you walk around:

St. Peter's Square

It would be easy to take Saint Peter's Square, Piazza San Pietro in Italian, for granted.

After all, if you're beelining to get into the basilica, you might be focused on the security queues and wondering how long you will have to wait.

But St. Peter's Square, also called Vatican Square, is worth visiting and enjoying by itself.

It's the only part of Vatican City you can visit without any tickets or queuing.

If you have very limited time , you may even decide that this is about as much as you want to see of Vatican City, since everything else involves queues and/or tickets plus an involved visit inside.

Click here to visit my page all about St. Peter's Square, its history, and what to see.

The Swiss Guard

You might spy one or more of the Swiss Guard at the gate to Vatican City.

The Swiss Guard wear different outfits depending on their duties, but they are all dressed in costumes originally designed in the early 1500s (although not by Michelangelo, an urban myth.)

The Swiss Guard have a specific duty to guard the pope's life and Saint Peter's Basilica.

They are the world's smallest army and they are well trained.

You will not see the Swiss Guard at the Vatican Museums.

There, you will see Vatican Museums guards who dress in more modern attire.

The Leonine Walls

In the 9th century, Pope Leo IV had defensive walls built around Vatican City following the sacking by raiders of Old St. Peter's Basilica in 846.

You can still see those walls today in and around the Vatican, especially if you visit the Vatican Gardens .

You can also see parts of these walls surrounding Saint Peter's Square on the side where the security gates are, and along the way from the Vatican to nearby Castel Sant'Angelo .

Click here to read a more detailed yet brief history of the Vatican.

The Vatican Post Office

Don't miss a visit to the Vatican Post Office if you want to mail any postcards. 

It's easier and more efficient than going to the Italian Post Office, and your mail will get there faster!

There is also a Vatican mailbox up on the roof ( Saint Peter's Dome ), and usually another post office in Saint Peter's Square .

More sites you can visit in Vatican City

Besides Saint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, there are some more sites you can visit in Vatican City.

You have to pay for these (and for the scavi and gardens, you must book in advance.)

You will find more details about each one on their respective dedicated pages:

• Saint Peter's Tomb (Vatican Necropolis or Scavi )
• Saint Peter's Dome
• Vatican Gardens

Which to see first - The Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel, or St. Peter's Basilica?

If you book a tour of the Vatican, usually this means taking a guided tour of the Vatican Museums , which ends with the Sistine Chapel .

Some tours include taking the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel into St Peters Basilica.

There has been some back and forth recently about whether the shortcut is available or not, but as of 2024, it is once again the case that  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 Vatican can, and does, change their mind frequently on this matter, so if it is important to you to be able to take this shortcut, I recommend booking a tour that ends in St Peter's Basilica to be on the safe side.

If you are on a tour that ends in the Basilica the decision is made for you.

But if you are taking a Vatican Museums tour that does not include the Basilica, or if you are visiting the Vatican Museums on your own, you'll have to decide what order to visit the museums and the basilica in, assuming you want to visit both on the same day, which many people do.

How long does it take to visit the Vatican Museums?

To  visit the Vatican Museums  (where the Sistine Chapel is),  you need a purchase a ticket  (unless you  come on the Free Sunday .)

Once inside, even if you go quickly, you will need about 2 hours for this this visit.

If you are not able to take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to Saint Peter's basilica, you will exit the museums where you entered them.

This is about a 15-20 minute walk from Saint Peter's Square and the entrance to the basilica.

Click here to see a map of Vatican City and how far apart the entrances of the Museums and the Basilica are  (it opens in a new window.)

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.)

How long does it take to visit Saint Peter's Basilica?

A visit inside Saint Peter's Basilica could take anywhere from 1-2 hours, not including the time you spend in line waiting to go through security (assuming you go through security in the front and do not take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel.)

To visit Saint Peter's Basilica, you do not need (nor can you buy) tickets, as it's free to go inside.

But you do have to wait in the line for security, which is airport-style - there is an x-ray machine to put your items in and you will walk through a metal detector.

And that can cause the queues to get pretty long.

Lately, the lines to get into Saint Peter's Basilica have been so long, they are looping back again around the square.

Wondering which tour to take of the Vatican Museums?

Visit my page about Vatican Museum tours to find out all the options!

If you book a Vatican Museums tour that does not allow you access to the Basilica, and/or you want to visit the Basilica separately, even on a different day, I'd suggest getting to Saint Peter's Basilica when it opens at 7 AM (if you want to avoid the line).

The lines are longest from about 10 AM - 5 PM, and in high season can be long throughout the day, even from 7 AM until closing!

Skipping the lines at Saint Peter's Basilica

The easiest way to skip the lines at Saint Peter's Basilica is to visit it using the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel (which currently is only available on booked museum tours that end in Saint Peter's Basilica).

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.

If you only plan to visit Saint Peter's Basilica, and not the museums, or you decide to visit these two sites separately, you can avoid the queues by following the tips in my video above:

• Come when it opens at 7 AM
• Come in Low Season
• Book a visit to Saint Peter's tomb
• Use the Pilgrims' entrance - reserved for prayer or attending mass or confession

Wondering where the bathrooms are at the Vatican?

Find out here .

Brief History of Vatican City eBook

The history of the Vatican stretches back thousands of years, and to know everything about this incredible micro-state would take a lifetime to learn.

With this eBook, discover the brief history of Vatican City - where it got its name, who built the basilica, where the Popes are buried and more!

Topics covered include:

• Details about the Vatican's origin , going back to the time of Ancient Rome
• The role important artists such as Michelangelo played in the creation of the Vatican as we know it today 
• How the Vatican came to be an independent city state within the boundaries of Rome

What else is included in this Brief History of Vatican City e-book?

• 50+ pages of information covering all areas of the Vatican's history
• Dozens of stunning and original photos showcasing the Vatican
• Insightful diagrams and drawings to help illustrate the more detailed elements of the Vatican's history
• + much more!

Look inside:

Skipping the line to get into the Vatican Museums

This may be the number 1 question I get about visiting Rome - How to skip the line for the Vatican Museums?

It's quite simple:

• You can pre-purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums through the Vatican's website . This means that you will not have to stand in the line waiting to buy tickets. You will, however, have to wait in a very short line of others like you, who have pre-booked tickets and have to pick them up. (The tickets you purchase in advance are more of a voucher, and they must be converted into physical paper tickets to enter the museums.) You also still need to go through security as everyone does. So you do not entirely skip the line, but your line will be much shorter.
• You can pre-purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums through a ticket reseller . There is usually a small surcharge for this but it can be worth it due to 1) Ease of use and/or 2) the possibility of finding tickets available here when tickets are not available on the Vatican Museums' website.
• You can purchase an Omnia Pass  or Turbo Pass . These will also get you a tour with a guide from the Vatican Museums, as above. It’s not as simple as it sounds and you will need to be careful to understand what you are getting into. Click here to go to my page about the Roma Pass and Omnia Pass  or to this page about other Rome City Passes for more details about these passes.
• You can  book a tour of the Vatican Museums , either with a tour company or with the Vatican Museums themselves. Your entry tickets are included in the tour, so you only have to go through the security line.
• If you book a visit to the Vatican Gardens , skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums are included!
• I do not recommend this at all, but if you have not booked tickets, and they are sold out online, and you find yourself arriving at the Vatican Museums, you will ALWAYS find touts selling you a skip-the-line ticket or tour. I don't recommend it because you cannot be sure they are legit, and if they are, you have no idea what kind of tour you are getting. I also just can't stand, in principle, to be so bombarded by these guys every time I am within a mile of Vatican City. But it can be a good option if it's your last recourse and the lines are crazy long. Just be aware that  only licensed tour guides may give tours inside Vatican City .

Visiting the Vatican Museums with a Guide

Most Vatican City tourism consists primarily of a visit inside the Vatican Museums, which always includes  the Sistine Chapel .

Some tours also include a visit or even a tour inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

You may expect a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Basilica to last roughly three hours total.

To find out about the many different kinds of tours you can book, visit my page about Vatican Museum Tours , which breaks down your options between group tours, early access tours, semi-private tours and more.

Can you just see the Sistine Chapel?

No, you cannot just see the Sistine Chapel .

To see the Sistine Chapel , you must go through the entire Vatican Museums, which can take at least 2 hours if you tour it and see the highlights .

The Sistine Chapel is at the very end. 

That said, if you are interested in an "Express Tour" of the Sistine Chapel, you can book this tour that skips the line then beelines to the Sistine Chapel and finishes in Saint Peter's Basilica .

This tour is only 1 hour and 45 minutes and does not include a tour of the rest of the Vatican Museums.

You do still have to walk through them, but the focus of the tour will be the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica.

(If you are really pressed for time, you could peel off once you get to the basilica and just not finish the tour.)

is it worth taking the time to explore the museums?

I really do believe that visiting the Vatican museums  is absolutely worth doing in its entirety, even if you really only wanted to see the Sistine Chapel.

The  rest of the museums   are truly wonderful.

You have the Raphael rooms, the maps gallery, the floor-to-ceiling tapestries, papal apartments, Etruscan art, and  so much more.

Click here to visit my page about the top 10 Vatican Museums must-sees.

I highly suggest  taking a tour  to visit the museums. 

They will take care of getting your tickets.

But if you go your own without a tour, you could get the audio guide, or follow my instructions here for the best way to visit the Vatican Museums .

And you will have to book your tickets on your own .

If you are heading to the Vatican in the morning, as I said above, I suggest you visit Saint Peter’s Basilica first, and the museums later, because the queues for Saint Peter's Basilica have gotten so long (sometimes it's a 1-2 hour wait to get in!)

If you decide to go to the Vatican Museums first, just make sure to leave enough time to stand in line to visit Saint Peter's so that you get inside while there is still some daylight, so you can enjoy the sun coming through all the stained glass.

Here's a great Vatican Highlights Tour with St. Peter’s Dome Climb .

Can you see the Sistine Chapel without the crowds?

Perhaps the easiest way to see the Sistine Chapel with fewer crowds is to come in really low season .

But we hardly have a low season anymore in Rome, and even when we do, somehow the Vatican is always still crowded.

So how can you see the Sistine Chapel without the crowds?

It is possible!

With the below tours, you will have a VIP, exclusive experience, and you'll get to enjoy the Sistine Chapel almost alone :

Open the Vatican Museums with the Key Master

On this exclusive tour with Walks of Italy , you will have true VIP access to the Vatican museums - literally accompanying the guard who opens all the doors to get the museums ready for visits.

You will accompany the Vatican Museums Key Master as you walk through the museums, turning on the lights, even inside the Sistine Chapel!

Watch my video to see what it's like:

How to plan all your Vatican trips during your stay

The typical way of visiting the Vatican is to spend half a day seeing the  Vatican Museums  and  Saint Peter's Basilica .

These are both easy to fit into a typical  3-day visit to Rome .

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 .

I have found that often when people can get tickets to special things at the Vatican, like St Peters tomb (the Vatican Necropolis, or scavi), the Papal Audience, or the Vatican Gardens, they often want to also visit the Vatican Museums on the same day.

Here's my advice for visiting Vatican City when you want to see more than just the Vatican Museums:

Including the Papal Audience

How to visit the vatican museums and attend the papal audience.

Papal Audience tickets  are not difficult to come by, and since it's "in the morning", many visitors assume it would be a good idea to go to the Vatican Museums right after the audience.

I don't agree.

If you are really short on time, then, you CAN go to the Vatican Museums after the Papal Audience.

It's just that this is going to make for a pretty exhausting day.

To go to the Papal audience, you need to get there by 8am to get a decent spot, let alone a seat.

The audience begins around 9:30 AM and finishes around noon.

You'll probably want to grab at least a snack or lunch somewhere in there .

This means going inside the museums from about 2 PM once you have made your way to the Vatican Museum entrance.

If you also visit St. Peter's Basilica after the museums (which is typical), that is a 3-4 hour visit.

And a very long day.

(Also, if you want to climb the dome , you likely won't get there in time.)

My suggestion?

If you can break these visits up over two days, I would.

Attend the Papal Audience and then go inside Saint Peter's Basilica (and climb the dome if you want.)

Then on a separate day, visit the Vatican Museums and see the Sistine Chapel.

Including a visit to the Scavi (St Peter's tomb)

How to visit the vatican museums and also take a scavi tour.

At the end of the  scavi  tour (St. Peter's tomb), you wind up inside  Saint Peter's basilica .

So you will already see that.

You could also  climb St. Peter's dome  if you have time and energy.

Visiting the Vatican Museums takes easily 2.5 - 3 hours, and that does not include the time it takes GETTING there once you leave the basilica.

If you are coming to the museums from St. Peter's basilica, you need to factor in about 15-20 minutes' walk to the Vatican museums entrance.

This is after you've already done a 1.5 hour scavi tour, and spent time walking around one of the largest churches in the world.

So as you can see, adding the Vatican Museums makes it a pretty exhausting day.

If you need to do it all in one day, make sure to book your scavi tour first, then book your museums visit with at least 4 hours between visits.

Break this up over two days.

Book the scavi tour.

You have no control over when they will grant you tickets, so if you are lucky enough to get them, you can then book other things around that. 

Plan to see St. Peter's basilica (and climb the dome) on this day.

Then, book your Vatican Museums visit for another day. 

HOW TO VISIT ST PETERS TOMB, THE VATICAN MUSEUMS (SISTINE CHAPEL), AND ATTEND THE PAPAL AUDIENCE

You are definitely going to need two days.

First book the scavi visit  which is never on a Wednesday mornings anyway (the Papal Audience is on Wednesdays.)

Plan to  visit St Peter's Basilica  after that, since you will come out into the basilica after the tour anyway.

If you want to  climb St Peter's dome , you will do it on this day.

This is a pretty long and full day by itself.

Then, once you get your  Papal Audience tickets , book your tickets or tour of the Vatican Museums for after the audience (even if I said above I discourage doing all this in one day, at least if you don't include the basilica it's a little less tiring).

This will be a very full and long day also.

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Including a visit to the Vatican Gardens

If you want to visit the vatican gardens and visit the scavi (st. peter's tomb).

TWO Vatican Gardens

On this page, I'm referring to the gardens inside Vatican City , i.e. directly behind Saint Peter's Basilica.

There are ALSO papal gardens at the Pope's summer residence, the Apostolic palace at Castel Gandolfo.

To learn more about the gardens at Castel Gandolfo and how to visit them (it's easy!), visit my dedicated page here.

If you are able to get tickets to St. Peter's tomb ( scavi ) and also the Vatican Gardens , congratulations!

Here's how to include visiting the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's basilica as well.

First book the scavi visit .

Then book the Vatican Gardens tour on a different day, and plan to visit the Vatican Museums right after the gardens, as it's included in your ticket price with the gardens.

Visit St. Peter's Basilica after the scavi, again, on a different day from the Gardens/Museums.

If you want to do it all - visit the Vatican Museums, vatican gardens, papal audience, scavi tour and st peter's basilica and dome

How you plan your days fitting in these visits will depend on two things - the Papal audience , which is always Wednesday morning 10am - 12pm (although you need to get there by no later than 8am); and the time of your scavi booking (which depends on the scavi office - you cannot control this).

Once you get those two bookings, the next difficult booking to get is for the Vatican Gardens . 

So book that one around the Papal Audience and scavi tour.

Note that tours of the Vatican Gardens are at 9am or 11am.

They are also not held on the morning of the Papal Audience.

I'd suggest you spread this over 3 days.

Or, to fit this into two (intense) days, try to do the scavi tour after the Papal audience, if you can get scavi tickets for the afternoon.

Then book the Vatican Gardens, Vatican Museums , and St. Peter's Basilica on a separate day.

(And climb St. Peter's dome once you are inside St. Peter's basilica if you like.)

How to Get to Vatican City

You have several options for how to get to the Vatican.

But the most important factor to consider is what you are visiting first.

Click here to see a Google map showing where the different entrances are for the Vatican Museums, Saint Peter's Square, and the scavi entrance .

It will open in a new window.

How to get to the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums entrance is on Viale Vaticano .

If you plan to take a taxi , just tell the driver "Vatican Museums".

Visiting the Vatican Museums and arriving by Metro

Otherwise, the most common way to get there is by Metro.

Rome's metro red line A has two stops, equidistant from the entrance to the museums (about a 10-12 minute walk): Ottaviano and Cipro.

The Ottaviano metro stop is the first one you will come to if you are coming from Rome's center.

When you emerge from the metro station, you just need to follow the crowd towards Vatican City.

Once you see Michelangelo's bastions (walls), follow them to the right and you will come to the entrance of the Vatican Museums.

If you are visiting the Vatican museums from the opposite direction, or if you forget to get off at Ottaviano, or, better yet, if you want to get off at the next stop to get some fabulous pizza by the slice from Bonci's Pizzarium, then you will get off at Cipro stop. 

However, from this stop, you cannot see the same stream of people, nor can you immediately see the Vatican City walls, so you will need to navigate a little bit to find the walls.

Once you see the walls, follow them until you come to the entrance.

Visiting the Vatican Museums and Arriving by Bus

Another option for arriving at the entrance of the Vatican museums is to take a bus or buses.

Many buses will get you pretty close to the entrance of the Vatican museums.

These include the 492, 49, 23, and the 81.

How to Get to Saint Peter's Basilica and Square

The entrance to St. Peter's Basilica is on Saint Peter's Square .

This is about a 15-20 minute walk from the Vatican Museums, so if you are not visiting the Vatican Museums (or not visiting them first), and want to go directly to the basilica, you can still take the metro, but make sure to get off at Ottaviano, not Cipro.

From Ottaviano metro stop, St. Peter's Square is about a 10-15 minute walk .

Follow the crowds, but at the walls, do not make a right towards the museums, just keep going straight. 

Buses that arrive closest to St. Peter's Square include the 40 and the 64.

How to get to the Scavi/St Peter's Tomb

If you are visiting the Vatican for an appointment to see St. Peter's tomb, the fastest and easiest way to arrive is by taxi .

They can drop you right in front of the entrance where you need to go, which is at the Swiss Guard, to the left of the basilica as you face it.

If you take a bus, get the 64, as it drops you about a block away.

To take the metro , make sure to get off at Ottaviano, and give yourself about 20 minutes' walking time from there to get the the entrance of St. Peter's tomb.

Where to Eat Near the Vatican

There is no place to eat inside St Peter's Basilica or in St Peter's Square (there is a tiny snack bar on the roof of the basilica, which you can only access if you climb the dome .)

There are some cafés and fast-food options inside the Vatican Museums.

There are also fun dining options you can book, and combine with your visit to the Museums.

Otherwise, visit my page about lots of options for eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and aperitivo near the Vatican . 

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• City Rome Tours

Vatican City Tours

Our Vatican City Tours in Rome offer a once in a lifetime experience to make sure you have an unforgettable time whilst visiting the smallest country in the world! Explore the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica and much more with our expert passionate Tour Guides to discover the unique masterpieces and sublime artworks.

Enjoy the Vatican experience with us!

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Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Go to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel on a private 3-hour guided tour of Rome and marvel at art by Michelangelo in the Basilica of St. Peter’s. See masterpieces by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Pinturicchio, Perugino and more.

Private Vatican Night Tour

Get the chance to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in the evening with a private guide. Skip the lines and learn all you need to know about the smallest independent state in the world!

Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel Small Group Tour

Experience Best selling Tour for The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Our Vatican tours offer first-hand experience of unique masterpieces in a no more than 20 people small group.

Vatican at Night VIP Tour

Be among the few to enter the Vatican in the evening with this small group tour. Skip the lines at the Vatican Museums, learn all about the Sistine Chapel.

Papal Audience with Vatican Museums Tour & Lunch

Spend an unforgettable day in the Vatican City and enjoy an audience with the Pope before savoring a delicious 3-course lunch and discovering the marvels of the Vatican Museums,Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

Rome Full-Day Tour with Vatican City

The VIP guided tour ensures fast entry into the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and other attractions while driving through the City in a luxury van.

Full Vatican and Colosseum 2-in-1 Skip-the-Line Tickets

Skip the long lines to the Vatican and Colosseum on a combined Tickets. See miraculous art from the papal collections in the Vatican Museums,Sistine Chapel and St.Peter’s Basilica. Follow in the footsteps of Roman emperors at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Fast-Track Admission

Skip the long lines at the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with exclusive no-wait access. Visit at your own pace the best of the papal art collections along with the breathtaking Sistine Chapel.

Guided tours of the Vatican City are a great opportunity to explore this small independent state and learn about its history, art and culture. There are several options available for touring the Vatican City, depending on your interests and the time you have available.

Some of the things you may see on a guided tour of Vatican City include:

• St. Peter's Basilica : the biggest and most famous basilica in the world, housing the tombs of many popes and the Vatican treasury.
• The Vatican Museum : One of the largest and most important museums in the world, housing a unique collection of art and historical treasures.
• The Sistine Chapel : one of the most famous rooms in the Vatican City, which houses Michelangelo's famous fresco of the "Creation of Adam".
• Guided tours of the Vatican City usually last around 3 hours and include skip-the-line entry, meaning you'll be able to avoid the long lines at the attractions' entrances.
• Private Guided Tours of the Vatican can include customized itineraries and sites which are normally not included with group tours, such as the Vatican Gardens.

What are skip-the-line tickets for Vatican guided tours?

Skip-the-line tickets for Vatican guided tours  give you the chance to avoid the long lines at the entrance to Vatican City attractions, such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

With these tickets, you will be able to access the attractions in a priority way , skipping the line and saving precious time during your visit. When purchasing a guided tour, priority entrance tickets are always included so you will not have to worry about making a second purchase or finding tickets that match your guided tour time.

Keep in mind that some Vatican City attractions, such as St. Peter’s Basilica may close without notice due to religious celebrations. In these cases we will contact you to best find alternative options. It is also important to respect the dress code while visiting the Vatican.

I have heard there’s a dress code in the Vatican, is it true?

The Vatican is a religious site. Strict dress codes apply for both men and women. While visiting the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica all tourists are asked to have their shoulders and knees covered. Mediterranean summers temperatures can be hot, but make sure if you wear shorts, dresses or skirts fall below the kneecaps. We recommend bringing a light scarf to cover yourself when it is required. The Vatican guards can refuse your entry, so please adhere to the guidelines.

Where do we meet our Tour Guide?

All information, including the map showing you exactly where to meet your guide along with the directions and time, will be sent to you via your email booking confirmation.

Are the attractions in the Vatican suitable for disabled visitors?

There is limited wheelchair access to some sites. We may be able to accommodate you by creating a special private tour for you and your loved ones. Please contact us to help you arrange that.

Who is eligible for discounted or free entry?

Children under 6 years old and visitors in possess of a disability card showing more than 76% have right to a free ticket. Children between the age of 6 and 18 and students under the age of 25 with a valid student have a discounted entrance ticket.

I purchased fast-track entrance tickets and would like to join a guided tour, is that possible?

Of course! Please contact us so we can arrange a tour that matches the time of your pre-booked tickets.

I would like to book a guided but I can't seem to find the language I need

Please reach out to us if you need a Tour Guide in your language that you cannot find on our website.

I purchased fast-track entrance tickets , can i go directly to the venue with my booking?

All our clients should follow the instructions on their booking voucher and meet our staff before entering the museums. You will be accompanied by one of our staff to the entrance. This is to ensure that you pass properly the security check and receive your entrance tickets.  

Can I take pictures at the Vatican Museums?

Throughout most of the galleries in the Museums and in St. Peter’s Basilica it is possible to take photographs. However, while visiting the Sistine Chapel photography is strictly prohibited.

I have booked the wrong date/time can I change or cancel?

Please reach out to us at [email protected] for any queries regarding an existing booking.

I have purchased Vatican Skip the line tickets, but I also would like to visit the Basilica. Is that possible?

Yes, St. Peter's Basilica is accessible to everyone from St. Peter's Square and is free of charge. If you have purchased a guided tour, a fast-track entrance to ST. Peter's Basilica is included at the end of your tour.

Can I bring food and drink inside the Vatican ?

Although you are allowed to carry food and drinks with you, it is prohibited to eat inside the Vatican galleries and Sistine Chapel.

I do not want to visit the Museums but would like to see the Sistine Chapel, is there a different kind f ticket I should purchase?

The Sistine Chapel is located at the very end of the Vatican Museums, therefor it is impossible to entirley skip the museums but there are shorter itineraries to make your visit quicker. If you would like to purchase a Private Tour please let us know you needs and we will make sure to arrange the itinerary that works best for you.

Copyright 2017 Around City Time. All Rights Reserved.

Rome in a Day Tour: Including Vatican, Colosseum & Historic Center

• See all the top sights of Rome, including the Vatican Museums, Colosseum and historic center (Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona).
• With a carefully planned walking tour itinerary, we've taken care of all the details for a fun, hassle-free day.
• Enjoy swift entrance at the Colosseum and Vatican so you can spend less time waiting and more time exploring.
• Take the only group tour in Rome combining tickets for the Colosseum and Vatican with private transfer to the latter.

Tour description

Check all of rome's most unmissable attractions off your list in just one day..

As the famous saying goes, a lifetime isn't enough for Rome. But if you're eager to experience the most iconic sites in the city in a shorter amount of time, this Rome in a Day tour is calling your name. From the Colosseum to the Vatican—not to mention the countless must-sees in the historic center—we've crafted the perfect itinerary to ensure you see and do it all in one unforgettable day. The best way to see Rome is on foot, so get ready to do a lot of walking!

Discover history and art in the historic center on a walking tour.

Your Rome in a Day tour begins in one of Rome's most beautiful squares, Piazza Navona, home to Bernini's Fountain of Four Rivers. Your guided stroll through the historical center of the city continues past the Pantheon: a 1,900-year-old temple that has inspired countless buildings around the world throughout the centuries, including the U.S. Capitol.

You’ll also explore the most idyllic side of the Eternal City, the Rome of Audrey Hepburn and Federico Fellini, bursting with piazzas and fountains, gelato and photo ops. That includes the world-famous Trevi Fountain, where Fellini’s lovers cavorted in La Dolce Vita. The morning finishes at Piazza Venezia where you'll admire an impressive monument affectionately nicknamed "the wedding cake" by locals. You'll break for lunch, and even though it isn't included in the tour price, your guide will share recommendations for every taste and budget.

Explore the Colosseum with an expert guide.

After lunch, you'll reconvene with your guide and small group and walk to an overlook of the Roman Forum. Your knowledgeable guide will set the scene, introducing you to the ancient city and pointing out various attractions that you'll visit later on.

From there, you'll take advantage of express access Colosseum tickets to step into the iconic amphitheater for an insightful Colosseum tour of all the general access areas on the first and second tiers. Since there are never more than 18 people in the group, this is a unique opportunity to interact with your guide and learn about this spectacular structure in a way that's just not possible on your own.

See the best of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, with private transportation from central Rome.

Following your Colosseum tour, our Rome in a Day tour continues aboard a comfortable private minibus for a seamless transfer across the river to the Vatican.

Pre-reserved skip-the-line tickets allow you to avoid the extremely long wait to enter the Vatican Museums so you can get right into the highlights of the collection with your guide. Our specially designed itinerary showcases the very best of the nine miles of art and antiquities to make sure you're engaged and entertained throughout, while not missing any of the gems of the collection such as the Apollo Belvedere, Laocoon and His Sons, and Raphael Rooms.

You’ll end your full day tour of Rome in the Sistine Chapel. After we part ways, you can choose to spend more time in the Vatican Museums, soaking up the history and art surrounding you.

If you only have a short period of time to see the absolute best that Rome has to offer, our Rome in a Day tour is the perfect way to maximize your time and experience the wonders of the city in the company of an expert local guide and small group of fellow travelers.

Please note that this description is an example and your experience may vary depending on the season, day of the week, and group size. Regardless of where your tour goes, you always have an excellent experience.

Sites visited

Verified guest reviews, aug 11, 2024.

Guide was able to explain in English well. Mauro was well worth . He spoke through out and was able to answer all questions of tourists. I was little disappointed on food . I thought food was part of your as days in booking but we ended paying for 4 people in group. And restaurant we stopped was terrible

Aug 10, 2024

Our tour guide was brilliant he def made the whole experience better we could not of asked for a better tour guide.

Jul 31, 2024

Sev was a an incredibly good tour guide and made the experience great. I have already recommended the Rome day walking tour to several others.

Jul 30, 2024

The tour guide was amazing. She was very knowledgeable. Great tour!

Jul 28, 2024

The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the history and do their best to make it as great of a tour as possible!

Know before you book

Similar tours, welcome to rome: city stroll with gelato tasting, best of rome walking tour with quick access roman forum & palatine hill, colosseum arena floor & vip caesar's palace super sites tour.

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Vatican City Tour

The key facts, private tour.

Daily at 9.00am & 1.30pm *

* These are the times that are bookable instantly from our website. To request a different departure time, please send us a request via the Request a Quote  page. 

Semi-Private Tour

Daily at 1.30pm

Group Sizes:

Private tour: 1-10 people **.

** For groups larger than 10 people, please send us a request via the  Request a Quote  page. 

Semi-Private Tour: 2-6 people

Duration: 3.5 hours.

• Visit the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica with an expert guide.
• Come face to face with the masterpieces of Michelangelo, Raphael and more of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.
• See all the major attractions of the Vatican in a comprehensive tour.
• Skip-the-lines access to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica.
• See additional galleries not included in most Vatican Museums tours, including the Raphael Rooms.
• Experience the wonder of standing in the Sistine Chapel beneath Michelangelo’s ceiling and facing his “Last Supper” fresco.
• Gaze in awe at the splendours of St Peter’s Basilica, the most important church in Catholicism.
• Be moved by Michelangelo’s “Pietà” in St Peter’s Basilica.

Learn the amazing history behind the construction of St Peter’s Basilica, including its symbolic design and the history of its construction.

• Bookable as a private tour, or you can join a handful of other people in a semi-private tour of only 6 people maximum.

YOUR FULL TOUR

Description.

When you join us for a tour of the Vatican City, you can rest assured that you’re getting the very best in local art and history knowledge. The last thing you want is to travel all the way to Rome, only to miss an important masterpiece!

Your guide will talk you through the masterpieces of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art as well as the important sculptures of ancient Rome. Helping you to make sense of the sheer volume of paintings, mosaics, statues and artefacts in these expansive rooms, your tour guide will explain each item’s place in the rich tapestry of Vatican City history.

Not only are they beautiful to look at, each masterpiece has its own story to tell – your   Vatican tour guide will tell you the story behind the paintings, the meanings behind them and why they are so renowned across the globe.

The Sistine Chapel is a vision of beauty and history. One of the many highlights of your Vatican tour will be its gorgeous architecture and mind-blowing decorations. Your tour guide will tell you all about the paintings of Michelangelo (yes, he spent 8 years of his life painting here!) and his predecessors, who covered every inch of these walls and ceilings.

You’ll hear about the history of the period, including the difficulties encountered between the patron, Pope Julius II, and Michelangelo. It is this attention to detail that makes Real Rome Tours stand out from the pack.

In the Vatican Museum, your Real Rome Tours guide will take you on a highlights tour of the most interesting artefacts, sculptures and artwork that have great stories and scandals behind them.

During the Vatican Museums portion of the tour, you’ll get to visit the picturesque Vatican garden, Cortile della Pigna. Your local guide will take you to the most interesting galleries within the museums – the Rotunda, Gallery of Tapestries and Gallery of Maps.

Each of these rooms contain ornate ceilings with the walls decorated with ancient statues, frescoes and tapestries. Your guide will point out a few tricks used by the artists,which will enhance your appreciation of their works of art, as well as their sense of humour.

Of course, the greatest gem of the Vatican collection is not a painting on any wall, but an entire ceiling and wall completely frescoed by the greatest genius of the Renaissance period – Michelangelo Buonarotti.

From the Creation of Adam to the Last Judgement, Michelangelo dedicated some of his greatest years to the Sistine Chapel, working day and night – even sleeping in the chapel – to satisfy the popes of Rome.

He also expressed his frustration with his employers with jokes hidden in his work, which only he would understand – today these have been uncovered and understood and your guide will explain these to you so you too can share in Michelangelo’s private jokes.

Next on your Vatican City tour are The Raphael Rooms. These four rooms were part of the Papal palace, painted by Michelangelo’s contemporary and greatest rival, Raphael Sanzio.

Art lovers cannot afford to miss this short detour from the museums to stand in front of entire walls frescoed by the hands of this Renaissance genius! You can almost feel the rivalry and competition seeping from the walls themselves. The School of Athens is a masterpiece not to be missed! 

Last, but certainly not least in your Vatican City tour is a visit to St Peter’s Basilica. No Vatican City tour would be complete without visiting the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. Michelangelo’s great dome is something that you have to see in real life.

Pictures cannot do it justice or portray the sheer magnitude of it. Your local, expert tour guide will explain to you the fascinating history of its conception, location on the Vatican Hill, design, architecture and symbolism.

The Basilica features several chapels and contains numerous statues and mosaic works of importance. Your guide will point out the most important, and leave you with time to look around by yourself. The Pietà, one of Michelangelo’s most well-known religious sculptures, is among the highlights of this part of your visit.

There is something mesmerising about the intricate nature of the ancient buildings in Rome and none so much as St Peter’s Basilica, the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. Standing beneath Michelangelo’s great dome, you cannot help but feel somewhat humbled by the expansive surroundings. Get up close and personal with this great wonder in our guided tour of the Vatican St Peter’s Basilica.

Built over St. Peter’s tomb, the Basilica took more than 120 years to complete and is one of the most important sites in Christianity. During your St Peter’s Basilica tour our local, expert tour guide will explain to you the fascinating history of its conception, location on the Vatican Hill, design, architecture and symbolism.

Tour Gallery

Visiting Vatican City in Rome – An Easy and Complete Guide

One of the most popular landmarks in Rome , visiting the Vatican City is a priority for most first-time travelers. The world’s smallest state, it’s located in the heart of the Italian capital and has been shrouded in mystery since its very inception. Small but boasting an overwhelming wealth of artwork, undertaking a complete tour of Vatican City can be intimidating.

Here is an extensive and complete guide to the Holy See, what to visit, opening hours, how to get there, how and where to buy the tickets and how to skip the lines. All are peppered with tales and anecdotes about what has been going on in the Vatican for centuries.

INSIDER’S TIP: Do you want to dig deeper into Christianity’s most important place? Check out the current prices for Take Walks’  private t our to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Crypt, and the Dome, and that will also make you skip the line .

Table of Contents

What to see and do in the Vatican in Rome

Visit saint peter’s basilica and crypt.

The main and most famous landmark in the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica is also one of the first places you will probably visit and one of the most famous churches in Rome .

Packed with artwork and boasting a fascinating history, here you can also visit several popes’ tombs. It’s roughly 190 meters long and can accommodate approximately 20,000 people.

Entrance is free of charge and very likely you will need to queue to enter. More so in the high seasons, mainly summer and close to Christmas. You will need to go through the metal detector and a police check but it goes pretty quickly. In summer, make sure you have a bottle of water, a hat and some sunscreen.

Admission: Free, audio guides can be rented at the entrance Cameras: Allowed, no flash Dress code: Modest, shoulders covered, no mini-skirts, no shorts that are too short, both men and women Visiting hours: The Basilica is open every day 7 am-7 pm from April to September, 7 am-6 pm from October to March Location: Piazza San Pietro, inside the Vatican City How to get to St. Peter’s Basilica:  The nearest metro station is Ottaviano, line A (red). Buses that get close are 64 and 40 from Termini Station which goes through the main places in the city center. The nearest train station is Stazione Roma San Pietro in Piazza della Stazione di San Pietro, some 15 minutes walking from the Vatican or two stops with the 64 bus.

READ MORE: To know more, check out our article on the most interesting facts about St. Peter’s Basilica and what you need to know to visit.

Go down to Saint Peter’s Tomb and ancient Roman Cemetery

When visiting Vatican City, trust me, you don’t want to miss this. Located underneath the main basilica, some 11 meters beneath today’s street level, there is Nero’s Circus where Saint Peter Apostle was martyred and next to it an ancient Roman cemetery .

To visit this ancient graveyard, you need to book in advance by getting in touch with the Ufficio Scavi (Excavations Office). This is hands-down one of the most beguiling places you can visit in the Vatican and one of Rome’s top archaeological sites but you can only book via the official website. Otherwise, you can also book a tour with a certified professional guide to visit the grottoes below the Renaissance basilica.

Admission:  13€ per person includes a guide from the Vatican Cameras: Not allowed to take pictures in the ancient necropolis. Dress code: Modest, it’s still a graveyard and where is Saint Peter’s tomb. Men should wear long trousers, women long skirts or trousers, all covering the shoulders. Visiting hours: The Ufficio Scavi is open every day except Sunday and holidays 9 am-5 pm. The last entry is at 3.30 pm (4.15 pm from April through September). How to book: By fax (+39 06 69873017) or directly at the ticket booth on the left side of Bernini’s Colonnade. You can also try to book before you arrive by email writing to [email protected] or [email protected]. The booking must be made directly by the person who is actually taking part in the tour, if someone else books for you, they need to provide your details. In order to book, these are the required info: – Exact number of participants; – Names of the participants; – Language required during the visit; – Range of available days (month to be written in letters), the ticket office can arrange your visit, timings decided by the office; – The way you would like to be reached (email, fax, phone, house address). Location: Piazza San Pietro, entrance on the left of the Colonnade, access from Via Paolo VI. How to access the visit: Visitors need to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the arranged visit time. Show the Swiss Guards the confirmation of your booking or the email received from the Ufficio Scavi with the time of your visit. Items not allowed items: large bags, backpacks, and cameras. A deposit area free of charge for these objects is available to the right of the façade of the Basilica on the ground floor level of the Basilica’s premises. How to get there:  The nearest metro station is Ottaviano, line A (red). Buses that get close are 64 and 40 from Termini Station which goes through the main places in the city center. The nearest train station is Stazione Roma San Pietro in Piazza della Stazione di San Pietro, some 15 minutes walking from the Vatican or two stops with the 64 bus.

Climb Saint Peter’s Dome (Cupola di San Pietro)

The dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica stands 136 meters tall and can be spotted from afar, making it always an iconic photography subject.

Once you visit the basilica, you have the option to climb up to its Cupola (Dome) and enjoy a breathtaking view of the city center. You can go either with the lift from the ground level to the terrace or climb all the way up (551 steps).

Even if you take the lift, you still need to walk 320 narrow steps to the top of the Dome because the lift gets only to the terrace. Here, you will find toilets and a cafeteria to freshen up and refuel before enjoying a view of the interior of the basilica. If you feel like it, climb the extra 320 steps and go to the top to admire the astonishing view of the city and St. Peter’s Piazza.

Admission fee: 8€ with the lift and then you climb 320 steps or 6€ all the way up to 551 steps. Camera: allowed without extra charge. Opening hours: Every day from 7.30 am to 6 pm April through September; from 7.30 am to 5 pm October through March. The last admission for climbing on foot is an hour before closing time. Note : I recommend you not to do the 331 narrow stairs if you are not in good shape, scared of heights, or have heart issues because once you start the stairs, you will have to go all the way to the top of the dome. Location: Piazza San Pietro, inside Vatican City. The entrance is at the portico of the Basilica How to get to St. Peter’s Basilica: The nearest metro station is Ottaviano, line A (red). Buses that get close are 64 and 40 from Termini Station which goes through the main places in the city center. The nearest train station is Stazione Roma San Pietro in Piazza della Stazione di San Pietro, some 15 minutes walking from the Vatican or two stops with the 64 bus.

READ MORE: To delve deeper into the Holy See’s history and art, check out our guide to the best tours to the Vatican .

Visit Saint Peter’s Square

Saint Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro) is an astonishing 17th-century piazza designed by Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini between 1656 and 1667 under the rule of Pope Alexander VII.

One of the most famous squares in Italy , the piazza is huge: 320 meters deep, 240 meters in diameter and surrounded by four rows of 284 columns and 88 pillars. The impressive balustrade garnishing the columns is crowned all along by 140 3.20-meter-tall statues representing the saints, completed around 1670 by Bernini’s pupils.

Right in the middle of the elliptic part of the piazza stands tall an ancient Roman obelisk dating back to the first century BC. Originally, the obelisk was in the Circus of Caligula where the martyrdom of Peter took place and where the basilica was built, and it was moved by Domenico Fontana in 1585 at the behest of Pope Sixtus V.

Located on the sides of the central obelisk are two fountains, one by Bernini (1675) and one by Maderno (1614), while at the bottom of the wide staircase, there are the statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul as if to welcome pilgrims and worshippers.

From the piazza, you can better admire the beautiful facade of the basilica, a masterpiece of Italian architect Carlo Maderno who built it in 1614.

114.69 meters wide and 48 meters tall, the facade displays a series of columns and Corinthian lesenes on which a massive frame is crowned by thirteen 6-meter-tall sculptures with the Redeemer in the middle and an inscription to acknowledge that the work had been made under the rule of Pope Paul V Borghese.

The lower part counts five entrances on top of which are nine windows, three complete with balconies. The window in the middle is the so-called “Loggia of the Blessings”, from where the pope grants the Urbi et Orbi blessing right after his nomination and for the celebrations of Christmas and Easter.

Admission: Free. Address: Piazza San Pietro. How to get there: Bus 64 from Termini (stop in front of Borgo Santo Spirito Hospital then walk down Via della Conciliazione), Stazione San Pietro train station then bus 64 for two stops, Ottaviano metro station, tram 19 (stop at Piazza Risorgimento).

Visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel

Visiting the Vatican City is by no means complete without a tour of the Vatican Museums . On display are some five centuries of artwork commissioned by the popes or received as gifts from kings, presidents, and leaders from all over the world.

Within the Vatican Museums, there are many important monuments such as the Chapel of Beato Angelico, sometimes spelled Fra Angelico, Raphael’s Loggia, the Borgia Apartments, and the world-famous Sistine Chapel, ordered by Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere. Here you will admire Michelangelo’s fresco all over the ceiling realized between 1508 and 1512, and his stunning Universal Judgement painting on the main wall completed between 1536 and 1541.

The Vatican Museums get super crowded. If you want to fully enjoy the artworks and the Sistine Chapel in silence and take your time, you should book a private tour . For early birds, Take Walks organizes a great tour early morning with access to the museums before opening hours, while if you don’t feel like waking up too early, you can take part in their tour to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel where you can skip the line or their fascinating night tour to the museums and the Sistine Chapel after closing time .

Admission fee: 20€ for adults, 8€ for children (6 to 18 years old), 8€ for students (19 to 26 years old). If you book online to skip the link, there is an extra 5€. Audio guides can be rented at the entrance. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9 am-6 pm (last entrance 4 pm). From January 1st, 2024, visiting time will be from 8 am to 7 pm, adding two extra hours. From the beginning of March, on Fridays and Saturdays, the museums will be open until 8 pm. On Sundays, the Vatican Museums are closed except the last Sunday of the month, when they can be visited free of charge from 9 am to 2 pm (last entrance 12.30 pm). Photos:  Allowed in the Museums but not in the Sistine Chapel. Address:  Viale Vaticano. How to get there: Metro stations Cipro-Musei Vaticani or Ottaviano  (line A). Bus 49 (stop in front of the museum’s square), 32/81/982 (stop in Piazza Risorgimento), 492/990 (stop in Via Leone IV and Via degli Scipioni). Tram 19 stops in Piazza Risorgimento. Contacts: Phone numbers +39 06 6988 4676; +39 06 6988 3145. Email [email protected]; help desk for online booking [email protected]

See the Vatican Gardens

If you are thinking about visiting Vatican City, do reserve some time for the beautiful gardens. Vatican Gardens have been a place of peace and meditation for the popes since 1279 when Nicholas III (Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, 1277-1280) moved his residence back here from the Lateran Palace. Larger and more recent gardens have been planted, covering, together with the original garden, about half of the 44 hectares of Vatican City State.

The Vatican Gardens can be visited only through guided tours organized by the Guided Tours of Vatican Museums. Tours depart from the Vatican Museums.

Admission fee: From 32€ depending on the tour. Opening hours:  Daily except for Wednesdays and Sundays. How to book: Tours of the Vatican Gardens are available in English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German. You can request another language when booking. Bookings can be made by fax (+39 06 6988 5100), by email ([email protected] or [email protected]), through the online form on the Vatican website at least two days in advance, or by phone (+39 06 6988 3145 or +39 06 6988 4676). Please note: show up on time, not too early nor late. Cameras: Allowed. Vatican Garden dress code: Modest like in all other areas.

READ MORE: See our post to discover more beautiful and least-visited churches in Rome .

Appointments with the Pope

When visiting the Vatican City, you might get the chance to see the pope: he comes out in public twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday.

The Papal Audience takes place every Wednesday in Saint Peter’s Square in the summer and in the Audience Hall during winter. The audience starts at 10.30 am, but to secure a good seat you need to arrive early, the security check for the square starts at 8 am. The audience normally lasts between 1 to 2 hours.

A ticket is required, even if always free of charge, and you can request it by phone (+39.06.69883114 or +39.06.69884631), or by fax (+39.06.69885863). Tickets are issued by the Papal Prefecture at the Bronze Door on Monday 9 am-1 pm or Tuesday 9 am-6 pm.

You can also see the Pope on Sunday at noon. He appears from the window of his apartment, greets the crowds in various languages, and gives a short speech and blessings to the people. It normally lasts around 20-30 minutes. No charge.

Gift shopping in the Vatican

When visiting Vatican City, you might want to do some shopping. Close to the basilica, you will find a couple of shops selling souvenirs such as rosaries, postcards, calendars, photos, t-shirts, crucifixes, medals, posters and obviously, photos of the popes.

Inside the Vatican Museums, you will also find some shops selling books and religious souvenirs.

All around the Vatican, Borgo Pio quarter, Via della Conciliazione and the streets towards Piazza Risorgimento, you will find plenty of shops with religious souvenirs, themed jewelry, calendars, books, posters, etc.

Visiting the Vatican – FAQ

When is the best time to visit the vatican.

Weather-wise, it’s always a great time to visit the Vatican. Rome boasts a pretty mild climate, and even if you happen on a rainy day, most places to visit in the Vatican are indoors.

Date-wise, the best time to visit the Vatican really depends on your preferences and religious needs. For example, if you are a fervent believer and practicing Catholic, you might want to go to the Vatican during important days in the Catholic calendar such as Christmas, Easter, or even the spectacular Via Crucis performed by the Pope usually at the Colosseum.

Clock-wise, the best time to visit the Vatican is probably early morning or late afternoon, even though you always need to check the closing time and in the afternoon you might only have the time to visit St. Peter’s Basilica.

For sure, visiting the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel before opening hours or after closing time to enjoy them without being surrounded by the crowds is an absolutely unforgettable experience. You can do this with Walks of Italy’s Early-Entry Sistine Chapel Tour where you can access the Sistine Chapel 30 minutes before they open to everyone, and Vatican Museums Night Tour , where you access the Vatican Museums at 7.30 pm.

Can you visit the Vatican without a tour?

Absolutely yes. You don’t need a tour to visit any of the Vatican highlights, except for the ancient necropolis underneath St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Gardens. Both these sights can be visited only accompanied by guides working in the Vatican and needs booking.

All other highlights can be visited on your own, including the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and the Basilica of Saint Peter. I recommend taking a tour if you are short on time and need to speed things up. Private tours, in fact, include skip-the-line entrance and a tour leader who takes you to the most important sights saving you the time to look for them.

What are the rules for visiting the Vatican?

• Dress code. The Vatican dress code applies to both men and women. Covering knees and shoulders is a must for men and women. Men need to take off their hats while women can enter with their heads covered.
• Prior booking. Vatican Gardens and the ancient Roman cemetery below the Vatican Basilica need prior booking. Also if you want to attend an official celebration in the Vatican, you need to book your spot except for the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square every Sunday.
• Check Mass times. When there are official functions and holy mass, the Vatican Basilica is closed to cultural visitors and tours.
• Photography rules. Inside the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Necropolis, it’s not allowed to take pictures.

Can you walk into Vatican City for free?

Located in the heart of Rome, you can always cross the Vatican City for free. For example, if you are coming from either San Pietro train station towards the river or Via della Conciliazione towards the station or Via di Porta Cavalleggeri, you are likely going to cross Saint Peter’s Square and that’s obviously free of charge.

In fact, two of the major landmarks in the Vatican, Saint Peter’s Square and Saint Peter’s Basilica, are free to enter, while the others are ticketed monuments.

Does the Vatican take a whole day?

It’s really up to you how long you want to spend visiting Vatican City.

If you are thinking about visiting the Vatican and want a full-immersion experience, I suggest you carve out a whole day of your Roman trip. This is going to be difficult if you are in Rome for only a day or two , but if you are staying longer, planning a full day to visit Vatican City is definitely worth it.

Consider that only in the Vatican Museums you are going to spend two to three hours if you are hitting only the main masterpieces or up to five hours for a more complete experience. Saint Peter’s Square and Basilica will also take a couple of hours, and if in the middle you want to have lunch, a day will easily pass. You are likely to finish your Vatican visit early in the afternoon so for the rest of the evening, you can hit the city center or the quaint Trastevere neighborhood .

Where to stay near the Vatican

Staying immediately close to the Vatican might be a little more expensive but it’s obviously handier as you don’t need to take public transport to get to Saint Peter’s Basilica.

• Hotel Emmaus . This is a no-frill 3-star accommodation in Via delle Fornaci 25. Very close to the Vatican and Stazione San Pietro, it offers basic facilities such as free WIFI, 24h room service, reception, and a bar.
• San Peter’s Corner . This is a lovely bed and breakfast near Vatican City in Via delle Fornaci 1. Rooms have free WiFi, a private bathroom with a hairdryer and complimentary courtesy set, and an Italian-style breakfast every morning.
• Le Scalette al Vaticano B&B . Another favorite B&B near the Vatican Museums and Cipro metro station on line A. This B&B offers free WiFi, Smart TV, air conditioning, and in some rooms also a terrace.

READ MORE: If you want to stay in the area, check out our guide to the best hotels near the Vatican .

Where to eat near the Vatican

If you are looking for a place where to eat near the Vatican , my best tip is to go a little far from the Vatican itself to quarters like Trionfale and Prati .

Visiting the Vatican takes some time because there are several sights so you are likely to stay around for the main part of your day. This is especially true if you are staying in Rome for 4 days or a week and want to explore Vatican City in depth.

This is why we are giving you some suggestions of great restaurants in the area where locals go so where you won’t find tourist menus and quality.

• Pizzarium (Via della Meloria 43). Bonci is the king of pizza in Rome , truly one of my favorite places for pizza by the slice street food style . Unfortunately, it seems like everybody knows that and the queue is a constant there. Unsurprisingly so, given the light and easy-to-digest dough and the high-quality, seasonal ingredients used for the frequently-changing toppings.
• Romanè (Via Cipro 106). This is a delicious restaurant to hit for traditional Roman dishes. One of the best carbonaras in Rome , here you can enjoy other known fares like amatriciana , pollo alla cacciatora, and tripes Roman style.
• I Quattro Mori Hostaria (Via Santa Maria delle Fornaci 8). Good fish and seafood dishes and affordable prices, plus a stone’s throw away from the Holy See. If you go on Wednesday or weekends, you might need to book to find a table: phone +39 06 639 0195.
• Porto Fish & Chips (Via Crescenzio 56). Fish restaurant decorated as if on a ship serving traditional dishes with a contemporary twist and new recipes. On weekdays, you can choose between menu à la carte or buffet all-you-can-eat, while on weekends, only menu à la carte.

READ MORE: Learn more about some fascinating and interesting facts about the Vatican !

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About The Author: Angela Corrias

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Full Day Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour and San Peter Church

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• Civitavecchia Port
• 8 hours (Approx.)
• Pick Up & Drop Off

Explore Rome and Vatican City with Ease: Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour

Make the most of your journey with a full-day Rome city tour from Civitavecchia Port to the Vatican City. This comprehensive tour ensures you won’t miss the chance to visit the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and San Pietro Church.

Discover the enchanting beauties of Rome on this shared tour, departing conveniently from the port of Civitavecchia. Your adventure unfolds in a comfortable minivan, accommodating up to 8 passengers, complete with air conditioning, luxurious leather interior, and tinted windows.

Whether you’re traveling from Rome cruise port to Vatican City or exploring Vatican City to cruise port, this tour promises an immersive experience you’ll cherish. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the iconic attractions of Rome and Vatican City. Book your tour today.

• Free port pickup and drop-off included
• Private guide for a more personalized experience
• All entrance fees included
• Explore the local streets on a walking tour of the city

Itinerary of Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour and San Peter Church

Here’s the comprehensive itinerary for our Full Day Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour and St. Peter’s Church excursion:

08:00 AM – Cruise Ship Exit Pick-Up

Your journey begins at 8:00 AM when our courteous driver, clearly marked as ‘TAKKO’S LIMOS TOUR,’ awaits you at the cruise ship exit. We’ll promptly transport you from Civitavecchia to the Vatican Museums’ entrance.

09:30 AM – Vatican Museum Exploration

Upon arriving in Rome, our tour commences with a visit to the Vatican Museum. Accompanied by your private tour guide, you’ll enjoy a 3-hour tour, delving into the treasures of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Church.

12:00 PM – Lunch Break

Concluding the Vatican exploration at noon, you’ll meet your driver for a delightful lunch break, featuring scrumptious pizza and spaghetti.

01:30 PM – Explore Rome’s Iconic Locations

After lunch, we’ll embark on a captivating journey through Rome, visiting some of its most iconic landmarks and squares. These stops offer ample photo opportunities and insights into their historical significance:

• Piazza Navona
• Trevi Fountain
• Venice Plaza
• Exterior views of the Colosseum and Roman Forum
• Piazza Barberini
• Piazza di Spagna
• Piazza del Popolo
• Castel Sant’Angelo
• Monte Mario (Panoramic view)
• Santa Maria della Vittoria Church
• St. Peter’s Square (Vatican exterior)
• Aventino’s Sacher Hall
• Garden of the Oranges
• Gianicolo and Monte Verde Terrace

04:30 PM – Tour Conclusion

At 4:30 PM, your tour comes to an end. Before returning to your cruise, we’ll make a final stop to indulge in the best Roman ice cream.

06:00 PM – Return to Civitavecchia

Tour Include

• Private Tour Guide
• Skip-the-line Tickets for the Vatican Museum
• Port Transfers
• Comprehensive City Tour with Our Driver
• Ice Cream Tasting
• Coffee Tasting
• Bottled Water

Immerse yourself in the beauty and history of Rome on this unforgettable full-day tour. Please feel free to contact us for more information and to make your reservation.

• From 1 to 4 passengers €250,00 per person
• From 5 to 6 passengers €200,00 per person
• From 7 to 8 passengers €180,00 per person
• Phone:  +39 331 756 6672
• Email:  [email protected]
• WhatsApp:  Write to Bruno!
• Visit our  Contact Page .

Departure & Return Location

Civitavecchia Cruise Port

Departure Time

Price includes.

• Private driver Tour guide with private car / minivan
• Tiramisu tasting in one of the most famous pastry shop in Rome
• Gelato game and tasting (at least 5 flavors) and your cone or cup with two scoops
• Espresso tasting in the most famous coffee shop in Rome
• Pickup from your cruise and back to your cruise
• Privet tour guide 3 hours at the Vatican museum
• Tickets Vatican museum and sestina chapel (skip line VIP)
• Water and snack
• Ice cream & Cafè

Price Excludes

• Entrance fees
• Gratuities (optional)

Additional Info

• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Not wheelchair accessible.

Dress code is smart casual

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

Having trouble booking online?

Call +39 346 0820 821

Product name: Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour and San Peter Church

Customer Reviews

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Robert White

Our Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour was a true voyage into the heart of art and spirituality. The Vatican Museums were a treasure trove of masterpieces, and our guide’s passion was palpable. St. Peter’s Basilica was a testament to human achievement. This tour exceeded our expectations and left us with lasting memories.

Michael Turner

The Vatican City tour from Civitavecchia Port was a highlight of our visit to Italy. We were impressed by the organization and the knowledge of our guide. St. Peter’s Basilica is an awe-inspiring monument, and we marveled at its grandeur. This tour is a must for anyone visiting Rome.

Mary Johnson

Our Full Day Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour was an amazing experience. The Vatican is a treasure trove of art and history, and our guide was incredibly knowledgeable. St. Peter’s Basilica was a breathtaking highlight, and we felt like we were in the heart of history. Highly recommended!

Thomas Anderson

Our journey from Civitavecchia to Vatican City was exceptional. The guided tour of the Vatican Museums provided us with profound insights into the world of art and history. St. Peter’s Basilica was a masterpiece, and the skip-the-line access made the experience even more enjoyable. A day filled with cultural richness.

Jessica Davis

Our Full Day Civitavecchia to Vatican City Tour was a truly enriching experience. The Vatican’s art collection is a marvel, and our guide’s passion for the subject was infectious. St. Peter’s Basilica is an architectural masterpiece, and we appreciated the skip-the-line access. A memorable journey into the heart of Christianity.

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Rome holidays

Make Rome the centre of your world for a few days. Its reputation as a cultural heavyweight is enhanced by its glittering alter ego as an outstanding holiday destination. It’s the perfect setting for a weekend away, plus if you book your flights and hotel together you’ll save with our great value package holidays to Rome.

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Piazzas, pizzas and pieces of history

Whether you're visiting for pleasure, pilgrimage, weekend trip or Grand Tour, you can make the city your own. 

On a Rome family holiday, give kids a homework-free history lesson at the Castel D’Angelo. For a romantic holiday, take to the Trastevere neighbourhood. Away from the main piazzas there are little streets with vine-clad trattorias, hole-in the-wall wine bars and restaurants that claim to be the cradle of carbonara, the city’s signature pasta dish. Salivating? No need to wait. For a gelato-meltingly hot holiday, book your  flights to Rome  with British Airways.

Carefully selected Rome city breaks

Best hotels in Rome for all types of traveller

Stay at the  Morgana , right in the centre of the city or return to a hotel that looks out over ancient ruins: the charming  Kolbe Rome . Stay at the atmospheric  Inn At The Roman Forum : it’s not just near the historic sites, it is one. There are also some amazing luxury hotels – like the jaw-dropping  Palazzo Naiadi . If you're looking for a boutique establishment with a lovely terrace you'll love  DOM Hotel , handpicked by Mr & Mrs Smith.

Rome holiday FAQs

• Step off the Metro at Colosseo and it’s right there in front of you: enormous and almost suspiciously well-preserved – the biggest amphitheatre ever built. The Colosseum has several areas you shouldn’t miss, including the panoramic upper levels of the stands, the arena floor, and the hypogeum (where wild animals were kept before being lifted up to arena level). Many  Colosseum tickets  include access to the Roman Forum, and you should allow enough time to walk this amazing archaeological park.
• Once inside The Vatican you shouldn’t miss the formidable art collection: follow signs to the Pinacoteca – a treasure trove of Da Vinci, Raphael and Caravaggio canvases (look out for famous sculptures, too, like one of Laocoon wrestling some fearsome serpents). When you’re ready, get ushered into the  Sistine Chapel . In this extraordinary sacred space, let the art do the talking. The guards ensure that everyone keeps to an awed silence as they stare up at Michelangelo’s spectacular painted ceiling – featuring depictions of the nine books of Genesis, including the creation of Adam right in the middle.
• The famous Trevi Fountain, a Baroque tangle of gods, animals and waterjets, was built when Pope Urban VIII declared that the current fountain that stood in Piazza di Trevi wasn’t dramatic enough. The Trevi Fountain was duly built by the architect Nicola Salvi, who died before it was finished in 1762. The legend goes that if you throw a coin (tossed over your left shoulder with your right hand) and it lands in the fountain, then you will one day return to Rome. The jettisoned change is all scooped up at the end of the day to help the local homeless – so be generous. Book a panoramic  tour of Rome by night  – ending up at the fountain for an atmospheric dinner.
• St Peter’s Basilica  is the largest church in the world, but its still nearly dwarfed by the enormous colonnades that flank it and encircle the enormous St Peter’s Square. If you were looking for an audience with the Pope, you would have the best chance here. Many people make special pilgrimages to this spot from all over the world. It’s free to enter the cathedral, though there’s often a queue – and there’s a charge if you want to be adventurous and climb the cramped staircase up into its capacious dome. Don’t miss a chance to poke around the grottos, where many of the past Popes have been buried – it’s said that Saint Peter himself is buried below the High Altar.
• Behold, the Pantheon, Rome – evidence that Rome’s ancient engineers really might have been a bunch of geniuses. Just walk through the enormous open door of this church (which was once a Roman temple) and look up. You’ll see a gigantic freestanding dome soaring above you. The walls are a massive 6.4 metres thick in places, and an oculus in the roof provides the only source of light. The Pantheon was the largest freestanding dome in the world for 1,000 years – right up until 1496, and never fails to impress; its echoing, cloche-like interior giving a real feeling of space. It’s now a church – meaning its name, of Greek origin and meaning ‘for all the Gods’, is a little less fitting than it used to be.
• Rome’s five star hotels will really put the razzmatazz in your Roman holiday. If you’re after the high life, there’s plenty of choice. Stay at the  Gran Melia Rome , an urban resort with an impressive outdoor pool. If you want traditional glamour, the magnificent  St. Regis Rome  has received a multi-million pound facelift and has very special butler service. Once you’ve seen to your suitcases, head out to the boutiques on Via dei Condotti, followed by cocktails around Tridente. Crank up the romance by staying at the boutique  H'All Tailor Suite , where you can raise your glass to your other half at Champagne breakfasts and dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
• With its winning combination of gelato and gladiators, Rome is a great place for a family holiday. Your little ones will love learning about the Colosseum and the Roman Forum (and some places in the city even offer ‘gladiator lessons’). Dare older kids to descend into Rome’s catacombs, or to place their hand in the ‘Mouth of Truth’ in the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church.  Hop-on, hop-off bus tours  can help save little legs – and after a day of city adventures everyone can cool off in the pool at  Crowne Plaza St Peter’s Hotel .
• For hotels in rome city centre, Municipio I, the historic centre of Rome is known as its Centro Storico. Here the monuments are many and the crowds are big. Nearby is the famous Via del Corso which is one of Rome’s main shopping streets and the Spanish Steps, a wide, sweeping staircase where people meet, sit and watch the world go by. Book a room at  Hassler Roma  and you’ll find yourself staying at the very top of the staircase.
• Trastevere will enchant you. This picturesque neighbourhood has a great atmosphere, and its local feel and foodie scene have garnered plenty of fans. Stroll down the narrow labyrinthine streets, where washing is hung to billow between the decrepit and well-loved apartments. Take the opportunity to dine alfresco – it’s the done thing here, and many fantastic establishments serve Roman cuisine well into the night. If you don’t want a long walk back to your hotel, stay at  Villa Agrippina Gran Melia , which is a strollable distance from the district.
• Monti is a fashionable neighbourhood in the heart of Rome’s historic centre strangely unaffected by tourists. Sit and drink perfect cappuccinos at a café on the many piazzas, perfecting the art of dolce far niente (doing sweet nothing) watching life go by. Vintage shopping and hipster bars have popped up all over the vicinity, making clear that this is the Roman equivalent to Shoreditch or Brooklyn. You can also get a decent curry on Via dei Serpenti, which is home to many different worldwide cuisines, a rarity in Rome. Stay at the  Rome Times Hotel  and you’ll be in a good position to explore the area at your leisure.
• Hidden away behind the Termini train station and next to the university, San Lorenzo is a hip place to be. One of the most bohemian and alternative districts in Rome, there are cool bars and cheap trattorias with students discussing everything from local politics to ancient literature. San Lorenzo is the perfect place to go to escape the grandeur and history of the centre; the street art and affordable artisanal shops will not disappoint. Stay at  NH Collection Roma Palazzo Cinquecento , which is set in a grand building, and handily located at Rome’s main station.
• Drive south from Rome and in just two and a half hours you’ll be descending down into the glittering gulf of  Naples . Whilst the gritty city is renowned for great pizza, the surrounding area offers even more tempting prospects: brooding Mount Versuvius, the Roman ruins at Pompeii and the cliffs and coves of the startlingly pretty Amalfi Coast. You can also reach Naples in just an hour and a half – by direct train.
• Beautiful  Florence  is a gem of a destination. Once the political rival to Rome, this smaller city is a veritable Tuscan treasure trove. It’s famous for Renaissance masterpieces in the Uffizi and elaborate marble buildings – like its magnificent, candy-striped basilica. Art lovers can combine Rome and Florence for a comprehensive tour of the Italian Renaissance. The cities are connected by a direct train which takes less than an hour and a half, otherwise, hire a car and drive up in just over three.
• Swap Italy’s cultural capital for its fashion capital. Thanks to its fashion week and its historic shopping emporiums,  Milan  is a well-heeled city where the residents known their Fendi from their Gucci. You can travel from Rome to Milan with ease by train or by car. It’s a direct, three-hour train ride, or a six-hour drive north, and its cooler climes and buzzing industry make a pleasing contrast to Rome’s lazy, sunny vibe. The city’s highlights include its amazing cathedral and the bar-lined canals of the relaxed Navigli district.

Why choose British Airways Holidays?

The British Airways experience is more than a flight.

We’re one of the UK’s largest holiday companies offering carefully chosen hotels, resorts and villas in the most amazing places, and car hire with no hidden extras. Our access to the extensive British Airways global network and  one world® alliance puts us in a unique position to create holiday packages with convenient flights across the globe. From start to finish consider your holiday taken care of.

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