Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums & St Peter's Small Group Tour
Description
Explore the figures, technique, and meaning of Michelangelo's frescoes created during his four years of passion on our Sistine Chapel tour. Learn about Pope Julius II, who commissioned the works, and explore Raphael's rooms with our expert guide, uncovering the stories behind the depicted characters. Discover how the Vatican Museums' vast collection of treasures was recovered after years of neglect. Please note: The Raphael Rooms are part of this 3-hour itinerary, but due to crowding, timing, and the Vatican Museum's crowd flow, we may not be able to make this stop within the designated time. If the Raphael Rooms are essential, we recommend booking one of our longer tours: the Early Vatican Tour or the VIP Vatican Tour. Disclaimer: Reservations made less than 72 hours in advance will end in the Vatican Museums, as we cannot guarantee skip-the-line access to St. Peter's Basilica.
Tour Options
Itinerary
With more than five miles of corridors, this vast complex of museums chronicles the history and accomplishments of mankind over the last 2000 years, featuring classic masterpieces such as Rodin's "Thinker" and the Sistine Chapel.
The Vatican bronze pinecone is a colossal and ancient bronze sculpture also known as the Pinion and is located in one of the courtyards at the Vatican, in the Cortile della Pigna. It was found in the Middle Ages at the Baths of Agrippa where it originates, until late in the antiquity, today you can find it in the complex of the Vatican Museums now for many centuries.
Also known as “Sfera con Sfera,” is a series of sculptures created by sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. The sculpture depicts an enormous metal sphere with a cracked surface, revealing an intricate interior with another cracked sphere inside.
The four rooms known as the Stanze of Raphael formed part of the apartment situated on the second floor of the Pontifical Palace that was chosen by Julius II della Rovere (pontiff from 1503 to 1513) as his own residence and used also by his successors. The pictorial decoration was executed by Raphael and his school between 1508 and 1524.
Probably the most famous chapel in the world because of its incredible artwork, notably "The Last Judgment," Michelangelo's stunning fresco covering 10,000 square feet of the ceiling and wall.
Enjoy the outstanding view of the Basilica from St. Peter's Square
The Vatican Obelisk is the only ancient Egyptian obelisk in Rome to have remained standing since Roman times
The two fountains in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, created by Carlo Maderno (1612–1614) and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1667–1677) to ornament the square in front of St. Peter's Basilica. The older fountain, by Maderno, is on the north side of the square.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please note that the Vatican Museums provide free entrance for visitors who are (according to the requirements stated by the Vatican City) at least 74% disabled by presenting the appropriate certification and, if one needs assistance by another person, that person also receives a free entrance. Please inform us when you are booking if you fit into these requirements and we will remove the pricing of the entry tickets from the price of the tour.
- As this is a walking tour with steps and staircases, comfortable walking shoes and a bottle of water are strongly recommended.
- Please advise during the booking process if any clients have mobility concerns so that we can best accommodate you.
- At the end of your tour, you are required to return the headset provided to you to your guide. In the event that you do not return the headset, you will be subject to a fine of €100 for lost property.
- Due to the Jubilee, some monuments may be under restoration. Please pay attention to any messages we may send regarding potential changes.
- Disclaimer: For reservations made less than 72 hours in advance, access to the Basilica cannot be guaranteed due to ticketing restrictions.
- The Basilica of St. Peter's may be subject to unscheduled closings and late openings for religious ceremonies. We do not provide refunds for last-minute closures of St. Peter's Basilica. Your guide will still give you an introduction to the Basilica should you wish to return on your own time during your visit to Rome.
- Please note that the Raphael Rooms are part of this 3-hour itinerary but on days due to crowding, timing and direction flows of crowd traffic dictated by the Vatican Museum staff on the day, we may not be able to make this stop within the designated time frame.
Reviews(311)
Taking the small group tour of the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's was fantastic. There was so much information shared about the art in the museums, the painting of the Sistine Chapel, and the vast St. Peter's Cathedral. Our guide was kind, knowledgeable, and ensured that everyone in our group was taken care of on a very hot day in late June. We truly appreciated her pace, and while we kept moving throughout the tour, we were able to stop and learn more about specific pieces of art and history throughout. I would highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. The Vatican is home to an incredible amount of history and art, so we're delighted that your guide was able to make it all accessible and engaging while ensuring everyone in the group was comfortable throughout the tour. It's wonderful to know that the balance between exploring the highlights and taking time to appreciate the stories behind them made your experience even more meaningful. We truly appreciate your recommendation and your kind words. Thank you for choosing to explore the Vatican with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another memorable tour in the future!
We enjoyed this tour! Wish we could have spent more time in the Vatican Museum because it was so expansive, but considering how much we got to see of all the locations, I’d recommend the tour.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We’re so glad to hear that you enjoyed the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, and St. Peter’s Basilica tour. The Vatican Museums are truly vast, with countless incredible works of art and history to discover, so we completely understand wishing for more time to explore. We’re happy that the tour allowed you to experience so many of the highlights while making the most of your visit. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again for another memorable experience in Rome!
We were so excited for this tour but our guide Daniella really detracted from the experience. She would often stop and point out specific statues to comment on the fact that women don’t look like that after having babies (such an odd thing to focus on and she mentioned it many, many times). She also commented that she was very disappointed that the current pope is American. She told a long nonsensical story about when she found out about the new pope. We were pausing to read some of the wall explanations and she seemed to get annoyed and said “I love it when people read things but I am here to explain” - except she wasn’t explaining much. When we got to the map room she walked right through it without explaining the history. My son was very interested and excited about the basilica and the crypts and he was taking some time looking at all of the plaques and she got really annoyed and said she knew my children were not interested in learning about this. It was just a really strange, almost antagonistic way of speaking to us. It 100% detracted from our overall experience and we would have preferred just getting an audio guide and walking around ourselves. Very disappointing.
Rushed repeated information
We enjoyed our tour of the Vatican museum and St Peter’s basilica. Our guide Ursus, helped us navigate through the crowds, got us into the Sistine Chapel before it was too crowded, and provided just the right amount of detail about what we were seeing.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica with Ursus. Navigating the Vatican can be overwhelming, especially with the crowds, so it’s great to know he helped you move through smoothly and made the experience more enjoyable. We’re especially glad you were able to reach the Sistine Chapel before it became too busy, that really can make a big difference in how you experience such an extraordinary space. It’s also wonderful to hear that his explanations struck the right balance and helped bring what you were seeing to life without feeling overwhelming. Thank you for choosing to tour with us. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to Ursus, and we hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience in Rome in the future!
In three hours, we saw a significant part of the Vatican museum. It’s overwhelming because there is so much to see but our tour guide, Vivian did an excellent job of taking us through the key highlights and giving us some time in the Sistine chapel as well as Saint Peter’s Basilica it was well worth it.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you were able to experience so much of the Vatican Museums in just three hours. With such an extensive collection, it can certainly feel overwhelming, so we're pleased that Vivian helped make the visit both enjoyable and meaningful by guiding you through the key highlights. It's especially rewarding to know that you had the opportunity to spend time in the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica while gaining valuable insights along the way. We will be sure to share your kind words with Vivian, who will be thrilled to know that her guidance made such a positive impact on your experience. Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback. We hope to welcome you on another tour in the future!
This tour was fabulous and worth every penny. Our guide on May 21 at 7.45am was exceptional. She masterfully guided us through the crowds, kept up the energy and momentum and conveyed a strong knowledge of the Vatican and its history and traditions. Her sense of humor and level of engagement were excellent. It’s definitely worth going early and doing a guided tour of the Vatican because trying to see it on your own means you will face crowds and chaos. I highly recommend this tour to any traveller.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you had such a positive experience and that your guide made the tour so memorable. It's great to know that her knowledge, energy, sense of humor, and ability to navigate the crowds helped you make the most of your Vatican visit. We also appreciate your recommendation and your advice about visiting early. The Vatican can be overwhelming, and we're thrilled that the guided experience helped bring clarity and context to everything you saw. Thank you again for choosing Through Eternity Tours. We hope to welcome you on another tour in the future!
Mid May Crowds with a guide that squeezes ahead of not fun. Impossible to March through with ten people in the group following a guide with an old deteriorating red dirty flag
Valeria did a fantastic tour! Her enthusiasm, passion and knowledge was evident throughout the entire tour. She answered questions and was able to move us about the crowds effortlessly. We enjoyed the tour and were pleased with our time spent with Valeria.
Thank you! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums tour with Valeria. Her passion truly makes a difference, and we're glad she could enhance your experience!
I was a little nervous when we showed up at the meeting point and the nice young lady holding the tour company sign told us she had only been living in Rome for less than a year. Turns out she was not our tour guide, and our wonderful tour guide from Vancouver joined us shortly after. Our small group tour had a total of 10 participants. We got in quickly with our skip the line tickets. Headsets ensured we were able to hear every morsel of information that our wonderful tour guide had to offer. He was so passionate about the subject matter that he even captured the attention of my primary school aged children. Highlight was when he spun “Sfera con Sfera” like it was the wheel of fortune and we got a great video! Sistine chapel was amazing but crowded and a bit dark and part of it was under renovation. We did not feel like we missed out at all though because our guide provided such rich information about the rest of the works in the Vatican museums.
