Exclusive First Access Vatican Tour with Skip the Line Basilica | 2 hours 30 minutes

170 Reviews | Rome
Skip The Line
From $83.74 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 12 travelers in total.
Adult (19-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 12
2
Child (6-18) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 12
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Sistine Chapel 1.5 hour Tour
2 Adults x $82.94
$165.88
Approx Total
$165.88
With first 8AM access, breeze through the Museums to be among the first to see the Sistine Chapel on this 1.5 hour tour.
First Access 2.5 hour tour
2 Adults x $103.94
$207.88
Approx Total
$207.88
First Access 2.5 hour tour: Guided tour of 10 or less participants. Skip the Line Basilica Access when available and excluding Wednesdays.

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Headsets
  • Skip the Line Entrance Tickets to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
  • English Speaking Vatican Guide
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick up & Drop off

Overview

Bypass the lines and enter the Vatican Museums with first access of the day. In a less congested setting, explore the timeless pieces that line these halls. With a knowledgeable Vatican tour guide and a small group of no more than 10 people, your visit will be even more memorable. This isn’t a typical Vatican tour; your itinerary is tailored to uncover the legends, histories, stories, and hidden meanings behind the museum's priceless artworks. Your English-speaking Vatican guide will show you the must-see masterpieces. Prepare to encounter Michelangelo's greatest work: the Sistine Chapel at the end of your visit. When available, and excluding Wednesdays, Skip the Line access to St. Peter's Basilica will be included at the end of your tour at no extra cost. No guided tour is provided inside the Basilica, which is free to enter. Short on time? Choose the 1.5-hour option to breeze through the Vatican Museums and be among the first to enter the Sistine Chapel for the day.

Meeting points

Plan on arriving to our meeting point at least 15 minutes in advance of your selected departure time. Meet our representative on the steps at Via Tunisi, located at the corner with Via Sebastiano Veniero. Be on the lookout for the color bright green of our logo.

End point

Open in Google Maps

When access is available, this tour will conclude at the steps of St. Peter's Basilica. When access is not available, this tour will conclude at the Sistine Chapel.

Itinerary

  • N/A

    Visit the Vatican Museums with fast entry, in the first available access of the day.

    10 minutes

  • Cortile della Pigna

    This courtyard gets its name from the enormous bronze Pinecone sculpture that dominates it. Don't miss Alfredo Pomodoro's famous Sphere within Sphere while you are here. Ask your guide to give it a spin for you!

    15 minutes

  • Sphere within a Sphere (Pass By)

    Don't miss Arnaldo Pomodoro's Sphere within a Sphere. Variations of this sculpture can be found in many settings around the world. Ask your guide to give it a spin for you!

  • Museo Pio Clementino

    The most famous wing of the Vatican Museums, the Pio Clementino museum contains much of the Museum's most important highlights. Your guide will take you through the Room of the Animals, where you can spot the life-like statues of fauna from around the world. Head to the Octagonal Courtyard where a small fountain trickles in the background of famous statues like the Laocoonte and Apollo Belvedere. Don't forget to look at the Candelabra Gallery - master painters decorated these ceilings to create the illusion of a 3D effect centuries ago!

    45 minutes

  • Galleria Delle Carte Geografiche

    Head with your guide to the Gallery of the Maps and get a perspective of the world how it was five centuries ago. These exquisitely detailed, hand-painted giant maps are a favorite of the Vatican Museums. See if you can find the Italian cities you have visited, or spot the nod to Christopher Columbus' journey to the Americas.

    20 minutes

  • Stanze di Raffaello

    Raphael painted these rooms with incredible frescoes, originally meant for the private rooms of Pope Julius II.

    15 minutes

  • Sistine Chapel

    No guides are able to speak inside the Sistine Chapel. However, your guide will prepare you in advance for your free time inside so you'll know what to look for.

    30 minutes

  • Museos Vaticanos (Pass By)

    Your visit ends close to where it began, after the spiral staircase at the entrance to the Vatican Museums.

  • Vatican City (Pass By)

    Visit to Vatican Museums - Vatican City

  • St. Peter's Square

    When available, access is provided to St Peter's Basilica, skipping the lines. A tour is not provided inside the Basilica, only access. Your visit will end at the steps of St. Peter's Square with an introduction made by your guide after which you will be on your own to continue exploring.

    5 minutes

  • St. Peter's Basilica (Pass By)

    When available, access to St. Peter's Basilica via a special exit from the Sistine Chapel will be included in your tour. This access will allow you to skip the long lines normally required for entry to the Basilica. No tour inside the Basilica will be provided, just access. Please note this is provided in an as available basis and access is not guaranteed. Note: The remaining time is spent between the attractions.

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Strollers are permitted as long as they can be folded up and carried up stairs.

Free Cancellation

February 05100% refund
February 06No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Reviews

4.9

170 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    156
  • 4 stars
    8
  • 3 stars
    3
  • 2 stars
    1
  • 1 star
    2

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 156 reviews with 5 stars

Recommend guide Laura

Published on Jan, 2025

Our guide Laura is super helpful she gave all the necessary information and super nice, even though it was crowded we didnt get lost

Awesome Experience

Published on Dec, 2024

I recently took a tour with EcoArt Travel, and it was a fantastic experience! Our guide, Ricardo, was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, making the tour both informative and enjoyable. He shared fascinating insights about the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, enhancing our understanding of the art and history. The skip-the-line access was a huge plus, allowing us to make the most of our time. I highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to explore the Vatican with an expert guide!

Amazing Tour - Would recommend

Published on Nov, 2024

Wonderful tour! This was great! Thank you so Much Martina we got so much context around the different parts of history that could not be done alone

Skip the line Vatican

Published on Nov, 2024

Our guide was great I recommend highly! The skip the lines were especially impressive and the knowledge of the guide ad well

Excellent tour

Published on Nov, 2024

Eddie was great. Super funny and knowledgeable and very energetic. He was very responsive to questions an offer, unique insight

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