Viator
4.8
2,885 reviews
Skip-the-Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's | Small Group
★ 4.9 (8,517 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor) · Operator: What a Life Tours
- 3 h on the listing; the time can vary by option
- Up to 12 people, up to 12 per booking
- Live guide: English
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Editor's take
The Basilica visit here includes guiding inside, after the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. The Low Season option lasts 3 hours with up to 12 people. Your guide speaks English.
It works if you want guiding throughout. The shared tour cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walking aids. If St Peter's closes, your group gets a longer Museums visit without a refund.
Which What a Life Vatican option includes the Basilica?
3 options. Prices are per adult for a party of two, the usual lowest price of each option. The booking page shows the price for your date.
| Option | When | Guide | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Season | Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 | English | €99 |
| Wednesday Tour (NO BASILICA)Important Information: • Please note that the 9:30 + 10:15 AM tours on Wednesdays do not include St. Peter's Basilica. • ONLY July is included | Wed 09:30, 10:00, 10:15 | English | €99 |
| Small Group Vatican TourImportant info: • English Tour guide • Meeting Point: Office - Via Santamaura 14b • Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Guided Tour | Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 09:30, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 | English | €129 |
What's included
Included
- Headsets to hear the guide clearly
- Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica with privileged access
- Tickets with priority entrance included
- Skip-the-line entry and guided tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
- Enjoy a stress-free check-in at our office — no searching for us on the street or getting lost!
- Small Group
- English-speaking licensed tour guide
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Not wheelchair/walker accessible
Tour or official ticket?
The Low Season option starts from €99, compared with €25 for the official online Museums and Sistine Chapel ticket. Your extra payment covers guided visits in the Museums and Basilica, plus headsets. Buy the official ticket if you prefer your own pace and a separate visit to the free Basilica.
Meeting point
MEETING POINT at our office at Via Santamaura 14b, What a Life Tours. The closest Metro stop is Ottaviano, which is a 8-minute walk away. You must allow extra time to reach the meeting point, CHECK-IN is 15 minutes before the tour departure time. WE CANNOT WAIT FOR LATE ARRIVALS.
Itinerary
From the operator: What a Life Tours's own description of the route.
Stop 1
Meeting Point: The meeting point is our office, very close to the Museums' entrance; the exact address is Via Santamaura 14b. The closest Metro stop is Ottaviano. Please allow extra time due to traffic during the summer months! If you do need assistance with how to reach the meeting point, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Vatican City
We continue our visit entering Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Encircled by a 2-mile border with Italy, Vatican City is an independent city-state that covers just over 100 acres, making it one-eighth the size of New York’s Central Park.
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Vatican City is governed as an absolute monarchy with the pope at its head. The Vatican mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, issues passports, licenses plates operates media outlets and has its own flag and anthem. One government function it lacks: taxation. Museum admission fees, stamp and souvenir sales, and contributions generate the Vatican’s revenue.
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums feature many works of art that belonged to the different Popes and are full of artistic beauty. Here is a glimpse of some of the most beautiful things to see in the Vatican Museums. Rooms and Galleries of the Vatican Museums, as the Greek Cross Room, the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, and much more!
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These collections have been piled up over the course of centuries through acquisitions, donations, commissions, confiscations, and quite often lucky discoveries from underground Rome and not only.
Sistine Chapel
Admire the breathtaking Sistine Chapel of Michelangelo! The most famous section of the Sistine Chapel ceiling is Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam. This scene is located next to the Creation of Eve, which is the panel at the center of the room, and the Congregation of the Waters, which is closer to the altar.
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Not everything was done by Michelangelo and your expert guide will be able to point that out. This proves just how great artists, even little known, left their marks in these magic locations. This is the right time to discover that!
St Peter's Basilica
If you thought the size of the Vatican Museums was overwhelmingly spectacular, St. Peter’s Basilica takes the “wow factor” to another level. The sheer capacity of the interiors is enough to leave any visitor searching for words to describe its vastness.
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At 613 feet long, 85 feet wide and 147 feet high, it took an incredible 120 years to build, starting from 1506. Admire Michelangelo’s unparalleled Pietà masterpiece and stroll towards the center-right nave to observe Bernini’s 30-foot high bronze Baldachin, which sits directly atop the site of St. Peter’s tomb.
St Peter's Square
A visit to Vatican City would not be complete without standing in awe of the beauty in St. Peter’s Square, also known as Piazza San Pietro. This massive square, which frames St. Peter’s Basilica, is where the pope holds Wednesday General Audiences and special masses on religious holidays.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Know before you go
From the operator: What a Life Tours's own notes for this tour.
Tickets and ID
- All participants (including under 18s) must bring valid ID.
- Your tour voucher is valid only for the day and time reserved. We’re unable to accommodate late arrivals due to a strictly timed entrance ticket to the Vatican Museums. Missed tours or tickets due to late arrivals are non-refundable. Changes cannot be made less that 24 hours before the activity starts. Please allow extra time to reach the meeting point as Rome's streets can be confusing. Meeting time is 15 minutes before the start time of the tour.
- Passport/ID : Due to Vatican security regulations, we strongly recommend you bring a picture of your ID document with you for all participants, in case the Vatican guards check.
What to wear
- All participants MUST cover their knees and shoulders during visits to religious sites, the Vatican Museums included. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.
Rules inside
- Large umbrellas are not allowed, please leave these at your accommodations.
Access and children
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- ACCESSIBILITY: While the Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair access, they are not conveniently located on the group tour route and only give access to specific sections of the Museums. As a result, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walkers on this tour. If you have any kind of disability and a certificate to prove it, please let us know in advance, as you might be eligible for free entry.
Route and closures
- St. Peter's Basilica is an active parish and therefore subject to last-minute closures due to mass or other religious events. In these cases, we will offer an extended tour of the Vatican Museums (including areas normally not part of the tour). No refunds are issued for unexpected closures.
Good to know
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- MEETING POINT IS VIA SANTAMAURA 14b, What A Life Tours
- Please notice that we are not responsible for the number of visitors the Vatican Museums allow inside.
Reviews
4.9 out of 5 from 8,517 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor together. 97% gave 4 or 5 stars.
Tripadvisor
4.9
5,632 reviews
As shown on Viator, read . The rating is for the whole listing, not for one option, and we do not have the review texts.
Photos
From the What a Life Tours listing, 14 photos in all.
From the operator
From the operator: What a Life Tours's own description of the tour.
Why book this tour? You visit the Vatican once in a lifetime! Skip-the-line access means you’ll have more time to explore millennia of art and history within these hallowed walls without waiting in the long general admission lines. In 3 hours, explore the highlights of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica in a small group. Get straight inside with skip-the-line access to see a host of treasures of the Vatican City, all with enlightening storytelling from a passionate guide.
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Dive into the Vatican’s must-see attractions with the highlights you absolutely can't leave Rome without. This tour has been specifically designed to get you inside as quickly as possible with skip-the-line entry. This is the perfect tour for families traveling with small children or teens, people who "don't do" museum tours, or those who have limited time and want to see the Eternal City in less than an eternity. The tour includes the big 3: Museums & the Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's!
