Faster Than Skip-the-Line: Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Vatican tours with skip-the-line access are sought-after, so even the fast-track lines are long. This experience includes admission through a special entrance, so there are no lines whatsoever. Follow your guide directly inside the vast collection of private artwork that is the Vatican Museums.

Walk through the Gallery of the Maps and Gallery of Tapestries as you listen to tales of Vatican intrigue. Gaze at artifacts such as timeworn yet fascinating Italian maps, and admire the sculptures and candelabras of the Gallery of Candelabras. Stop for photos in front of the Pigna statue in the Pinecone Courtyard, designed by Dontao Bramante.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Citta del Vaticano 1, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Pass through the rooms, and then step inside the Sistine Chapel — the pope’s personal place of worship and a highlight of any Vatican trip. Stand beneath Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, which cloaks the ceiling, and admire The Last Judgement, his colorful mural that adorns a wall.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Stanze di Raffaello, Viale Vaticano, Vatican City Italy

Raphael’s Rooms are a series of galleries that highlight the talent of the lauded Renaissance artist himself.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza di San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy

After your Sistine Chapel visit, continue to St Peter’s Basilica, the symbolic heart of the Catholic church. Learn about its history and see more Vatican art including Michelangelo’s La Pietà, which was sculpted when the maestro was only 24 years old. Gaze at the baldachino by Bernini, and then say goodbye to your guide in St Peter’s Square.

Keep in mind that St Peter's Basilica and St Peter's Square might be unavailable on Wednesdays due to the weekly Papal Audience. As an alternative, you'll be offered an extended itinerary within the Vatican Museums, which still includes the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Rooms.

If you want to make sure that St Peter's Basilica and Square are included in your tour, don't select Wednesday as your travel date. If you want to enhance your Vatican experience, select one of the following experiences: Small-Group Tour at 8:10am:

Enter the Vatican Museums as soon as it opens, before the other lines enter.


Duration: 30 minutes

Pass By: St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro), Vatican City Italy

Passing by