Highlights
- Michelangelo's La Pietà
- Sistine Chapel
- The Belvedere Courtyard
- The Belvedere Torso
- St. Peter's Basilica
- Ancient Greek Sculpture Halls
Preview Description
Our Vatican tour explores masterpieces of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica, with expedited entrance tickets.
Description
Our in-depth Vatican tour will immerse you in the breath-taking art and history of the museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Marvel at the great works of Michelangelo and Raphael and get a comprehensive overview of their famous ground-breaking masterpieces. Let our talented guide take you on a journey through the Renaissance and the geniuses who changed the face of Rome five centuries ago. Learn about the treasures of the Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery), a treat most visitors never get to experience. Delve into the School of Athens and other frescoes as you wander through the Raphael Rooms and admire The Transfiguration, the artist’s last work before his untimely death. Traverse via the special guide passageway and arrive in St. Peter’s Basilica and learn about the history of Christianity, be moved by Michelangelo’s Pietà, the works of Bernini and other Masters - a unique and enriching experience not to be missed.
Our Vatican Tour - A Fascinating Journey into History and Art of the Past
Experience the best of the Sistine Chapel, Pinacoteca, Museums and St. Peter's Basilica with time to discover, learn and absorb the beauty and meaning of the great artworks housed within Vatican City. There is only one route that brings you to the Sistine Chapel, passing through courtyards and palaces with one of the best art collections in the world. You'll be captivated by these extraordinary masterpieces, and even by the intricate details, such as the eyes of a statue or frescoes on the ceilings.
Sistine Chapel Tour: Meet a Genius
Whoever explores the Sistine Chapel through the eyes of Michelangelo; whoever reads his thoughts and sentiments - encounters a genius. Learn who he was, how he lived and what he thought. Discover step-by-step how he mastered the fresco technique and how he changed the proportions and subjects in the scenes painted in the Chapel according to his inspiration. Your guide will accompany you through the great building projects of the Italian Renaissance and together we will relive the environment of the Florentine Renaissance and the Papal court in Rome where Michelangelo created his masterpieces. Appreciate the figures of Jonah, Adam, Eve, Noah and thousands of others on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and in the Last Judgement. Discover why these were chosen by Michelangelo and the incredible stories behind the characters. Understand how and why these frescoes have redefined not only art, but the way in which we view the world today.
Vatican Museums Tour: Stories of Art and History
You will encounter some of the the most important works on your tour of the Vatican, timeless Greek masterpieces such as the Laocoon, the Belvedere Torso and the Apollo Belvedere which were excavated at the time of Michelangelo and Raphael who both studied and admired them in exactly the same architectural context in which they are preserved today - the artworks they created are the fruit of their meticulous studies. We will pass through the Pinecone and Belvedere courtyards, the tapestry galleries, viewing a selection of masterpieces with your guide recreating the climate of the age, helping you to understand the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel in their historical context.
The Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery): Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Raphael's Last Painting
Some of the finest paintings of the Vatican Museums are found in the Pinacoteca, mainly overlooked by other tour groups. In this tranquil part of the museums, it's possible to appreciate the explosive force of Leonardo's St. Jerome and the spectacular realism of Caravaggio's Deposition, an artist of absolute and ungovernable genius. We will also encounter Raphael's Transfiguration, a work that would be his last when struck by a terrible fever, he died at the height of his fame at the tender age of 37.
From the Sistine Chapel we will traverse directly to St. Peter's Basilica, without waiting in line.
St. Peter's Basilica Tour: The Story of Faith
This part of our tour will bring us to the heart of Christianity and along the way we will discover an incredible collection of relics and religious tokens that have accumulated over the course of almost 2,000 years. Our Vatican group tour is especially designed to allow you experience these amazing objects in their original context. At the same time, you will have the chance to admire and understand enchanting works of art such as Michelangelo's Pietà, a work whose intimate embrace overflows with such tenderness that it can move even the most steely viewer to tears. The masterpieces of Bernini, the great genius of Italian Baroque, dominates St. Peter's and the spectacular eponymous piazza dazzles with astounding optical effects. It is here that the faithful have gathered for centuries to celebrate great events of Christianity, from the election of new popes to solemn masses.
The Basilica of St. Peter's may be subject to unscheduled closings and late openings for religious ceremonies. Because these are often last-minute for security reasons, we may not have time to notify our guests but instead the full tour will be spent exploring other parts of the museums and Sistine Chapel and your guide will give you a historical background of the Basilica, should you wish to return in your own time during your stay in Rome. We do not provide refunds for unexpected closures of St. Peter's.
Get the full picture of Rome’s cultural heritage by pairing your Vatican tour with our Ultimate Colosseum tour, and explore the majesty of the ancient Empire!
Activity Level
As this is a walking tour with steps and staircases, comfortable walking shoes and a bottle of water are strongly recommended.
Wheelchairs and motorised scooters are NOT permitted on this group tour.
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Pinacoteca The new Vatican Pinacoteca (Art Gallery) was inaugurated on 27 October 1932 in the building especially constructed by the architect Luca Beltrami for Pius XI. It was built ... morein the nineteenth century Square Garden, isolated and completely surrounded by avenues, in a place considered suitable for assuring the best lighting conditions for both the correct preservation of the works and their optimum aesthetic enhancement. Thus the age-old question of the exhibition of the paintings, which were constantly moved around the Apostolic Palaces due to the lack of a setting that matched their importance, was solved. A first collection of only 118 precious paintings was created by Pope Pius VI around 1790. It was of short duration due to the fact that, following the Treaty of Tolentino (1797) some of the greatest masterpieces were transferred to Paris. The idea of an art gallery, understood in the modern sense as an exhibition open to the public, was only born in 1817 after the fall of Napoleon and the consequent return to the Church State of a large part of the works belonging to it, according to the directions of the Congress of Vienna. The collection continued to grow over the years through donations and purchases until it reached the current nucleus of 460 paintings, distributed among the eighteen rooms on the basis of chronology and school, from the so-called Primitives (12th - 13th century) to the 19th century. The collection contains some masterpieces of the greatest artists of the history of Italian painting, from Giotto to Beato Angelico, from Melozzo da Forlì to Perugino and to Raphael, from Leonardo to Tiziano, to Veronese, to Caravaggio and to Crespi.
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic, Museum
Features: Bathroom, Drinking water
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- The works were collected by the church throughout the centuries and the collections include some of the most famous Renaissance masterpieces and sculptures from ancient Rome and Greece.
The Vatican Museums exhibit artworks from the Roman Catholic Church's Impressive collections. The works were collected by the church throughout the centuries and the collections include ... moresome of the most famous Renaissance masterpieces and sculptures from ancient Rome and Greece. The popes were great patrons of art and among the first sovereigns who opened their private art collections to the public.
Several sculptures collected by Pope Julius the second were the first items in what was to become the Vatican Museums collection. The Vatican Museums, as seen today are comprised of several pontifical galleries and museums that were assembled by various popes. Several masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Nicolas Poussin the renown Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo, the Raphael rooms, and the impressive collection of maps are all part of the vast collection. They are the main attractions of the Vatican Museums and are considered treasures of immense value. There are also galleries displaying modern Christian religious art. Watch our 3-D virtual tours on www.vatican.com to see with your own eyes some of the Vatican's most astounding treasures including the Sistine Chapel.
The Vatican museums also have changing exhibitions, special programs with lectures on Thursdays and many different kinds of guided tours, some specially suited for children. In the educational tours for children, the children get to have a close look at some artworks and even create small "masterpieces" of their own. In addition The Vatican Museums have tours for the deaf and the blind upon request and pre- booking. If you are in need of these tours you will also get two free tickets for entry.
In order to skip the long entrance queues if you're visiting the Vatican Museums without a guide, it's best to pre-book your Vatican Museum tickets online. When booking online you will need to choose the time of entry. If you haven't booked online it's best to try and come in the afternoon, after 12:00. Take into account that you'll need at least three hours just to see the main attractions. The Vatican museums are the biggest museum complex in the world. Upon entry take into account that you may need to wait about 20 minutes to get through the security check as all visitors need to pass through metal detectors at the security check point. The entrance to the Vatican Museums is on Viale Vaticano.
Opening hours for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel ticket offices are Monday to Saturday: 9 am to 4 pm. The Museums close at 6 pm. You must exit the rooms half an hour before closing time. The Vatican museums are closed on Sundays apart for the last Sunday of every month when there is free entrance to the museums from 9 am to 12.30 pm. On these Sundays the Vatican museums close at 2 pm.
Ticket Tarrifs: The price for a ticket to the Vatican Museums is 16 Euros and reduced price is 8 Euros. The added price for booking your Vatican museum tickets online is 4 Euros.
Public traansportaion to the Vatican Museums
By Metro: line A to Ottaviano-San Pietro Musei Vaticani station
by bus: number 49, stops right in front of the Museums Entrance.492, 990, Via Leone IV / Via degli Scipioni. 32, 81, 982, Piazza del Risorgimento, end of the line.
by tram: 19 to Piazza del Risorgimento.
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic, Museum
Features: Bathroom, Drinking water
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- The construction of Cortile del Belvedere was the initiative of Pope Julius II and Bramante who wanted to connect an ancient pontifical palace on the right side of St. Peter’s
Cortile del Belvedere The construction of Cortile del Belvedere was the initiative of Pope Julius II and Bramante who wanted to connect an ancient pontifical palace on the right side ... moreof St. Peter’s, and the palace which was built for Innocent VIII by Pollaiolo on the little hill known as del Belvedere. Pope Julius was a great collector of statues when he was still a cardinal. After he was elected as pope he carried all his collection to the Vatican. The Belvedere was one of the places that contained the pope’s several sculpture collections and started making the place more attractive and popular.
As a result of the demand to connect the two palaces, Bramante designed two long corridors which created a big courtyard. Pope Julius II was a great fan of architectural works and wanted to build something impressive which would enhance the grandeur of both palaces. Just as expected, Bramante designed a spectacular court yard which connected the Vatican Palace and the Villa Belvedere. He designed a series of terraces which were connected by stairs and had narrow wings on its sides.
Bramante was very innovative when designing the Cortile del Belvedere. The courtyard contained six narrow terraces which were crisscrossed by a central staircase that led to the wide middle terrace. The long wings on the sides of the terraces of Cortile del Belvedere are what now house the Vatican Museums and the Vatican Library.
The Cortile del Belvedere provided an easy and comfortable means of passing from a garden terrace to the palace court. Bramante originally designed the uppermost terrace as a garden ground but as a result of the small size of the house, he came up with another idea. He made another decorative erection of a garden structure within the colossal semicircular niche, with a loggia on top of it. This provided a spectacular view over the landscape and the entire city.
The Cortile del Belvedere courtyard was used for several occasions due to its spectacular design and atmosphere. In 1565, Pope Pius IV held here a festival event in honour of the wedding of his nephew.
The construction of Cortile del Belvedere led to several developments of outstanding structures in the Vatican City. As a matter of fact, the courtyard led to the establishment of the Vatican Library, Gallery of inscriptions, the Museum of Christian Art, the Gallery of Urban VIII, the Sistine Hall, the Pauline Rooms, and the Gallery of Maps, among others. These are some of the structures rich in the Roman Catholic Church history continue to attract many visitors from all over the world. Until today, Cortile del Belvedere still remains one of the greatest architectural works in the Vatican. The courtyard provides a spectacular view of the entire Vatican City and it houses numerous sculptures and collections.
Type: Attraction, Historic
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Named after Pope Sixtus IV, the Sistine Chapel is perhaps the most famous chapel in the world. It is renowned both for its function as the Papal Conclave and for its incredible artwork.... more
The ceiling and western wall of the Sistine Chapel are adorned with some of the most astonishing paintings in the world created by the famous artist – Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508 and he completed his work in 1512. The middle section depicts nine stories from the Book of Genesis, including the renowned ‘Creation of Adam’ where the hand of God is seen reaching to Adam to instill him with life.
In 1535 Michelangelo was commissioned once again to paint the western wall over the altar. He completed this spectacular painting of the‘Last Judgment’ in 1541. The painting depicts the end-of-days and second coming of Christ when according to Christian faith all souls will be judged by Jesus,the Saints and God and sent to heaven or hell.
Despite being one of the most celebrated works of art in history, Michelangelo was originally hesitant to paint the ceiling of the chapel for he considered himself as more of a sculptor than a painter.
The original ‘Last Judgment’ painting included fully nude human figures, but these were later covered by another artist due to the demands of some Papal members who claimed that the nudity was obscene and improper.
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by Michelangelo who depicted nine stories from the book of Genesis including the famous 'Creation of Adam'.
The first three stories are:
1. The Separation of Light from Darkness: Genesis 1:1-5;
2. The Creation of the sun, moon and planets: Genesis 1:11-19;
3. The Separation of Land from Sea: Genesis 1,9-10)
Following these paintings of the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican are the mid-section patintings:
1. The Creation of Adam & Eve (Genesis 1:26- 2:25), with the figures of man and woman in their nakedness.
2. The Banishment from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24).
The last three frescoes of Michelangelo include:
1. The Sacrifice of Noah: (Genesis 8:15-20)
2. The Flood (Genesis 6:5-8,20)
3. The Drunkenness of Noah (Genesis 9:20-27)
* All these show the fall and rebirth of humanity
The ceiling and western wall of the Sistine Chapel are adorned with some of the most celebrated paintings in the world created by the famous artist – Michelangelo Buonarroti. Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling in 1508 and he completed his work in 1512.
Despite being one of the most adored works of art in history, Michelangelo was originally hesitant to paint the ceiling of the chapel for he saw himself as more of a sculptor than a painter. The original ‘Last Judgment’ painting included fully nude human figures, but these were later covered by another artist due to the demands of some Papal members who claimed that the nudity was obscene and improper.
The middle section of the ceiling depicts 9 stories fromthe Book of Genesis, including the iconic ‘Creation of Adam’ where the hand ofGod is seen reaching to Adam to give him life. In 1535 Michelangelo was commissioned once again to paint thewestern wall over the altar.
Michelangelo completed this spectacular painting of the‘Last Judgment’ in 1541. The painting depicts the end-of-days and second comingof Christ when according to Christian faith all souls will be judged by Jesus,the Saints and God and sent to heaven or hell.
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic, Museum
- Erected in honor of the Prince of Apostles
The Latin inscription above the entrance states: "Paul V Borghese, Roman, Pontiff, in the year 1612, the seventh of his pontificate, erected in honour of the Prince of Apostles".... more
The entrance to Saint Peter's Basilica has spitirual significance as it is written:
“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me, will be safe. He will go in and out, and find pasture”.
(John 10:9)
Above the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica is the central balcony where the election of the new pope is announced - the famous Latin saying: "Habemus Papum" which means "We have a Pope". It is also where the Pope gives the Urbi et Orbi blessing, and for this reason the balcony is also called the "Loggia of the Blessings",
Type: Attraction, Church, Historic, Museum
| Adult | Group Tour | $ 17868 | Ages 18+ | | Student | $ 16798 | Ages 18 to 24 | | Child | $ 16798 | Ages 6 to 17 | | Infant | $ 0 | Ages 5 and under |
| Weekly on Wednesday, until Sun, Dec 31 2023 | 9:45 AM | | Weekly on Wednesday, until Tue, Dec 31 2024 | 9:15 AM | | Weekly on Wednesday, until Tue, Dec 31 2024 | 7:30 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you must leave the group before the guide moves through to St. Peter's Basilica as you are not permitted back inside the museums once you leave the Sistine Chapel. Be sure to let your guide know your intentions.
Yes, you can stay inside St. Peter's but be sure not to walk out with the guide into St. Peter's Square as you will not be allowed in again.
No, but you can use the elevator for the Dome after the tour ends. Similarly, you can descend to the Tomb of St. Peter once the tour is over.
We allow 5 minutes for late arrivals after which the guide will leave the meeting point. We do not offer refunds for missed tours.
Check In Details
You will meet your guide at the flower stand on the corner of Viale Giulio Cesare and Via Leone IV. They will have a Through Eternity sign or flag.
Cancellation Policy
Standard Policy
- Cancellations made 2 days before will be fully refunded except for a service fee of 3%.
- Cancellations made at a later date will not be refunded.
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