The Vatican, formally the Vatican Museums, is a sprawling network of museums, secret rooms, galleries, and more.
These top rated guided Vatican tours will show you some of the most significant artifacts and works of art the Vatican museum has to offer.
A guided tour will help you learn more about the artwork and give you opportunities to see and experience more than you could on your own. So mark the Vatican off your bucket list with one of these tours!
Be sure to see our reviews of Amalfi Coast Day Trips, Colosseum Tours and Tuscany Day Trips.
Best Vatican Guided Tours
| Vatican City: Private Vatican Tour, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Vatican Basilica | Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica: Early Morning Tour | Vatican and Colosseum Combo Tour: Don’t Wait in Line to See the Best of Rome | |
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Best Private Tour | Best Morning Tour | Best Combination Tour | |
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| Departure: | Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM | Piazza della Città Leonina | Check with tour operator |
| Start: | 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM | 7:30 AM | 9:00 AM |
| Duration: | 3 hours | 3 hours | 10 hours |
| Includes: | Skip-the-line tickets, Private Tour to Vatican Museums, Rooms of Rafael and Sistine Chapel | Guided tour of Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, head sets | Professional guide, reserved Skip-the-Line Access to Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Raphael Rooms, Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, Audio headset |
Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Vatican Tours From Rome
- Vatican City: Private Vatican Tour, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Vatican Basilica
- Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica: Early Morning Tour
- Vatican and Colosseum Combo Tour: Don’t Wait in Line to See the Best of Rome
- Entire Vatican Tour: Treasures of the Sistine Chapel
- Private Vatican Tour Museum and Sistine Chapel
- Vatican: Early Entry to Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s
- Rome: Entire Vatican Museums Tour and St. Peter’s Dome Climb
Vatican Tour Reviews
1. Vatican City: Private Vatican Tour, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Vatican Basilica
- Departure Location: Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM
- Return Location: Saint Peter’s Square
- Departure Time: Various
- Estimated Duration: 3 hours
- Includes: Vatican Museums, Rooms of Rafael and Sistine Chapel Private Tour, skip-the-line tickets
The crowds at the Vatican, as well as the Sistine Chapel, can be a bit overwhelming. This private Vatican tour will take you on a guided and informational walk through many of the most popular attraction stops at the Vatican.
Not only will you be able to see the Sistine Chapel, but also Rafael’s Rooms and the Chiaramonti Gallery, as well as several other famous sites.
Because your tour guide is taking you and your group on a private skip-the-line tour of the Museums and the Sistine Chapel, there may be some flexibility in what you see and when.
You’ll also be able to ask questions of your guide. Your ticket to this private tour also includes the ability to skip the long lines commonly seen at the Vatican.
This tour will bring you through the Pinecone Courtyard where you will see the bust of Augustus, dating back to the 1st-century A.D. Other Roman sculptures and historical artifacts are also on display.
Both the Gallery of the Maps and the Gallery of the Tapestries offer beauty as well as the overwhelming sense of history located here.
Being able to take in the breathtaking details of both the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica of St. Peter is truly once-in-a-lifetime.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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2. Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica: Early Morning Tour
- Departure Location: Piazza della Città Leonina
- Return Location: Piazza della Città Leonina
- Departure Time: 7:30am
- Estimated Duration: 3 hours
- Includes: Guided tour of Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, head sets
Before the crowds start to form for the day, you’ll be able to enjoy a walking tour through the Vatican Museums. With the VIP option, you will be given exclusive access and a private guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Without the crowds elbowing you, you can take in the full majesty of the works of art and truly appreciate them. Your expert tour guide will tell you the background stories of the amazing sculptures and artwork of the Renaissance period.
Without the crowds, you’ll be guided through the various galleries, museums, and secret rooms of the Vatican. These are home to the vast collection of art and religious artifacts central to the culture of Italy and to the Catholic religion.
You will also see the Candelabra Gallery, Gallery of the Tapestries and the Gallery of Maps. These areas are seldom seen by most people but you will be able to stroll through them at a leisurely pace while hearing the background of all these treasures.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Search For Other Top Rated Rome Experiences You May Enjoy:
3. Vatican and Colosseum Combo Tour: Don’t Wait in Line to See the Best of Rome
- Departure Location: Check with tour operator
- Return Location: Original departure point
- Departure Time: 9am
- Estimated Duration: 10 hours
- Includes: Professional guide, reserved Skip-the-Line Access to Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Raphael Rooms, Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, Audio headset
Early in the morning, you’ll meet at across the street from the Vatican next to the Caffè Vaticano. You will then cross the street and skip the line into the museum.
However, this not just a typical skip the line tour, you get to enter through the “Private Partner Entrance” that saves even more time!
The small group you will be with will have a guide tour by a Vatican expert who will give you insights and information that will not be found anywhere else.
You will of course see the Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes in addition to all the other treasures.
After the tour you will then have time to enjoy some of the delicious Italian food that Rome is known for. You will then meet your guide at the coliseum. Here you will again skip the lines, saving hours of waiting.
Once inside your guide will give you all the details of the Coliseum including it’s construction and use over the years.
After the coliseum you will then proceed to Palatine Hill and then finish up at The Forum. This full day tour takes you to some of the best that Rome has to offer!
Tour Information & Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Entire Vatican Tour: Treasures of the Sistine Chapel
- Departure Location: Via Sebastiano Veniero, 19, 00192 Roma
- Return Location: Vatican Museums, 00120, Vatican City
- Departure Time: Various
- Estimated Duration: 2.5 hours
- Includes: Tour guide, Skip-the-Line Access to Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and Rooms of Raphael
During this relatively short tour of the Vatican, your guide will take you through some of the most popular and historically significant rooms in the Museums.
You’ll also hear about the history and the many legends surrounding the Sistine Chapel as you explore its interior.
However, most of those visiting Vatican don’t have access to the Vatacombs located under the Sistine Chapel. These Catacombs are home to many former popes and other historically significant figures.
Just a few of the things you will see on your tour through the Vatican Museums are Rafael’s Rooms as well as many ancient Roman and Greek artifacts housed in the Belvedere Courtyard.
You’ll learn the history of these important buildings, from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica. Your guide will also give you a lesson on the Vatican State and the Swiss Guard.
This Vatican day tour from Rome is designed to focus on the art located here and the history of that art. You’ll also learn about how the art of ancient Rome influenced Western art as well as architecture.
Your tour guide is an expert art historian and will also be able to answer questions you may have along the way.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Private Vatican Tour Museum and Sistine Chapel
- Departure Location: Vatican Museums
- Return Location: Vatican Museums
- Departure Time: 3:15pm
- Estimated Duration: 2-3 hours
- Includes: Expert tour guide, private tour of the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel and Gallery of Maps
For most, a vacation to Rome is something that only happens once in a lifetime. Because of this, you may want to experience the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and other popular locations like no one else can.
On this VIP tour, you’ll have access to rooms in the Vatican Museums that aren’t usually available to the public.
While you’ll be able to see things inside the Vatican usually off-limits, such as the Niccoline Chapel or the Bramante Staircase, you’ll also have skip-the-line access to publicly available galleries such as Rafael’s Rooms.
However, you’ll also be able to visit the Sistine Chapel after it closes to the general public. On this private tour, you’ll be able to hear commentary from your experienced tour guide about the history and construction of the Chapel.
Commentary usually isn’t allowed in the Chapel which makes this a unique experience.
This VIP private guided Vatican tour is limited to just 15 people. This means you’ll have a personalized experience as you take in the beauty and wonders of one of the most historically significant places in the world.
After all, not very many visitors to the Vatican are able to experience the secret rooms and learn of the often-forgot history that resides in them.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
6. Vatican: Early Entry to Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Tour
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Departure: Via Santamaura 14B (Office What a Life Tours)
- Departure Time: 8:00 AM
- Includes: Skip-the-ticket-line ticket to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica, early entrance an hour before crowds, tour guide, admission and reservation fees
If I’d give any one tip to tourists going to the Vatican, it would be to book a tour that gives you skip-the-line access. The Vatican can get insanely busy, and the lines can take hours off of your day – oftentimes in the hot, humid Mediterranean heat.
The Vatican: Early Entry to Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Tour helps avoid all that, giving you premium access even before the crowds think of forming! This tour lasts 3.5 hours, but all of it is exploring and learning rather than waiting around in hopes of entering these amazing museums and structures.
Start out by meeting your guide at the tour offices, which are right next to the Vatican, itself. I immediately noticed that our guide was super friendly and more than happy to answer any questions we had, along with plenty of recommendations along the way.
Not to mention, this is a completely personalized experience rather than a boring, cookie-cutter tour that you could frankly get anywhere. The guide asked us about our specific interests and tailored our tour around them, so that everyone was happy and didn’t miss anything we wanted to see.
As the groups max out at just 12 participants, it’s easy to move through the hallways and see everything without fighting through a big crowd. This VIP experience took us through all the hidden gems and biggest tourist sites inside the Vatican, with the early morning tour. This consisted of the museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Sistine Chapel was even more breathtaking in person, and we learned everything from the history of the artwork to the structure, itself.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
7. Rome: Entire Vatican Museums Tour and St. Peter’s Dome Climb
- Duration: 5 hours
- Departure: Either the Tiare Fountain and the Sebastiano Veniero 19
- Departure Time: 8:00 AM
- Includes: St. Peter’s Dome entry tickets, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel skip-the-line entry tickets, guided tour
If the last tour caught your attention but you’re looking for something even more comprehensive, I have the perfect excursion for you. Lasting 5 hours, the Entire Vatican Museums Tour and St. Peter’s Dome Climb is what I’d recommend if it’s your first time in Rome and want to see a good portion of the most popular sites in the capital.
It’s so much more than the average Vatican tour – this time, you’re getting the VIP treatment. Right across from St. Peter’s Square, we met up with your expert guide who was very friendly and seemed to know just about everything there was to know about the area.
After a quick intro, he lead us into Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica before it even opens to the public! This itself was worth the money, considering I saw the queues later in the day and they were there for hours!
Once inside, we got to choose to go up the elevator or walk up to the terrace level of St. Peter’s (I recommend the latter, if you can!). Here, there are countless little mosaics, which our guide also told us fascinating stories about to further enrich the experience. Next, it’s to the summit for simply the best, most beautiful views of Rome I’ve ever seen.
Next, we head down deep into the Vatacombs, where the former popes lie, and where you’ll learn some rather dramatic and interesting stories behind what’s happened here. Next, is an educational tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, covering some of the most unbelievable Renaissance masterpieces in the world.
After a short break for some food, you’ll then skip the line to enter the Vatican Museums through 1,200 or so galleries. We did spend a good portion of the Chapel, and seeing the magic touch applied by Michelangelo in person definitely warranted the extra time here.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
FAQs About Vatican Tours
What can I expect on a Vatican tour?
A Vatican tour usually starts with a meeting point near the entrance of the Vatican Museums or at your hotel if you have arranged a pickup service. You will meet your guide who will give you your skip-the-line ticket and your headset if needed.
Then, you will enter the Vatican Museums and follow your guide through the vast collection of artworks that span from ancient times to modern times. You will see famous sculptures, paintings, tapestries, maps, and more.
The best part of any tour is the Sistine Chapel. Here you can take in the stunning frescoes by Michelangelo that depict scenes from the Bible. You will also learn about the secrets and stories behind this masterpiece.
Finally, you will visit St. Peter’s Basilica, where you will see the largest church in the world and its magnificent dome. You will also see the tomb of St. Peter, the Pietà by Michelangelo, and other artworks by Bernini and other artists.
How long do Vatican City tours last?
Vatican tours usually last two to four hours, depending on how much of the Vatican you want to see.
Why should I go on Vatican guided tour?
Going on a Vatican tour is one of the best ways to experience the vast museums of the Vatican. The Vatican is one the largest and most impressive collections of art in the world. A Vatican tour is more than just a sightseeing trip; it’s an enlightening journey!
Do I have to have a ticket to see the Vatican?
To visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel you do need a ticket. They are always crowded and must buy tickets in advance. We would recommend a guided tour with skip the line tickets. To see St. Peter’s Square or St. Peter’s Basilica you don’t need a ticket but you still have to go through a security check and follow a dress code.
How can I see the Pope?
The Pope holds a general mass on Wednesdays at 10 am in St. Peter’s Square or in the Paul VI Audience Hall. Where the mass is held depends on the weather and how many people are attending. You can request a free ticket from the Prefecture of the Papal Household or join a guided tour. The Pope also delivers an Angelus prayer on Sundays at noon from his window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. You don’t need a ticket for this.
What else can I do when visiting the Vatican?
Other than the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica there are some lesser-known but still interesting places in Vatican City. You can explore the Vatican Necropolis, this ancient cemetery lies below St. Peter’s Basilica and contains the tomb of St. Peter. You need to book this at least two months in advance. You can also climb up to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and see pretty amazing views of the city and the square. You can either take an elevator or stairs to reach the dome. There is a fee for both options.
Tips to enjoy your Vatican tour
Tip #1: Dress Appropriately for your Visit to the Vatican
Because the Vatican Museums, as well as the Sistine Chapel, are religious places, you’ll need to dress appropriately.
Your shoulders, knees, and abdomen should be completely covered. Your clothes should not have inappropriate graphics or sayings. If security personnel believe you are dressed inappropriately, you won’t be allowed in. This is true even if you are on a private tour.
Tip #2: Plan Everything in Advance
There are millions of visitors to Rome and the Vatican every year. This means that some of the attractions you are looking forward to may be sold out or closed by the time you arrive.
The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are a great example of this. If you are traveling to Rome around the time of religious holidays, these attractions may be closed to the public as well as to guided tours.
While many guided tours have backup plans in the event a scheduled location is closed unexpectedly, you should research your trip to make sure the places you wish to visit should be open.
Tip #3: Choose a Tour of the Vatican
If you plan on visiting the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and other popular places within Vatican City, purchasing a guided tour is a good idea.
The lines for general admission to many of these places can stretch for blocks and getting in may not be guaranteed. With a guided tour, like the ones we’ve reviewed above, you are guaranteed access so long as it isn’t closed for religious reasons. Plus, you will be able to skip the long lines.
Tip #4: Only Carry What You Need
While this is true wherever you are visiting within the city of Rome, it is especially true when visiting the Vatican. Large bags, umbrellas, camera tripods, and other cumbersome items aren’t allowed within the Vatican Museums and related locations.
You can store them in the cloakroom provided for free, but you may end up having to leave your tour early to retrieve them before closing time. It’s best to carry only what you need when touring the Vatican.
Tip #5: Visit on a Wednesday
If you’re looking forward to seeing the Pope and to the papal audience, you’ll want to plan your visit for a Wednesday. While there are occasional deviations from the Wednesday schedule, you’ll most likely be able to see the weekly message on that day. In fact, the Papal Audience and Vatican Museums tour we reviewed above guarantees you will see the Pope as part of the papal audience as long as he delivers his message on schedule.
What Can I See in One Day at the Vatican (A Sample Itinerary)
Of course you can’t see everything in the Vatican in a day but you can certainly hit the highlights. Lets take a look at what you can see in one day.
St. Peter’s Basilica: This stunning church is the largest in the world and is home to some amazing works of art. Check out Michelangelo’s “Pieta” and the altar before taking the elevator up to the top of the dome. Here you can get a bird’s eye view of the city. Trust me when I tell you, the view is absolutely it!
Vatican Museums: This gigantic collection of art galleries is the home to the most famous art in the world. Starting with the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms. You need to spend a few hours here as there is so much to see. Some of this time is going to be spent waiting, so factor that in.
Pro tip: Buy your tickets online well in advance so you can skip the long lines!
Lunch: By the time you are done with the Basilica and Sistine Chapel it will be time take a break from the crowds and have lunch at one of the local cafes or restaurant. Enjoy some Italian cuisine while admiring the architecture around you.
Papal Audience: This weekly event is every Wednesday and gives you a chance to see the Pope and receive his blessing. This is something you won’t forget!
Pro tip: Be sure to arrive early to secure a spot, it’s one of the most popular things to do at the Vatican.
Further explore: After seeing the Pope, take time to explore some of the lesser known areas of the Vatican. Some of these areas are the Vatican Gardens or the Necropolis. These hidden gems will give you a glimpse of the history and culture of the city.
Sites Seen
Tour Guides
Value
The Private Tour of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel is our Editors Choice with its combination of sites seen, tours guides and value.
