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The Complete Vatican Tour with Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica

• Enjoy a complete tour of the Vatican and go beyond the expected, gaining deeper insight into its countless artistic and architectural treasures.
• See the best of the Vatican Museums—from the Sistine Chapel to the Raphael Rooms and the Belvedere Courtyard—and explore St. Peter’s Basilica, home to Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s Baldachin.
• Avoid often hours-long lines with skip-the-line access at both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.
• Relax in the company of a small group, making it easier for you to engage with our 5-star guides.

Preview the experience

Tour description, more than the sistine chapel—this skip-the-line tour shows you the best of the vatican museums..

Our Complete Vatican Tour goes beyond the ordinary to give you unrivaled insight into one of the world's most sacred sites. From the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms to incredible ancient sculptures you may never have heard of, our route through the Vatican Museums visits all the sights you wanted to see—plus some surprises you didn’t expect.

The pièce-de-resistance, of course, is the Sistine Chapel. By the time we arrive at the crown jewel of the Vatican, your guide will have explained the stories and secrets behind the paintings—what they mean and why they’re so renowned—so you can fully appreciate every detail.

Enjoy a guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica (and skip the line!).

Located outside of the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica has its own entrance and its own rules, with limited hours for guided tours. Our Complete Vatican Tour ensures that you get inside the Basilica (and avoid the long line to get in!) with your expert guide to enjoy Michelangelo’s moving Pietà, Bernini’s ornate Baldachin, and the chair of St. Peter, among other treasures.

Explore with one of the best guides in the business on our Complete Vatican Tour.

We’ve spent years growing a team of passionate experts who want to share the Vatican with you. Combine them with a small group and you have a recipe for sightseeing perfection! We also use privileged entrances at the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, bypassing general access lines that can stretch for hours at each site during high season.

The Complete Vatican Tour offers an uncompromising, unhurried exploration of the world’s most fascinating independent state for those who want a truly in-depth Vatican experience.

Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and subject to other unexpected closures during special celebrations/festivities, including the Easter ceremonies. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinoteca Gallery.

Sometimes guides may not be allowed to give tours inside St. Peter's Basilica, in which case they will share a brief explanation from outside and you will be free to visit the Basilica by yourself.

Please note that this description is an example and your experience may vary depending on the season, day of the week, and group size. Regardless of where your tour goes, you always have an excellent experience.

Sites visited

Verified guest reviews, aug 23, 2024.

We enjoyed our tour with Hector. He was engaging, informative and funny. He did what so many good tour guides do, he brought to life the artists whose works we admire. I recommend this tour if you are planning to visit the Vatican.

Aug 20, 2024

It was helpful and interesting to hear the history of different parts of the Vatican. Our tour guide took us to the most important sites as you can't see it all in one day!

Aug 18, 2024

Our tour guide was excellent. She made things very passionate, funny, educational, entertaining and over a fantastic experience. Give that woman a raise!!!!

Aug 14, 2024

Marco C. Was the perfect guide. A combination of knowledge and personality. Wish he could have shown us the rest of Rome.

Aug 11, 2024

Nick was so knowledgable and friendly. We enjoyed it thoroughly.

Know before you book

Make it a perfect day.

Check off Rome’s major sights and hidden gems on this perfect one-day itinerary for your trip to the Eternal City.

Similar tours

Pristine sistine at closing time: late entry vatican tour, pristine sistine™ early entrance small group vatican tour, st. peter’s basilica from top to bottom with dome climb & crypt.

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Vatican Museum Tours - How to pick the best one?

By Elyssa Bernard

December 21, 2023

Wondering which of the many Vatican Museum Tours is right for you?

There are so many options, so h ow do you decide which one to take?

Vatican Museum Tours - Why it's so hard to choose

One of the questions I get most often is "How do I decide which Vatican tour to take?"

I know there are a lot of choices.

There are early morning tours, small group tours, tours that include Saint Peter's Basilica, the  Necropolis of Via Triumphalis  or the Vatican Gardens . . .

And even then, there are a lot of different companies that offer the same or similar tours. 

So how do you choose?

I'm going to break down the different TYPES of tours, and then give you links to book the best ones of each type.

On this page about Vatican Museums tours, you'll find:

• Is it worth taking a Vatican tour?

Tours through the official Vatican website

• Standard Group Tours of Vatican Museums
• Vatican Museum Tours before Opening Hours
• Super-speedy Tours of Vatican Museums  - head straight for the Sistine Chapel and bypass the rest
• Small/ Semi-private Group Tours of Vatican Museums
• Vatican Museums on Friday or Saturday Night
• Private Tours of Vatican Museums
• Vatican Gardens and Vatican Museum Tours Combo
• VIP Vatican Museum Tours with out-of-hours viewing of Sistine Chapel
• Tours that include the Vatican + Colosseum
• Do it yourself - build the Vatican tour you want!

Vatican Museum Tours - Is it Worth Taking a Tour?

I love to visit the Vatican Museums on my own because I can take as long as I want, and linger over a painting or a room if I feel like it.

But that is partly because I am lucky enough to live here and be able to visit often.

I've also taken part in pretty much every Vatican tour out there, and love that experience also.

Now the question is, is it worth taking a tour to visit Vatican Museums?

In my opinion, absolutely yes.

Here's why:

• Easy -  Your tickets will be bought and ready, nothing for you to do but show up.
• Focused -  With the vast amount of art to see in the Vatican Museums, having a guided tour can help you to focus on just some of the most important sections and pieces.
• Just the right amount of sight-seeing -  On a guided tour, you will keep your visiting time to a limit, and won't overdo or exhaust yourself trying to "see it all."
• Help with your questions -  When you have a guide, there is someone to answer your questions as they pop up. This happens to me all the time and I find myself asking museum guards (who may or may not know the answer), or trying to look things up on my phone. It's considerably nicer to have a knowledgable guide who can tell you (correctly, and in person) just what you want to know.
• Don't miss a thing! -  On a guided tour, you will no doubt see things you would have overlooked on your own. This also happens to me a lot in Rome, and every time I take a guided tour with an expert, I learn something new. The first time I went to the Vatican Museums on my own (years ago), without a guide, I breezed past the  Laocoön sculpture because I didn't even know what it was, let alone to look for it!

And if you take a more special kind of guided Vatican Museums Tour , like a private, small-group, out-of-hours tour, then it can make an even bigger difference.

Vatican Museums Audio-Guide

You may also decide to skip the Vatican Museum tours, and visit on your own with an audio-guide.

This can be a good compromise, because you will get more information than you can from the little printed info-cards next to some of the pieces in the museums.

I still would recommend a human guide because they are better able to bring the whole thing to life for you, and are there to answer questions.

If you do decide to use the Vatican Museums Audio-Guide, you can book this when you pre-book your Vatican Museums tickets through the Vatican website, or, you can opt to get the audio-guide once you enter the museum.

Vatican Museum Tours - Which One is Right for You?

One of the most frequent questions I get is, which Vatican Museum tours do you recommend?

And of course, there is not one right answer: this depends on what you are looking for, how much time you have and want to commit to, and your budget.

All Vatican Museum tours include skip-the-line tickets, a visit to the Sistine Chapel , and a licensed tour guide  (someone who is knowledgable and who is legally allowed to take you on this tour.)

Most tours are offered in English or Italian.

You can usually book a guide in other common languages too, such as Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, etc.

There are also a few options for pre-booking special tickets, without a tour.

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What happens when you book a tour of the Vatican Museums using the official Vatican Museums website ?

First, you will pay less, as there is no tour agency or middle-man.

Second, you will be assigned a tour guide who is directly employed by the Vatican Museums.

What is the difference between booking a tour of the vatican through the vatican website and a tour agency?

All guides who give tours of the Vatican Museums must be licensed guides and they must have permission from the Vatican Museums to give tours there.

The difference between a Vatican Museums employee/guide and an outside guide may simply be in the quality of the guide.

I must say that I have taken tours with Vatican Museum employees/guides, and some of them have been fantastic.

But you just never know.

No matter what tour you book, unless you hire a private guide that you either know or who has been recommended to you, you have no way of knowing what that guide will be like.

Reasons to choose booking with the Vatican Museums or with a tour company

Sometimes, tickets and tours may not be available on the Vatican Museums website but you might find more availability for tickets and tours on a certified reseller such as Tiqets, Get your Guide, or Viator.

Or, perhaps you have heard about a specific tours company or tour, such as Walks of Italy, who offer two of the most popular tours of the Vatican Museums, Pristine Sistine, and the Vatican Key Master Tour in which you get to open the museums.

Read on to discover more tour options, and the differences between the different types of tours you'll find, both on the Vatican website and on outside tour company sites.

NEW FOR 2024!

The archeological area of the Vatican Necropolis of Via Triumphalis is now open for visitors.

This is an ancient Roman burial site that is within the Vatican walls and before now was very difficult to get access to.

You can only enter as part of an official Vatican tour group, and tickets need to be purchased through the official website .

This is an entirely separate visit, so you will not have access to either St Peter's Basilica or the Vatican Museums.

Click here to watch my YouTube video about it and see what it's like!

Vatican Museum Tours - Skip the Line Group Tours

One of the most popular of the Vatican Museum tours is the group tour .

You skip the line of course, and have a knowledgable guide so you don't have to think about what to see or where to go.

All of these tours  include the Sistine Chapel , usually ending there.

St Peter's Basilica Shortcut

You can only take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St Peter's Basilica if you are on a tour that INCLUDES the basilica.

The shortcut is open from 9:30 am - 5 or 5:30PM, and it's ONLY accessible to tour companies or private guides that you book OUTSIDE the Vatican Museums website.

The Vatican Museums does not have any ticket or tour that includes the shortcut.

This means that you won't have access to the shortcut during the  KeyMaster tour , the  Extra Time tour , or any other tour that does not specifically include the basilica.

If you book any tour of the Vatican Museums, you can check the details to see if it finishes in the  Sistine Chapel  or the basilica.

Click here to view a map of Vatican City  (it will open in a new page.)

When you take a group tour, you will have what's called "whisper" headphones, so the guides can speak in a normal tone and you can easily hear them.

As of January 1, 2024, all group tours will be limited to 20 people.

The best part about this kind of group tour is the price.

This is the least expensive option of the Vatican Museum tours.

Visit the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public on this special access tour.

There are many options even for taking a group tour.

Click the below to book a group tour of the Vatican Museums that includes:

• Only the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (and not St. Peter's Basilica - just access, but no tour)
• The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica (this is an excellent tour because you skip ALL the lines, even the priority lines, AND you get a tour of the Basilica)
• Handicapped access (most tours do NOT accommodate wheelchairs , so you need to pick one that specifically DOES. This tour covers the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel but not St. Peter's Basilica.)
• The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and The Pinacoteca (The Pinacoteca is the Vatican Museums Paintings gallery - most tours skip this but it is amazing, full of masterpieces, and worth the time if you have it! The Basilica is not included on this tour, but you can visit on your own without queuing.)
• The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica with Hotel pick-up/drop-off 

A word about "skip the line"

Of course one of the benefits of taking a tour is the possibility to skip the line.

You can skip the line even without a tour, simply by pre-booking your tickets.

HOWEVER, you should know that nobody can skip the line for security, and when Rome is really crowded, as it is nearly all the time lately, you may find a bit of a wait to get through security.

So prepare yourself for that, and also plan to arrive a bit earlier than your entry time to give yourself plenty of leeway in case of long security lines.

Vatican Museum Tours - Early Access

The Vatican Museums open at 8AM Monday - Saturday.

(There can be different closing times depending on the time of year.)

However, it is possible to gain early access to the Vatican Museums.

There are two things you need to know about this kind of tour:

• There are a LOT of companies doing this , so you will not have an exclusive visit (although of course there will be a lot FEWER people than during the morning rush.)
• In order to get the advantage of seeing the Sistine Chapel before the crowds arrive, you will need to rush through the rest of the Vatican Museums on your way there, missing most of the major works of art along the way. Either the tour will go back through so you can see the rest of the museums at a slower pace, or, if the tour itself does not offer this, you can do it on your own. In either of these cases, you will wind up in the Sistine Chapel a second time before you finally exit.)

That said, it will still feel like a special experience to get in there before the crowds fill in.

Also, many people do want to "just" see the Sistine Chapel, so this helps to keep the visit short if you want to.

For a more exclusive experience, jump down to this section .

As of January 2024, it will only be possible to gain early access to the museums by booking a tour.

Previously you could book early access entrance tickets, but these have been removed with the extension of the opening hours from 9AM to 8AM.

Open the Vatican Museums and turn on the lights of the Sistine Chapel!

One of the most special tours I ever took was with the Key Master of the Vatican Museums .

We literally went through the museums and opened them up and turned on all the lights.

You can book this through Take Walks and I assure you it will be one of the most amazing things you've ever experienced!

Before Hours Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel and Basilica Tour

With this 3-hour tour, you will go with group of around 15 people into the Vatican Museums before they open to the general public. 

Click here to book this Early Access Group Tour of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

The perfect 3-day itinerary in Rome

Trying to figure out how to organize your visit to Rome? I've got the perfect 3-day itinerary for first-time visitors (or those who have not been here in a while.) It works for a 2.5 day visit as well.

In my 3-day itinerary, you'll see all the major must-see Rome attractions like the Vatican , Colosseum , Trevi Fountain , Pantheon , Piazza Navona , Spanish Steps , Castel Sant'Angelo , and much more.

And if you have more time, or want suggestions for extra/other things to do, you'll find that there too.

Visit my page with the best 3-day itinerary in Rome for first-timers .

Speedy Express Tours of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Maybe I should have put this one at the top of the page.

One of the most common questions I hear about the Vatican Museums is:

Can I just go see the Sistine Chapel ?

I've answered this before (the answer is no) and even with a tour that guarantees this, you really cannot. 

There is an "express route" to the Sistine Chapel from the entrance of the Vatican Museums, which skips the Pinacoteca, the Pio-Clementine Museums, the Egyptian and Etruscan wings.

But you still have a lot of museum to get through before you make it to the Sistine Chapel, so even without visiting any of the above, and bee-lining to the chapel, it will still take you at least 30 minutes just to walk there quickly, without stopping to look at anything. 

That said, there are tours that help you do this.

In the section just before this one, about Early Access Vatican Museum Tours , you have options for going in before opening hours.

In theory, these could also be considered as fast tours, since you do go directly to the Sistine Chapel.

But with the above, you are also given the chance to go back and take more time in the museums.

No matter what season you visit Rome, here are 4 things never to leave at home:

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Normally I would urge you to visit the rest of the museums, as they are chock full of some of the world's most amazing and beautiful art.

But maybe you have really limited time, or who have been to the museums before and want to re-visit just the Sistine Chapel.

So, you can book an Express tour:

Visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with option to add on St. Peter's Basilica .

Your guide will provide explanations of the Sistine Chapel, but as you are sort of speeding through the rest of the Vatican Museums, you won't get detailed explanations of what you're walking past.

Vatican Museums - Small Group Tours

In the section above, there is a link to a small group, exclusive tour.

That tour goes inside the Vatican Museums early, before they open to the general public.

It's an amazing experience and I highly recommend it! (More about this below.)

If you're looking for an excellent truly small group Vatican Museums tour, click here.

Their small-group tours are max 20 people, but when you go to choose your date, you can see they also offer even smaller groups or private tours (which costs a bit more but may be worth it.)

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Vatican Museums - Private Tours

Taking a private tour is exactly what it sounds like: this is a fantastic option if you want a completely private, personal tour, with the guide focused just on you.

Of course, if you are a family or group of 4-6 people, it becomes more affordable.

Click here to book a private tour (minimum 2 people), of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

Vatican Museums + Vatican Gardens Combo Tour

The Vatican is home to some amazing gardens , which are beautifully kept and landscaped.

But they are in two places: one is just behind St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

The other is in the summer residence of the Pope, Castel Gandolfo .

You can easily book the Vatican Gardens tour through the Vatican Museums website .

It includes entry to the Vatican Museums but no tour or guide.

If you want, you can book this through an outside agency so you get a more complete tour experience.

See below for options.

Tour of Vatican Museums and Vatican Gardens in Vatican City

With this small-group tour, you will first visit the Vatican Gardens.

After visiting the gardens, your group will head inside to tour the Vatican Museums, finishing inside the Sistine Chapel.

Click here to book a Vatican Gardens + Vatican Museums combo small-group tour.

Currently unavailable - stay tuned for the updates!

Visit to Vatican Museums and Gardens in Castel Gandolfo

If you have a full day to dedicate to this, and want to experience something really special, a whole world of tranquility, quiet and beauty, away from the hustle and bustle of Rome, this is a wonderful tour.

It allows you to skip the line and visit the Vatican Museums, then walk through the Vatican Gardens and get on a train that will take you just half-hour outside Rome to the summer residence of the Pope: the stunning Barberini Gardens at Castel Gandolfo , only recently opened to the public. . 

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VIP Vatican Museum Tours with out-of-hours Viewing

There are a good selection of Vatican Museum tours that offer early morning entry to the museums (see above.)

This means that although your group is going in before the normal opening time, you will also be going in with all the other tour groups doing the same thing.

Which means it is not quite as exclusive as it sounds, even if it's definitely less crowded than going at opening time (which is why it's actually a pretty affordable tour, usually costing less than 100€ per person.)

If you're really looking for an exclusive visit to the Vatican Museums out of hours, here are a couple of options:

VIP: Sistine Chapel Private Viewing and Small-Group Tour of the Vatican's Secret Rooms

Visiting the Vatican Museums after hours and seeing the secret rooms was one of the best tours I ever took.

You can read more about it on my dedicated page .

VIP Vatican Museum Tours - After Hours Private Viewing of Sistine Chapel

For a really special experience, book a VIP tour , that features  after-hours viewing.

You really do have a much more exclusive experience than the groups going before the Museums open.

Most Vatican Museum tours do not offer this option, so you will have the Sistine Chapel almost entirely to yourselves.

Click here to book your VIP tour of the Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel Private Viewing.

And for an even more exclusive, private, truly after-hours tour, you can book this one.

Tour the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum on the same day

While I normally don't recommend this, sometimes a day is all you have, and you really want to fit in these two Rome must-sees.

You can try to do this on your own, but if you want to make the most of this day, especially if you are doing this as a shore excursion, I really recommend doing it as a guided tour.

Click here to book visit my page about this, for more details .

Click here to book a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum in one day .

You can also book a night tour of the Colosseum at certain times of the year, so you could see the Vatican Museums during the day and then do this night tour.

Do it yourself - build the tour YOU want!

If you are still not sure which tour to book, you can  visit this tour booking page where you can choose the length of the tour, the time of day, and the maximum group size you want  (the smaller the group, the more it costs per person.)

Click the "filters" button and go through and check the boxes you want, and you'll see all the tour options available according to your criteria.

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Vatican Museums tickets & tours

Headout is an authorized and trusted partner of the venue, offering curated experiences to enjoy this attraction. This is not the venue's website.

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Guided Tour

Unlock skip-the-line access to St. Peter’s Basilica with this 3-in-1 tour!

• Get the complete Vatican City experience coupled with expert insights about the smallest country in the world with this guided tour.
• This is the only experience that grants you fast-track access to all 3 sites – Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica.
• An engaging storytelling experience awaits. Watch art and history come to life as you walk through the Gallery of Maps with your guide.
• Get the flexibility to choose skip-the-line entry or a guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and curate a Vatican City experience that suits you best.
• The cherry on top? With this tour, you'll head to St. Peter's Basilica via a back door from Sistine Chapel saving you 20 mins of walking time and a 2-hour queue.
• Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with skip-the-line entry
• Skip-the-line entry or guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica (as per option selected)
• Expert English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide
• Tip: Planning your Rome itinerary? Be sure to set aside one entire day to fully explore the Vatican City. Comfy shoes are a must as you traverse all the nooks of this tiny nation!
• Strict dress code: Knees, shoulders, and back must be covered for all guests.
• Accessibility: While the tour is not accessible to wheelchair users, the Vatican Museums offer free wheelchair hire and free entry for visitors with mobility impairments (certified invalidity exceeding 74%) and a companion if required.
• Inside the Sistine Chapel, it's all about the quiet vibes. No chatter, no phones, and no photos, just pure awe. But don't worry, an expert guide will fill you in on all the details before you step inside.
• Expect a considerable wait at the security line, especially during peak times. Patience is key, it could take up to an hour!
• These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tickets

Your fast-track access ticket to Rome's most popular museum.

• The Vatican draws over 5 million people annually, so crowds are a given. Save around 2-3 hours bypassing the ticketing queue with these tickets.
• Get direct entry tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel or choose to skip ticketing queues with a host.
• Admire The Last Judgement , the mighty composition by Michelangelo that has been one of the most influential (and controversial) masterpieces of all time.
• Upgrade to a hosted experience, a minibus tour of the venue, or entry to Castel Sant'Angelo.
• Entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
• Hosted entry to Vatican Museums with ticket redemption (as per option selected)
• Minibus tour of Vatican Gardens with audio guide (as per option selected)
• Entry to Castel Sant'Angelo (as per option selected)
• Booking and service charges
• Entry to St. Peter's Basilica
• Tip: Make the most of your visit and explore some of the collections off the main route, such as Braccio Nuovo.
• Strict dress code: knees, shoulders, and back must be covered for all guests.
• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
• The Vatican Museums offer free wheelchair hire and free entry for visitors with mobility impairments (certified invalidity exceeding 74%) and a companion if required. Click here for the accessible route.
• Entrance to the Museums is timed. Be sure to select your activity starting time when booking. Once inside the Museums, you will be free to explore at your own pace.
• Please note that the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are separate sites from St. Peter’s Basilica.

St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Guided Tour

Get full access to the Dome on a guided tour of the Basilica.

• Admire Michelangelo's genius up close while climbing the Dome and learn all about its legends from an expert, local guide.
• This is one photo op you won't want to miss! Enjoy unparalleled views of the Eternal City, from the top of the Dome.
• Explore the intricate art-filled interiors of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Papal Crypts in the Vatican Grottoes.
• Choose from 5 language options. On a French or English tour, you can opt to relish a sumptuous breakfast before you begin.
• Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and Dome with entry
• Expert English, Spanish, French, German or Italian-speaking guide
• Access by elevator to the base and stairs to the top
• Breakfast (for French and English options, if selected)
• Entry to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
• Entry to the Necropolis / St. Peter’s Tomb / Scavi
• Tips: Don't forget to look down as you climb the dome. Through special windows, you can catch glimpses of the basilica's interior below, offering a unique perspective.
• Strict dress code: knees and shoulders must be covered for all guests.
• Accessibility: St. Peter's Dome is not suitable for wheelchair users or those who suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia. Even with elevator access, guests are still required to climb 320 steps to reach the top of the cupola.
• Expect a considerable wait at security, especially during peak times. Patience is key, it could take up to an hour!

Early Morning Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

Get ahead of the crowds by entering the venue before it opens to the general public.

• Early birds, this tour is your best bet to explore the Vatican with fewer people around! Fast-track entry is a bonus.
• Start your experience at the Vatican Museums and explore the famous Torso Belvedere and Lacoon and Sons with an expert guide.
• Don't miss the creative genius of The Last Supper at the Sistine Chapel. Your guide will tell you all about the masterpiece before you enter.
• Extend your tour to St Peter's Basilica, or go all out with a visit to St. Peter's Dome. Choose the best option for you at the checkout!
• Guided tour of St Peter's Basilica (as per option selected)
• Entry to St Peter's Dome (as per option selected)
• Expert English-speaking guide
• Tip: On Wednesday mornings, St Peter’s Basilica is usually closed due to the weekly Papal audience. Keep this in mind when booking your ticket.
• Inside the Sistine Chapel, it's all about the quiet vibes. No chatting, no phones, and no photos, just pure admiration. But don't worry, an expert guide will fill you in on all the cool details before you step inside.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

Bypass the crowds and dive straight into the Vatican’s rich history with a local expert.

• Looking for the quintessential bucket-list experience? Opt for this guided tour giving you access to two tourist favourites with an expert guide.
• Without the fast-track access included in this tour, you may have to wait up to 2 hours in line. Explore more, wait less!
• Don't let the collection of over 70,000 artworks overwhelm you. Your expert guide will show you around and ensure you get to admire all the greatest masterpieces like the Raphael Rooms.
• If you want more interaction with your guide for art and history insights, upgrade your tour to a small group.
• Small group tour (as per option selected)
• Nighttime tour (as per option selected)
• Entry to St. Peter's Basilica and/or guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica
• Tip: Stop for a coffee in the Belvedere Courtyard, or extend you visit to the Carriage Pavillion at the end of the tour.
• While the tour is not accessible to wheelchair users, the Vatican Museums offer free wheelchair hire and free entry for visitors with mobility impairments (certified invalidity exceeding 74%) and a companion if required.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Premium Small Group Tour

Small group tour with up to 15 guests that allows more interaction and attention.

• Say goodbye to long lines and escape the crowds with fast-track entry on this personalized tour.
• Experience the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel’s artistic wonders in a more intimate setting with a guide.
• Learn how the Renaissance shaped the Roman Catholic Church as you unveil Vatican City's best-kept secrets in your language of choice.
• Wrap up your tour in the Sistine Chapel. Experience the genius of Michelangelo's impressive frescos first-hand and get bragging rights for life.
• Small group of up to 15 guests
• Expert English, Spanish, French, Italian, or German-speaking guide (as per option selected)
• Tip: The early bird gets the worm! Crowds at the Vatican start to build around around 10am. Book an earlier spot to beat the crowds.
• Inside the Sistine Chapel, it's all about the quiet vibes: no chatting, no phones, no photos, just pure admiration. But don't worry, an expert guide will fill you in on all the cool details before you step inside.

Combo (Save 25%): Colosseum + Vatican Museums Guided Tour

Tour both iconic sites in one day or on separate days with this convenient combo.

• Two bucket-list tours for less! Go easy on your wallet by combining your Vatican and Colosseum tours with this savings-packed deal.
• Explore Rome’s highlights – a 3-hour tour through the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum, along with a tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
• Your schedule, your rules. Select your ideal date and time for each venue separately , letting you tailor your visit as per your itinerary.
• A local guide will be there during your entire tour to enhance your visit with fascinating Roman history at every turn.
• Guided tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
• Expert local English, Italian, Spanish, French or German-speaking guide
• Access to the Colosseum floors 1 and 2
• Access to Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
• Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with entry
• Expert & charismatic local guide
• Access to the Colosseum underground, arena floor, or upper floors
• Access to St. Peter's Basilica
• Tip: Want to avoid a packed day? This combo lets you pick different dates, so you can savor each experience without the hustle.
• If you're doing both tours on the same day, allow yourself at least an hour between the two tours to get from one site to the other.
• Save some time to visit ancient Rome's largest temple, located right at the eastern edge of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum – the Temple of Venus and Roma.
• While the tour is not accessible by wheelchair, the Vatican Museums offer free wheelchair hire and free entry for visitors with mobility impairments (certified invalidity exceeding 74%) and a companion if required.

Top things to do in Rome

Vatican Museums | Treasure trove of art and history in Vatican City

Explore the iconic Vatican Museums, home to some of the world's most famous artworks and historical artifacts. Choose from skip-the-line tickets for quick access, guided tours for in-depth exploration, combo tickets for a broader experience, or early morning and after-hour options that offer a more private visit.

Read on to find the best ticket option that will help you dive into the impressive art collection, and architecture that make the Vatican Museums a must-visit cultural landmark.

Things to know before you book your Vatican tickets

When it comes to visiting the Vatican, the experience you have can be greatly influenced by the choices you make while booking. Here are some tips to guide you in making the best decisions for a memorable visit:

• Skip-the-Line is a game-changer : The queues can be incredibly long, especially for St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. Skip-the-line tickets can be bought at the venue for €17, while the prices start at €27 online. The premium cost of online booking, however us absolutely worth it because it will help you save anywhere between 1-3 hours of waiting time, irrespective of when you visit. That's time you can spend exploring more of Rome.
• Guided tours enhance the experience: The Vatican, with its intricate history at every corner, is one attraction where a guide can profoundly enhance the quality of your visit. Opting for a guided tour can significantly elevate your experience, offering insights into the art, architecture, and stories behind the landmarks. However, if you prefer to explore at your own pace, audio guides are a flexible alternative.
• Morning vs. afternoon: Opting for an early morning tour of the Vatican ensures a serene experience, free from the afternoon crowds. You'll enjoy unhindered views of iconic art and architecture, capturing the Vatican's beauty in the soft morning light. Plus, the cooler temperatures make for a more comfortable exploration.
• Visiting St. Peter's Basilica: While entry to St. Peter's Basilica is free, the queues can be extensive. Purchasing guided tours allows direct entry with your guide, though a mandatory security check, which can take up to 3 hours, remains.
• Timing matters:  The Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica operate on different schedules. When planning the sequence of your visit, note that the entry doors are 20 minutes apart. After touring the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, you'd need to circle back for the Basilica. A hidden door connecting the two closed during the pandemic and is expected to reopen during the Jubilee year in 2025.
• Visit Vatican Gardens: The Vatican Gardens , spanning nearly 50 acres, is a serene oasis in Rome, boasting sculptures, fountains, and lush vegetation. Opt for a guided tour or explore at your leisure before heading to the basilica. Consider the open-top bus for a comfortable journey after hours of standing in the museums and basilica.

Which Vatican Museum ticket is best for you?

If you are short on time

Go for: Skip-the-line tickets Duration: Flexible Sistine Chapel access: Yes Guide: No

• Enjoy fast-track entrance into the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, allowing you to make the most of your limited time. This is especially beneficial during peak seasons when wait times can extend for hours.
• Enjoy the freedom to focus on areas that interest you most. Whether it's the intricate frescoes of the Sistine Chapel or the vast collection of Renaissance art, you set the pace and itinerary.

Recommended tours

• Tickets to Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel with Escorted Entrance

If you are seeking the full Vatican City experience

Go for: Combos tickets Duration: 5 - 5.5 hr. Sistine Chapel access: Yes Guide: Expert local guide

• These tickets offer a comprehensive experience, covering the Vatican Gardens and St. Peter's Basilica in addition to the museums making it ideal for those who want to see all that Vatican City has to offer in one go.
• Gain deeper insights into the Vatican by opting for tickets that provide access to the  Apostolic Palace ,  Villa Barberini , and the pontifical gardens located in  Castel Gandolfo , less than 30 km from Vatican City.

Recommended Tours

• Guided Tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
• Reserved Entry Tickets to Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel with Vatican Gardens Open Bus Tour
• Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo & Pontifical Villas Gardens

If you are on a budget

Go for: Skip-the-line tickets, Combo tickets Duration: Flexible Sistine Chapel access: Yes Guide: No

• Gain skip-the-line access without the cost of a guided tour and explore the museums at your own pace.
• Explore popular Roman attractions outside Vatican City, such as the Colosseum or the Borghese Gallery at a budgeted rate with combo tickets.

Explore more:

• Combo: Colosseum + Vatican Museums Tickets
• Combo: Vatican Museums + Borghese Gallery Tickets

If you are an art history buff

Go for: Guided tours Duration: 2.5 hr. - 5 hr. 30 min. Sistine Chapel access: Yes Guide: Expert local guide

• Delve deep into the Vatican Museums' extensive art collection, historical artifacts, and exhibits with the help of expert guides.
• If you want a more personalized and interactive experience opt for a small-size tour.
• Guided Tour of Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

For an intimate experience:

• Early Morning or After-Hours Skip-the-Line Tour of Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
• Premium Small Group Guided Tour of Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel

Discounted Vatican Tickets

Visitors between the age of 18-25 enjoy reduced pricing on their tickets.

Cancelation Policy

Most Vatican tickets can be canceled 24-72 hours before the experience begins. However, some tickets cannot be canceled or rescheduled. Please check your ticket for details at the time of booking.

Explore the Vatican

A complex of art and historical museums situated within Vatican City, established by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century. The museums house an immense collection of art and artifacts amassed by the Roman Catholic Church over centuries.

Access included: Yes

Commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV and consecrated in 1483, the chapel is renowned for its Renaissance art, most notably the ceiling painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512 depicting scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the famous Creation of Adam .

One of the most significant and revered sites in Christianity, St. Peter's Basilica stands on the traditional site where Peter, the apostle who is considered the first pope, was crucified and buried. The basilica was consecrated in 1626, replacing an earlier church that stood on the same site.

Access included: Free entry, but guided tours and dome access require separate tickets.

The official residence of the Pope, the Apostolic Palace is a complex of buildings including the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

Access: Yes, the rooms of the Apostolic Palace that visitors are allowed to view are a part of the Vatican Museums tour.

Beautifully landscaped gardens and green spaces that cover approximately half of Vatican City's 44 hectares. Established during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, the gardens are designed with a mix of traditional Italian, French, and English styles, and feature a variety of fountains, sculptures, and grottoes set amidst lush lawns, flower beds, and tree-lined paths.

Access included: You will have to book tickets that specifically include entry into the Vatican Gardens.

The Apostolic Palace, also known as the Papal Palace, is the official residence of the Pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. It is thus, a symbol of symbol of the papacy and the Catholic Church and serves as the venue for many official ceremonies, gatherings, and decisions related to the governance of the Church.

Access included: Not all Vatican tickets include access to the Vatican Necropolis . You will have to book tickets that specifically include entry into the Vatican Necropolis.

The Vatican Grottoes are a series of underground chapels and tombs located beneath St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. They serve as the final resting place for many popes and other significant figures associated with the Catholic Church.

Access included: You can plan your visit to the Vatican Grottoes as part of your visit to St. Peter’s Basilica. Once you enter St. Peter’s Basilica, you can make your way below towards the grottoes.

What To See At Vatican Museums?

The School of Athens in the Raphael Rooms

Raphael's masterpiece depicting ancient philosophers in a grand architectural setting.

Plan Your Visit to Vatican Museums

From Monday to Thursday: 9 AM to 6 PM Friday: 9 AM to 10:30 PM Saturday: 9 AM to 8 PM Last Sunday of the month: 9 AM to 2 PM

Last admission: 2 hours before closing

Closed: Sundays (except the last Sunday of each month), 1 and 6 January, 11 February, 10 April, 1 May, 29 June, 15 and 16 August, 1 November, 8, 25, 26, and 31 December.

Best time to visit: The ideal period to visit the Vatican Museums is between November to March due to fewer crowds. However, the peak season, which sees the highest number of visitors, is from April to September.

Address: Città del Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City

Getting there

• By metro: Line A Nearest stop: Ottaviano-S. Pietro Station
• By tram: Line 19 Nearest stop: Piazza del Risorgimento
• By bus: 40, 64, 62, 81, 32, 982, 492, 990 Nearest stops: V.Le Vaticano/Musei Vaticani
• By train: RE 12524 towards Civitavecchia or RE 4134 towards Pisa Centrale Nearest station: St. Pietro
• By car: 3.2 kilometers from Roma Termini Car parking: Options include Parking Prati on Piazza Unità, 62 – 193 & Garage San Pietro on Via di Santa Maria alle Fornaci, 26 – 165

There are two entrances to the Vatican City:

• Via Della Conciliazione Entrance: This is the primary entrance if you're starting your visit from St. Peter's Basilica. It leads directly to St. Peter's Square and the Basilica.
• Viale Vaticano Entrance: Ideal for those who wish to begin their Vatican journey with the Vatican Museums. This entrance is closer to the museums, and from here, you can easily access the Sistine Chapel and other significant sites within the museums.

• Lost & Found
• Post Office
• AED Defibrillators
• Drinking Fountains

• Large bags, suitcases, and containers must be left in the cloakroom.
• Knives, scissors, umbrellas, sticks, and metal tools must be stored in the cloakroom. The use of laser points is not allowed. Firearms and hazardous materials are not allowed, even if licensed.
• Photography is allowed in most areas except the Sistine Chapel. Flash and tripods are prohibited.
• Special authorization is needed for reproducing or drawing the displayed works.
• Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
• The use of mobile phones is discouraged. Silent mode is required, and phones are prohibited in the Sistine Chapel.
• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is strictly forbidden.
• On every last Sunday of the month, the museum is open to the public for free. While this might sound like a great deal, the Vatican also tends to be the most crowded on these days, so it might be better to visit on another day.
• No pets are allowed inside the museum. Service dogs are allowed if they have proper authorization.

The Vatican has a dress code , as it is a religious state and is quite stringent about it. Failure to adhere to the dress code can lead to you being denied entry. Clothes that expose your knees, including shorts, skirts, and dresses, are not allowed, as are offensive tattoos.

• For men: Shirts are preferred, however, men can sport a T-shirt as long as it doesn’t feature any offensive slogans or imagery. Sleeveless t-shirts or vests are not allowed. Shorts must level with your knees.
• For women: Women are not permitted to wear sleeveless, low-cut clothing or crop tops. The rule of thumb to follow is that the midriff and shoulders must be covered. Skirt, dress, as well as shorts, must be at least knee-length.
• For kids: There’s no specific Vatican dress code for kids. However, the same rules as adults apply to them; shoulder and midriff should be covered. Shorts/Skirts should level with the knees.

Celebrating Christmas at Vatican is a magical affair. The city decks itself in pretty lights, a Christmas tree , and a Nativity scene . However, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel is closed on December 25 and 26.

The mass at St. Peter's Basilica, which takes place on December 24, at 9.30 PM, is one of the most viewed masses around the world. To book the Papal Audience tickets, you have to fill out a form and fax it to +39 06 698 85863 at least 2 months in advance. You’ll receive a letter that confirms that the church has received your request. However, this is not a ticket confirmation. You will have to go to the Preffetura Office 4-5 days before the mass, between 8 AM to 6 PM, to get the ticket.

• La Vittoria: A quaint trattoria offering classic Roman dishes, perfect for a hearty lunch after exploring the Vatican Museums.
• Pizzarium by Gabriele Bonci: Renowned for its gourmet pizza slices, this spot is ideal for a quick and delicious bite.
• Il Sorpasso: A rustic eatery with a diverse menu, from fresh pastas to savory meat dishes, ensuring something for everyone.
• Gelateria dei Gracchi: After a long day of sightseeing, cool down with some artisanal gelato, known for its natural ingredients and unique flavors.
• Duecento Gradi: A sandwich shop offering a wide variety of paninis made with fresh ingredients, perfect for a light meal or takeaway.

• Hotel Ferrari (5.4 km away), Taormina Hotel (7.4 km away), Hotel Dina (5.8 km away)
• Hotel Oceania (4.8 km away), Hotel Columbia (5.3 km away), Hotel Canova (5.8 km away)
• Castello della Castelluccia (15 km away)

The Vatican doesn't have its own airport, so tourists arrive or depart from the Rome airports. Book Rome airport transfer services for a smooth connection from and to Rome's city center, the Vatican, and the airport.

International airports near the Vatican:

• Rome Fiumicino Airport
• Rome Ciampino Airport

Some popular operators like SIT Shuttle Bus provide airport transfer services directly to and from Vatican and Rome Airports. Check out Rome Fiumicino Airport to the Vatican for more information.

Beyond the Vatican

Built of concrete and stone, it is the largest amphitheater ever built. It was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 70-72 AD and completed in 80 AD.

An ancient villa set amidst lush gardens, that dates back to the seventeenth century. It offers visitors an opportunity to experience life in this historic region and explore the beauty of its architecture and art.

Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo

The historic summer residence of the Pope, nestled in Castel Gandolfo, was built in 1596 and is home to several historical artifacts from its past use as a papal retreat. The palace gardens are also open to visitors, filled with sculptures and fountains.

Frequently asked questions about Vatican Tickets

The starting price for Vatican Museums tickets is €29. This typically includes skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Prices may vary based on additional features like guided tours or access to special areas.

You can purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums online or at the venue. Online purchasing allows you to avoid the long queues at the ticket office. Additionally, some tickets offer combined access to St. Peter’s Basilica , providing a more comprehensive experience.

Booking Vatican Museums tickets online offers several advantages: - Skip the lines: The Vatican Museums are a major tourist attraction, and the lines can be extensive, especially during peak seasons. By purchasing tickets in advance online, you can bypass the ticket lines and save valuable time. - Guaranteed entry: Especially during peak seasons, walk-in tickets might be sold out. By booking in advance, you ensure your entry. - Variety of options: Plan your experience by choosing from various options, such as guided tours or evening tours. Combo tours to visit other attractions in Rome are also available. - Discounts & offers: Online bookings often come with special discounts and offers not available at the ticket office. - Customer service: Benefit from 24/7 customer service via phone, email, or chat.

A standard Vatican Museums ticket includes skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Depending on the experience you choose, you may also get guided tours or special access to areas like the Raphael Rooms.

Yes, EU citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 can avail of reduced pricing on their tickets with a valid ID. EU and non-EU citizens under 18, as well as teaching staff, can enjoy free or reduced entry into the Vatican Museums.

Absolutely! You can purchase Vatican Museums skip-the-line tickets, allowing you to bypass the long queues and enter with priority access. Some popular options include: - Tickets to Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel with Escorted Entrance - Early Morning or After-Hours Skip-the-Line Tour of Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Standard Vatican Museums tickets grant access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. For entry into St. Peter’s Basilica, you'll need to opt for specific combo tickets.

The cancellation policy varies based on the ticket type. Some tickets offer a full refund upon cancellation up to 48-72 hours in advance, while others might be non-refundable. Always check the specific terms before booking.

About Vatican City

History of the Vatican City

Facts About Vatican City

Protect Your Trip »

5 best vatican tours of 2024 (with skip-the-line access).

Guided Vatican tours can make the experience less overwhelming and more enjoyable.

The Best Vatican Tours

Getty Images

One of the most famous landmarks in the world, Vatican City draws more than 5 million people each year, which means that no matter when you visit, you can expect massive crowds. Along with the throngs of tourists, the sheer size of this sovereign city-state in Rome can make a visit to Vatican City feel overwhelming.

If you're feeling intimidated by the experience, consider one of the following small-group Vatican tours, guided by local experts who can both explain the history of the Eternal City and help you navigate the crowds.

Best Overall: What a Life Tours – Skip-the-line Vatican Small Group Tour

Best after hours: the roman guy – vatican after hours tour with sistine chapel.

• Best Small Group: Liv Tours – Vatican & Sistine Chapel Small Group Tour

Best Private: Private Tours of Rome – Vatican and Sistine Chapel Private Tour

• Best Full Day: Through Eternity Tours – Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum & Sistine Chapel: Essential Experience

To determine the best Vatican City tour in each category, we used our own experiences along with recent traveler reviews. All of the featured tours have at least 100 reviews and a minimum rating of 4 out of 5 stars across multiple websites.

Price: Adults from 99 euros (about $108); kids from 94 euros (around $102) Duration: 3 hours

Laura Itzkowitz

U.S. News independently paid to send Laura Itzkowitz , a freelance journalist based in Rome, on this tour to provide readers with an unbiased, first-hand perspective of what to expect. What a Life Tours – Skip-the-line Vatican Small Group Tour was selected by our team as an Editor’s Pick thanks to its popularity and favorable user reviews.

While the Vatican Museums are one of the must-see attractions in Vatican City (the city-state surrounded by Rome), they can can be overwhelming to navigate. After all, the site contains 26 museums, various chapels and numerous galleries. The engaging guide leading this skip-the-line tour wasted no time bringing us to the highlights, starting with the Pinecone Courtyard and ending at St. Peter’s Basilica . At the basilica, we saw Michelangelo’s Pietà and the guide explained why it’s the only work the artist actually signed.

Along the tour, you’ll see masterpieces from the Vatican Museums’ collection. Highlights include the ancient statue of Laocoön and his sons; the Belvedere Torso, which inspired Michelangelo; Greek Cross Hall; and the Round Hall, which contains a monumental bronze statue of Hercules. The Gallery of Candelabra, the Gallery of Tapestries and the Gallery of Maps – where the guide shared interesting facts about Italy in the 1600s – are other focal points, as is the Sistine Chapel. Since talking isn’t allowed in the Sistine Chapel, the guide explained Michelangelo’s frescoes at the beginning of the tour. Our guide had a great sense of humor and a deep knowledge of the artworks, which was impressive. However, she didn’t bring us to the Raphael Rooms; you may want to book a different tour if this is a priority for you.

Tours depart from the What a Life Tours office ( Via Santamaura 14B ) Monday through Saturday; the first tour starts at 9:30 a.m. What a Life Tours also offers skip-the-line access that omits the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, as well as local food tours and tours of the Colosseum .

Good to know:

• No more than 12 people can join the tour at a time.
• To capture perfectly framed photos of St. Peter’s Basilica, stroll down Via della Conciliazione after the tour.
• If you’re hungry after the tour, head to Ristorante Arlù, a family-run eatery nearby that’s been open since 1959. Be sure to ask for a table outside on the charming cobblestone street if the weather is nice.
• Prati, the neighborhood surrounding the Vatican, is a great place to shop, especially along Via Cola di Rienzo. Stop by Castroni for espresso and other gourmet foods or il Sellaio di Serafini for a handmade leather bag.

– Laura Itzkowitz

Check prices & availability on:

The Best Rome Colosseum Tours

Laura Itzkowitz Aug. 19, 2024

The Tour Guy

Price: Adults from $124; kids from $100 Duration: 2 hours

Instead of early entry, this tour offers after-hours access to the Eternal City on select weekends in the summer months. Tours depart at 5:30 p.m. from Caffé Vaticano . Guided by a local expert, you'll see the Vatican museums, galleries, Raphael Rooms and School of Athens before the tour concludes at the Sistine Chapel. Recent reviewers highly recommend this tour, pointing to the tour guides' breadth of knowledge and the ability to experience Vatican City with fewer crowds.

The Roman Guy offers a number of other local tours that include visits to the Colosseum and Catacombs of Rome as well as food tours (and tours that combine some or all of the above).

Best Small Group: Liv Tours – Vatican & Sistine Chapel Small Group Tour

Price: Adults from $140; kids from $124 Duration: 3 hours

This intimate tour is limited to just six people, making the experience more personal and enjoyable. Your tour guide will take you through the famous galleries, the Julius II apartments, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. Recent tourgoers say they could see a difference in this tour versus the other Vatican tours. They also note how kind the tour guides are.

Tours, which are available during a wide variety of time slots each day, start and conclude at Caffé Vaticano , right across the street from the entrance to the museums.

Other experiences offered by Liv Tours include a Jewish Ghetto & Travestere Tour, cooking classes and tours designed for kids.

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Price: Adults from $364; kids from $87 Duration: 3 hours

Explore the Vatican with a professional historian on this private tour. Recent travelers say they're so glad they chose to visit the Vatican on a private tour, noting how much they enjoyed hearing the guides' personal stories about the museums and the pope.

Tours depart from Viale Vaticano at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

If you're looking for a private tour of other attractions, Private Tours of Rome offers a variety of options. It also offers shore excursions, with pick up and drop-off at your ship in Civitavecchia.

Best Full-Day: Through Eternity Tours – Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum & Sistine Chapel: Essential Experience

Price: From $1,345 Duration: 7 hours

If you're short on time and/or prefer to see several Rome attractions at once, this jam-packed tour is a great option. During the six-hour excursion, you'll see the Colosseum, the Roman Forum , Trevi Fountain , Piazza Novana and the Pantheon before visiting the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square (and then moving on to other sites). This tour includes optional headsets and skip-the-line access at all ticketed attractions. Recent travelers say the tour guides make this experience especially fun.

This full-day tour starts at 9 a.m. in front of the Angelino "ai Fori" dal 1947 restaurant and concludes in St. Peter's Square. It's typically offered Monday through Saturday. While babies and toddlers up to age 2 are permitted free of charge, this tour is not recommended for children.

Through Eternity Tours offers a number of other guided experiences in Rome, including an Angels and Demons tour based on the bestselling book. The company also offers shore excursions and day trips to Tivoli, Florence and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

In short, yes. Vatican City is considered an independent nation-state and is the world's smallest such entity.

All visitors must dress appropriately for a place of worship. Shorts, hats, miniskirts, sleeveless tops, low-cut tops and garments that show the knees are not permitted. Guests dressed inappropriately will not be allowed inside.

When choosing your outfit, remember to wear comfortable walking shoes . Any visit to Vatican City requires a lot of walking.

All visitors are required to go through a security check to enter the museums, and there are a variety of items that you may not take inside:

• Luggage: Bags, backpacks and the like must not exceed 40 x 35 x 15 centimeters (16 x 14 x 6 inches); if they're too big, they must be checked in the cloak room (free of charge).
• Umbrellas: If necessary, these can also be checked in the cloak room.
• Video cameras: Non-flash photography is permitted in all areas except the Sistine Chapel.
• Food and drink
• Weapons and firearms

The Vatican is easily accessible from different sections of Rome.

Metro: You can take the metro to either the Cipro or Ottaviano stop on Line A (orange line) to be dropped near the Vatican Museums.

Bus: If taking the bus, multiple routes drop off near St. Peter's Basilica.

Taxi: You can also opt for a taxi or walk into St. Peter's Square.

Additionally, there are parking garages outside of Vatican City if you want to drive there, though driving in Rome is generally not recommended, as there are many areas where driving is restricted and you could be fined. Traffic in Rome can also be brutal, especially during the summer. Plan to arrive at the tour departure point at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time.

The Vatican museums are open Monday through Saturday.

Current hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The museums are closed on Sundays, with the exception of the last Sunday of the month and certain holy days throughout the year, including Christmas. Final entry to the museum is approximately two hours before closing.

St. Peter's Basilica opens at 7 a.m. year-round, closing at 6:30 p.m. in the winter months and 7 p.m. from April through September.

Be sure to check the Vatican Museums website to see if there are any museum closures ahead of your visit.

Yes, and there are a variety of ticket options you can purchase on the Vatican's website. However, many travelers opt for a guided tour to see the highlights with the help of an expert. Plus, many Vatican City tours include stops at other attractions in Rome.

You might also be interested in:

• The Best Hotels in Rome
• The Best Places to Visit in Italy
• The Best Small Group Tours of Italy (+ Day Trips)

Tags: Tours , Travel , Vacations , Vatican , Europe Vacations

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How to get tickets to the Vatican and avoid the lines: 4 best ways

Learn how to get tickets to the Vatican and avoid long lines: four tried and tested ways to buy Vatican tickets for all budgets, with or without a tour.

Vatican City is one of the most visited attractions in Rome , its spiritual significance and magnificent art beckoning over 5M visitors per year.

Visiting the Vatican is easy and you can easily plan a day in Vatican City as part of a short stay in Rome.

however, as the name suggests, Vatican City is not one attraction but a city or, more precisely, a State, with several attractions, each with different access rules.

Of the several attractions in Vatican city, some are ticketed and some are not.

Today, we look at: the top attractions in Vatican City and the best ways to get tickets for the Vatican.

See also: is the Vatican a country? Fun and interesting facts about Vatican City

Please note: this post contains affiliate links, marked with a * Should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission.

Table of Contents

Top Vatican City attractions at a glance

The Vatican is not one attraction but a city,  albeit small, with a cluster of landmarks, with different access rules. 

The landmarks are close to one another but they are not all in the same place – to see them all, plan a the best part of a day.

There is no border control to enter the Vatican. You however need ID to enter the museums.

The main attractions in Vatican City are:

>>> Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (the Chapel is inside) – ticketed (see below for options)

>>> St Peter Square – free to enter, no ticket

>>> St Peter’s Basilica – ticketed, tickets on site

>>> Vatican Gardens – ticketed, see below

>>> Vatican excavations -ticketed, see below

How to get skip the line tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel: 4 best ways

There are four ways to get admission tickets without / with a tour to the Vatican Museums:

The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are the main attraction at the Vatican for many and what most visitors have in mind when they say they want to visit the Vatican.

The Vatican Museums are a stunning and huge art museums and includes the Sistine Chapel which is part of them.

Need to know! The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are together ! The chapel is inside the museums so you cross the museums to get them.  You cannot get a ticket for the chapel only (but you can get express tours that focus on it, see below) .

>>> All Vatican Museum tickets are timed. You select date and time and go straight to the door, so ALL TICKETS ARE SKIP THE LINE   as you don’t have to line up to buy them.

Don’t pay more to skip the line, you don’t need to! Skip the line is another way of saying you can get tickets in advance so you don’t need to stand in line at the ticket window: it is not a priority line that give advantage vs other ticket holders.

>>> All visitors need to pass airport style security . This line cannot be skipped.

>>> You must abide by the Vatican Dress code to enter the museum. You can find all info here >>> Vatican dress code and tips for getting ready for your visit.

Need to know : Vatican dress code rules are strict. The fact that some visitors report to have been allowed entrance with more revealing clothing or shorts doesn’t make this a rule: anything that doesn’t match the Vatican rules make you run the risk of being turned away. The rules apply to the Museums as well as the Basilica as they are the access route to the Sistine Chapel, which is a holy to the Catholic religion. The decision of the person at the door about the suitability of your attire is final and no reimbursement it foreseen if you are turned away. Best to stay as close to the letter of the rule as possible

How to get Vatican Admission tickets, entrance only, from the official site

The cheapest way to get skip the line entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel is by buying tickets from the Museums website directly.

Tickets come out 60 days before and go fast, therefore I recommend checking the site around the 60 day mark and secure them when they come out, especially if coming to Rome at a busy time (which is always, with the exception of late January and mid-November usually)

Kids under 6 are free, children 6-18 pay a reduced fee and there are concessions for specific categories listed on the website.

If you fall into one of the categories entitled to a discount, make sure you have proof with you as they will ask for it.

Buying Vatican Museum tickets from the museum website direct if is the cheapest option as you deal directly with the museums: no agency, no affiliates, no intermediaries.

Tickets sell out rather fast, so it is best book early.

Book direct >>> Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel Ticket office

How to get Vatican admission tickets when the official site is sold out using GetYourGuide

If the official site is sold out, you can usually find additional availability on third party ticketing platforms such as GetYourGuide.

Despite the name, GetYourGuide also sells entrance tickets with no tour and while the cost is higher than going direct, it often have tickets before and after the official site, making it a very useful, easy to way to secure tickets fast.

You can get tickets at this link .

How to get Vatican admission tickets when the official site is sold out using Tiqets

Another way to get skip the line admissions tickets for the Vatican Museum is by buying on ticketing platforms such as Tiqets.

Tiqets is more expensive than buying direct; however, they tend to sell out less quickly and they are a reliable ticket provider. A very good option if you want to get Vatican entry tickets without a tour guide.

Click here for >>> Vatican Tickets From Tiqets *

How to buy Vatican museum and sistine chapel ticket with a tour

Other Vatican ticket options are attached to tours.

There is an almost infinite list if tour provides offering Vatican Museum tours.

Out of the many, there are two I trust and recommend, LivTours and MariaclaudiaTours. In particular:

Early morning tour by LivTour  – this is a small group morning tour allowing you to enter the Museums and the Sistine Chapel before the general public so you get lower crowds.

Book via aff. link >>>  LivTour semi private Vatican morning tour*

Private Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel express tour by LivTours

The peculiarity of this tour is that it focuses on the Sistine Chapel rather than other parts of the museums and it is therefore perfect for visitors who want to get in and out quickly yet still enjoy the Chapel.

Good to know : while this tour is not for families as such, it is family friendly. Being private, your guide can adapt it to the pace of a family with a young child and this is why I recommend it to families visiting the Vatican with a baby or toddler as well as visitors with no children.

Book via aff. link >>  Private Vatican Museum and Sistine chapel express tour*

Kids’ tour by Mariaclaudia tours  – this is an excellent tour for families with kids age 6 to 11 and that can be adapted to teens. Game based, it is perfect for kids who do better with a scavenger hunt/play approach.

The tour is not suitable for kids under 6. Book via Facebook @mariaclaudiaTours or by email: mariaclaudiatours @ gmail.com

Tell her you found her on MamaLovesRome!

Kids’ Tour by LivTour – this is another perfect Vatican tour for families with kids, different to Mariaclaudia’s for the areas covered, which include the Egyptian wing of the Museum (usually a hit with kids!).

Most suitable for families with kids of primary school age and up but if you tell LivTours the age of your kids, they can adapt it to different ages.

Book via aff. link >>> Family Tour Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel by LivTours*

Last but not least, you can get a guided tour offered by the Vatican Museums themselves .

Guided Tours by the Vatican Museums are a good option of you are looking for a group tour and do not need any customisation.

There are several options including also early morning and after hour tour.

To see what is availabe on your date, go onto the museum ticket page >>  https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home  select desired date and number of participants >> see options.

Need to know:  these Vatican museum tours tend not to be accessible nor stroller friendly as they do not follow the accessible path.

I hope you found this quick guide about how to get tickets to the Vatican useful and got some good tips!

Remember: Additional info and lots of tips to visit the Vatican with kids are in my  Rome with kids ebook available on Amazon CLICK HERE  (also with tons more info and ideas to enjoy Rome with kids)

How to visit St Peter’s square (Piazza San Pietro) 

Piazza San Pietro / St Peter’s square is free: you do not need tickets to enter, you just walk in like any other square. 

The square is famous for being one of the most beautiful squares in Rome and for the stunning colonnade designed by master architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

You can read here >> all about St Peter’s Square in Rome

How to visit St Peter’s Basilica main floor (the church, where you also find Michelangelo’s Pieta’ and Bernini’s altar piece) 

At Peter’s Basilica is the main church in the Vatican and the biggest and most significant papal basilica, home to outstanding art and archtesture as well place of rest of Popes,

Access to St Peter’s Basilica’s main floor is free, no ticket needed.

Need to know: To enter the basilica you need to pass airport style security. This cannot be skipped, not even with a guided tour that promises you can ‘skip the line’. There is no such thing skipping security!

Read here >> all you need to know about visiting St Peter’s Basilica (including dress code)

See also: how to see Michelangelo’s Pieta’ in Rome

How to get access to St Peter’s Dome 

Climbing to the top of St Peter’s dome is not form the faint of heart, with those stairs and those height; however, it is one of the most popular things to do in teh Vatican and can be great fun.

The views from the top are among the best views of Rome !

The climb to the dome is ticketed and tickets available on the day and in person only. No skip the line option. Usually it is at its least busy early in the morning

How to visit the Vatican necropolis (Scavi)

The Vatican necropolis is a limited access underground area where St peter’s is believed to be buries.

Only accessible in small numbers, this is an archaeological area you can visit by getting a permit and the guide from the ‘excavation’ office directly.

The necropolis is not not part of the standard tours. Request access here >>>  http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/prenotazione.html

Good to know : the necropolis is different from the so called grottoes, where the Popes are buries. The grotto is part of the Basic and accessible from it. The Necropolis is an ancient site below the basilica and accessible from a different entrance.

How to visit the Vatican gardens

The Vatican Gardens are beautiful, landscaped gardens developing on the slopes of the Vatican Hill, at the back of the Basilica.

Open by reservation and guided tour only, they are open to visitors age 6 and up.

You can read here >> our experience visiting the Vatican Gardens

only at the time of writing, they are at the back of the basilica and ticketed separatley. Book direct >>  https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home

As well as on this MamaLovesRome website:

• How to visit the Vatican
• How to visit the Vatican with kids
• Visiting the Vatican at Christmas

How to get tickets for the Vatican: pin this!

My name is Marta, I am a travel-loving mama born and bred in that messy, wonderful, infuriating, awe-inspiring unbelievably beautiful city that is Rome. A classics graduate and professional travel blogger, on this site I share my insider tips to help you plan your dream trip to Rome, Italy.

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The Absolute 10 Best Vatican Private Tours to Book in Rome

Hands down, the Vatican is one of the most crowded places to visit in Rome. More so in the high season, but truly all year long. So how do you visit and enjoy the Sistine Chapel in silence and at your own pace? With one of the best Vatican private tours.

There are a few companies running semi-private and private tours to the Vatican in Rome and my favorite are LivTours, Walks, and Context Travel because they are reliable and their guides are local, expert, and knowledgeable.

The best private tours to the Vatican ensure fast-track entrance and an experience that is as seamless as possible. There are different types of private Vatican tours. Some are early morning, some are after hours or at closing time, others are private with only your group but during the day, and some guarantee exclusive experience and being alone in the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

Obviously, the price will also change depending on the exclusivity of your tour, the time of entry, and whether you will access areas usually closed to the general public.

Table of Contents

“Alone in the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums” one of the best Vatican private tours

We took this exclusive tour last March and it was truly a one-of-a-kind experience. We met at the entrance of the Vatican Museums at 6.30 am with our guide and entered before anyone else and any other tour, even the VIP ones that enter before opening hours.

This is because this tour ensures its guests to be alone in the Sistine Chapel, so before any other company takes theirs. For the whole duration of the tour, it will be you, your guide and the guards of the Vatican Museums.

The Sistine Chapel will be one of the last landmarks of the tour after visiting famous monuments like Raphael’s Rooms and the Gallery of the Maps. Being able to enjoy the Vatican Museums without the crowds and actually hear what your guide is telling you makes this private Vatican tour worth it.

The experience ends in the Vatican cafè where you will enjoy breakfast with the backdrop of the Pinecone Courtyard.

Click here to book the semi-private tour

Click here to book the private tour

Check out our video about this tour!

“VIP Key Master’s Tour: Open the Sistine Chapel” semi-private tour with Walks

This is actually a semi-private tour of the Vatican Museums because due to its very exclusive nature, it would have to be much more expensive to run it privately. The maximum of the participants is set to 20 max but it will only be your tour and your guide before anyone else, any other tour and any crowd.

In fact, starting at 6 am, this tour is the earliest tour of the Vatican Museums at the moment and it starts even before the actual opening. This means that you will open the Sistine Chapel with the Key Master ( clavigero in Italian), making it one of the best private Vatican tours early morning.

Click here to book

“Deluxe Private Vatican Tour with Secret Rooms” with LivTours

This is a great private Vatican tour if you are looking for a comprehensive overview of one of the greatest and largest museums in the world that highlights its most significant collections such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, plus other stunning artworks and collections.

Part of the experience is access to two hidden rooms usually closed to the general public. Seeing these rooms – the Niccoline Chapel, and Bramante Staircase – praised by scholars for centuries, firsthand is a truly unforgettable experience. On the way to the two secret rooms, you will get the chance to see the Hall of Busts and the Hall of Animals.

“Interactive Private Early Morning Vatican Family Tour” with LivTours

The tour is designed with fun activities and quizzes created for the whole family to keep your kids engaged and entertained while learning everything about the highlights of the Vatican Museums .

Throughout the tour, you will have the chance to stare at Michelangelo’s frescoes on the Ceiling and the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel together with only a few people, making the experience even more enjoyable. Your guide will unveil fascinating anecdotes and hidden messages painted by Michelangelo.

You will also see the famous Raphael Rooms and stroll through the beautiful galleries lined with dazzling treasures such as the Gallery of the Maps with its accurate paintings of maps of Italy, always a favorite with children (and adults!) and the magical Tapestries with moving eyes.

From the Vatican Museums, you will take the special exit that leads you down an old marble staircase directly to Saint Peter’s Basilica where you will see Bernini’s bronze canopy and Michelangelo’s La Pietà sculpture among the other masterpieces.

At the end of the tour, your guide will check on the quizzes and answers and award prizes to the kids!

“Private Family Experience: Vatican Tour for Kids” with LivTours

This is also a private family tour of the Vatican run by LivTours including plenty of interactive activities for kids but with a few differences. In this tour, in fact, you will also visit the Egyptian gallery inside the Vatican Museums that kids usually love.

Moreover, you will have the option to add a VIP visit to a secret room (which will vary depending on the time you book the tour) and a mosaic-making workshop in a lab in central Rome where your guide will take you after the tour.

“St. Peter’s Basilica Tour” with Context Travel

The wonderful Renaissance Basilica of Saint Peter is a church but also a museum given the huge amount of artwork. The tours of Context Travel are always led by scholars and your guide in this private tour of the Vatican Basilica will either be a theologian, an architect, or an art historian.

Your tour will start in Via della Conciliazione, the majestic entrance to the Vatican built by Mussolini in the 1930s and will proceed across St. Peter’s Square. This way, you can understand the effect Bernini wanted to create when entering the Vatican Basilica, even though back then, there was the quarter known as Spina di Borgo where is now Via della Conciliazione.

Once inside, you will explore the masterpieces of the Basilica as well as learn about the tales and facts behind them and the history that brought about this magnificent church. You will also visit the Vatican Grottoes where are the tombs of the popes and the Treasure Museum.

“Vatican Tour for Kids with the Sistine Chapel and Skip-the-Line Tickets” with Context Travel

Context Travel, too, runs a private Vatican tour specifically designed to keep kids entertained and interested for the whole duration of the experience. A local scholar or art historian leads the tour and they will reveal the most fascinating anecdotes behind the creation of the masterpieces you will see, the history of the galleries, and the lives of the popes and the artists who worked there.

Like explorers, kids will experience this tour like a real adventure and adults will have a great chance to join them and learn everything along the way.

“Alone In The Vatican: Exclusive VIP Access Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour” with Walks

You can book this exclusive semi-private tour of the Vatican either early morning before the Museums open to the public or after they’ve closed. In one way or another, the galleries, the corridors, the Sistine Chapel, and the most famous landmarks will be empty.

This way, you will be able to enjoy your tour with a small group and your expert guide and have an in-depth experience of such great museums and collections.

“Pristine Sistine at Closing Time: Late Entry Vatican Tour” with Walks

This is one of the best private Vatican tours after hours because it starts near closing time. The tour takes place in the last three hours of the day so if the Vatican Museums close at 7 pm, the tour will start at 4 pm.

This will leave you with much fewer crowds inside the Sistine Chapel and in general in all the galleries. Of course, in the high season, there will still be several visitors, even though fewer than during the day. In the low season, however, the late entry will ensure a very quiet visit.

“Private Vatican Breakfast Tour | VIP Experience” with LivTours

This great private Vatican tour operated by LivTours kicks off with a scrumptious breakfast surrounded by art and history in the amazing backdrop of the Pinecone Courtyard. Once you are filled with energy to start your day, the tour will carry on to see the famous landmarks of the Vatican Museums from the Belvedere Torso to the statue of Laocoön, and the famous galleries of the Candelabra, of Tapestries, and the much admired Gallery of Maps.

Needless to say, no tour of the Vatican Museums can be complete without a visit to the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms. The whole experience, won’t end here but in St. Peter’s Basilica to admire yet more artwork and delve even deeper into the history of the Vatican City.

Don’t miss my full guide to beating the crowds in Rome!

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Vatican City Highlights Tour - Semi-Private

• Maximum of 10 people per group
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The original all-in-one Vatican Tour in English at the best possible price when booking directly online. Consistently rewarded TripAdvisor's "CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE". Official Priority, Skip the Line Access. Our expert tour guides will lead you through the highlights of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel with an introduction to St. Peter's Basilica.

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Private Vatican City Highlights Tour - 3 hours

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Vatican Private Tour just for your party at regular open hours or after hours (night) with special entry. VIP (skip the line) access.

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Vatican Semi-Private In-Depth Tour - 5 hours

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The Vatican Tour 5 hours is the perfect choice for those which 3 hour tour is not enough, already have been at the Vatican or those which already have done the Vatican Highlights and want to go in depth. This Tour will be divided with roughly 2 hours at St. Peter's Basilica and 3 hours at the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, you will also have break for a drink and snack.

Adults: €175 all inc. | Youth: €130 all inc.

Private Vatican City In-Depth - 5 hours

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The Vatican Private Tour 5 hours is a great way to really get the most out of the Vatican. Your own private guide and 5 hours of touring time you will see much more than the average visitor. This tour is available at regular open hours or before the general public with special entry. VIP (no lines) access.

Till 6 Pax.: €550

Breakfast at the Vatican with Private Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour

• Exclusive Buffet Breakfast in the Vatican Museums
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Enter the Vatican before the general public and enjoy an exclusive Italo Americano buffet breakfast in the beautiful Pigna Courtyard. Then see the Sistine Chapel before the crowds. Visit the Rooms of Raphael, Gallery of the Tapestries, Gallery of the Maps and the Sistine Chapel. Come join us for Breakfast at the Vatican.

From : €500 all inc.

Exclusive visit of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel

• Exclusive visit of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
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• Private visit in a group of 20 people, and no one else.
• Vatican Museum exclusive Tour
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• Once in a lifetime experience

Explore the Vatican in a small group of 20 visitors, and have the Museums and Sistine Chapel all to yourselves. Besides your expert tour guide accompanied by a Vatican Museums custodian, you, and 19 other fortunate visitors will have the rare opportunity to see the greatest collection in the western world in a once in a lifetime experience.

From : €750 all inc.

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Best Seller Semi Private Tour - Vatican Highlights Tour €80

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Colosseum + Arena Floor & Roman Forum Tour - Semi-Private

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The Colosseum Tour is our second most popular selling tour in Rome (next only to our Vatican Tour), and now we have the chance to include a visit to the Arena Floor. Our English speaking Ancient Rome and Colosseum tour guides are the best in business who help you explore and experience the best of Rome's Ancient City. This Colosseum tour is constantly rated 5 stars. Our Colosseum tour group is limited to 15 people so book now!

Book your Vatican tour first and get 10% off this tour with the discount code in your confirmation email.

An absolute must; When In Rome!

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Rome City Center Evening Tour - Fountains & Piazzas - Semi Private

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Our Rome City Tour is also known as 'La Dolce Vita Tour'; the Sweet Life Tour. This tour of Rome is a must for first time visitors as our Rome waking tour goes through the heart of the present day city center seeing many of Rome's most famous Fountains, Monuments and Piazzas. We cover Rome's many different time periods such as Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque. Our Rome Fountains and piazzas tour group is limited to 15 people so book now!

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Fulfil your visit to the Vatican with a Pope Meeting. Every Wednesday Pope Francis offers public audience at the Vatican in St. Peters Square or Hall Paul VI.

My family and I booked 3 tours while we were in Rome. All 3 of our guides were very knowledgable and entertaining. The tours were originally for our kids (10 and 12) bud my husband and I learnt just as much!

Our guide through the Vatican was extremely well informed and he did a great job of keeping everyone engaged. We were very happy to have had earphones linked with the guide because the Vatican that day was very crowded that day.

We did the Vatican Tour with Cristiana and we can't speak highly enough about the tour. She was funny, educational and fun!

Our Colosseum tour was one of the highlights of our trip. We never would have been able to experience and see so much if it wasn't for the help of our guide. As a tip for future visitors, make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.

The Coliseum tour with Dani and the Vatican tour Pat were both great. We were happy to have found Maximus Tours.

Everything was great. Booking was quick and easy. Lowest cost we found online. Friendly and entertaining tour guide. Skip the long lines. Five Stars!

We booked two private tours with Maximus and had the same guide (Lisa) for both tours. In the Vatican she brought us away from the large groups so that we could fully enjoy the many beautiful works without being trampled over. The Colosseum tour was equally as enjoyable. It was quite a hot day but Lisa made sure that we stayed in the shade as much as possible. My family of 5 really had a wonderful time with her.

We took advantage of the special offer on the Vatican Tour and we were not disappointed. Skipping the lines into the Museums was great but we had to wait about 10min to collect our radios as there was a very big group in front of us also collecting radios. Our group only had around 14 people which was a good size, and the radios helped us hear everything the guide was saying. We learnt a lot and would definitely recommend a tour with Maximus.

My boyfriend and I had a great time on our Colosseum and Vatican tours! We had very friendly and knowledgeable guides. Two thumbs up!

Our family of four visited Rome for the first time and decided to book a couple guided tours with Maximus Tours. We like to travel but we generally do not join tours. Anyhow, we booked the Coliseum and Vatican tours and we were very happy with both. The guides spoke English very well and were fun to be around.

We were gifted a private tour of the Colosseum as wedding / honeymoon gift from some friends. Although we love to travel, we are not the type of people that would normally book a tour (yet alone a private tour) so we didn't know what to expect. We met up with the guide with ease and having them bring us through the Colosseum and all the ruins made a world of difference. It was so enjoyable we decided to treat ourselves to a private tour of the Vatican two days later with Maximus Tours. Our only regret is wondering how much we missed out on our past travels when we did not have a guide. Don't hesitate to book with Maximus!

Thank you all for the Vatican tour this week. Best of our time in Rome.

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Check out our blogs, discover the best of italy and the vatican city with, maximus tours.

Book with confidence knowing that our experienced and entertaining English-speaking tour guides are constantly receiving 5 Star reviews .

VaticanTour.com is operated by Maximus Tours and offer the finest services with official and accredited recognition from the Vatican State ensuring skip the line access to all sites whenever possible.

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PAPAL AUDIENCE -Free Tickets Reservation Service for Wednesday Papal Audiences. Papal Audience Tickets and Schedule 2024.

Please don't hesitate to contact us for more information or to see how we can best make your trip unforgettable.

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East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, site of the 2024 Tour Championship, will present an almost entirely fresh challenge to the PGA Tour players this week after a restoration led by course architect Andrew Green. 

East Lake originally was designed by Tom Bendelow and opened in 1908. Donald Ross redesigned the layout in 1913, George Cobb made changes before the 1963 Ryder Cup, and Rees Jones renovated the layout in 1994.

• More details on Andrew Green’s restoration to East Lake

Green was focused on restoring many of the Ross features and playing characteristics, and he used an image from 1949 as inspiration. Work began shortly after the 2023 Tour Championship, and the results of all the work will be revealed this week. 

Among all the changes – which included a complete bunker reworking and alterations to hazards and several hole lengths – it is the greens that stand out. The putting surfaces were changed in size and shape, with new positions for holes that will challenge the Tour players in ways that more-recent iterations never did. 

East Lake ranks No. 5 in Georgia on Golfweek’s Best 2024 ranking of private clubs in each state , and it is No. 94 among all classic courses built in the U.S. before 1960. The layout will play to 7,490 yards with a par of 71 for the Tour Championship. 

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The PuttView yardage book for East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, site of the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship (Courtesy of PuttView)

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Visiting the Vatican should be a life-long memory and with one of our private tours we guarantee you’ll have an unforgettable time. With our exclusive access; skip the line and enter before the public in the morning or after they leave at night. With a personal Licensed Guide at your disposal, have an ultimate experience at the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Your personal private guide will lead you on this journey. All of our star guides have passed one of the world’s most difficult exams and obtained their Vatican Tour Guide License. Throughout the length of your tour, your guide will be able to answer any questions you have. There will be no waiting on others in the group or being rushed to the next gallery. If you fall in love with a specific work by Raphael, feel free to bask in awe. Early Access For your private tour, a pre-opening start time is the way to go. You will be able to enter either 1 hour ahead of the general public or even 90 minutes before. If you choose to enter at 8 am (tours meet at 7:30), you will enter with only a limited number of tour operators and their clients. Our most popular time choice for private tours, this entrance beats the general public and the vast majority of total visitors.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Top tips for getting your hands on Oasis’s 2025 reunion tour tickets after 15-year hiatus

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Fifteen years after Oasis split up, feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are putting the past behind them as they announce the band’s highly-anticipated reunion – and here’s how to get tickets .

The Wonderwall hitmakers announced the explosive news earlier today with a confirmed UK and Ireland tour in the summer of 2025.

Their social media post came alongside the caption: ‘The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.’

Noel, 57, and Liam, 51, have been publicly at odds for years and by their break-up in 2009 they were no longer on speaking terms – making the likelihood of a reunion simply a pipe dream in fan’s minds. Until now.

After Liam dedicated Half the World Away to his brother at Reading Festival and called him the ‘greatest songwriter’, there was no doubt that something had shifted between the two.

So without further ado here’s everything you need to know about getting your hands on the coveted tickets.

When will Oasis Live 2025 tickets go on sale?

As the chart-topping duo – behind hits such as Champagne Supernova and Don’t Look Back In Anger – shared on social media, tickets will go on sale on Saturday, August 31 at 9am BST .

Dublin tickets will be on sale exactly one hour earlier, on the same day.

Where are Oasis playing in 2025?

Here is a complete list of dates for the Oasis Live’ 2025 reunion tour:

4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium

5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium

11th – Manchester, Heaton Park

12th – Manchester, Heaton Park

19th – Manchester, Heaton Park

20th – Manchester, Heaton Park

25th – London, Wembley Stadium

26th – London, Wembley Stadium

August 2025

2nd – London, Wembley Stadium

3rd – London, Wembley Stadium

8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium

9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium

16th – Dublin, Croke Park

17th – Dublin, Croke Park

How much will Oasis tickets be?

There is currently no confirmation on the exact price of tickets for the reunion.

There has been an observed rise in the price of concert tickets in recent months with even the cheapest, nosebleed, tickets entering the hundreds of pounds for popular artists such as Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour saw tickets price range from £60 to £200 depending on standing, seated and distance from the stage.

As for Oasis, according to Manchester Evening News, the Mancunian music artists are set to price tickets at the price of over the £100 mark.

Meanwhile, MCD Ireland has predicted that Ireland tickets will start from €86.50 (£72).

How to get Oasis tickets

After Oasis announced the 2025 tour, the official website crashed with people flocking to check for tickets – which have not yet even gone on sale. If the initial frenzy is anything to go by, it won’t be an easy task.

Fans who want to guarantee a spot in a stadium next summer should sign up for the official ticket agents and only purchase through these sites when the presale or general sale goes live.

A presale is set to go live on Friday, August 30. But sadly registration for presale has already closed.

The registration was opened for just 24 hours after opening at 7pm on Tuesday, August 27 and ending on 7pm on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

To deter any bots, to register for the pre-sale fans needed to answer a few simple questions including who Oasis’s original drummer was (answer: Tony McCarroll) .

The ballot will be randomly allocated and success in the ballot will not guarantee a ticket. All successful ballot entrants will receive their code from oasismynet on Friday August 30, 2024 by noon BST. If you don’t receive an email – you have not been successful in the ballot and will have to wait for general sale the next day.

The Presale will be operated by Ticketmaster and fans will be limited to purchasing four tickets with their unique ballot code.

The general sale goes live at 9am BST on August 31 (or an hour earlier at 8am IST for those aiming for the Dublin show).

For UK-only ticket-buyers general sale tickets can be bought via Ticketmaster , Gigs and Tours and SEE Tickets .

For Edinburgh show buyers you can also source tickets at Gigs in Scotland while tickets for the Dublin show can be found at Ticketmaster .

Oasis Tickets General Sale Times

Cardiff, Principality Stadium – Saturday, August 31, at 9am BST

Manchester, Heaton Park – Saturday, August 31, at 9am BST

London, Wembley Stadium – Saturday, August 31, at 9am BST

Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium – Saturday, August 31, at 9am BST

Dublin, Croke Park – Saturday, August 31, at 8am (Irish Standard Time)

As recommended by the official website, those hoping to be in with the best chance should ‘sign up to the official ticket agents ahead of time as the websites will be very busy during the official on sale.’

This means you can enter your card details early and avoid adding an extra step in the heat of the moment.

In this vein, for those planning to purchase via Ticketmaster, we would recommend downloading the app ahead of the sale to avoid any website issues on the day.

Although sales will start on the hour, it doesn’t hurt to log on early although don’t be alarmed when the page automatically refreshes as tickets go live.

Where To Buy Oasis 2025 Tickets

Tickets for the upcoming Oasis tour, taking part from July 4 and kicking off at Cardiff Principality Stadium to August 17, finishing at Dublin Croke Park, will be on sale 9am (UK) and 8am (IRE) Saturday August 31 .

• Ticketmaster
• Ticketmaster.ie

Have your purchasing card at the ready and make sure you have already made a decision on which venue, date and number of tickets you want to buy.

If the site crashes, which could be a risk, don’t panic. Immediately refresh and make sure you have a strong internet connection.

Then you’ll be plunged into a queue, likely of thousands, all wanting the same thing. Stay alert and ready to go as soon as you are put through.

Next, you need to have a game plan.

The Oasis website has confirmed people are ‘limited to four per household, per show’ so for those attempting to buy more – you should have more people online and ready to buy, following the above guidelines.

The Ticketmaster website also outlines a recommended strategy including having a backup plan ready to go if your ideal venue and date are no longer available.

Also, save time during the sale by searching for the Best Available ticket.

And, ‘don’t risk looking like a ticket bot’ by staying within one browser window and on a single device and not refreshing your browser multiple times for multiple ticket searches.

Elsewhere, Gigs and Tours warns that ‘when the site reaches extremely heavy capacity, we put a temporary queue in place in advance of customers reaching the booking page.’

The page will automatically refresh when you are ready to be sent through to the actual booking page.

This is likely to happen with Oasis, given their popularity, so make sure to follow the procedure laid out by the website.

For those with O2 and Virgin Media Broadband, although the network offers thousands of advance sales for shows, unfortunately, Oasis will not be in that number.

How to maximise your chances of bagging Oasis tickets

• Register to the official ticket agent of your choice ahead of the big day
• Make sure you have a stable internet connection and have charged all your devices – you could be in it for the long haul.
• Already have a date and venue picked out (and a back-up one in case the original show is already sold out)
• Follow ticket agent guidelines to avoid being kicked out as a bot
• Watch out for scammers

A spokesperson confirmed to Metro.co.uk : ‘There are currently no Priority Tickets pre-sales planned for the Oasis tour, but O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers can get access to tickets for thousands of other shows up to 48 hours before general sale, via the Priority app and website.’

Of course, sometimes things don’t always go to plan and people may end up returning tickets meaning hope is not totally lost if you can’t buy tickets first time around.

The Oasis website tells fans to only use the official resale partners  Twickets  and Ticketmaster. Any unauthorised resale could result in tickets getting cancelled.

More details on how to properly procure a resale ticket can be found here.

How to avoid getting scammed on Oasis tickets

As the battle for tickets grows more and more competitive it’s easier for fans to fall susceptible to online scams in desperation to grab tickets.

According to Barclays ticket-buyers who fell victim to fraudsters lose out on an average of £243 each which makes a recipe for disaster.

Dan McLoughlin, Fraud and Security Specialist at Lynx offered further advice on how to avoid ticket scams.

He explained that ‘if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is’, urging fans to be wary of places offering ‘large discounts’.

Fans should also keep an eye out for fake URLs, avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer on an unknown site, and only buy from trusted sources as detailed above rather than through social media.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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