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Vatican Museums

See where the Vatican exhibits some of its most priceless paintings, including works by Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.

Vatican Museums: Our most recommended tours and activities

Rome: Turning the Lights on at the Vatican Museums

1. Rome: Turning the Lights on at the Vatican Museums

Almost every morning for the past decade, Gianni has led the team with the massive task of opening up the 24 interconnected galleries, museums, and chapels that make up the Vatican Museums. With a small group, join him on his morning routine to open the doors to some of the world’s most renowned artworks. Hear the sounds of the ancient locks turning as you hold the keys, and see the historic rooms go from dark to light as you flick the switch. Discover the Vatican Museums and their treasures in a way no other visitor can. As you explore, listen to Gianni’s experiences and anecdotes of his time as head clavigero, as well as the stories behind some of the 20,000 pieces on display. In the calmness of dawn, you'll have the chance to see the most impressive spaces, as well as those not open to the public. After your tour, head to the Cortile della Pigna to tuck into a delicious breakfast consisting of a croissant or pain au chocolat, pancakes with peanut butter or marmalade, an orange or apple juice, and a tea or coffee.

Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket

2. Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket

Take a stirring journey through art and religious history with skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Avoid the long ticket lines and then enjoy your visit at your own pace.  Wander through the Greek Cross Gallery to see elaborately-carved sarcophagi that might just contain the earthly remains of some of antiquity's famous kings and queens. Peek at the Cabinet of the Masks, or tour the Sala degli Animali to see a virtual menagerie of fantastic beasts, real and imagined. Walk the Upper Galleries, including the Gallery of Maps, to see how cartographers depicted the world through the ages. See masterpieces by Renaissance masters in the Raphael Rooms, and rest for a while in the Borgia Apartments. Then, it’s time to marvel at Michelangelo’s exquisite Sistine Chapel, the crown jewel of the Vatican, and perhaps even of all the world’s art treasures.

Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and Basilica Tour

3. Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and Basilica Tour

Take a tour of one of the holiest sites in Christendom on this guided walking tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. First, visit the Pine Courtyard, Belvedere Courtyard, the Gallery of the Maps, Candelabra Gallery, Pio Clementino's Rooms, the Tapestry Gallery, Raphael Rooms (only on early morning tours), and the Sistine Chapel. Then, be led by an expert guide to some of the major attractions, as well as to some lesser-known spots that other tourists often miss. You will also get to see other galleries of the Vatican corridors. Finally, visit Michelangelo's Pietà at St. Peter's Basilica before concluding your tour at the Sistine Chapel.

Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Tickets

4. Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Tickets

Design your own itinerary with a full-day skip-the-ticket-line ticket, map, and a brief orientation, so you can enjoy the highlights of the Vatican museums’ famous collections at your own pace. Start by exploring areas most tour groups never see, like the paintings in the Pinacoteca gallery and the Etruscan museum, or spend more time admiring the scenery in famous areas like the Pinecone Courtyard and Gallery of Maps.  No trip to the Vatican is complete without visiting its shining star: the Sistine Chapel. Your ticket includes entry to the chapel and your orientation provides information on what to look for when you visit this incredible treasure.

Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Tour & Basilica Entry

5. Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Tour & Basilica Entry

Discover the art collection inside the Vatican Museums on a tour with an art historian guide, with an optional entry to Castle Gandolfo. Walk through the galleries and admire masterpieces by Michelangelo inside the Sistine Chapel.  Meet your guide, an art historian who will tell you all about the masterpieces you will be encountering. Hear fascinating facts and stories as you visit the Gallery of the Maps, the Gallery of the Tapestries, and the Gallery of the Candelabra. Round off the tour with by encountering the marvels of the Sistine Chapel, complete with frescoes by Michelangelo. Be awed by coming face-to-face with Michelangelo’s most famous artwork: The Last Judgement. You can also make the most of your experience by selecting the option of an additional entry ticket to the Castle Gandolfo and St. Peter's Basilica which you can visit at your own pace without the guide.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Ticket-Line Tour

6. Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Ticket-Line Tour

Take a 3-hour guided tour of the holiest site in Christendom on a guided walking tour of the Vatican Museums including a comprehensive visit to the Sistine Chapel. With exclusive skip-the-ticket-line access through the Vatican Museums partners' entrance, save the long wait in the lines that usually form outside one of the world’s most popular attractions. Considered one of the most important places in the history of human civilization, start your tour at the museum to see the important collections of art that various popes have acquired throughout the centuries. Look out for renowned sculptures and masterpieces of Renaissance art. Feel the weight of history and get a sense of the sacred as you spy paintings by Raphael, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Michelangelo, including his masterwork in the Sistine Chapel.

Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Ticket

7. Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Ticket

Explore the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel without waiting in the often long public lines. Take a journey through the awe-inspiring museums where you’ll find a treasure trove of Roman statues, Renaissance paintings, and Italian artworks. With these Vatican Museum skip-the-line tickets, have more time to explore the immense collection of art that can be found in the Vatican Museums. Walk through the exhibits and galleries from the Round Room to the Gallery of the Tapestries. Discover the Belvedere and Pinecone Courtyards and the famous Gallery of the Maps. This room filled with topographical maps of Italy by Danti dating back to 1583 remains one of the largest geographical pictures to this day. Browsing through the Pio Clementino Museum you can see the Greek Cross Hall, Gallery of the Statues, Hall of the Muses, and other paintings, sculptures, and statues from artists spanning centuries. Pass through the majestic collection of ceremonial carriages that are now part of the Carriage Pavilion. Discover the countless treasures of the Vatican with a visit to the Raphael Rooms. Admire the 4 rooms of the Vatican famous for their frescoes by the High Renaissance great Raphael. Gaze in awe at Raphael’s The School of Athens. Observe the most famous chapel in the world – the Sistine Chapel. Witness the beautiful frescoes that decorate the interiors from Botticelli, Rosselli, Perugino, and Ghirlandaio and the most famous fresco of all – Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Ticket & Guided Tour

8. Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Ticket & Guided Tour

Enjoy admission tickets to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter's Basilica. Admire world-famous artworks on a guided tour and embark on a journey through time and space. Access each site directly with your guide and forget about the hassle of waiting in line. The groups are made up by a maximum of 30 people and are all accompanied by certified Vatican tour guides, who will take the guests through the priceless artistic treasures enshrined in the seven different museums that make up the very heart of the Vatican Museum complex. In a relaxed and informal atmosphere, the guide will tell stories and curiosities that will help to understand the historical, artistic and cultural context that has molded the masterpieces hosted in the Hall of the Muses, in the Pio-Clementine Museum, in the Gallery of Maps, in the Gallery of Tapestries, in the Raphael Rooms and in the magnificent Courtyard of the Pinecone that opens in the heart of Vatican City. The tour of the Vatican Museums will culminate with the visit to the Sistine Chapel; since it is forbidden to speak aloud inside, the guide will deliver explanations and directions outside, using the special panels provided by the Museums. Once inside, you can admire the paintings that truly represent the highest peak of Italian Renaissance art, from the precious frescoes by Botticelli, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Luca Signorelli and Piero di Cosimo, to the extraordinary vault cycle and the Last Judgement by Michelangelo. At the end of this incredible experience, the guide will briefly tell about the history of the Vatican and the majestic St Peter’s Basilica.

Rome: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Early Access Tour

9. Rome: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Early Access Tour

Take advantage of privileged early access tickets on a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Enter an hour earlier than the general public entry, avoiding massive crowds, and enjoy a stress-free tour with an experienced guide. Follow your guide to the Vatican Museums, and marvel at the extensive art collections from the Renaissance that have gathered great significance historically and artistically. Wander inside the museum, explore the most spectacular rooms and sophisticated galleries, and see a collection of frescoes of maps in the Gallery of Maps. Next, head to the Sistine Chapel and admire its iconic ceiling painted by Michelangelo. Learn about the story behind the frescoes and contemplate their meaning. Roam around the St. Peter’s Basilica, considered one of the Catholic Church's holiest temples and an important pilgrimage site. Check out famous mosaics including Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s Baldachin.

Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Tour

10. Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Tour

As the Vatican Museums are the home of roughly 70,000 arts, it is impossible to visit everything in one day. If you look just 1 minute at each piece of art, it will take you 12 years to finish everything. That is why our 2.5-hour visit is the perfect way to make the most out of everything. During the visit, get ready to be mesmerized by the works of the master painters like Raphael, Bernini, da Vinci, and of course, Michelangelo’s world-famous Sistine Chapel and Last Judgement. Then you will be captivated by the beauty of the St. Peter’s Basilica with a special entrance, from Michelangelo’s Pietà to Bernini’s enormous bronze altar.

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Other Sightseeing Options in Vatican Museums

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What people are saying about Vatican Museums

Overall rating

4.4 / 5

based on 162,644 reviews

Amazing experience with amazing guide! Vatican is a beautiful place full of history, but definitely needs a good guide, otherwise you will miss all the cheeries on the cake.

Deborah was fantastic. The best tour guide we had all weekend in Rome. Knowledgable, in control, took us to all the best parts. Couldn’t have asked for better. Perfect!

It was an amazing experience. Our guide was Marianne and she was fantastic. She had a ton of great information and was a very fun guide.

Our Guide, Lindsy(?) from Netherlands was amazing and very passionate about the tour and content and stories etc.

Great tour, great guide. Place itself was very growded, so it was convenient to visit with the guide.