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Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Skip Line Private Tour

56 Reviews 4.95 out of 5 stars Based on 56 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and TripAdvisor |
Recommended by 98% of reviewers
98% of reviewers gave this experience a rating of 4 or higher.
|
Badge of Excellence |Badge of Excellence This experience is highly rated by travelers and has met our top quality standards. Rome, Italy
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from $172.20 per person

Lowest Price Guarantee
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Skip Line Private Tour Image 1
The Cabinet of Masks
St Peter Basilica
Vatican Museums
St Peter Basilica
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 31 (0) days in advance.
3 to 4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
and 5 more
French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
Instant confirmation

Overview

The Museums are housed in the Historical Papal Palace, where such artists as Michelangelo and Raphael lived and worked, inspired by the classical art collection.
We have the chance to visit the Gallery of Statues and Cabinet of Masks exclusively for you with a special ticket, far from the crowd. Along the awesome Upper Galleries we see: grand tapestries woven in the Renaissance for the Sistine Chapel; maps of the regions of Italy masterfully painted on the walls in the 16 th century. We see the Raphael Rooms, the halls frescoed by the artist and his workshop in the private apartment of Pope Giulius II. We reach The Sistine Chapel, inside is the masterpiece of Michelangelo: the Last Judgment.
From here we will go to Saint Peter Basilica, built above the tomb of Saint Peter first Pope in history. The most important artists in history worked in the largest church in the world. The skip the line tickets will be paied in cash at the guide. Let's go!

What's Included

  • Admission tickets
  • Private Tour Guide
  • Personal Expenses
  • Souvenirs
  • Public Transportation Tickets
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Viale Vaticano
99, 00165 Roma RM, Italy

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

Piazza San Pietro
00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

I will have a sign with your name and surname.

What To Expect

Book Online

Our secure website provides real-time availability, instant confirmation, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.
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Vatican Museums

Itinerary point by point: Vatican Museums: Pinecone Courtyard Chiaramonti Gallery Pio Clementino Museum Courtyard Ottagono Rooms of Animals Gallery of Statues Cabinet of Masks (exclusive entrance) Room of Muses Rotonda Room Greek Cross Room Gallery of the Candelabra Gallery of Tapestries Gallery of Maps Raffaello Rooms Sistine Chapel St. Peter Basilica (inside) St Peter Square
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1 hour Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

Courtyard or Belvedere Court The Cortile del Belvedere (Belvedere Courtyard or Belvedere Court) was a major architectural work of the High Renaissance at the Vatican Palace in Rome. Designed by Donato Bramante from 1505 onward, its concept and details reverberated in courtyard design, formalized piazzas and garden plans throughout Western Europe for centuries.[citation needed] Conceived as a single enclosed space, the long Belvedere court connected the Vatican Palace with the Villa Belvedere in a series of terraces connected by stairs, and was contained on its sides by narrow wings.Bramante did not see the work completed, and before the end of the sixteenth century it had been irretrievably altered by a building across the court, dividing it into two separate courtyards.
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15 minutes Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

Pio Clementino, Room of Animals, Gallery of Muses, Gallery Rotonda, Candelabra Gallery, Tapestry Gallery, Maps Gallery. The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani; Latin: Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display,[1] and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments.
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30 minutes Admission Ticket Included

Stanze di Raffaello

Raphael's Rooms The four Raphael Rooms form a suite of reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace, now part of the Vatican Museums, in Vatican City. They are famous for their frescoes, painted by Raphael and his workshop. Together with Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, they are the grand fresco sequences that mark the High Renaissance in Rome.
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15 minutes Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel Originally known as the Great Chapel, the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and 1481. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescoes that decorate the interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment, both by Michelangelo.
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30 minutes Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

We will have the chance to visit the Cabinet of Masks exclusively, that you will be able to admire far from the crowd, to give you a taste of what it was like when they were admitted only few and highly selected guests
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15 minutes Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Square

The Tour includes the St. Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus considered by Catholics to be the first Pope.At the centre of the square is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected at the current site in 1586. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square almost 100 years later, including the massive Doric colonnades, four columns deep, which embrace visitors in "the maternal arms of Mother Church". A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675 matches another fountain designed by Carlo Maderno in 1613.
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15 minutes Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Basilica

The Tour includes the St. Peter's Basilica from the inside with precious works of art such as the Piety by Michelangelo and the Baldacchino by GianLorenzo Bernini Peter's Basilica is one of the largest buildings in the world and is the largest of the papal basilicas. At the moment the St. Peter's Basilica is a building that measures 218 meters of length and 136 meters of height including its dome. It has an area of 23,000 square meters.
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1 hour Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Skip Line Private Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CET). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

Still have questions?

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Activity code: C-185984P2

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.95
56 reviews

Average 4.95 out of 5 stars based on 56 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
54
4 stars
1
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 31 (0) days in advance.
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Activity name

The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Shore Excursions customers.

Filter by:

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Skip Line Private Tour?
A:
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CET).
Apr 2025
Q: What's included in the price?
A:
The following is included:
  • Admission tickets.
  • Private Tour Guide.
The following is NOT included:
  • Personal Expenses.
  • Souvenirs.
  • Public Transportation Tickets.
  • Food, Drinks & Snacks.
Apr 2025
Q: What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:

There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure. This tour requires at least one adult to accompany children..

Apr 2025
Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025
Q: Is this an accessible tour?
A:

Accessibility information for the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Skip Line Private Tour is as follows:

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Apr 2025
Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Skip Line Private Tour will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Shore Excursions. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

 

 

Mar 2024
Q: How long does a refund take to reach my card, and can I get it faster?
A:

Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.

Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.

If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.

Oct 2026

What's Included

Activity name

  • Admission tickets
  • Private Tour Guide
  • Personal Expenses
  • Souvenirs
  • Public Transportation Tickets
  • Food, Drinks & Snacks

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Report Product Issue

Activity name