Skip-the-Line: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Tour with St. Peter's Basilica

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy

The 110 acres that comprise the Vatican City are home to some of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. The global centre of the Catholic religion attracts millions of fervent religious supporters and interested visitors each year. As you pass the famed Pontifical Swiss Guard, the Pope’s security force since 1505, you’ll enter perhaps the most recognizable plaza in the Western world: St. Peter’s Square.

Given the Vatican’s importance as a religious and historical destination, it’s no surprise that it is consistently brimming with tourists. Attractions like the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel regularly have long lines for entrance, and papal addresses are heard by thousands of people beneath the window of the Apostolic Palace.

Throughout history, wealthy and famous visitors have presented the Popes with some of the most important works of art in Western history. These include multiple sculpture museums with special galleries dedicated to statues, busts, and masks. Even more impressive is the collection of paintings with works by Da Vinci, Bellini, Titian, and a suite of rooms dedicated to the frescoes of Raphael.

Thoroughly educated in the history of these masterpieces, our guides will take you on an intimate tour of the Vatican Museums, leading you directly to the most consequential works and offering valuable information along the way.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Citta del Vaticano 1, 00120 Vatican City Italy

The Sistine Chapel has drawn admirers from around the world for over five hundred years, ever since the completion of Michelangelo’s great Sistine Chapel ceiling. The magnificent frescoes that make up Michelangelo’s famous ceiling include The Creation of Adam, an iconic depiction of a Biblical scene; only Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa matches its artistic significance. To be admired in silence, the Sistine Chapel provokes awe amongst its visitors with breath-taking art and architecture in all directions. In order to prepare you for the grandeur of the Chapel’s interior, our guides will offer a helpful history of the art inside and provide orientation to better direct your exploration.

Duration: 30 minutes

Pass By: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza di San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy

After this you will be escorted, through a priority entrance, in St. Peters Basilica, the greatest piece of Renaissance architecture as well as being largest church in the world, to explore at your own leisure.