Vatican Museums: Guided tour in English

This guided tour to the Vatican gets you past long lines at the Vatican Museums, so you spend more time exploring the world’s most incredible art collection and less time waiting outside.

Highlights:
- Walk straight past the long lines to the Vatican
- Don't miss a thing with your German-speaking guide 
- Explore the world's most stunning art collection
- Admire the magnificent Sistine Chapel
- Explore St. Peter's Basilica
- Enjoy a small, intimate group (max 20)

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
Visit all the highlights of the Vatican Museums – from the Sistine Chapel to lesser-known gems of the collection, capping off our tour with a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica.

With commentary from your expert, German-speaking guide you’ll explore the Pinecone Courtyard, the Hall of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of Candelabra and the incredible Raphael Rooms. Listen as your guide brings these works of art to life for you – pointing out things you never would have noticed on your own and teaching you about the characters behind these great works.

A definite highlight of the tour is a visit to the Sistine Chapel. Guided tours are not permitted within the chapel, so your tour guide will have already filled you in on the details with theaid of photographs of the paintings. 

Next, we’ll use our skip the line access again, exiting by a special door which leads us straight into St. Peter’s Basilica and past another long line. See the incredible altar and marvel at Michelangelo’s beautiful sculpture, La Pietà, before heading outside to see St. Peter’s Square.

Every morning but Wednesday, our groups will have a guided tour inside St. Peter’s Basilica – on Wednesdays it’s highly likely that the Basilica will be closed to the public for the Papal audience. On afternoon tours our guide will deliver a commentary about St. Peter’s Basilica from St. Peter’s Square before groups enter the basilica to admire it in their own time.

Our tour finishes out in St. Peter’s Square where you can admire Bernini’s clever optical illusion, spot the balcony from which the Pope delivers his public addresses and snap photos of the imposing exterior of the basilica.

How do I get my tickets?
Shortly after your booking is complete your e-ticket will be sent directly to your email, just print it out and bring it on your tour. 

Where does the tour begin?
The tour starts at the bottom of the wide steps across the street from the entrance of the Vatican Museums. Please be there 15 minutes before the tour starts. 

Where does the tour end?
The tour ends at St. Peter’s Basilica.

How long does the tour last?
The tour lasts 3 hours.  

What language is the tour available in?
The tour is operated in English.

What ticket types are available?
Adult (15+)
Youth (4-14)
Infant (0-3) Free of charge

Important information:
- On Wednesday mornings & afternoons St. Peter's Basilica may be closed to the public due to the Papal Audience taking place in Saint Peter’s Square. Customers who wish to visit St. Peter’s Basilica are advised to travel on another day. The Basilica is also subject to last minute closures for religious ceremonies. When this occurs, we are happy to offer customers a longer tour of the Vatican Museums in keeping with the advertised total length of the tour. While we undertake to tell tour groups ahead of time if there are any planned disruptions to Basilica opening hours, this is not always possible and in these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
- We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or any impairments requiring special assistance. We are also unable to accommodate strollers or baby carriages on our group tours.