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

Roma, Italy

From $48.98

Select Date and Travelers

Reserve Now & Pay Later
Secure your spot while staying flexible
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
  • 2 hours (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Discover the sacred and artistic treasures of the Vatican on an immersive tour led by an art historian guide. Skip the long lines with priority access, and see some of the most important masterpieces in the Vatican Museum’s immense collection. Stand in awe beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, and learn the stories behind the art through an audio headset so you don’t miss a word of your guide’s commentary.
  • Art history tour of the splendid Vatican Museums
  • See highlights of the sprawling collection with a knowledgeable guide
  • Learn about the artists and their patrons through live audio headset commentary
  • Walk beneath the sacred ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
  • Beat the crowds with skip-the-line access

What's Included

  • EXPERT OFFICIAL VATICAN LICENSED TOUR GUIDE
  • SKIP THE LINE TOUR OF THE VATICAN & SISTINE CHAPEL
  • DIRECT ENTRANCE TO ST.PETER'S BASILICA
  • LOCATION PICK UP & DROP OFF
  • FOOD & DRINK

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Via Germanico, 16
    Via Germanico, 16, 00192 Roma RM, Italy

    MEETING POINT: MAYA TOURS OFFICE - VIA GERMANICO 16 PLEASE ARRIVE TO CHECK-IN 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED ENTRY TIME! We organize everything and we’ll escort you inside the Museums, where we will provide you with your ticket.

End point

  • Vatican Museums
    00120, Vatican City

    Exit of the Vatican Museums

What To Expect

Maya Tours (Pass By)

Vatican Museums

2 hours Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • The tour reservations have strict timing. To join the tour, you are required to be at the meeting point for check-in at least 15 minutes prior to your tour departure time.
  • If you arrive late for the meeting time, it will not be possible to join the group or reschedule, unless you pay for the activity again. As per "No Show" rules you will not be entitled to a refund.
  • If you book for the WEDNESDAY 09:30 AM guided tour you will NOT be able to skip the line in to the Basilica due to the popes mass it will be closed until later in the day.
  • Please note that on the day of your visit certain areas of the monument/attraction can be closed due to either religious events and national holidays.
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Please be advised capacity regulations and security may delay the tour departure This could also influence the smooth running of the tour especially on national holidays and events.
  • Cancellations, changes or issues due to weather, security and events held by the monument are beyond our control and are directly decided by their administration team. These issues will be reviewed by us and dealt with on an individual basis but are the responsibility of the monument.
  • All visitors must pass through the monument/attraction security check please allow at least 20 minutes to clear security.
  • The exact timings and reservations can vary, dependant on the monument/attraction’s administration offices availabilities and decisions on the booking day and can be subject to last minute changes. Departure time can differ up to 20 minutes from your selected time.
  • Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
  • Please be aware that large bags/backpacks/suitcases are not permitted in the monument/ attraction. Only very small bags are allowed. Please do not bring these items with you on the day of your tour as there are no cloakrooms at the monument.
  • Students booking a reduced ticket must have a photo ID, you must bring a photo ID to be allowed into the monument.
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Knees & Shoulders must be covered for both Men & Women to enter the Sistine Chapel
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips


Tour meet-up was at a location about a 5m walk from the Vatican entrance so it was convenient.
The Vatican is massive and it gets crazy there at 8 am; without skipping the lines, you would be lost for sure!
The cost of the tour is very reasonable and certainly gives one a great overview of the history and artifacts that can be found in Vatican City.

Reviews

4.5
2,590 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 2,590 reviews
Excellent efficient experience!
Sammi_C, Jun 2023
Debra was an excellent tour guide. She was not only a certified Italy tour guide but also one in Vatican City as well, which is very hard to be. She knew all the guards in the complex which made navigating super easy. We got around the lines quickly and she was very knowledgeable about everything we saw. She painted a good overall picture as to the history of the City & Sistine chapel instead of saying this is this and this is this, which I strongly preferred. Meet up was very easy and you can buy coverings in the tour guide office for 3-5 euro each.
Wonderful!
Amber_P, Jun 2023
Highly recommend using Maya! Debra was our tour guide and she was incredible. She was fiercely protective of our group getting an A+ experience even making sure other groups didn’t encroach in our space. Her knowledge of the Vatican museum made the tour even more enjoyable.
A must for a proper Vatican Experience!
James_C, Jun 2023
A++, this was a very nice tour! Our guide Debera was great and the skip the line feature is a necessity during the busy summer months.
Wonderful tour
JENNY_F, Jun 2023
Went on the tour with Christina from maya tour guide.. She was great kept our interested the whole time, very knowledgeable about everything we saw… the skip-line ticket well worth it the process was quick we would definitely recommend her and company to anyone
Can’t do the Vatican without this tour
Andrew_R, Jun 2023
Our tour guide was the best! She clearly is a pro when it comes to the Vatican, but she was also very aware of those with kids. She incorporated them into the tour to keep them interested, helped parents with strollers, and politely kept other tourists moving along to not block the way. She seemed to have a deep admiration for the artwork, and knew just what to point out and what to move quickly through. I’m so relieved we had her because the Vatican is HIGHLY overwhelming otherwise. Our tour ran a bit late (30 minutes), so keep that in mind when booking, but I don’t blame my guide for that. It was busy.
Stunning experience, guide could have been kinder
Kelly_F, Jun 2023
The tour itself was amazing. The Vatican museums were beautiful and Sistine was out of this world! For that reason I’d highly recommend the tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and I found the information he gave interesting. However, there were several times during the tour he snapped at people within the group for small things that could have been dealt with in a much kinder and warm manner considering everyone had paid a lot of money to take part and we were all on a once in a lifetime holiday! That needs to be considered by the guide for further tours.
Rome-Vatican, Sistine and St Peter’s
Jan_H, Jun 2023
What an amazing experience, this tour is a must do. The Vatican, Sistine and St Peter’s are definitely a must, St Peter’s was spectacular. Our guide ‘Debra’ was absolutely brilliant, her knowledge was exceptional. Well done Viator!
Best tour, Debra was amazing
Michelle_C, Jun 2023
When planning our Rome Trip obviously my husband said we have to go to the Vatican. I searched and read reviews and thought I can’t spend 3 hours in a packed museum. This tour was one of my favorite days in rome! We had the best tour guide - Debra! She was funny, kind and extremely knowledgeable. This Tour was worth the money and believe me you do not want to have to stand in line! The other line with no guide would have been my worst nightmare. It was hot and that line must have been at least a 3 hour wait. Debra gave us head sets so we could hear her tell us about the history and explain things as we took the journey through the Vatican and the Sistine chapel. Chose this one I promise no regrets!
Wonderful tour guide, beautiful sights!
Anne_D, May 2023
Debra, our tour guide, was absolutely wonderful. Made the experience one that everyone enjoyed! Gorgeous sights.
The guide that took us...
Anna_B, May 2023
The guide that took us was very good she was very patient and respectful and knew every detail.well done
Guide was friendly and...
Joan_M, May 2023
Guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Tour guide was on time and all went perfectly. Would highly recommend.
2nd time but worth it!
Astrid_C, May 2023
I wasn’t able to get tickets directly through the Vatican, so had to do a tour and while it was pricer, María our tour guide was excellent and the sites were memorable!
Bully of a guide
Joseph_T, May 2023
Our tour guide unfortunately spoiled the occasion with her belligerent conduct with other guides, staff, and patrons. Aside from unsolicited and blatantly false pontifications on the stance of the Church on human sexuality and blasphemous preaching on behalf of false gods, all within the Vatican City; our guide was a menace to those outside our group. She would routinely shoo, accost, and shout at other tour guides with larger groups near displays she wanted to see. Or if someone came near us, she would shoo them away, because if her group was viewing a work of art, no others were allowed in her eyes. On about five different occasions she would pause the tour to talk crap about the other patrons or guides, about how much money they wasted, or about how they didn’t deserve their credentials. It was truly distracting and in poor taste. About four times, she left the group to find officers to tattle on tour groups she didn’t like. She went out of her way and paused our tour, often times in entrances or halls, blocking traffic so she could fulfill her vendetta against these other guests. It was truly embarrassing being in her group as she shouted and shuffled her way through the whole museum. She was flippant when discussing Jesus Christ, failing to respectfully inform on history, but instead oozing over her beloved artistic details. It’s what I imagine getting a tour from a scorned jaded art student would be like and I’ll likely not use this company again.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Dear Joseph, We are very sorry to hear about this experience with the guide, please send us an email at booking@mayatoursroma.com so that we can investigate the situation. Thank you, Regards, Brian
Amazing!
Sabreena_K, May 2023
The entire experience was wonderful. Deborah was very informative and presented everything very well. Thank you Deborah!
The tour guide made it a fantastic experience
Cheryle_B, May 2023
Debbie was our guide and she seriously made the tour totally worth doing. It was so busy and crowded that it would have been easy to get overwhelmed and leave but Debbie was absolutely brilliant right from the start from giving us a very knowledgeable history to focusing on the important pieces and pretty much skimming through the rest. She lead us to the best pieces and most importantly (and so very funny) she was probably the most feisty tour guide in the Vatican, getting us in front of the best pieces with a mix of total confidence and awesome Italian attitude. 'Thank you' a brilliant experience.
Awesome!
Keith_Y, May 2023
Our guide, cannot remember his name, was exceptional in his depth of knowledge and his joy in sharing it. If you are looking for a slow moving more widespread tour this is not it. But if you want a short trip through the museum to Sistine chapel this is it!
Disappointed
Baylee_S, May 2023
The groups are huge & they pack a million people in there. You can barely walk without having to shove through crowds. If you stop to look at anything you will lose your tour guide because they move so fast. It was hard to enjoy the tour because it was so chaotic. Not blaming the tour guide but they should really limit the amount of people they let in at a time. It felt like an amusement park.
tour guide
tob_t, May 2023
I think you need a guided tour. To try this on your own with an audio guide would be very difficult and you would miss the ability to ask questions.
Best Vatican Experience
Nancy_C, May 2023
We had a great tour guide. Her name was Debra. She got us in a very crowded Vatican. Told us all we needed to know snd was very explicated. She was great. Enjoyed my experience in the Vatican even with the huge crowds.
Excellent and highly informative tour!
Carol_C, May 2023
Debra was an excellent guide with extensive knowledge on all aspects of the Vatican history! We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and highly recommend it!
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Product code: 7356P1

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