Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica

What to Expect

Visiting the Vatican Museums will be a memorable experience for you, but it will require endurance and patience. Even if you skip the line with the guide to the Vatican Museums for a few hours, which is common here, you will encounter a 7 km stretch of museum exhibitions. It is said that if you stand near each exhibit for 1 minute, it will take 12 years to see the entire collection! That's why there are different route options, the most popular and optimal in the sense that it covers key attractions, lasts 3 hours, and looks like this:

• Courtyard of the Pine Cone with a huge bronze pine cone fountain from the 1st or 2nd century AD.
• Pio-Clementino Museum with a rich collection of ancient art. The sculptures 'Laocoön and His Sons' - one of the largest sculptures in the world, and the Belvedere Apollo - an unsurpassed canon of human body beauty.
• Gallery of Tapestries with a collection of unique tapestries skillfully restored by nuns.
• Gallery of Maps, the world's largest geographical museum.
• Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo's great masterpiece, a cultural heritage of all humanity. The chapel's ceiling shows the Creation of Adam and the Last Judgment, while the frescoes depict the life of Moses and Christ.
• St. Peter's Basilica with the outstanding Pietà by Michelangelo 'Lamentation of Christ', the only work by the sculptor that he signed.

You will learn:

• the fascinating history of the State of the Vatican City, what the name of the head of the Vatican means, and where the conclave - the papal elections - takes place;
• the history and peculiarities of works by Italian geniuses Raphael, Pinturicchio, Perugino, Botticelli, and others;
• the significance of divine frescoes by Michelangelo Buonarroti 'Separation of Light from Darkness', 'Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants', 'Separation of Land from Water and Creation of Fish', 'Creation of Fish and Birds', and others;
• key facts about the magnificent and most luxurious basilica of the Catholic Church, its relics and treasures, as well as about St. Peter's Square, surrounded by the ingenious baroque architecture of Bernini with an illusionary deception effect that arises if you stand at a famous point in the center of the square;
• and much more.

Finally, you will definitely receive advice to visit the papal post office to send a postcard home with the stamp of the Pope.

At the end of the 3-hour program, you can stay and independently explore all the attractions of the Basilica and St. Peter's Square without haste.

As a result of the tour, you will discover the historical, cultural, and religious wealth of Italy and Rome in the exhibits of the museums and the Basilica, and come closer to understanding the world-famous Italian art.

Important Note

The Vatican reserves the right to close the passage between the museums and St. Peter's Basilica without warning and at the last moment, making it impossible to visit the Basilica during the tour due to reasons beyond our control. In this case, all 3 hours of the tour will take place in the museum halls.

How the Tour Works

• The tour will be conducted by a licensed guide from our team - a specialist in the history of art and the Vatican.
• If there are 6 or more participants in the group, you will be provided with headphones (free of charge). You can bring your own headphones and use them together with the Vatican radio block.

Important to Know Before Booking

• Entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums with skip-the-line priority access are included in the price. Tickets are non-refundable, strictly tied to the date and time of entry, and must be booked in advance. The entrance tickets will be with the guide.
• Participation is free for children under 6 years old. However, we recommend the tour for children over 10 years old, as it is very informative and requires a lot of attention and emotions.
• From November 1 to April 1, we recommend booking the tour for an earlier time if possible to avoid any issues with the service in the Basilica.

Visiting St. Peter's Basilica

• Unfortunately, there may be a queue at the metal detector at the entrance to the Basilica, and the waiting time in line can range from 15 minutes to 1-2 hours.
• St. Peter's Basilica is open daily, except Wednesdays, from 07:00 to 18:00 from October to March and from 07:00 to 19:00 from April to September. On Wednesdays from 13:00 (due to the audience with the Pope).
• It is forbidden to bring umbrellas, large backpacks, sharp objects, alcohol, and liquids in glass; clothing must cover shoulders, knees, and décolleté.