Rome Tours
VIP Rome: Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums Guided Tour
4.5

VIP Rome: Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums Guided Tour

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Ages 0-99, max of 15 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Early Entry, Skip the Line Tickets to the Vatican Museums
  • Vatican Museums Highlights Tour
  • Breakfast at the Vatican Museums
  • Expert Walks tour guide
  • Small groups, never more than 15 people
  • Headsets
  • Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
  • Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
  • Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel
  • Entry/Admission - St. Peter's Basilica
What's not included
  • Gratuities


Start:
  • Antico Caffè Candia, Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
    Meet at Antico Café Candia at Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM. Your guide will be holding a green Walks sign.
End:
  • St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
    St. Peter's Basilica

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 15693P105

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Please notify us before booking if you have any food allergies, dietary restrictions, or other special requirements during your tour.
  • Comfortable walking shoes recommended.
  • Please note that guests may only carry small handbags inside the Vatican Museums. Larger backpacks and big pointy umbrellas etc must be left at the cloakroom. It is the responsibility of the guest to return to the Vatican Museums entrance to collect these after the tour.
  • While the Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair and stroller access, they are not conveniently located on the group tour route and only give access to specific sections of the Museums. We advise clients to contact Walks Customer Service Team to make further arrangements
  • Also, please remember that the Sistine Chapel is a holy place, and attire must be appropriate for the visit. Both men and women are asked to wear clothing that covers at least the shoulders and knees. Walks of Italy cannot be held responsible for denied entry due to improper dress. Please note that, since the chapel is at the end of the Vatican visit, it is sufficient to bring extra coverings with you and put them on before our entrance to the holy areas.
  • Walks / Devour complies with all local government regulations. Please refer to local government guidelines for the most up-to-date information.
  • The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and subject to other unexpected closures during special celebrations/festivities, including the Easter ceremonies. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinoteca Gallery. Your guide will still give you an introduction to the church should you wish to visit this on your own at a later occasion. We are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 15693P105

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    Meet at Antico Café Candia at Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM. Your guide will be holding a green Walks sign.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles34 reviews
Excellent
27
Very good
3
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
1

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

openheartmusicals
Coeur d'Alene, ID21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I almost hate to write this 5-star review because It would be so sad if too many people found out about this wonderful tour. This is a brilliant way to see the Vatican. Simple breakfast, but quite nice, followed by entry into the Vatican before the crush of the crowds. More time to really take in the essential sites, without feeling so rushed and crowded. Plenty of time for questions. Plenty of time to gaze in wonder at the Sistine Chapel. A beautiful experience. Our tour guide was the knowledgeable and engaging Jeb, an artist himself with an appreciation for some of what went into creating these masterpieces. Highly recommended.
Written July 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joey Mõ Mõ
Sykesville, MD130 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
Great overall experience. The tour meets outside a bar near the museum, then begins with a yummy breakfast at the bistrot in the Vatican Museum courtyard. Our breakfast was full of knockwurst, bacon, cornetti, as well as espresso, cappuccino and other coffee/tea options.

The tour was in English and lead by our guide, Jowita. Jowita's English (and Italian) excellent and her subject knowledge broad. Admittedly, she could tell me almost anything about the Vatican and I wouldn't know the difference :)

Our group was the first to enter the Sistine Chapel (hence the Pristine Cistine) and remained so for about 15 minutes until more people arrived. Having Jowita to give us the run-down before hand made a big difference, as did the opportunity to spend time undisturbed in this artistic greatness made quite the impression on my wife and I. We came through the Sistine after the tour later in the day and it was borderline intolerable... and this is the OFF season!

The tour takes you through some of the hallways of the Museo Vaticani (where the Belvedere wing is) and the collections are simply fantastic.

What We Liked: Yummy & filling breakfast, GREAT tour guide, awesome chapel access, tons of good info.

What could improve: Our only wish was more time to stop and take photos along the way. This is hard to build into this particular tour though, as the queue fills up so fast that you'd miss quite a bit if we all stopped for photos. So, maybe one or two great photo stops, then power through?

Bottom line: If you're in Rome, this is a must. Neither my wife nor I are in the least bit religious, but the history and lore are fascinating. Do yourself a favor: book this tour.
Written December 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

West Coaster
15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Well worth the price. Get precise meeting location for your cabbie. Arrived for a sit down breakfast that was just ok. Long tour and lots of walking. We were able to go into areas others can’t and see what the Pope sees when looking at the crowd. Museums went on and on and all were beautiful. Photos allowed. Vatican was a bit crowded. Tour pointed out what to observe inside. No photos and lots of asks for silence. I think they give you about 20 mins inside which was enough. Once long tour was over we observed the line was about 90 mins long. Save the time and understand what you are seeing by taking this your.
Written November 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

EvelynHamilton_NJ
Hamilton, NJ99 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
Our guide, Jeb, ranks #1 in the list of 4 different guides we had during our Rome visit. He was super engaging and extremely knowledgeable. In addition, he handled all the "rule" changes imposed by the Vatican Museums due to Covid with grace and humor. We felt fortunate to have Jeb as our guide.
Written July 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Evelyn, Thank you so much for this great review. Walks work really hard to find and keep, the very best guides in the business. Wonderful to hear you felt you were in the best hands. Thank you.
Written July 26, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Philip N
Lee's Summit, MO49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
The immensity and granduer of the Vatican museums is impossible to describe. The art and history within its walls would take years to fully appreciate. Our guide, Claudia, did a wonderful job directing us to the most influential works in the museum. She also spent considerable time explaining the Sistine Chapel prior to our entry. The Chapel itself is an awe-inspiring experience. I felt very fortunate to be able to say a silent prayer underneath Michelangelos ceiling. I can't describe St. Peter's either, nor can it be appreciated in a photograph. A truly amazing and spiritual place.
Written July 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tanya J
Mexico City, Mexico15 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
The breakfast is not worth it at all, it is quite bad for the price of the entire experience. On the other hand, the tour and not waiting in lines was perfect. Ask for this experience but really WITHOUT breakfast. Big disappointment and more for the price.
Google
Written October 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trip724531
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Family
Sistine Chapel was the highlight of the tour! Our guide, Mara, was very knowledgeable and friendly. The early breakfast tour is the best thing to do to avoid larger crowds. Our entire tour group was 7 people so we were able to ask questions and have a more personal experience.
Written March 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sharcarlson
Montreal, Canada7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Couples
The advertisement said small group of 20 people, before the Vatican opened, to avoid the crowds. Wrong 😔 there were thousands of people. We got in at 845 am. Having cancer I/we expected just the 20 folks of our group. But we were crowded like sardines. We were rushed thru only 15 minutes in the Sistine Chapel. Avoid the tour you will see more from watching the movie, The 2 Popes.
Written October 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sharcarlson, Thank you for your review, and we are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet expectations. We always aim to schedule our tours at times when the Vatican is less crowded, but it’s important to note that the Vatican is one of the busiest venues in the world, with large crowds year-round, even in the low season. We take feedback regarding group sizes seriously and will investigate to ensure that your group adhered to our small group policy. If you contact us at feedback@walks.org, we’d be happy to assist further and look into this matter in more detail. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Best regards, Jhonas. Walks & Devour Tours.
Written October 21, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Josh B
Philadelphia, United States20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We just completed the Early Morning Vatican Tour (with breakfast). The tour itself was great. Our guide (“Rossi”) was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. Even though it felt a bit “crowded”, we were able to move about freely, get close to the exhibits, and see everything we wanted to see. I would skip the breakfast as it was not as advertised. Breakfast was NOT in the Pine Cone courtyard, but instead outside of the Museum cafeteria. It was fine but quite average. Overall, a very good tour!
Written June 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LeSaMilano
Albuquerque, NM54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Had a fantastic tour of the Vatican with walks/ city experiences. Signed up for the 7:15 am tour but was upgraded to the tour with breakfast included. The breakfast is very nice served by a kind and attentive staff who bring you eggs, potatoes, meats, cheeses, pastries, rolls, juice and coffee. The breakfast space is in the Cortile della Pigna.

Sara was a wonderful guide, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and extremely generous with her time. There were only 2 other people in my group we all felt so fortunate to have received our very own private tour. The meeting place was a little bar where you can get a coffee and use the WC before you meet your guide. Would highly recommend Walks. Grazie mille Sara!
Written November 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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