Vatican City: Easy Access Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel｜Italy

Say goodbye to the hassle of long queues as you breeze past the crowds waiting in line to enter the Vatican Museums courtesy of priority access. Our experienced guides are all experts in art and history, and know everything there is to know about the Vatican and its treasures. They’ll escort you through the labyrinthine corridors and halls of this incredible museum, making sure that you don’t miss a thing on your Vatican adventure.

We think that Wednesday morning is one of the best times to visit the Vatican Museums: as many of the visitors to the Vatican will be in St. Peter's Square to attend the weekly Papal audience, you'll have a quieter, less crowded experience in the Museums.

After skipping the lines and entering the Museums, head to the Pio-Clementino museum to admire some of the world’s most iconic sculptures. Renaissance popes were avid collectors of classical sculptures, and some of the most important works of ancient sculpture have been on show in the Vatican Museums for over 500 years. On the tour, encounter a series of amazing ancient marbles that have had a massive influence on developing ideals of naturalism and proportion in the Renaissance.

The core of this collection is in the so-called Octagonal Courtyard. Here you’ll get to see the Laocoon, an ancient masterpiece of psychological drama, as well as the Apollo Belvedere and Belvedere Torso, paragons of ancient beauty that inspired Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. Other highlights of this part of your tour include the Round Room and the Candelabra Gallery.

Built in 1578 by order of Pope Gregory XIII, the 120-meter-long Hall of Maps displays colossal maps depicting 16th-century Italy. Each map meticulously details Italian regions with vibrant colors, highlighting cities like Venice, Florence, and Rome. Walking through this part of the Vatican Museums is one of our favorite parts of the tour, as it allows us to trace Italy's coasts while encountering historical vignettes.

Explore a different facet of early-modern art in the Tapestry Gallery. Renaissance tapestries, valued for their lavish materials and intricate craftsmanship, await.

Your Vatican visit will continue in the Raphael Rooms. Housed within the refined confines of a suite of rooms that were originally the private apartments of the Pope himself.

Undoubtedly the highlight of your route through the Vatican Museums is the awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo's masterpieces grace every surface. As explanations aren’t allowed in the Sistine Chapel itself, your guide will give a detailed account of the Sistine Chapel before you enter and provide you with a handout that you can use for reference when inside.