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Guided tour of the Vatican Museums - VIP service

6 Reviews 5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 6 reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and TripAdvisor | Recommended by 100% of reviewers | Rome, Italy
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 31 (0) days in advance.

3 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
and 2 more
Italian, Portuguese
Instant confirmation

Overview

Unraveling among the immense collection of Vatican museums is practically impossible for those who enter for the first time.
The amount of paintings, frescoes, statues is frightening and at first impact among the crowd and the confusion can intimidates and stuns.
I mention it because that is exactly what happened to me, in the early 1970s, the first time I crossed the monumental entrance to the Vatican museums inaugurated on 7 December 1932 by Pope Pius XI.
Already climbing the helical staircase I was seized by a kind of vertigo, which was immediately overwhelmed by the wonder of the immense collection. When at the end of the College I was following a course, to be able to obtain the qualification of tourist guide issued by the Holy See I felt the same sensation, and I remembered that first time.
This Museum can be visited with a group, alone, with an audio guide, but nothing can replace the emotional and sensory contact that you can have with a private guide

What's Included

  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Entrance tickets
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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

What To Expect

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St. Peter's Square

the large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus considered by Catholics to be the first Pope.At the centre of the square is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected at the current site in 1586. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square almost 100 years later, including the massive Doric colonnades, four columns deep, which embrace visitors in "the maternal arms of Mother Church". A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675 matches another fountain designed by Carlo Maderno in 1613.
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10 minutes Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display,and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments.Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century.[The Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling and altar wall decorated by Michelangelo, and the Stanze di Raffaello (decorated by Raphael) are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums.
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1 hour 30 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and 1481. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescoes that decorate the interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment, both by Michelangelo.During the reign of Sixtus IV Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli, created a series of frescos depicting the Life of Moses and the Life of Christ,Between 1508 and 1512, under the reign of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted the chapel's ceiling, a project which changed the course of Western art and is one of the major artistic accomplishments of human civilization. In a different political climate, after the Sack of Rome, he returned and, between 1535 and 1541, painted The Last Judgment for Popes Clement VII and Paul III..
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20 minutes Admission Ticket Free

St. Peter's Basilica

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal enclave that is within the city of Rome. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world by interior measure. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world"[4] and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom.
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20 minutes Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Guided tour of the Vatican Museums – VIP service?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CET). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

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

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Activity code: C-323695P8

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.00
6 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 6 traveler reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
6
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3 stars
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1 star
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Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 31 (0) days in advance.

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What's Included

Activity name

  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Entrance tickets

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

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Activity name