Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
Visit all the highlights of the Vatican Museums – from the Sistine Chapel to lesser-known gems of the collection, capping off our tour with a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica.
With commentary from your expert, German-speaking guide you’ll explore the Pinecone Courtyard, the Hall of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of Candelabra and the incredible Raphael Rooms. Listen as your guide brings these works of art to life for you – pointing out things you never would have noticed on your own and teaching you about the characters behind these great works.
A definite highlight of the tour is a visit to the Sistine Chapel. Guided tours are not permitted within the chapel so your tour guide will have already filled you in on the details with the aid of photographs of the paintings.
Next, we’ll use our skip the line access again, exiting by a special door which leads us straight into St. Peter’s Basilica and past another long line. See the incredible altar and marvel at Michelangelo’s beautiful sculpture, La Pietà, before heading outside to see St. Peter’s Square.
Every morning but Wednesday, our groups will have a guided tour inside St. Peter’s Basilica – on Wednesdays it’s highly likely that the Basilica will be closed to the public for the Papal audience. On afternoon tours our guide will deliver a commentary about St. Peter’s Basilica from St. Peter’s Square before groups enter the basilica to admire it in their own time.
Our tour finishes out in St. Peter’s Square where you can admire Bernini’s clever optical illusion, spot the balcony from which the Pope delivers his public addresses and snap photos of the imposing exterior of the basilica.
