Exclusive First Access Vatican Tour with Skip the Line Basilica

Visit the Vatican Museums with fast entry, in the first available access of the day.

Cortile della Pigna

This courtyard gets its name from the enormous bronze Pinecone sculpture that dominates it. Don't miss Alfredo Pomodoro's famous Sphere within Sphere while you are here. Ask your guide to give it a spin for you!

Sphere within a Sphere (Pass-by Only)

Don't miss Arnaldo Pomodoro's Sphere within a Sphere. Variations of this sculpture can be found in many settings around the world. Ask your guide to give it a spin for you!

Museo Pio Clementino

The most famous wing of the Vatican Museums, the Pio Clementino museum contains much of the Museum's most important highlights. Your guide will take you through the Room of the Animals, where you can spot the life-like statues of fauna from around the world. Head to the Octagonal Courtyard where a small fountain trickles in the background of famous statues like the Laocoonte and Apollo Belvedere. Don't forget to look at the Candelabra Gallery - master painters decorated these ceilings to create the illusion of a 3D effect centuries ago!

Gallery of the Maps

Head with your guide to the Gallery of the Maps and get a perspective of the world how it was five centuries ago. These exquisitely detailed, hand-painted giant maps are a favorite of the Vatican Museums. See if you can find the Italian cities you have visited, or spot the nod to Christopher Columbus' journey to the Americas.

Stanze di Raffaello

Raphael painted these rooms with incredible frescoes, originally meant for the private rooms of Pope Julius II.

Sistine Chapel

No guides are able to speak inside the Sistine Chapel. However, your guide will prepare you in advance for your free time inside so you'll know what to look for.

Museos Vaticanos (Pass-by Only)

Your visit ends close to where it began, after the spiral staircase at the entrance to the Vatican Museums.

Vatican City (Pass-by Only)

Visit to Vatican Museums - Vatican City

St. Peter's Square

When available, access is provided to St Peter's Basilica, skipping the lines. A tour is not provided inside the Basilica, only access. Your visit will end at the steps of St. Peter's Square with an introduction made by your guide after which you will be on your own to continue exploring.

St. Peter's Basilica (Pass-by Only)

When available, access to St. Peter's Basilica via a special exit from the Sistine Chapel will be included in your tour. This access will allow you to skip the long lines normally required for entry to the Basilica. No tour inside the Basilica will be provided, just access. Please note this is provided in an as available basis and access is not guaranteed. Note: The remaining time is spent between the attractions.