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Gardens of Vatican City

Gardens of Vatican City: Our most recommended tours and activities

Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket

1. Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket

Take a stirring journey through art and religious history with skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Avoid the long ticket lines and then enjoy your visit at your own pace.  Wander through the Greek Cross Gallery to see elaborately-carved sarcophagi that might just contain the earthly remains of some of antiquity's famous kings and queens. Peek at the Cabinet of the Masks, or tour the Sala degli Animali to see a virtual menagerie of fantastic beasts, real and imagined. Walk the Upper Galleries, including the Gallery of Maps, to see how cartographers depicted the world through the ages. See masterpieces by Renaissance masters in the Raphael Rooms, and rest for a while in the Borgia Apartments. Then, it’s time to marvel at Michelangelo’s exquisite Sistine Chapel, the crown jewel of the Vatican, and perhaps even of all the world’s art treasures.

Rome: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Reserved Entrance

2. Rome: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Reserved Entrance

Take in the highlights of the Vatican Museums, from the Sistine Chapel to lesser-known gems of the collection. Visit the Hall of Maps, Pinecone Courtyard, Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Candelabra, and Raphael Rooms. Choose to add an open-top bus tour of the Vatican Gardens or an Italian breakfast. Redeem your voucher at the activity provider's office. Be taken by their staff to the Vatican Museums to get your official reserved ticket. Enjoy exploring at your own pace. Admire the immense art collection amassed by the Catholic Church, including Roman sculptures and Renaissance masterpieces. Visit the Sistine Chapel. Admire the details you have heard about, including Michelangelo’s boneless self-portrait, in which he expresses to the world that he would rather be skinned alive than paint the Sistine Chapel again. See what it takes to create a fresco and appreciate the work up close. Depending on the option chosen, then take a panoramic open-top bus around the Vatican Gardens. Listen to the multi-lingual audioguide to learn their secrets. Marvel at the elegant fountains and the sculptures as you tour the gardens.

Rome: Guided Tour of St. Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb

3. Rome: Guided Tour of St. Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb

Join a private or shared guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and experience this iconic attraction. Start your tour by climbing the stairs to the top of the dome. Contemplate the interior mosaics of the dome up close while your guide shares stories about the history of this Renaissance-style church. Continue your climb to the very top of the dome and reach the viewing deck. Marvel at the striking views of St. Peter's Square and the Vatican Gardens from above. Admire Rome from a height of 136 meters, and spot the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, and other historic sites. From here, descend directly into the Basilica, skipping the long lines outside. Marvel at the magnificent interior and learn why the church took 150 years to rebuild. Discover the colorful marbles, golden ceilings, and the impressive Michelangelo's Pietà.

Rome: St. Peter's Basilica & Dome Entry Ticket & Audio Tour

4. Rome: St. Peter's Basilica & Dome Entry Ticket & Audio Tour

Explore St. Peter's Basilica and Dome like never before, from 136 meters up. Take in Rome's views from high up on a self-guided tour. First, climb the dome, and get a close look at the interior mosaics while your audio guide tells you about the church's history. Be amazed by the panoramic views of St. Peter's Square and the Vatican Gardens. Next, take in the Colosseum from afar, and gaze over the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, and other ancient buildings that make Rome unique. After descending from the dome, admire Michelangelo's Pietà, Bernini's Baldacchino, and the final resting places of St. Peter and other popes. Learn everything St. Peter's Basilica has to offer and discover its fascinating history through the audioguide.

Rome: Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour

5. Rome: Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour

The open-top, double-decker bus provides fantastic views and a great atmosphere to enjoy Rome's charm. From the iconic Colosseum and the famous Spanish Steps to the stunning Vatican, the city's history and majestic architecture will take your breath away. A fully narrated audio tour allows you to discover over 10 locations throughout the city with daily departures from the starting point at Termini Railway Station. You have the option to join the tour from any of the stops on the route. You may also experience the “eternal city” on foot with fantastic digital, self-guided walking tours. Some of the locations you can see on the tour route include: Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore Colosseum Roman Forum Circus Maximus San Giovanni Piazza Venezia Piazza Navona Pantheon Castel Sant'Angelo Vatican St. Peter's Basilica Trevi Fountain Spanish Steps Piazza Barberini Termini Railway Station

Rome: Castel Sant'Angelo with Priority Entrance

6. Rome: Castel Sant'Angelo with Priority Entrance

Discover the history of this mausoleum-turned-museum with skip-the-line, hosted access. Located on the right bank of the Tiber only a short distance from the Vatican City, the Castel Sant'Angelo is an ancient fortress with centuries of history. Explore the museum's seven floors to discover an extensive collection of ancient artifacts and perfectly preserved frescoes from the Renaissance period. Built in 135 AD for the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the building has played an important part in Rome’s architectural history. Climb the spiral staircase to reach the Chamber of Ashes where a number of historical figures were incarcerated, before continuing up to visit the Papal Residence. Immerse yourself in the stories of each different room as you admire the art within. Finish your experience with a panoramic view over Rome and the River Tiber from the castle terrace. A great opportunity to take some photos of the Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge, also known as the Bridge of Angels.

Vatican: Early Access Tour of Museums with Sistine Chapel

7. Vatican: Early Access Tour of Museums with Sistine Chapel

Enjoy a guided tour of Vatican City’s main tourist attractions with early access tickets to the Vatican Museums. Explore sights like the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, and enjoy the special access to St. Peter's Basilica before the crowds arrive for the day.  Meet your guide and save time with skip-the-line access into the Vatican Museums. See the Cabinet of the Masks, the Gallery of Tapestries, one of the most spectacular rooms in the Museums.  Continue to the Raphael Rooms, which are world-renowned for the frescoes painted by Raphael. Enter the Sistine Chapel to marvel at the ceiling created by Michelangelo.  View the famous “The Creation of Adam” fresco in the chapel. Once finished in the Sistine Chapel, visit the Renaissance-style St. Peter's Basilica with your special access, skip-the-line ticket and visit it by your own.

Rome: Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour

8. Rome: Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour

Experience all the wonders and history the Vatican has to offer on this guided tour. Step inside the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with skip-the-line entry. Once inside, your expert guide will show you the best of the Pinecone Courtyard and Gallery of Tapestries. Marvel at Michelangelo’s most famous masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel, and learn all about its history from your guide. Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica, which is larger than the Statue of Liberty. Gaze up into its massive dome and see its iconic sculptures, mosaics, and hidden details. When you finish, you are free to remain inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Experience more of this amazing church at your leisure or return outside to St. Peter’s Square to admire Bernini’s clever optical illusion and the basilica’s heavenly facade.

Rome: Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Fast Access

9. Rome: Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Fast Access

Take advantage of skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel with an expert guide. Walk through the Vatican galleries and explore the largest art collections in the world admiring the gem of the Vatican. Once inside the Vatican Museums, follow your guide to the Pio Clementino Museum. Discover the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of Maps, and the Belvedere Courtyard. The next stop will be the Sistine Chapel, where you will get to admire and immerse yourself in the frescoes masterpiece of Michelangelo, such as the Creation of Adam and the Last Judgement. Last but not least, enjoy the fast access to St Peter's Basilica and explore it peacefully on your own.

Rome: Best of Rome Pass with Public Transport

10. Rome: Best of Rome Pass with Public Transport

Discover the Eternal City at your own pace with an all-access pass to the main monuments of Rome. Redeem your voucher at the office at your selected booking time and the staff will help you plan and reserve all other attractions included in the Pass. Visit St Peter’s Basilica at your own pace. Stroll through the striking aisles of the largest church in the world, admire Michelangelo's "Pieta", and the beautifully carved Bernini Pulpit. Take the stress out of your visit with accompanied entrance to each attraction. Encounter masterpieces of art in the corridors, courtyards, and galleries of the Vatican Museums. See Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and pay your respects to former popes at the site of their tombs. Journey back to the days of the Roman Empire with a ticket to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Follow in the footsteps of Roman citizens at the Via Sacra and discover where the city was founded on Palatine Hill. Use your unlimited public transport card to explore the city. Enrich your base option with the Vatican Gardens by minibus and discover the architectural wonders of the Vatican Gardens with a multi-lingual audioguide.

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Other Sightseeing Options in Gardens of Vatican City

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What people are saying about Gardens of Vatican City

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 78,810 reviews

Took an unguided tour because we want to have our own time as we fly back that same day. I must admit, I had that cheeky feeling looking at the people at the long queue where we just enter casually in the entrance just showing our ticket and off we go inside. It was a lovely experience inside the museum and the Sistine chapel, if it’s your thing. Ceiling paintings was absolutely incredible.

everything was perfect! there were too many people waiting but we moved quickiy and entered the museum very comfortably.the ticket might have been a bit more expensive than getting it from the museum s ticket office but it was really worth every euro

There is quite an extensive collection of items in the Vatican museum. The Sistine Chapel is beautiful. It is worth getting a guide - audio or written for the chapel. Easy to purchase the tickets with GetYourGuide, quickly received.

No hassle and waiting in lines just enter and start exploring

easy access, skip the line straight to the entrance.