Vatican Highlights Tour: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

The size and scope of the Vatican Museums makes them intimidating to even the most hard-core art enthusiasts. That's why we have created a special itinerary designed to show you the absolute highlights of the collection with no waiting in line.

Not only do you skip the entrance lines, you also enter late in the day, when some of the crowds have gone, making your visit much more peaceful and enjoyable.

As you explore some of the most famous galleries, like the Gallery of the Tapestries, Gallery of the Maps, and Gallery of the Candelabra, your guide will tell you the fascinating stories behind the art, from the humble monk who created some of the first maps of Italy, to the wildly moody nature of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti.

In the Belvedere Courtyard you'll get to see some of Antiquity's finest statues, like the Apollo Belvedere and Laocoön & His Sons. As you take in these masterpieces you'll also learn what makes them so special, and why - after thousands of years - they're still considered the pinnacle of artistic beauty.

From there you'll head to the Raphael Rooms, where Raphael (with a little help from his students) created one of the most astonishing series of frescos on earth while still in his early 30s.

The only place that can trump the Raphael Rooms is your final guided stop, the one and only Sistine Chapel. Your guide will give you tips about what to look out for before you're inside so that once you're there you can simply take in the immense grandeur of Michelangelo's frescoes in peace.

When you've finished in the chapel you can choose to either take the special, skip-the-line passage into St. Peter's Basilica for a self-guided visit with an introduction from your guide, or you can head back into the Vatican Museums to spend more time exploring the galleries or looking at your favorite works of art.