Overview

With a top local and very knowledgeable guide join on a comprehensive half-day tour of the Vatican City. Skip the line and see the highlights : Raphael’s Rooms; the Gallery of Maps; the Gallery of Tapestries; collections of ancient Roman and Greek statues; Saint Peter’s Basilica and of course the breathtaking the Sistine Chapel.

Description

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, Vatican City 00120

Meet your guide at the entrance to the museums and with skip-the-line access you can deposit your belongings in the Vatican cloakroom, perhaps take the opportunity for a comfort break and then begin this wonderful journey to discover the treasurers that the Vatican holds. First you will see the exhibition of Ancient Greek and Roman art. When the Popes ruled Central Italy artwork was brought to the Vatican from all areas of the city that were being excavated and the guide will point out some of the most noteworthy: the Belvedere Apollo; the Torso; busts of Claudius and Hadrian and the sarcophagi of Helen and Constance, the mother and daughter of Emperor Constantine. The tour continues with a visit to the Room of Animals and the Gallery of Candelabra where you will walk across precious mosaics and come face to face with the magnificent statues of Ephesus, the Muses and some famous Greek philosophers. There are more treasures to be seen in the Gallery of Tapestries, the Sobieski Hall and the Rooms of Raphael. Painted by Raphael and his disciples these rooms house the famous Parnassus and School of Athens and were the private apartments of Pope Julius II.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Viale Vaticano, Vatican City 00165

Then it is on to the most visited site in the whole of Italy, the Sistine Chapel. The guide will tell you all about the Last Judgment, the Creation of Adam and the Genesis, Michelangelo’s famous frescoes. The Chapel also houses many other magnificent works; the Stories of Moses and Jesus painted by Botticelli, Perugino and other famous Renaissance artists. The Chapel also has an important part to play in the church today as the venue for the conclave where new Popes are elected. Your guide will tell you about this unique event as well as many other interesting and curious facts.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City 00120

Following the Sistine Chapel you enter the most important Catholic Church in the world – Saint Peter’s Basilica. Your guide will tell you about the Basilica’s architecture, its symbols and the rituals that take part there. You will visit the tombs of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II and see another of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, the Pieta.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: St. Peter's Square, Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City 00120

The tour finishes in Saint Peter’s Square; here your guide will relate some facts and anecdotes about Bernini’s magnificent square. See the Pope’s balcony and where the long awaited smoke comes from during the election of a new Pope. A great way to end this superb Vatican tour!

Duration: 30 minutes