Flash Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour
A Brief but Immersive Vatican Tour that Hits all the Highlights
Are you the type of person who loves the idea of exclusive access and a guide to take you through the sites, but doesn't have the attention span for a long tour? This tour gets you into Sistine Chapel before the Pope drinks his morning coffee.
Tour Details
- Skip the Line Early Access
- Candelabra Gallery
- Gallery of Tapestries
- Gallery of Maps
- Sistine Chapel
- Optional Solo Visit to St. Peter's Basilica
*The Vatican has temporarily suspended early access entrance for All Tour Companies. That said, we have adjusted our prices and times to reflect this change so you can book this tour with confidence. Customers have been overwhelmingly satisfied with the lack of crowds!
This small group size tour is for someone who wants to see the bucket list items and be accompanied by a guide, but with minimal and more anecdotal explanations. This tour includes:
A professional English-speaking guide
Skip the line Vatican tickets
A maximum group size of 16
Want to skip the line at the Vatican without having a guided tour? Click here for skip the line Vatican tickets.
Skip the Line Vatican Tickets
Travelers can often spend more time waiting in line than they spend actually exploring the Vatican. For you, this won’t be the case. With this skip the line access, cruise past the line for general admission to the Vatican and only wait in a very brief security line. After that, you’re ready to explore the Vatican’s main sites with no hassle.
Main Galleries of the Vatican
On this express Vatican tour, you’ll first explore the three main galleries that lead up to the Sistine Chapel. Admire the Gallery of Maps, Gallery of Tapestries and Gallery of the Candelabra. The combination of these three galleries will allow you to explore countless works of art throughout the course of Roman history, giving you a broad overview of the Vatican Museums’ art collection.
Your guide will highlight the most engaging facts and stories about these galleries’ ancient Roman and Greek statues, large-scale maps of Italy and tapestries made by Raphael’s students.
Sistine Chapel
Your Vatican visit will culminate in none other than a memorable Sistine Chapel experience. After all, the Sistine Chapel is what most people come to the Vatican Museums to see. Before entering the chapel, your guide will provide a meaningful overview of the Chapel’s history and frescoes. As it’s a place of worship, your time inside of the Sistine Chapel will be dedicated to silence and reflection.
Please note: The Sistine Chapel is a sacred place, so both men and women must cover their knees and shoulders. Otherwise, you may be refused entry to a portion of your Vatican tour. We understand the summers in Rome are hot - a great alternative is to bring a shawl/sweater to wrap around you when necessary.
Solo Visit to St. Peter’s Basilica
While this tour does not include a guided visit to St. Peter’s Basilica, your guide will be more than happy to escort you to the Basilica for a skip the line, self-guided visit. Inside of the Basilica, admire works such as Michelangelo’s La Pietà and Bernini’s Baldacchino. This is also a great opportunity to climb St. Peter’s Dome, as the lines won’t be too long yet. Once the folks from longer Vatican tours come inside, you may have to wait a bit longer.
What you get with this tour
See what people are saying
17 total reviews
Leave a reviewAverage customer rating
4.94 / 5 based on 17 total reviews
Rebekka Gudehus
I wouldn’t describe this as a “flash” tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable but moved very slowly through rooms. I was expecting to get through in 2 hours. It took over 3. Several people left the tour to go on their own because it was dragging. Took so much time talking outside we weren’t even in the museum’s insides for over an hour.
Leighanna Kilgore
Ashley Haggard
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to meet?
Near Caffé Vaticano - Viale Vaticano 100
What to bring?
Wear comfortable shoes because you'll be on your feet for the length of the tour. Also if you're wearing summer clothes because it's hot in Rome, bring something to wrap around yourself before you enter the Sistine Chapel or St. Peter's Basilica.
Is there a way to see the Vatican without a guided tour?
Of course. Click here for skip the line Vatican tickets.
I have some doubts about my mobility. Is this tour right for me?
If you have any doubts about your mobility, we strongly suggest you take a private Vatican tour.
What are the chances my tour will be cancelled or the Vatican will close something?
We run the tour rain or shine all year round. Although it is rare, sometimes part of the Vatican City closes for special religious events. If an area normally covered on a tour is closed, our guide will still provide explanations of the closed areas from outside. Plus, we will show you an extra site or gallery to compensate.
Does the tour go inside at 7:30 am without waiting in any lines?
As an accredited tour operator, we do not have to wait in the ticket line, but we still have to wait in a security line. For this reason, we leave the meeting point as early as possible and get in the security line reserved for tour operators. The doors open for us at 8:00 am, an hour before the general public.
What to bring?
Wear comfortable shoes because you'll be on your feet for the length of the tour. Also if you're wearing summer clothes because it's hot in Rome, bring something to wrap around yourself before you enter the Sistine Chapel or St. Peter's Basilica.
Where to meet?
Near Caffé Vaticano - Viale Vaticano 100
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