The Vatican Museum is home to over nine miles of art, much of which is never seen by the general public for timing or access reasons. Get a real sense of this treasure trove on an Extended Vatican Museum Tour, visiting hidden rooms usually closed to the public, the Vatican Art Gallery, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica as well as all the sites visited on our classic Vatican tours.
This exclusive, No Wait Access Vatican Museums Partner's tour crosses velvet ropes to gain rare entry to the famous Bramante Staircase, a dizzying spiral of carved stone built in 1512. It once bore the weight of horses but only VIPs and special guests are permitted set foot on it these days, making this visit particularly special.
Our Extended Vatican Museum Tour also takes in more public access sights than our other tours. Most exciting perhaps is a guided visit to the Vatican Pinacoteca, the official Vatican Painting Gallery. One of the newest openings in the Museums, this vast wing houses countless masterpieces by Renaissance artists, including Raphael’s ‘Transfiguration’, Caravaggio’s ‘Deposition from the Cross’ and Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished ‘St. Jerome in the Wilderness’– the only confirmed da Vinci work remaining in Rome.
On top of that, we’ll visit all the general access rooms covered in our classic Vatican Museum tour – from the Pinecone Courtyard to the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of the Maps, the Laocoon group sculpture, the Gallery of the Candelabra and a highlight of any tour – the spectacular Raphael Rooms, a rival to the Sistine Chapel in many minds. You’ll have a chance to compare when your tour reaches the Vatican Museum’s most famous room. Your guide will already have described the works in here, explaining with the aid of photos what each section means, so that when you arrive at the Sistine Chapel you’ll have time to yourself to take it all in.
The last stop of the day is St. Peter’s Basilica and Square, where we’ll use a special access door to skip yet another long line. Here your guide will introduce you to Michelangelo's famous 'Pietà' and the incredible carved altar among other masterpieces.
This Extended Vatican Museum Tour is perfect for visitors with an interest in seeing more of what the Vatican has to offer. With No Wait Access you won’t have to waste your precious time queuing, while small group sizes of 20 people or less mean that your visit will be intimate, your passage around the museum seamless and your guide easy to interact with.
Please note that on Wednesdays it may not be possible to visit St. Peter's Basilica and Square after the morning tour due to the Papal Audience. Clients who would prefer to access the Basilica and Square directly after their tour are invited to book an afternoon tour.
