Afternoon Vatican Museum Tour – Visit interesting galleries in the Vatican Museums!
Prefer a later start for touring the Vatican!
Our afternoon Vatican Museum Tour is the occasion to see the great masterpieces collected by the Popes and to admire the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica.
Inclusions:
- Vatican museum
- Octagonal Courtyard and the Laocoon
- Pine Cone Courtyard
- Room of Animals
- Room of Muses
- Round Room
- Tapestry Gallery
- Candelabra Gallery
- Gallery of the Maps
- Sistine Chapel
- St. Peters’ Basilica
Afternoon Vatican Museum tour Itinerary
Small-Group Afternoon Vatican Museum Tour and Sistine Chapel Tours
3 hrs. | Start: 3.00 p.m. | Participants : Max 20| Headsets provided
Meeting Point: To be advised at the time of booking.
Not many of us are morning people – even on holidays! We have created this special Vatican and Sistine Tours which starts at 3.00 p.m. With an experienced guide with a maximum of 20 participants, you will skip the lines and begin your tour.
Vatican Museums afternoon guided tour
Your afternoon Vatican museum tour will start at the entrance of the Vatican Museums. Your guide will pass on headsets before the tour begins and you can adjust it, set the volume and you are ready to go. You will meet your other tour participants too. Your passionate private English-speaking guide will bring history to life as you pass through the numerous galleries along the way. Learn about the Greek and Roman statues, mosaics, paintings, tapestries and more. You will discover that most of the artworks were part of the Pope’s private collection and others have been acquired or donated to the Catholic Church over the centuries. The artworks inside the Vatican Museums are simply stunning and invaluable.
Vatican afternoon tour – Some of the gallery highlights of this tour include visits to :
Room of Animals
Set up by Pope Pius V, the aim was to create a stone zoo. Coloured marbles were used for effect.
Tapestry Gallery
Set up in 1838, this gallery is filled with large tapestries prepared by the New School.
Room of Muses
Here you will see statues dating back to the time of Emperor Hadrian. The highlight is Belvedere’s Torso dating back to 1st century BC.
Round Room
Completed in 1779, this room has a central piece -, a huge red porphyry basin believed to be Nero’s bathtub!
Candelabra Gallery
A massive marble candelabra greets visitors to this gallery which is divided into six sections. The coloured marble columns add a regal feel to this gallery.
Gallery of the Maps
View a series of topographical maps of Italy prepared by Danti in the 16th Century.
Octagonal Courtyard
Learn about the “Apollo of Belvedere” and “Laocoon” marble statues. The stories are truly intriguing and terrifying.
Sistine Chapel afternoon tour
Now the tour reaches the Sistine Chapel. You will discover exactly how many years it took for Michelangelo to complete the ceiling frescos. You will learn more about Michelangelo and the meanings behind his artwork. You will see works such as the creation of Adam’ and ‘Last Judgement.’
St Peter’s Basilica – Afternoon Vatican Museum Tour
Through a fast-track entrance, you will now enter St Peter’s Basilica. As one of the largest Catholic Churches in the world, the Basilica holds many treasures inside. There is the world-renowned ‘Pieta’, a statue depicting Mary holding Jesus who lies on her lap after his crucifixion. It is believed to be one of few art pieces in the world which have brought thousands to tears – the visual impact is stunning. To see Baroque architecture at its best, there is no other better place than St Peter’s Basilica. Your guide will tell you more about the man behind this – Bernini. Bernini created the bronze statue ‘Baldacchino’ as well as the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter. This part of the tour will be not available if direct access to the basilica from Sistine Chaple is closed.
The tour ends here, and you are free to stay a little longer in the Basilica or pay onsite to climb the dome of visiting the Papal Grottos below.
Fancy a mid-afternoon tour and discovering the delights of the Vatican?
Important Reminder – Small-Group Afternoon Vatican Museum tour and Sistine Chapel Tours
- Please wear comfortable shoes as there is a fair bit of walking.
- There is a dress code to the Vatican which applies to children too. Shoulders and knees must be covered.
- If St Peter’s Basilica, or Sistine Chapel, is closed for a religious function at short notice as it is a working church, you will be spending more time in the Vatican galleries with your guide.
- The Vatican Museums get rather busy during summer and after a bank holiday.
- This tour is not available for wheelchair-bound visitors as well as visitors with hearing disabilities. We are more than happy to organize private tours for wheelchair and hearing disabled visitors. Please contact us.
