Vatican Museum Guided Tour You cannot afford to miss this tour!
Vatican Museum Guided tour | Start bright at 7.30 a.m. where your guide briefs you about the Sistine Chapel as, for that part of the tour, speaking is not allowed inside the Sistine Chapel.
Inclusions:
- Vatican Galleries
- St Peter’s Basilica
- Sistine Chapel
- Cabinet of Masks
- St Peter’s Square
- Gallery of Maps
- Tapestry Gallery
Vatican Museum Guided tour – Itinerary
Special Vatican Museum Guided Tour Cabinet Of The Masks
3.5 hrs. | Start: 7.30 a.m.| Exclusive access to the Cabinet of Masks
Meeting Point: Entrance of Vatican Museums – Bottom Steps under the Marble Arch
Vatican Museums
You will enter at 8.00 a.m. ahead of the general public. Besides seeing the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica, and the galleries in the Vatican Museum, this Vatican Museum guided tour also includes a visit to the Cabinet of the Masks! This is generally off-limits to the public. So, what is of such value in this room? Well, there are valuable mosaics mounted on the floor, yes, floor, not ceiling of theatre masks! The room also has statues of the Nymph, Aphrodite, and Three Grace as well as a throne chair used when a pope was newly enthroned.
The experience of a Vatican guided tour with lesser crowds allows you to truly explore the treasures which await in the Vatican Museum. The Gallery of Maps is also on your itinerary. Pope Gregory XIII had commissioned Danti to create the maps. It was a momentous time as cartography was going through a transformative process. Through voyages, discoveries were made and innovations like telescopes and compass improved the accuracy of map-making. Prior to being approached by the Pope, Danti had already been creating maps in Florence. As to what maps you will see on the tour, go on, book your tour, and see the accuracy of the maps (rated at about 80%) which was considered very high centuries ago!
The Tapestry Gallery is also one of the most famous galleries which you will be visiting. The tapestries were made based on the drawings of Raphael. There are some tapestries here that depict the life of Christ. The craftsmanship is simply nothing like you will ever see.
Sistine Chapel
Vatican Museum Guided tour | As you enter the Sistine Chapel, you will be surprised with the calmness as you will be one of the early entrants, thanks to your early entrance tour. The Sistine Chapel ceilings are world-famous, thanks to Michelangelo.
St Peter’s Basilica
Through a special passageway, you will not be led to the most famous church in the world, St Peter’s Basilica. You will learn about the rich history of the art and architecture of this beautiful church. Then, you will step out into the beautiful courtyard of St Peter’s Square.
Get ready to explore the restricted gallery – Cabinet of Masks!
Vatican Museum Guided tour | Important Reminder – Special Vatican Museum Guided Tour Cabinet Of The Masks
- There is a dress code to the Vatican which applies to children too. Shoulders and knees must be covered.
- If St Peter’s Basilica is closed for a religious function at short notice as it is a working church, you can spend more time in the Vatican Museums or the Sistine Chapel with your guide.
- The Vatican Museums get rather busy during summer and after a bank holiday.
- Tour not available for wheelchair users.
