What You'll do in this tour
Delve deep into the stories and secrets of the Vatican on this 2-hour tour to discover how a once stagnant marsh became the historical heart of Catholicism and home to the largest church in the world.
Tour Description
Your expert guide will lead you through the artistic and religious treasures of St Peter’s, tracing 2000 years of history from the crucifixion of St Peter on this very spot under the reign of Nero, through the legalization of Christianity in 313 AD, to the tales of the popes and saints who have shaped the story of the Catholic church and the artists who have left their mark. Admire the genius of Baroque architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini who designed not only the majestic piazza with its sweeping colonnade welcoming you like arms into the church, but also adorned the interior with his awe-inspiring sculptures. See the solemnly exquisite Pietà by Michelangelo and feel yourself being drawn to the heavens as you stare up into his beautiful dome, an iconic part of the Roman skyline.
On this tour not only will you experience the faith, art, and history of St Peter's up-close, but your guide will also ensure that you see parts of the Vatican that few get to experience, giving you a unique and fascinating perspective of this incredible place.
Tour information
- This tour does not require tickets as the Church is free of charge but security line is required and could take about 20/30 to clear the line
- As The Vatican is a holy place, there is a dress code that should be respected. Therefore, it is required that shoulders be covered and no short shorts or skirts are appropriate on the tour. It is best to have your knees covered, even for men.
- As there is no transporation included with walking tours you will need to plan on finding transportation to and from your walking tour. Your hotel should be able to help you find a taxi to make your way to the meeting point to start your tour and then your walking guide will be more than happy to help you arrange for a taxi after the tour. The cost is usually around 12-15 Euros on average.
- We have set a meeting point for this tour to make the best use of your time with the guide. Should you require an escort by taxi from the guide for any reason, as long as your hotel is centrally located, we can send the guide to your hotel. Please do consider that we may have to eliminate something from the itinerary or add 30 minutes to the tour at an hourly rate which can be discussed if requesting to be escorted. Please let us know what your preference is if you need an escort to the tour.
- Please note it is prohibited to bring tri-pods, backpacks, camping or other bulky bags or luggage/trollies. You are allowed to enter with medium and small size backpacks carried on a shoulder which must be checked by metal detectors and or opened and visually inspected by the Vatican authorities in the Vatican city.
- Please be prepared to show a photo ID (or photocopy) such as a passport, student ID or driver`s license upon entry at the Vatican as you may be asked for one. We will need to know the names and ages of those on your tour especially when they qualify for reduced fare tickets.
- Headsets may be required if your party size is more than 5 people or for particularly busy days. Cost 3.00E per person. We will organize this with the Vatican as we are obligated to use the headsets that they provide. Headsets are to amplify the guide’s voice; they are not a pre-recorded tour.
VATICAN DISCLAIMER
We would like to mention the following: While Vatican City is the home of some major attractions such as the Vatican Musuems, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, it is first and foremost the largest operational Christian church in the world. As a result, it can and will close any portion, at any time, with little or no notice or information provided to us especially around church holidays. If we receive notice of this happening for your date, we will attempt to notify you as soon as possible. We may not be able to make last minute changes once the tour is organized since our guides will have been aligned well in advance but our guide work with you to come to an agreeable solution and inform you of the options available. If this situation should occur for your tour date we will show you as much as possible based on what we have access to. 99% of the time everything goes exactly as planned and for that 1% we will do our best to adjust within the given circumstances. We realize that this may be less than ideal but unfortunately, we have no control of the Vatican’s schedule.
This tour is not avaialble on Wednesday-Saturday-Sunday.