The entrance to skip the line also at St. Peter’s Basilica is guaranteed by an inner passage accessible directly inside the Vatican Museums; once the 2 hour tour of the Museums (which provides highlights the major sections and the Sistine Chapel), customers can stay as long as they want inside the Vatican Museums to explore by themselves the sections; then they will be able to freely access the St. Peter's Basilica from the internal passages following the instructions provided inside the Museums.
Due to circumstances beyond the control of the organization the above mentioned internal passage and the basilica itself may be closed for religious reasons (special duties or requirements from the Vatican); we will endeavor to list any affected dates as they become officially available even though the Vatican State does not issue warnings prior than than 24 hours from these circumstances; consequently customers will always be informed on the spot about this unfortunate event which cannot be matter of refund (it is totally out of our control and direct jurisdiction of the Vatican ). On Wednesdays morning the Basilica is closed due to the Papal Audience.
Headsets for the tour in San Peter’s are available on the spot at extra fare. St Peter's Basilica has a strict code of dress: shorts, bare shoulders and mini-skirts are not permitted. This applies to both men, women and children aged over 6/7 years. Scissors, knives, or other sharp objects may not be brought into the church. Tourists visiting St Peters Basilica and / or Vatican Museums will be required to check large bags, backpacks, large video cameras and water bottles at designated check points. We recommend passengers to not bring any of these items. Flash photos are not permitted in the Vatican Museum. Video and photography are not permitted at any time in the Sistine Chapel.
Customers booked on this option are required to make their own way to the meeting point for the return transfer to Civitavecchia (surroundings Colosseum; exact pick up point Via di San Gregorio public bus stop); guests are required to be at the meeting point at least at 3,30 pm, in case of delay the driver will be forced to leave with the rest of the group and the passengers will be forced to use an alternative means of transport at their own expenses.
The Vatican Museums have a dress code also in view of the fact that museums leads to St. Peter's Basilica, the clothing should be appropriate.
The minivan picks up guests from Civitavecchia harbor and drops them off in Rome closed to the agency dealership of entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums where there is the meeting point with the guidance (details and address on the voucher, the meeting point is within very closed walking distance from the Museums entrance); customers will need to be at the meeting point at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour who have chosen; starting times vary with the selected language (the tour is provided in one language) and are subject to slight changes for technical reasons, therefore it is recommended reappointment to the starting time of the museums tour no earlier than 48 hours prior to the day of the activity, or in the event of change (slight variations) customers will be informed on the spot at the meeting point but the local staff. The journey time from Civitavecchia to Rome is according local traffic conditions, the proposed starting time of the tours are offered considering a safe and timely connection / journey time from the port.
Meeting/pick-up point: Your driver will be waiting at the Shuttle bus-stop at Piazzale / Largo della Pace, located in front of the harbour. A representative will be holding a sign with your name. You need to get to the meeting point by (free) shuttle bus offered by the port authority (it is the only shuttle with the only stop offered by the port authorities).
Notes for the return journey: Customers are required to make their own way to the meeting point for the return transfer to Civitavecchia. Please go to Via di San Gregorio public bus stop side Constantine Arch and Domus Area sidewalk which is nearby the Colosseum. Guests are required to be at the meeting point at least at 3:45 pm. In case of delay the driver will be forced to leave with the rest of the group and the passengers will be forced to use an alternative mean of transport at their own expenses.
Duration: Eight hours approx.
Start/opening time: From Monday to Saturday at 9.30am.
Languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish or Portuguese. Headsets with audio guide are available on the spot, inside the Vatican Museums, at extra fare.
Medical restrictions: This tour involves a fair amount of walking distance and it’s not recommended to mobility challenged guests unless they are using a wheelchair, in this case we recommend to read special remarks for wheelchair users.
Dress code: St Peter's Basilica and Sistine Chapel (internal to Vatican Museums Complex) have a strict code of dress: shorts, bare shoulders and mini-skirts are not permitted. This applies to both men and women.
Others: Please note that from now on, the local guides that provide the Vatican Museum tours will ask all tourists for a returnable deposit (a valid ID document and/or a cash amount). This is in exchange for the audio guide that will be provided at the beginning of the tour and will be returned/refunded on the return of the audio guide. Customers refusing to provide guides with a deposit will not be issued with the audio guide.
Children are required to show a valid ID document due to ticket age restrictions.
Guests booked on the option with the guided tour will be escorted at the end of the tour closed to the Basilica entrance (guidance of St. Peter’s not included), where they can access the site after queuing for the security controls.
Flash photos are not permitted in the Vatican Museum. Video and photography are not permitted at any time in the Sistine Chapel.
Scissors, knives, or other sharp objects may not be brought into the museum complex and the church.