Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel With Gardens Minibus Tickets

Being able to walk around at your own pace is good if you know what you want to see (a guided tour beforehand for context is a great idea). Adding the option to travel through the gardens in a small open bus is outstanding - there is so much more to the Vatican than the basic stuff in the brochures...

The most important part of this tour for us was the Vatican gardens tour (by minibus). Not all tours include or offer this part so I made sure to book this one for the date of our arrival to Rome since we only had two days in the city. When we arrived at the designated address, we were told we did not have seats on the bus. They would do something else--a guide with the rest of the tour, a different tour somewhere else, etc. I was obviously upset that I had paid, had verification, tickets, etc. but now being told it wasn't available. I called Viatour immediately, they are the booking agent to these local tour groups. This particular local tour agency explained that they have a glitch with their system letting seats be sold even when they are not available. I told Viatour that fact and warned them about using this tour a group (which actually is the biggest one right there at the Vatican location). It was the highlight I was hoping to see and was disappointed in not being able to see it. We did do the rest of the tour of the vatican museum and Cistene Chapel--and they gave us a guide for that to try to make up for the loss of the gardens. Not a comparable replacement for the one thing we had hoped to see. I booked this through Viatour after receiving so many raves about their tours and services--and since it was only one of two sites offering the Garden Mini-bus option for the Vatican museum tour. We had been on a Viking Cruise and it was not included in any of their excursions. So, I trusted Viatour would be a reliable choice, and had a big disappointment.

Boooked for 3pm visit was delayed until 4 pm with no valid reason. Paid 2.5 x regular admission price ended up doing a lot of waiting in small over crowded hot office with no place to sit. Do not recommend at all.

Good service by Alessia! Her explanation were clear and she patiently answered all our questions. We mistakely rescheduled our tickets to the wrong day, and Alessia managed to check & resolve it for us. Really making our experience to the Varican City a pleasant one. Thank you so much! :)

Amazing customer service and great value for money! Helietta was extremely helpful and kind in guiding me and my family through some questions and issues me and my family had! Thank you!!!

We had a fantastic time visiting the Vatican gardens and the museums. The gardens were a real highlight. Beautiful and peacful and such a nice change of pace. Skipping the lines was a huge plus and saved us so much time.

I loved this experience! It’s something you don’t see everyday. And the staff of touristation were amazing! They helped me plan my whole trip in Rome!

Our minibus did not inform us how to access the right language for headset. Was a little too fast by photo opportunities. Sights were nice, better guides with instructions would help.

When we arrived at tour office we were told that we hadn't updated confirmation 1654972685 with names however my name was on paperwork. We did see museum and Sistine Chapel but not the Vatican gardens. I would like to receive credit back to my credit card. We did not have time for alternative booking that was offered. We do have long relationship with Viator and would appreciate prompt response.

I think the ticketing needs to be clarified, to allow the Vocher to be your ticket. Which would eliminate going to a second party for entry. The current process, is very confusing. I hope this would improve business trust. Thanks

I loved the tour it was very interesting I suggest to everyone. It was the perfect tour in Rome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This tour is such a waste of time. The process for meeting your tour group and getting to the bus is a mess, you have to stop and wait several times before your guide charges off through the crowd again pushing you through other tour groups to get where you are going. Then the bus itself. The covers on the windows take up half of the available space, so you're left with only a small viewpoint. The bus only pulls up to things on the left side, so if you're seated on the right you're not going to see much or get any photos. The gardens themselves are very unimpressive, there really isn't much to see. Save yourself the time and just get tickets to the Vatican Museums. They're the only part worth seeing. You do not need this tour.

The meeting location is across the street from The Vatican Museum entrance. I would advise locating it ahead of time to reduce confusion & stress. We almost missed our tour due to running late & trying to find the it. After checking in an employee takes the group across the street through the security at the museum entrance & to the outside garden shuttle where you are given an audio device. This person then leaves you with the Vatican employee & shuttle driver. The only talking done is brief instructions on the audio guide. The drive through the garden area is really pretty & the audio guide provides descriptions & history. There aren’t a lot of flowers but the landscapes are beautiful. It would be hard to walk this large area. Afterwards you return to the same spot the garden tour started & go inside to start the museum tour on your own. I highly recommend paying for the audio guide. You will enjoy your visit so much more. I was glad to do the tour on my own instead of a guided tour. The museum is arranged in a designated path with a few options to skip areas or cut your visit short & head straight to the Sistine Chapel. It is physically challenging, has lots of stairs, & can take hours. I recommend taking a break in the cafeteria or snack shop which are located next to each other, prices are reasonable. There is also a courtyard with an eating area. After the Sistine Chapel you will go through about 5 gift shop areas which seem to have the same merchandise. If you are claustrophobic you might have problems in the Sistine Chapel. It is packed tight with guards constantly telling you to move on & no photos allowed. There are sitting areas along the sides if you are lucky enough to grab one. This was definitely an exhausting afternoon but so glad I got to see it.

We had just finished our tour of the Vatican earlier that morning but also wanted to see the gardens. Everything went very well, from the moment we lined up at the meeting place and till the end. Staff was very organized. The tour itself was nice. We sat on the left side of the bus which allowed us the best view for most of the stops. The drive does stop, backs up and tries to make sure that both sides get a chance to see everything. It was not rushed at all. This work out for us because we didn't have time to walk the grounds, but still go to see the landscape. After the tour we then were allowed to go back to revisit the Vatican which we just chose to look at the bookstore longer and even mail out a postcard from Vatican City (a must). Well worth it!

Could not take photos because of the steel bar across the windows. Brief tour with no opportunity to get panoramic photos

An avid gardener, I was a bit disappointed in the audio feed. Could have contain a lot more info. Not really worthwhile

The bus tour of the gardens was great but at the Sistine Chapel and Museums the tour guide never showed up. The group was left on their own and we never received information regarding the history we were never taken back to the meeting point we had to pay for a taxi to get back.

It was an excellent, well organized tour. The gardens can be visited in a minibus tour, and are beautiful and so are the museums.

I would not recommend the travel agency that handled the reservations, touristation who were extremely impatient and not at all helpful. They charged us extra 80 euros because we were late, which was because of lack of signs directing tourists to the office. We had bought tickets to the gardens which we paid extra for initially plus the 80’euros to book us on the next tour and conveniently forgot to disclose that the gardens were not going to be part of the tour. Italy is a beautiful country but our experience there specially with how unorganized and how rude the people are, have left a very bad taste in our mouth.

So we booked it via viator.com - we had to wait to get in to ticket area , then there was waiting for more than half an hour , afterwards we walked to the bus , they said it upfront its going to be 45’ - which is clearly wrong cuz we was on the bus maximum 20’ , overall the garden was ok - nothing special - then we went to the Sistine Chapel - which was actually a nightmare with that many people - it was like a horror movie with zombies …. To be honest if i would know this is going to happen i would not visiting vatican city . It was a total waste of time and money .

Very professional fantastic trip and quick and easy way to get into the Vatican the gardens wete exceptional

When tickets through the official Vatican site are sold out, these guys can be one of the only option. It’s essentially paying double the price for the same thing when it’s not available through official channels. We bit the bullet and paid but I don’t think it’s a great value.

It was a nice leisurely ride on a small open cart. Tough to take pictures as bar and canopy were in the way but did not really bother the view. My recommendation would be to sit on the left side as the bus route gives you much better sight lines. The Vatican Museum very crowded after the garden tour, so yo can't expect to see much without a guide. Best part was we were able to stay a lot of time in the Sistene Chapel which is amazing. To your the Vatican Museum schedule another day with a guide and early admission. Much more worthwhile as the Museum is much less crowded. Enjoy!!

Nice relaxing drive thru the gardens. Just the right length of time. Audio good. Stopped at sights for pictures.

A great way to get an idea of the Vatican's buildings from the outside and lovely to see the gardens, fountains and statues. If you get chance sit the same side as the driver, as the stops for photos are mostly on that side of the bus and you can't see the sights from the other side. He went quickly past any that are on the right. He was answering texts on his phone much of the time, while driving or at a stop, which was a bit worrying, although there was little else on the roads. There was no guidance on what to do once the tour had finished, you just go inside the museum and make your own way round, but no one mentioned that, so people were unsure of what to do. An enjoyable way to see something more than the museum's exhibits which are stunning and overwhelmingly numerous.

Was 20 minutes less than advertised. Only one side of the bus really could see the sites. Sometimes the bus stopped too close to the sites so really could not see the whole thing because windows partially obscured

The gardens were amazing. The bus took us into areas that I had no idea even existed. The audio guide was clear and easy to understand,

The views of the garden and knowing that the popes walked in this garden. The time for the bus tour was adequate.

Appointments are not correct, stood exactly where they indicated and they knew nothing about it. There was just no one there. Through customer service simply unreachable. In the end, someone who had nothing to do with it got us where I needed to be so we could still make it in time. We are also used to working with GetYourGuide now where everything is well arranged and even cheaper. Never again will we order through Viator.

Thank you for sharing this product to ensure my visit to the Vatican is as good as possible. Super friendly and motivated staff

Arrive at least 15min before, in front of the central door. Hall big enough, well listed to find the band. Minibus tour of the Vatican Gardens. Quick stop in front of the statues and others, but it is worth a visit. Drop off in front of the souvenir shop that deserves a stop. Free visit to museums, count 3 hours. The finale is the Sistine Chapel. Visit preferably early in the morning to avoid the tourist mass. Check the progress before purchasing the ticket

Leider war es eine große Enttäuschung, da die Tour ohne Begründung abgesagt wurde.Wir konnten nicht das Gesamtpaket stornieren. Für uns waren die Gärten der Grund zur Buchung. Nun mussten wir die Museen und die Sixtinische Kapelle trotzdem nehmen. Nicht kundenfreundlich. Immerhin € 150,- für 2 Person. Hätte mir erwartet, dass man stornieren kann und der Betrag erstattet wird.

La visite des jardins en bus était super chouette. En revanche, lorsque j'ai récupéré les entrées dans un point d'informations, je n'ai pas reçu les informations nécessaires et très claires. Nous avons ainsi raté l'entrée de la chapelle sixtine à la sortie du bus. Du coup, le billet était un peu cher au final. Cela manque de clarté dans le descriptif au moment de la réservation

In fact, it was impossible for us to book this bus tour of the Vatican gardens in October 2023 and, I find myself in the same situation to be able to do it this year on Monday April 21 afternoon or Tuesday 22!!!

Die Veranstalter überbuchen die Touren in der Hoffnung, dass Personen nicht erscheinen und so mehr Geld einzunehmen. Leider waren bei uns alle Teilnehmer anwesend. Das hatte zur Folge, dass wir an unserer gebuchten Tour nicht teilnehmen konnten. Nach langem Verhandeln konnten wir (3Personen) gnädigerweise nach 90Min Wartezeit an der nächsten Tour teilnehmen. Natürlich trat hier das selbe Problem (der Überbuchung) wieder ein. Wieder wurden aber diesmal nicht aussortiert.

Die Vatikanischen Museen sind auf jeden Fall einen Besuch wert. Die Bustour war eher durchschnittlich. Es fehlten echte Fotohalte, man musste immer im Bus bleiben.

Ninguno mala organización lamentablemente muy caro para tan poco el paseo por los jardines nada de nada y luego con lo que pagas no te da acceso a la basílica de San pedro calidad precio no merece la pena

Hat sich mehr als gelohnt. Die Gärten waren großartig. Museum ist einfach riesig. Vielen Dank an das Team für die Organisation. BG Alina

No merece la pena, lo único que consigues es tener acceso directo y sin esperar en la entrada. No me gustó la guía, no nos explicó que después del bus ella se iba y estuvimos esperando a la salida del bus, y luego tienes que pagar la audioguía de los museos vaticanos y. La capilla sixtina.

Bella l’esperienza nei giardini vaticani, un po’ troppa gente nei musei e lungo il percorso per arrivare alla cappella Sistina.

It is not the first time I have relied on Touristation for guided tours and tours and as usual their services were impeccable. Visiting the Vatican Gardens on board the bus allows you to fully immerse yourself in the careful descriptions of the audio guide. It is an experience that I recommend to anyone and that I would also have the pleasure to repeat.

The 3-hour tour supposedly lasted 45 minutes through the Vatican gardens and then we were literally abandoned there. No audio guide, no one to guide us. We called Civitatis and they gave us no solution. My partner and I opted to pay for the audio guide, see the museums and Sistine chapel alone and it's over. Money thrown away and not even an apology. Take another tour, this is a disgrace.

Parfait ! Nous avons apprécié la visite en bus même sans clim tant il faisait chaud. Les jardins sont sur une colline escarpée.

Die wunderbare Fahrt durch die Vatikanischen Gärten im offenen Bus. Erlebnisreich und bereichernd. Längerer Aufenthalt an den einzelnen Stationen um Fotos machen zu können wäre wünschenswert.

Wir haben für die Bustour EUR 60,00 bezahlt. Auf dem Ticket, das wir von der Tourmitarbeiterin erhalten haben, war ein Preis von EUE 17,00 aufgedruckt. Da wird offensichtlich sehr viel Provision draufgeschlagen.

Bellissime le cose da vedere e quindi si commentavano da sole. Anche perché a parte sul pulmino nei giardini, per il resto abbiamo dovuto riprendere le audioguide a nostre spese, e nessuno ci ha fatto da guida come pattuito nel prezzo .

Bon accueil Petit circuit intéressant avec de plus audio guide dans la langue MAIS PAS DE BUS À CIEL OUVERT COMME ANNONCÉ ❗️Un mini bus couvert avec les bâches plastiques relevées de chaque côté, gênantes qui plus est… Obligés de se contorsionner pour bien voir et essayer de prendre des photos Avec en prime un chauffeur maussade et … muet…?

Die Bustour durch die vatikanischen Gärten sind auf jeden Fall empfehlenswert. Ticketeinlösung hat super funktioniert und betritt gemeinsam mit dem Guide von Viator die vatikanischen Museen und wird dort dann direkt zum Bus gebracht. Der Audioguide ist in mehreren Sprachen verfügbar und es werden einem Geschichtliches zum Vatikan und den Gärten erzählt. Diese Tour würden wir auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen!

Obwohl ich schon häufiger in Rom war, waren die Vatikanischen Gärten immer noch auf meiner Wunschliste. Dieses Mal hat es geklappt, gute Organisation, freundliches Personal und ein beeindruckendes Erlebnis.