Vatican Gardens on Minibus + Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

• The best Vatican natural and artistic masterpieces
• Visit to Vatican Gardens on a comfortable open minibus
• Priority entry to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel without queues
• Warm welcome and assistance by Roma Cristiana staff

Vatican Gardens and Museums

Visit an oasis of harmony in the heart of Vatican City. From a panoramic minibus, visitors will enjoy a unique perspective on the natural masterpieces that have charmed popes and religious people over the centuries. The open bus tour, complete with multilingual audio commentary, invites you to immerse yourself in the botanical and monumental features of the gardens without disturbing their peace. This tour is fully sustainable and has no environmental impact thanks to ecological vehicles. Your exploration of Vatican art and history then continues in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, also included in the ticket price.

History

Now divided into multiple sections according to the type of garden, the Vatican Gardens came to life as a simple orchard created by Nicholas III in 1279 for meditation. Over the centuries they have expanded to cover two thirds of Vatican City.

Natural and architectural masterpieces

Inside the gardens you will find countless plant species from all over the world, from local Mediterranean scrub to exotic varieties imported from Asia and America. Among the many colorful flowers you can admire the papal and heraldic grass crests. In addition to the vegetation, the park is filled with monumental fountains and temples dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as well as the remains of the ancient Leonine Wall.

Papal collections

Other invaluable artworks are displayed in the Vatican Museums, accessible with the same ticket. In their 54 galleries there are religious relics, sculptures, and paintings from every age, from ancient Egypt to Van Gogh's years. The museums also include the most notable mural painting in Europe: Michelangelo's Last Judgment on the Sistine Chapel's altar wall.

Reduced/Half Ticket:

• Children between 6 and 17 years old
• Students under 25 years old (valid International Student Card required upon entrance)

Free Ticket:

• People with 74% disability (Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel only, valid identity document required)
• Carers of people with 74% disability

1. Tickets are valid all day until Museum closing time starting from the time slot selected for your minibus tour. Visit to Vatican Gardens on Minibus is available from April 9th to November 4th 2018 at 11:00 am or 12:00 pm (meet up at 10:00 am or 11:00 am), and from November 5th to December 31st 2018 at 10:30 am (meet up at 9:30 am), except on Saturdays, Vatican holidays, and Vatican Museums closing days. Minibus tour does not include a walking tour and lasts about 45 minutes. Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel visit duration is about 1 hour 30 minutes.
2. Once tickets are booked, selected date and time are binding. Please arrive in time at the meeting point at St Peter's ORP Office in Piazza Pio XII, 9.
3. Vatican Gardens cannot be visited by children under 6 years old and wheelchair users due to the nature of the itinerary.
4. The Vatican Museums are almost completely accessible. We suggest to follow the barrier-free itinerary indicated by the museum staff to easily reach main points of interest. In some areas the use of electric or motorized wheelchairs is not permitted due to space constraints. In these cases it is possible to rent a free standard wheelchair in the cloakroom, subject to availability, showing a valid identity document. It is possible to book a wheelchair in advance by contacting accoglienza.musei@scv.va or the "Special Permits" desk in the entrance hall (valid identity document always required to collect the wheelchair).
5. Tickets will be sent via email within 24-48 hours of the purchase (on weekdays) with instructions on how to get there and what to do to enter.
6. Visitors are invited to dress appropriately to enter the Museums.
7. Italy Tickets is not responsible for eventual lack of service caused by ticket offices or Holy Father's activities.