Following a pickup from your hotel in Rome, head to the Vatican Museums with your guide and skip the lines with your pre-booked tickets, ready to begin exploring. The first stop will be at the vast collection of ancient Roman and Greek sculptures uncovered through the years during excavations across Rome. Your guide will show you the most important of these, including the “Belvedere Apollo” and the “Sarcophagi of Helena and Constantina,” the mother and daughter of Emperor Constantine. Next up will be the Room of Animals and the Gallery of Candelabra where you’ll see rare Roman mosaics and view the magnificent statues of Diana of Ephesus, the Muses, and a multitude of Greek philosophers. The tour will then head through the Gallery of Tapestries, the Sobieski Hall, and the Raphael Rooms. Once the private apartments of Pope Julius II, the Raphael Rooms were decorated by Raphael and it’s here you’ll see two of his most famous works, “The Parnassus” and “The School of Athens.” The highlight of any tour of the Vatican is, of course, the Sistine Chapel, Italy’s most popular attraction. You’ll hear from your guide about Michelangelo’s frescoes, “The Last Judgment” and “The Creation of Adam,” as well as stories of Moses and Jesus in paintings by Botticelli, Perugino, and other renowned Renaissance artists. You’ll then move on to the world’s most famous Catholic Church, Saint Peter’s Basilica, which houses Michelangelo’s famous “Pietà” as well the tombs of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. Finally, you will leave the basilica into the vast expanse of Saint Peter’s Square. From here you can see the chimney used to announce the election of a new pope, as well as Bernini’s famous statues. After a couple more anecdotes, your guide will say goodbye, leaving you to explore the square at your leisure. A perfect end to a brilliant tour of Vatican City.