Choose from one of several start times, then head to Via dei Gracchi near Vatican City. After meeting your guide, bypass the main entrance line with your skip-the-line ticket, and enter via an eye-catching spiral staircase.

Start exploring the collections of the Vatican Museums, hearing the history that dates back to the 16th-century days of Pope Giulio II. Subsequent popes added to the museums’ collection, amassing an impressive portfolio of art that weaves some 4.35 miles (7km) around the complex.

Discover masterpieces of Greek Classical art and Renaissance wonders by the likes of Michelangelo and Raphael. Highlights include the ancient statue of Laocoön and His Sons, and the 'Transfiguration,' Raphael’s last painting.

Wander amid the works of Italian masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, and Fra Angelico, then pause to admire the Vatican Gardens. Along your way, hear little-known tales about the Catholic Church, and the rivalries between the Renaissance greats.

Afterward, spend free time inside St. Peter’s Basilica to gaze at La Pietà amid ornate baroque and Renaissance architecture. Before you leave, you can also visit the papal crypt, where Pope John Paul II and others were laid to rest.