Private & Small Group Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel& St. Peter’s
Description
Explore the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica on a private or small-group tour. Skip the lines and enjoy a licensed English-speaking guide who brings the art, history, and architecture to life. Wander through Renaissance masterpieces, ancient sculptures, and then marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling and Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. Finish at St. Peter’s Basilica, home to Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s grand altar. Note: St. Peter’s Basilica access may occasionally be restricted due to Vatican events. Perfect for US travelers, families, couples, and first-time visitors seeking a personalized, stress-free Vatican experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Take a leisurely walk through the Vatican galleries, which showcase the most significant art collection in the world while bypassing the usual entrance queues. *Pinecone Courtyard offers a stunning view of St. Peter's Basilica. *Octagonal Courtyard features the Apollo and Laocoön statues. *Next, you will explore the Room of the Muses, home to the Belvedere Torso statue. *The Round Room, a smaller replica of the Pantheon, contains Nero's bathtub at its center and will surely be a highlight of your visit. *In the Greek Cross Room, you will find two magnificent tombs crafted from extremely rare porphyry marble. *The Gallery of Tapestries presents incredible optical illusions, concluding with the Gallery of Geographical Maps, which is undoubtedly the most important artwork in the Vatican Museums.
Experience what are arguably the most significant masterpieces of art, Michelangelo's frescoes of the Last Judgment and Creation, and explore the venue where the papal election, known as the conclave, occurs. Attempt to deduce the locations of the stove and chimney, as well as where the newly elected pope will transition from his cardinal attire to the papal garments.
See a place where st. Peter was crucified and where Pope does the audience every Wednesday.Tour will end with priority access to the St.peter's Basilica that you'll explore at your own pace. Note: St. Peter’s Basilica access may occasionally be restricted due to Vatican events.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Note: St. Peter’s Basilica access may occasionally be restricted due to Vatican events.
- 10 inch shorts are fine since they are reaching knees
- Flip flops and sandals are fine as well
- Make sure to bring a bottle of water with you
Reviews(54)
This was an experience of true history and has to be seen in person. Our guide (Tony) was super informative and fun!
A MUST SEE IN ROME. You CAN get tickets on your own but, I do not recommend it. ALWAYS hordes of visitors and your guide is your advocate. I don't know how you'd do without their services.
Ava was excellent. Very informative and kind. We have a large family with kids ranging from 4-16. She was so patient!
Great knowledgeable guide. Easy access to find guide location and easy access to all of the museums.
Such an amazing tour experience! Absolutely loved it! Our guide was so knowledgeable and a great host.
Great tour and definitely worth the price. The guide was kind, helpful and very informative. Saved us a lot of waiting by taking us through the shortcuts. Made sure everyone in the group was comfortable. Would highly recommend.
Very informative tour. Luigi was knowledgeable and pleasant. He kept us engaged and was very good at keeping track of us—even the little one.
Tour guide did get providing commentary and pushing us through the crowd and ahead of the lines hitting the highlights. It was slightly less crowded than peak season but still a lot of people around so having the guide, skipping lines and a small group setting was a really big plus! My only issue is not with the tour but the Vatican in that they don’t do well with limiting the crowds or making sure people remain respectful and tourists were loud, pushy and rude sort of dampening the awe inspiring experience. This isn’t the fault of the tour guide though as he works to expertly guide us though and reduce stress! Thanks!!
Our tour guide was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting. Headsets provided worked most of the time. St. Peter’s basilica was closed due to a Pope event. The nerve of him, LOL. Would not hesitate to recommend. The line to get in was huge but the skip the line feature worked great. Nevertheless, it was extremely crowded so beware of this.
We had a great time. Group was very small, about 12 people. Our guide, Alex, was sensational, very knowledgeable and kept the perfect pace. We learned a lot and enjoyed the beauty of the Vatican!
