Semi Private Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and Basilica Tour
Description
Discover the best of the Vatican City in a 3 hour tour of the Museum, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica. Our group size averages just 10 people. Enjoy being guided through the largest collection of art in the Western Hemisphere. Your professional English speaking guide will walk you through the Gallery of Papal Carriages, Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps, Pinacoteca and the Sistine Chapel. The last part of the tour quickly brings you into St. Peter’s Basilica, exclusively going down the Scala Regia and passing in front of the Pope's office and the Swiss Guards! Be prepared to be amazed by the grandeur and splendor of man's creation.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your tour at the renowned Vatican Museums. Aside from being the home of the Pope, Vatican city is also home to the Vatican Museums, the world’s largest collection of art with 9 miles of art that could wrap around the Vatican walls 4 ½ times! It contains 54 museums, 1400 rooms, chapels, and galleries. Aside from the renowned Sistine Chapel, the museums also display the only work of Leonardo Da Vinci in Rome, St. Jerome, the Raphael Rooms, and the Pinoteca, which contains collections of the Popes, all dating back to the middle ages and are set in chronological order.
Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is possibly the most well known masterpiece in modern day, with over 5 million visitors per year. It was a project the artist took on reluctantly because his focus was sculptures, and he would complain about the physical toll it took on his body. It is said that the design of the chapel from Pope Sixtus IV, is modeled after Solomon’s temple from the Old Testament, measuring at just larger than a professional basketball court! There are many more frescoes to admire here from other artists, including: Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Roselli and Sandro Botticelli.
You will head through a secret entry into our last stop on the tour, St. Peter's Basilica: the largest basilica in the world, with markings inside the church to ensure every other basilica would fit inside. The curious visitor is treated to Michelangelo’s Pieta at the front, 150 mosaics, and Bernini’s baldacchino, which stands at 96 feet tall and 100,000 pounds of bronze! Surprisingly, there is only one actual painting in the basilica, and it can be spotted hanging above the Pieta. Many popes are buried in the church or are on display, but most of the popes are buried underneath the basilica including St. Peter, the first pope.
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
- Please bring a bottle of water per person.
- Carry medium size back packs as large ones will be checked into the cloak room and involves a long walk to get them back.
- The following items along with the bags will have to be checked into the cloak room: glass bottles of any kind, swiss knives, wine openers, large tripods and large bags.
- Photography is permitted in most rooms but without flash. It is prohibited to photograph inside the Sistine Chapel.
- Entry to St. Peter's Basilica may be subject to unexpected closures or limited availability of tickets. If an area typically included in the tour is closed, our guide will provide an explanation and show an additional site or gallery to compensate As these circumstances are beyond our control, we appreciate your patience and understanding.
- You can also chose to climb the dome on your own, for a separate fee.
- On Wednesdays the Basilica is closed until noon due to the Papal Audience.
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Bring Umbrellas that can fold and are not long have a pokey end
- The tour ends in front on the Basilica. You can spend more time inside the Basilica but you cannot go back to the Sistine Chapel nor the Museum.
- Not recommended for clients who cannot climb and decent stairs
Reviews(188)
It was well worth paying a bit extra to have a semi-private tour. Our host was so informed and organized. We skipped all the long lines.
Excellent small group experience with Rahul as our guide. Small enough to maneuver through the larger crowds. Rahul was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of detail and insight on what we saw in the Vatican, Sistine chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, which could have been such an overwhelming experience. I would highly recommend this tour, everyone in my family felt it was a great value.
Our tour guide was great and very knowledgeable! He knew how to navigate the lines very well
Group leader was great and knowledgeable. Leader knew where to go and keep us on a good pace. Would recommend again
Exactly as described- the tour is around 1hr in the Vatican museum which is very crowded due to no fault of the tour guides. You get to skip the line, which saves you a lot of valuable time on your vacation. This museum is huge and they show you some highlights- we ended up going back to the Vatican Museum a separate day for over 10hrs, so just be aware this tour will cover a small part of the entire Vatican Museum, but that may be enough for some people. Our guide gave great context and her knowledge was so valuable for the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s. I felt truly able to appreciate these areas, and St Peter’s especially would’ve felt overwhelming without a guide. You also walk right out of the Sistine Chapel through a guided tour-only entrance into St. Peter’s Basilica instead of having to wait in line in the Square. I’d highly recommend this tour with the understanding that you will see only a small part of the Vatican Museum but is a great way to see all three areas.
Despite large crowds and a rigorous entry process, the vast array of art and sculpture, and the magnificent scale of the Vatican and St.Peter’s Basilica, are a must to see. The Sistine Chapel is a master’s masterpiece. While time in the Chapel is limited, our tour guide prepped us in advance to make the most of our time there. His calm demeanor, extensive knowledge of religion, art and history, combined with a “radio quality” voice were simply perfect for the occasion. Great experience!
We were looking forward to visiting the Vatican for Easter weekend. This tour did not disappoint. We were extremely lucky that it turned into a private tour as our family were the only five in the group. Rahul was our tour guide, and he was exceptional!! Not only was he extremely knowledgeable in all facets of art, history and religion, but he made sure our tour was tailored to our group's interests. This was my mother's first time here, and since her main interests are in Catholicism, Rahul made sure we saw not only the highlights of the museum, but also included a large portion to catholic note worry art pieces. Rahul also went above and beyond to ensure my hard of hearing mother, heard, saw and got to participate in discussions throughout the entire tour. He even escorted her to the confession booths at St Peters, which was difficult to find during their Easter weekend traffic. I've been on a lot of tours before, but this one stands out as one of the tops!!
We loved this tour, it was so great to get the highlights in the Vatican Museum where my crew could easily have been bored. Then we experienced the Sistine Chapel, and because of the preparation from our guide we got so much more out of it than if we hadn’t had a guide. Zipping along to avoid congestion in some areas is really fun, also. Rahul was a wonderful guide, he is incredibly knowledgeable. I am sure it took years of study and preparation for this job, and because of that it sounds like he is telling a story, which makes the history easily relevant to present day. He throws in fun little twists and facts to engage his listeners. He could answer any question we came up with.
We’re so glad you made the most of your time at the Vatican! It’s wonderful to hear how much you appreciated the pace of the tour and Rahul’s storytelling approach—making history engaging and relevant is exactly what we aim for. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again for another great experience! Warm regards, Europe Odyssey Team
Rahul was our tour guide for the Vatican and I must say, this tour was a lifetime of an experience thanks to him! He knew how to navigate the sea of people and made us feel very comfortable. I was able to take many pictures in open and secret spaces. I was also able to walk into the Sistine Chapel with much confidence, insight and knowledge thanks to him!
What a lovely review—thank you for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that Rahul made your visit so comfortable and memorable, especially with the crowds. His ability to guide guests smoothly while sharing meaningful insights is something we truly value. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again in the future! Warm regards, Europe Odyssey Team
Small group tour with an art historian made a perfect afternoon. Rahul did an excellent job with communications, even calling me when I forgot to respond to the text reminder on WhatsApp. The collections are huge, but our guide used our time to focus on a number of collections. He used images on his tablet to point out aspect of the art we were about to see providing context to make the art and our visit more meaningful. Great insights. Great attention to the group and group's needs. Very professional. We have already recommended this tour to family visiting later this year.
We’re really glad to hear you had such a great afternoon with us! It’s wonderful to know Rahul’s communication and thoughtful approach made everything smooth, and that his explanations helped bring the art to life in a meaningful way. We truly appreciate your recommendation and are delighted you’ve already shared it with your family. We hope to welcome you all in Rome soon! Warm regards, Europe Odyssey Team
