Skip The Line: Vatican Private Tour with Sistine Chapel
Description
On this Vatican private tour, you won't only enjoy skip-the-line access to the astonishing collection of Vatican City. You'll enjoy the full, undivided attention of your expert guide, who'll answer any question you have about these marvelous artifacts. First, you'll see the wonderful collection of classical statues in the Vatican Museums, including the iconic 'Laocoön' and stunning frescoes by Raphael. If you have any special interests, whether the history of Roman Jews or Oceanic Art, your guide will be able to accommodate them. Continue to the Sistine Chapel. There you'll see the breathtaking frescoes of Michelangelo — all 12,000ft of them. Your expert guide will explain all the details — and secret meanings — behind this iconic work. St. Peter’s Basilica is the last stop on of our tour. See Michelangelo’s Pieta, Bernini masterworks, and more... *St. Peter's Basilica maybe closed without notice. In that event your guide will spend more time inside the Vatican Museum.
Tour Options
Itinerary
A tour of the Vatican Museums promises an insight to some of the greatest art in the world, from classical antiquity, through the Renaissance and to the present day. See masterpieces by Raphael and astonishing statuary like Laocoön and His Sons.
Here you’ll see one of the greatest masterpiece’s mankind has ever produced: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes. Old Testament scenes come alive in the astonishing frescoes. Once seen, they’re never forgotten. - - - - Please be informed that from January 12 to March 31, 2026, extraordinary maintenance work will be carried out on Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. For this reason, scaffolding will be installed, covering the entire wall.
Designed by genius architect Bramante, the Courtyard of the Pine houses the iconic Fountain of the Pine – one of the few Ancient Roman fountains that survives to this day.
Accompanied by our knowledgeable guides, you will get to visit Saint Peter’s Basilica, the centerpiece of Vatican City and the most important site of the Catholic Church. You will admire some of the world’s famous masterpieces, such as Michelangelo’s Pietà and several other seminal works of Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Modern art.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- 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
Reviews(14)
Elisa was very knowledgeable and pleasant to be with. She made it a great experience. She was the best guide we had during our 2 week + trip.
Dear Eugene, thank you for the wonderful review! It has been a pleasure spend the time with you and Patty. I hope to have you again in Rome in future! Warm regards, Elisa
Elisa was an outstanding guide with her incredible in-depth knowledge and wonderful enthusiasm. It was a joy to spend time in her company and learn from her. I must say every aspect of the tour was highly professional and well organized. Indeed, Elisa exceeded all our expectations. We will most definitely be booking another Roma Experience tour for our next visit. We’ve already recommended to friends and family.
Elisa is beyond phenomenal. I’ve had the pleasure of touring the Vatican and Roman Forum with her twice (once in 2017 and again this fall). On each tour, I’ve looked around to other people near me, wearing head sets and walking in groups, and have whispered to my husband, “We are having the absolute best experience here.” The depth of Elisa’s tours and her incredible knowledge are simply unparalleled. Touring the Roman Forum with Elisa – a place she used to work!!! – is, hands-down, the best tour experience I’ve had anywhere in the world. The care she puts into her work is evident—she is passionate about what she does, and wants to share her passion for these remarkable places with you. And be sure to ask her for restaurant recommendations! She pointed us in the direction of the best meals we enjoyed in Italy—and not just in Rome! She gave us recommendations for Venice and Florence, too. AND she coordinated a last-minute, ultra-luxe, private wine tour in Chianti for my group, led by one of her brilliant tour guides (Martina). My traveling companions and I will remember these experiences forever. Do yourself a favor and book literally anything with Elisa. It’ll be the best thing you do in Italy.
We travelled to Rome in June of 2022 and were given Elisa’s contact information from a friend who said we should not see anything in Italy without speaking with her first. Elisa’s knowledge is extensive and unparalleled. Her presentation style is engaging, and her access is unprecedented. Not only did we get behind the ropes at The Vatican, but she also arranged other tours at incredible venues that no one else was able to. We learned that Elisa’s contacts, allow her access to unique and exclusive experiences that thankfully she is happy to share. However, access is only part of the story here. It is Elisa’s extraordinary breadth of knowledge and presentation style allowed us to learn something new and important at every turn. As a family who is lucky enough to travel and utilize great tour guide, Elisa stands apart. In addition to the above she is warm, funny, kind, and was able to keep all 7 of us (Ages from 20-60) engaged. Like our friend said originally: “Don’t do anything without speaking in Italy without speaking to Elisa first.”
My guide, Elisa, was outstanding. She knows her ‘stuff’. Her background in archaeology and academia is excellent and allows her to answer questions quickly (and I had lots of them). I like the way she paced the tour to my needs. Also, her presentation skills were multi-faceted (I especially liked seeing a explanatory video or picture on her iPad. I will be back to Rome next Spring and Elisa is the only guide I will use.
Here is the short version: I feel sorry for anyone that does not choose to book a tour with Roma Experience Tours. You are missing something great. Here is the long version: Why are you reading this? The short version should be all you need! But seriously, the tours offered by Roma Experience are the only tours you will ever need. My guide (Elisa) was so passionate about her job and so knowledgeable about everything that the tour was a completely satisfying experience. It was about 6 hours but I was enjoying myself so much I would have taken another 6. I tried asking her about a few random objects out of the thousands housed in the Vatican museums and she could tell me something about each. She was also great at pointing out little known facts and secrets, as well as highlighting the most important pieces of the tour - which helps if you want to speed up the tour at all too, the tour can be flexible and doesn't sound quite as scripted as other tours I've seen. During the tour I contemplated staying some extra time in Rome just to be able to do more of the tours they offer, but I figured I will just have to come back another time because they offer so many. P.s. This is on top of the fact that I didn't realize it was Easter week and that the Vatican would be completely packed with people - and even though I asked about a tour less than a day in advance, she made it happen! I legitimately felt like a VIP by the time we were done.
We had a great tour of the Vatican with Paolo. He was very informative and I'm glad we booked the tour!
Fyi Our private tour to museums and Sistine and st Peters With Paolo Was amazing and great He was engaging He was a font of Information He was incredible thank you
Dear gwggwg, We enjoyed reading your generous review and were pleased to learn you found Paolo to be accommodating and knowledgeable during your private tour. Thank you for taking the time to share your opinion on our Private Vatican Tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Church!
We scheduled the Vatican private tour through our travel agent. Finding the meet up point and our guide Daniel was super easy. Daniel was very informative and insightful about the history of the Vatican and the art there. He was incredibly thoughtful, taking every attempt to make our tour pleasant and easy. We enjoyed our time with Daniel, and highly recommend the tour.
Dear Alextraveler11, A private Tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's church is perfect for anyone with a passion for art or interest in this magnificient state. We are over the moon reading your kind comment on our guide Daniele, he is one of our beloved guides that has earned his stripes in the Roma Experience Family. We are very pleased you are looking back on a memorable tour and would like to thank you for taking the time to share feedback about your experience online, we will be sure to inform Daniele of the brilliant job he's done.
Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable. She knew Spanish very well. Thanks Stefania for all. Using skip the line plus all her explanations gave us much more tools for getting to know more about the Pope’s the museums the basilica and all what has happened since Vatican was founded. This is a must with excellent guidance
Dear Giovanna, Going around the Vatican with a Private guide certainly is a must for lovers of art and religion, isn't it? Stefania is one of our beloved guides and as you opted for a private tour we can customize the language and the tour your prefference. We are pleased to see your five star rating and will strive to maintain this quality in the future. If you ever need tips or tricks on what else to visit upon return, please feel free to drop us a line!
