Semi private day trip to the Vatican from Rome

Rome, Italy

Tour Rating
    
icon10 hours  (Approx.)
Mobile ticket
iconOffered in: English and 1 more
Overview

Avoid the throngs of tourists during official visiting hours and enjoy exclusive access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel before they open to the public. Visit the Vatican Gardens and take a train through the Italian countryside to the Pope’s summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. An English-speaking guide is with you at all times and the tour is also audio-guided to maximize the experience.
  • Access to Vatican Museums before they open to the public
  • See the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Gardens
  • Visit the Pope’s summer residence
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off included

Pick up /drop off (if the accommodation is inside the aurelian walls)
Transportation
Personal English speaking assistant
Audio guide
Small group limited to a maximum of 14 people
Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off (outside the Aurelian Walls)
Tip

Departure Point

Traveler pickup is offered
We offer pickup in Rome from all the accommodation within the Aurelian Walls.

Departure Time

7:15 AM
Itinerary
Stop At:  
Vatican Museums
The Vatican museums represent the most visited museums by tourists traveling in Italy. Precisely for this reason they are almost always super crowded and you need to wait long lines before you can visit them. With this tour you will have the opportunity to see the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
Duration: 2 hours 
Admission Ticket Included
Stop At:  
Vatican Gardens
The Gardens of Vatican City, also informally known as the Vatican Gardens in Vatican City, are private urban gardens and parks which cover more than half of the country, located in the west of the territory and owned by the Pope
Duration: 1 hour 
Admission Ticket Included
Stop At:  
Stanze di Raffaello
The four Raphael Rooms form a suite of reception rooms, now part of the Vatican Museums in Vatican City. They are famous for their frescoes, painted by Raphael and his workshop. Together with Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, they are the grand fresco sequences that mark the High Renaissance in Rome
Duration: 1 hour 
Admission Ticket Included
Stop At:  
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope, in Vatican City. The chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo.
Duration: 1 hour 
Admission Ticket Included
Stop At:  
Vatican City
St. Peter's Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus considered by Catholics to be the first Pope. At the centre of the square is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected at the current site in 1586. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square almost 100 years later, including the massive Doric colonnades, four columns deep, which embrace visitors in "the maternal arms of Mother Church". A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675 matches another fountain designed by Carlo Maderno in 1613.
Duration: 2 hours 
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal enclave which is within the city of Rome. Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture[2] and the largest church in the world. St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world"[4] and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom" Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, chief among Jesus's apostles St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage and for its liturgical functions.
Duration: 2 hours 
Admission Ticket Included
Stop At:  
Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo , is a town located 25 kilometres (16 mi) southeast of Rome. It is considered one of Italy's most scenic towns. The Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo served as a summer residence and vacation retreat for the pope, the leader of the Catholic Church. Although the palace is located within the borders of Castel Gandolfo, it has extraterritorial status as one of the properties of the Holy See and is not under Italian jurisdiction. It is now open as a museum.
Duration: 2 hours 
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Giro del lago di Albano (anello)
Lake Albano is a small volcanic crater lake in the Alban Hills of Lazio, at the foot of Monte Cavo, 20 km southeast of Rome. Castel Gandolfo, overlooking the lake, is the site of the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo. In Roman times it was known as Albanus Lacus and lay not far from the ancient city of Alba Longa
Duration: 1 hour 
Admission Ticket Free
Stop At:  
Chiesa di San Tommaso da Villanova
It is the Pontifical Parish Church and overlooks the main square of the village. It was built from 1658 on commission of Pope Alexander VII Chigi and the project was entrusted to the genius of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was inaugurated in 1661 after Antonio Raggi had completed the decoration in stucco of the interior of the dome. The religious building has a Greek cross plan, and is surmounted by a dome covered with lead foils, with lantern to facilitate the lighting of the interior.
Duration: 1 hour 
Admission Ticket Not Included
  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
  • Infant seats available
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
  • It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes
  • You are welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks
  • Please provide your hotel (apartment or Bed and Breakfast) information at the time of booking (name, address, and phone number)
  • Service animals allowed
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Learn more about cancellations.

From 230.23 USD


  • Reserve Now & Pay Later

    Secure your spot while staying flexible

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Customers have also been looking at these Rome Tours
More Tours in Rome that we Recommend