Large group tours can feel rushed and impersonal but this private guided tour offers an intimate experience of the Vatican Museums with plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Your guide introduces you to the major artworks and can adjust the tour if you have a particular interest, then takes you to see the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Private tour exclusively for your party: Skip crowded group tours
Flexibility to adjust the pace and ample opportunities to ask questions
Focus on what you are interested in rather than a general survey
Choose from a morning or afternoon tour to best fit your schedule
What's Included
Professional guide for 3 hours
Private tour
Skip-the-line tickets
Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel
Entry/Admission - St. Peter's Basilica
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Departure & Return
Departure Point
Via Vespasiano, 28, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Return Details
Returns to original departure point
What To Expect
Itinerary
Stop At:
Vatican Museums
Your tour will start after having met your guide who will escort you for all the 3 hours of your private tour.
You will first enter the Vatican Museums and Upper Galleries, including the Maps, Tapestries, and Candelabra ones.
The galleries connect the north section of the Vatican Palace with the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica of St. Peter’s. Many Roman statues discovered during the excavations and many spectacular painted rooms are conserved in the rooms.
While Raphael was painting the Room of the Signatura, Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. The two artists were rivals but Raphael recognized Michelangelo’s talent in his “School of Athens”. Here you will admire the Parnassus and the Dispute over the Sacrament.
After having visited the beautiful Raphael Rooms, you will approach the Borgia apartment, which was painted by Pinturicchio and commissioned by the Spanish Pope Alexander VI Borgia. These rooms are inside the oldest section of the Apostolic Palace. You will visit its main rooms, which preserve also part of the artworks from modern and contemporary art.
Then, you will arrive in the Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries, which had been created thanks to the several donations in honor of Pope Paul VI: during a special Speech inside the Sistine Chapel he called back to the Church modern and contemporary artists in order to recreate a link between art and church. Many donations arrived from the United States and other countries. Among the many masterpieces, you will admire Matisse’s, Chagall’s, Dalì’s, and Bacon’s works.
After having visited the Vatican Museums, you will enter the Sistine Chapel, where you will admire Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel with the Frescoes painted in the 1500s for the Pope Julius II and Paul III. Michelangelo first painted the Ceiling where he represented The Creation of the World and stories of Noah’s life. When he was 61 years old Michelangelo painted The Last Judgement on the wall behind the altar.
Finally, you will visit St. Peter's Basilica, where you will have the opportunity to admire some of the best examples of the Baroque architecture, as Bernini's Altar of the "Cattedra” and Baldachin. Anyway, the moment when you will be amazed will be when arriving in front of the Pietà, Michelangelo’s artwork that he sculpted when he was only 19 years old.
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
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Please be on time to avoid losing entry and thus missing the tour.
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Please note: the Vatican tour on wheelchair will take more time than the usual, so please contact us in order to create a customized itinerary for you
Please note: in some areas of the Vatican the stroller must be carried by yourself in your arms, due to architectural restrictions
This tour is not wheelchair accessible but may be adapted to an accessible itinerary if you contact us. Please note that, for disabled visitors with certified invalidity of more than 74%, the Vatican Museums offers free entry that is extended to a companion for visitors who are not self-sufficient. To benefit from this, make sure you mention it at the time of booking so that our staff may handle your request.
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please make sure you ask the guide any curiosities you may have during the tour, we want to ensure you have the very best experience!
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Learn more about cancellations.
From237.79 USD
SHARE THIS PAGE
It’s more fun with friends!
Reserve Now & Pay Later
Secure your spot while staying flexible
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Customers have also been looking at these Rome Experiences