Private Vatican Museums Tour: Explore Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

Discover Vatican treasures with a private guide. Skip lines, explore the Sistine Chapel, and uncover secrets of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Vatican City - Experience the UNESCO-listed Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel effortlessly with a private guided tour. Say goodbye to the hassle of long queues, giving yourself the gift of extra time to explore these incredible museums with an Expert Guide just to yourself. Enjoy a seamless and unforgettable journey through art and history!
  • Vatican Museums - Kick off your Vatican adventure by meeting your private guide, who’ll whisk you past the lines with your skip-the-line ticket. Customize your experience by sharing specific interests or requests, whether it’s delving into Vatican history or juicy, sometimes-scandalous anecdotes about its inhabitants.

Embark on a personalized tour with your guide, exploring diverse galleries like Raphael’s Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, and the charming Pinecone Courtyard. Dive into tales of Renaissance giants such as Raphael and Michelangelo, who crafted masterpieces for the popes, while also uncovering intriguing stories of artistic rivalries. Your journey through the Vatican promises an exclusive blend of history, art, and captivating narratives.

  • Sistine Chapel - Finally, arrive at the renowned Sistine Chapel, celebrated for Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes—The Last Judgment and The Creation of Adam—adorning its sacred ceiling. Inside, immerse yourself in the silent majesty of these masterpieces.

While talking is prohibited, your guide will share insightful commentary just outside the chapel doors, ensuring you don’t miss a moment of this awe-inspiring experience.

  • St. Peter’s Basilica - Through a dedicated access, step into the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica, an architectural marvel that stands as the epitome of spiritual and artistic excellence. Marvel at Michelangelo’s iconic Pieta, gaze up at the breathtaking dome, and absorb the sacred atmosphere. The heart of Vatican City, this basilica offers a profound encounter with history, faith, and awe-inspiring beauty. Embark on a journey through the largest church in the world, where every detail tells a story of centuries past. St. Peter’s Basilica invites you to witness the intersection of divine inspiration and human achievement, leaving an indelible mark on your soul. Your private guide will make sure you do not miss a detail.
  • La Pieta - Next, walk over to St Peter’s Basilica, the Italian Renaissance church that’s home to more artistic masterpieces, most famously Michelangelo’s La Pietà sculpture and Bernini’s bronze baldachin altar canopy.
  • St. Peter’s Square - As your tour ends in St Peter’s Basilica, head to St. Peter’s Square, an iconic masterpiece in Rome. It embraces visitors with its grandeur. Designed by Bernini, the vast elliptical space is encircled by a majestic colonnade, symbolizing the Church’s embrace. The central obelisk and fountains add splendor, while the stunning façade of St. Peter’s Basilica stands as a beacon of architectural brilliance, inviting pilgrims and tourists alike to marvel at the heart of Vatican City.
What's Included
  • Reserved Skip-the-Line Access to the Vatican Museums
  • Carefully curated private tour just for your group
  • Reserved Access to the Sistine Chapel
  • English-speaking expert guide exclusively for your group
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

What’s a superior way to experience the Vatican if not in the company of your personal guide? Invest your time in this 3-hour walk around, discovering the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s Basilica, accompanied by tailor-made commentary. From the magnificence of Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” mural to the fascination of an architectural trick of the eye in St Peter’s Square, this comprehensive tour uncovers the narratives hidden within the Vatican’s holy places. To top it off, the tour offers access that permits you to bypass all the entry lines — even those meant for priority.

  • Visitors must pass through metal detectors at the security check point; expect to wait 20-30 minutes to clear security
  • Only small bags are allowed
  • Saint Peter’s Basilica is subject to last-minute closures for religious ceremonies. When this occurs, we’re happy to offer customers an extended tour of the Vatican Museums. While we endeavour to tell tour groups ahead of time if there are any planned disruptions to the Basilica’s opening hours, this is not always possible and in these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
  • On Wednesdays, due to the Papal Audiences, access to St Peter’s Basilica is not possible until 1pm
Location
Via Tunisi, 4
Via Tunisi
At the bottom of the steps across the street from the Entrance of the Vatican Museums. The steps are located right next to Caffè Vaticano on the corner of Viale Vaticano and Via Tunisi. The closest Metro stop is Line A (Ottaviano – Musei Vaticani).
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(503 Ratings)
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Kamran_m
Dec 2, 2023
Private tour was totally worth it - Great experience on private tour. Our guide was a local Roman who was extremely knowledgeable and spoke great English. We learned a lot and were able to avoid long lines and crowds as she whisked through the museums and Sistine chapel and St Peters. Great way to see the Vatican.
Review provided by Viator
23brendand
Aug 13, 2023
Fantastic Vatican Tour. - The Vatican Tour led by Elizabeth, was terrific. She has a vast knowledge of the Vatican, and was very passionate about making sure we enjoyed the whole experience, giving appropriate level of detail. Highly recommended- great value, and would definitely do this again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amurgidi
Jul 8, 2023
Great guide and tour - Check-in process was very easy. Our tour guide, Ursus, was great! He didn’t give too much “over your head” information but was personable with each member of our 10 person group and provided great commentary through the crowded Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diantha
May 31, 2023
Incredible knowledge, warmth and guidance...What more could ask for!? - Marle (pronounced Marlay) was our incredible guide. She was tall, elegant, funny, and oh so knowledgeable. Her inside knowledge of the art work of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's was almost overwhelming and although there was no way we could possible absorb it all, it inspired us to do some of our own research and reading on Pope Julius II, the Warrior Pope. Not only was she fantastic as a guide and teacher, but she also made sure we got on the correct train with some insider info for out trip back to Civitavecchia. We plan on being back in Rome next year and will definitely try to have Marle again for a guide!
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Sylvie_p
Feb 18, 2023
Best guide ever!!! - Alex was an incredible tour guide - so knowledgeable and friendly. You could really tell that she loves showing people her country’s treasures. We learned so much about the Vatican and it’s precious art collection. Really an amazing experience!!!
Review provided by Viator
Gabrielle_d
Feb 5, 2023
Amil will turn your visit to Vatican City into a highlight of your trip - Me, my husband, and both of his parents had a FANTASTIC time in Vatican City thanks to our hilarious, lovely, and knowledgeable guide Amil! We booked a private tour as my MIL has mobility issues that render her a slow walker and we couldn’t be more pleased with this decision since Amil took extra special care of us. ❤️ She peppered the tour with the funniest of historical backstories, made sure we noticed and understood the most important pieces from the potentially overwhelming array of sights, and was honestly just a complete delight to spend time with. Don’t hesitate to book her, you won’t regret it!!
Review provided by Viator
Buttercup_swamp
Jan 18, 2023
Amazing Experience - This was an absoltuely incredible experience. Our guide - Elisabetta was just phenomonal. She took us to see all the highlights of the Vatican Museum, ensuring we didn't miss anything. She was incredibly knowledgable on quite literally everything in there. After the museum, we went into the Sistine Chapel and then St Peters Basilica. This is a tour I would highly recommend. The meeting point was very easy to find and Elisabetta made this a day to remember! Nothing was too much trouble and she was able to answer every single question! Thank you!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joseph_m
Dec 10, 2022
Awe inspiring Vatican tour - We had a private tour w/Laura and it was fantastic!! She did an outstanding job of describing the history of the various objects we looked at. Sitting in the Sistine Chapel was humbling and the first look at St. Peters Basilica literally took my breath away....a once in a lifetime experience (and I am not religious)!!
Review provided by Viator
Jeannem139
Jun 6, 2023
Cancelled on us the week of our trip...everything else sold out. - We used Viator to book a Colosseum small group tour and a private Vatican tour, both with City Wonders, and CW canceled both the week of our trip. During peak season (June). When everything is sold out. They moved us to a different Colosseum tour (that excluded the Underground, which we really wanted to see) and told us that they had no alternatives for the Vatican, so no luck. All of the other tour companies and tickets are totally sold out...because this is in 5 days and in June. We planned our entire trip around these two tours--it's our one full day in Rome, and it's just terrible business to cancel PRIVATE tours with no time/availability to rebook them. STAY AWAY if you want a reliable service.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sheldon_s
May 16, 2023
Poor - Private tour guide cancelled the day before and no replacement. Had to do this on our own. No communication from aviator regarding g a refund. Local operator said that we had to deal with aviator..passing the buck
Review provided by Viator
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1 Adult
September 2024
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