Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and S. Peter's - Private Tour

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Explore the highlights of Vatican City without getting overwhelmed on this private guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. Save time with skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and focus on the most important masterpieces in the galleries and Sistine Chapel, leaving you plenty of time to tour St. Peter's Basilica. Enjoy the undivided attention of your guide and relaxed pace of a custom tour.

Get quick access to the museum and Basilica and avoid long waits
Ensure you don't miss the most significant works in the Vatican Museums
See key works including "Apollo of Belvedere" and the Gallery of Maps
Admire Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel

What's Included

Professional blue badge guide
Private tour
Visit all of the most important sites of the Vatican
3,5 hours guided tour
Vatican entrance ticket
Saint Peter's Basilica fast entrance

Food And Drinks
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

You will meet your private driver speaking English in the lobby of your hotel or in front of your Airbnb and you'll go to meet your private guide (Pick up will be 15 minutes before the starting of the tour)

Meeting point

Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Your guide will wait you in front of "Caffè Vaticano", Viale Vaticano, 100, holding a board with your name on it.

End point

Via Paolo VI, 27, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

Itinerary

Join your guide and enter the Vatican Museums or, if you'd like, upgrade to include hotel pickup within central Rome.

Make your way through the many halls and rooms to see the highlights of the collection, including the Laocoon statue, the Apollo Belvedere, the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, and much more. Continue on through the whole museum to reach the Sistine Chapel at the end, where you can admire the exquisite frescoes by Michelangelo.

From the Sistine Chapel, follow a special access route directly into St. Peter's Basilica to skip the lines for the church. Walk through the immense interior of the church—the largest in Christendom—while you learn about some of the history of the building and the art it contains.

Please note: There is a strictly enforced dress code for both St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, so be sure knees, shoulders, midsections, and backs are covered before the tour. Also note that St. Peter's Basilica is sometimes closed for religious ceremonies. If this is the case on the day of your visit, your tour will instead be an extended tour of the Vatican Museums.

Vatican Museums

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Basilica

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate

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
It is recommended you wear comfortable walking shoes and if rain is forecast, bring a small umbrella as well. Large umbrellas, large bags, and selfie sticks will not be allowed into the museums.
The wheelchair itinerary is different from the regular itinerary. We will visit some special rooms and of course the Sistine Chapel. In the wheelchair itinerary, Saint Peter’s Basilica is not accessible. The tour will be extended in the Vatican Museums
N.B. DUE TO THE HOLY JUBILEE YEAR IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO GUARANTEE ACCESS TO ST. PETER'S. IN THESE CASES THE TOUR WILL EXTEND INTO THE MUSEUMS
N.B. Power banks are NOT permitted to enter the Vatican Museums, so we ask you not to bring them with you during your visit.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 72 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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The Sistine chapel, and...

Elizabeth_W, Jul 2025

The Sistine chapel, and Basilica are awe inspiring!! I highly recommend this tour, for me it was a very special experience!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Dear Elizabeth, Thanks a lot for your Review. We're delighted to hear that your experience was special. We sincerely hope you'll contact us again on your next trip to Rome, so we can share more wonderful experiences in the Eternal City. All the Best Ruth from Kai Travel

Fantastic tour, our guide, Alberto, was...

HalldorBrynjar_H, Sep 2017

Fantastic tour, our guide, Alberto, was fantastic!

We took the small group tour with 12...

Margot_M, May 2017

We took the small group tour with 12 people. It was excellent. We would recommend that. Skipping the lines is the only way to go. Our guide was Alberto and we felt lucky tio have had him. He could not have been more knowledgeable or nice. It was quite crowded but this is May and to be expected. We learned a lot of their history and know so much more about the Vatican.