Vatican Museums & St Peter's Basilica Skip the line Private tour

Rome, Italy

3 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Offered in: English

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4.5

(39,812)

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

from $89

Price varies by group size

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Overview

It can easy to get lost in the vast galleries of the Vatican Museums, but this private tour takes you straight to the highlights so you don't miss a thing. Bypass the crowds with skip-the-line, prebooked entry, then follow your guide on an insightful journey that takes you through rooms such as the Borgia Apartments, the Gallery of the Candelabra, the Gallery of the Tapestries, and the Gallery of the Maps. Finish your exploration with a visit to the Sistine Chapel to admire Michelangelo's famous ceiling fresco.

Prebooking your tour ensures you don't miss out on this popular attraction
Learn about the Vatican Museums with insight from your guide
A private tour ensures a personalized experience
Ask your guide questions as you explore

What's Included

Professional guide for 3 hours
Guaranteed to skip the long lines
Private tour
Access to St. Peter's Basilica (only if option selected)

Gratuities
Food and drinks
Private transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via Vespasiano, 28, 00192 Roma RM, Italy

End point

Sistine Chapel
00120, Vatican City

Itinerary

Meet your private guide outside the Vatican Museums and zip past the long line to enter stress-free with your pre-booked skip-the-line ticket.

Explore the museum complex at a relaxed pace, learning about the popes who amassed the incredible collection of artwork and antiquities along the way. Admire masterpieces by artists such as Raphael, Caravaggio, and da Vinci, focusing on the most important works in the vast collection to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Finally, step inside the Sistine Chapel, best known for its Renaissance frescoes that adorn the ceiling and walls. Gaze in awe at the work of Michelangelo that frames the room, then bid your guide goodbye.

Vatican City (Pass By)

Vatican Museums

1 hour 10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Sistine Chapel

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
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
A moderate amount of walking is involved, not recommended for customers with limited mobility.

Personal photography is allowed during this tour, except in the Sistine Chapel.
Please be on time in order to enter the Vatican Museums at the time booked and avoid losing the tour.
Please note: in some areas of the Vatican the stroller must be carried by yourself in your arms, due to architectural restrictions.
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.
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!
Please bring comfortable shoes and a refillable water bottle.
No shorts above the knees, no sleeveless t-shirts are permitted, no big backpacks are allowed, no big umbrellas are permitted, no pointed objects are allowed.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.9

based on 15 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Vatican Odyssey was 5 Stars!

Sandy_M, Nov 2021

Matteo was a fantastic guide for our odyssey through the Vatican! Learned so much-Matteo's detail and story telling capabilities reflected his extensive studies in archeology and really brought the experience to life for everyone! Highly recommend the tour!

Great Experience!

Caroline_E, Oct 2019

I can't imagine a better way to see the Vatican. We were hardly the only tour with early access (8 am instead of the general opening of 9 am) but the undivided attention of one guide for 2 people can't be beat. Our guide was Chiara and she was wonderful! She was very knowledgeable and we had some great discussions. Hotel pick up went very smoothly - we took a taxi back.

Response from Host, Oct 2019

Thank you for sharing your Vatican experience. The early access saves you hours and hours of time so it was a wise choice. Thank you for praising Chiara as well.

Great tour!

Lori C, May 2019

Our driver was at the hotel early. He took us to meet our guide at the Vatican and did not leave until he was sure we were where we were supposed to be. Our guide at the Vatican got us right through the line and was very knowledgable. We were traveling with my 82 year old mother and our guide was amazing at getting her around the area in a wheelchair.

A wonderful tour with our guide, Letizia!

Kyle_P, Nov 2018

After being picked up on time from our hotel by the arranged driver, we met our guide Letizia at the entry to the Vatican Museums. While waiting for the doors to open, she took time to educate and inform us about what we were to see, especially the Sistine Chapel. Letizia expertly guided us through the wonderful masterpieces of the Museums: the Pinecone Courtyard, the staircase, the Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel - before continuing with us into St. Peter’s Basilica. Letizia was expert, professional, friendly, and informative. What a great and highly recommended tour!!!

The tour was well worth the money...

Janet B, Sep 2017

The tour was well worth the money. Our tour guide was Valentina, she was very knowledgeable, friendly and very approachable. She answered any questions we had in regards to the Museum, Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, I really liked the fact that she used her Tablet to show us pictures of different things that were related to the tour. After the tour she gave us some directions to go to our next destination. Thank Valentina for a wonderful experience.

If there were more STARS I would...

Chris T, Aug 2017

If there were more STARS I would fill the page! The early private tour was the BEST! I did not know what to really expect. We arrived a little early but our guide was there and waiting for us. Grace as her friends called her was amazing! As we waited for the museum to open, our tour guide gave us information on what we would be seeing and a condense history .Condense because I think you could study for years and still learn more. I appreciated that she had her iPad with visuals. Be prepared to walk a lot, so much to see and learn. I would highly recommend this tour and this extremely knowledgeable tour guide! Thanks