Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Basilica & Tombs Private Tour

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Group discounts
Offered in: English

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Overview

Uncover the wonders of Vatican City—and avoid the hassle of planning your own excursion—on this private guided tour. Explore the renowned Vatican Museums, and marvel at their world-famous collection during a visit. Then, take in the extraordinary beauty of Michelangelo’s masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Skip-the-lien admission to both sights is included to help you save time and beat the crowds.

Explore the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in one tour
Choose from two tour times and various languages
A private tour means a more personalized experience
Beat the crowds with skip-the-line entry to the museum

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

A private tour ensures you cover the art that interests you most and enjoy the full attention of your guide.

What's Included

Expert Official Vatican Licensed Tour Guide
Skip the Line Private Tour

Pick-Up & Drop-Off
Food & Drink

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via Germanico, 16, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
MEETING POINT: VIA GERMANICO 16 PLEASE ARRIVE TO CHECK-IN 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED ENTRY TIME! We organize everything and we’ll escort you inside the Museums, where we will provide you with your ticket.

End point

Sistine Chapel
00120, Vatican City

Itinerary

Vatican Museums

2 hours • 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
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR CLIENTS BOOKING FROM 30th APRIL TO 09th MAY 2025 Due to the extraordinary situation surrounding the passing of Pope Francis, and the event of the conclave to decide the next Pope. The tour will still be operating as planned but the Sistine chapel will likely be closed as the Cardinals will be meeting to elect the next Pope. The tour will still be a skip the line visit of both the Vatican museums and St. Peter's Basilica as originally planned. In these exceptional circumstances please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience. We hope that you will still have a fantastic visit and this will truly be a unique experience and a historic moment to visit. We hope on the day of your visit to see the white smoke and for you to be able to join the celebrations for the newly elected pope! If you wish to continue with your tour, you will not need to do anything and we hope to make this a very special and memorable experience for you.
If you arrive late for the meeting time, it will not be possible to join the group or reschedule. As per "No Show" rules you will not be entitled to a refund.
Due to the Jubilee, some monuments or areas may be under restoration and subject to last minute closures. Please pay attention to any messages we may send regarding potential changes.

If you purchase a reduced ticket and you are not under 16 years old or a student under 26 years old with a valid student photo ID, the Vatican will deny your entry and you will not be able to visit the Vatican or join the tour.
Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women to enter the Sistine Chapel.
Please be aware that large bags/backpacks/suitcases are not permitted in the monument/ attraction.
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not suitable for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair. Please be aware that large oversized bags/backpacks/suitcases are not permitted in the monument/ attraction.
It is not possible to contact guides when they are inside the Vatican museums, it is the clients responsibility to stay with the guided tour group, if you lose your guide inside the Vatican, there is nothing we can do in this case.
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

4.8

based on 313 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Fantastic!!

Leila_H, Aug 2025

We had a wonderful time on our tour. Antonella was fantastic and so knowledgeable. The pace of the tour was spot on and we learned so much. I would highly recommend this experience. Thank you!

Vatican with grandma

Jorge_C, Aug 2025

We needed a tour in Spanish and wheelchairs friendly, we got exactly that and had nice information and learning on the tour.

Guide being 45 minutes late, no apologies

Bruce_B, Jul 2025

Vary crowed, when guide finely showed up,she vary good, no explanation, at all,office, didn't say anything word

Best Tour!!!

JillMarie_W, Mar 2025

My 18 year old son and I visited Rome for spring break and we both thoroughly enjoyed this tour! Our guide, Debra, was so knowledgeable and well respected within the museums. I have visited before on a tour and I felt I learned so much more on this tour due to our thoughtful guide. I felt like we got the best tour of anyone who visited that day.

Arnaldo great guide!!

Fabio_F, Jan 2025

Arnaldo our Tour Guide was Super!!! Very intelligent, knowledgeable, friendly and experienced. My wife, daughter (12) and I learnt a lot. My youngest daughter (5) as you'd expect wasn't really interested but Arnaldo was very understanding with her and tried to include her anyway. Great experience :)

Awesome experience thanks to Debra

Jessica_E, Oct 2024

Debra was one of the highlights of our trip to Rome. She made us feel so comfortable and like VIPs for the day! You can tell she LOVES what she does and the amount of knowledge she has is insane! Thank you for the best day Debra !!!

Wonderful experience

Daniel_R, Aug 2024

Absolutely wonderful experience!! Our guide Vanessa was awesome from beginning to end. We purposely booked a private tour so that we would have a more personal and detailed experience. We were very pleased.

Top-notch guide, interesting tour

Jeffrey_L, Jun 2024

My family (kids 8 & 11, grandparents) took this tour with Debora and had a great time. It's a fairly long tour, but the time goes by quickly because Debora was a top notch guide. She kept it interesting, taught us lots of interesting history/facts, and kept the kids engaged. She also knew half the staff there, it's clear she's a true pro. We felt lucky to be matched with her, we whole-heartedly recommend.

Personal tour is the only way to go

Norbon_J, Jun 2024

Our guide, Deborah, was wonderful. If you’re going to spend all the money and all the time with family to come to Rome, you deserve to pay for a private tour with this kind of expertise. It’s life-changing and a lifetime experience. You’ll never forget it. The guide makes all the difference. Deborah our guide, knew guards and Gatekeepers personally.

DEBRA!

Michael_P, May 2024

Our tour guide, Debra was incredible. A rock star! Knew everything, everyone, and all of the best spots. Wouldn't go to the Vatican without her.

Best Tour Guide Ever

Harvey_B, Apr 2024

I’ve been on this tour before with a small group, but this time felt completely new and different. Maggie, our truly exceptional tour guide, was so very passionate about the Rome, Vatican, the museums, the Basilica, and everything within. Even though there were tens of thousands of people all around us, it felt like my wife and I were alone. Maggie was so attentive, but more importantly, she was super informative with fascinating stories and details. In fact, she was so fascinating that I forgot to even take pictures most of the time we were in St. Peter’s Basillica. I would HIGHLY recommend the private tour. Again, it felt like we were moving at our own pace, seeing more, and hearing more details.

Arnaldo is the best

Tod_O, Feb 2024

Arnaldo was an excellent guide! Highly recommend him. Only reason I don’t give 5 Stars is the expense for only 90 minutes

Worth every penny!

Joan_M, Oct 2023

Our tour guide Maggie was friendly, knowledgeable and energetic. She knew everything from the large and important to the small and less important.

5 Stars!

Rachel_L, Sep 2023

We cannot recommend this tour highly enough! Our guide, Marco, was friendly, knowledgeable, respectful, and so much fun. He knew so much about the Vatican and enthusiastically answered our (many) questions. 5 stars!

Great tour for family

Owen_P, Aug 2023

We had a great tour with Alessandra! She was very knowledgeable and showed us everything we wanted to see. She even recommended pizza and gelato places at the end of the tour.

Amazing experience with...

Joe_C, Jul 2023

Amazing experience with Deborah. Excellent guide and focused on kids so they understood what they were experiencing. Best experience in Rome so far!

Unorganized and no “skipping the line” as promised

Jeremy_G, Jul 2023

Tour guide Josephine was great. This was sold as “skip the line” and we waited for everything: 20 minutes in the small, hot office, then we needed to enter with the larger tour. Supposed to start at 2:30 and we were finally inside at about 3:15. If you’re willing to pay more for a private tour, I would choose a different company. And Josephine if you’re reading this- tell Maya Tour to do a better job at coordinating and organizing!

Inept tour

DrJoseA_D, Jul 2023

The tour office is in disarray and unorganized. Once we meet the guide did not give us any information of the Vatican and once inside she begins to speak very softly and we found not hear her. We ask her to speak louder and she says “what is then problem?” We continued the tour barely hearing her. During the tour she passes by vases, statues, and tapestry without any description or explication only stating, “this is a vase!”. This was booked last minute and I have been to the Vatican on 2 previous occasions with private tours not through an agency. This has been the worst tour similar to a bad school trip.

Great private tour

Laura_V, Jul 2023

Our family of 6 had an amazing time on our tour. Alesandra was a wonderful guide who was incredibly knowledgeable. She made our time at the Vatican eye memorable. Thank you!

Vatican up close and persu

Michael_C, Jul 2023

Highly knowledgeable and very personable- our guide was Giuseppina. Experienced and very engaging. She was attentive and explained all we saw.

Wonderful tour and great guide!

Patty_U, Jul 2023

Our guide was so lovely and did a wonderful job of sharing the history of the Vatican and Rome. We paid for the private tour which was worth it for the opportunity to ask questions along the way and to focus on a few things that were of interest to us.

Wonderful experience - the best tour of the Vatican

Amy_m, Jun 2023

This was the best guided tour I have ever been on. I had taken a tour of the Vatican 10 years ago that was not memorable like this one. Arnoldo was extremely knowledgeable. He had very interesting facts to tell us all through the tour and made sure we understood what we were looking at as Art / communication and the power and wealth portrayed in the Vatican. If I could give more than five stars I would. I highly recommend the private tour and ask for Arnaldo.

Fantastic tour!

Jonathan_S, Jun 2023

Gabriel from Maya Tours was fantastic. He provided us the perfect tour featuring the highlights of the Vatican. The Sistine Chapel was amazing as was so much of the artwork and buildings within the city. I would highly recommend this private experience. Worth every penny.

Can’t miss your.

todd_l, Jun 2023

We booked a semi private tour and we’re the only people that booked- the result was a private tour with and expert tour guide, Patricia. We did some special one-off visits for displays that were personal to us and had fun talking about influence and history of the Catholic Church. I am not Catholic but cannot help but be in awe of the Vatican, with its art, geometry, and historical significance. We got in earlier than the crowds and were whisked around special entrances to St Peter’s and other venues. Truly amazing!

Book private if you can!!

NiandraFatima_T, Jun 2023

Josephine was an amazing tour guide. The museums were PACKED with large groups. If you can, would definitely book private - was soooo much easier getting around and our tour guide was able to answer mine and my husband’s questions and share her knowledge and history of the Vatican and Rome in general (which she knew A LOT of).

Sistine Chapel, St Peter’sBasilica & Vatican Museum

Stephen_H, Jun 2023

Maria Patricia Pennuxxi is best guide ever! So knowledgeable about the Vatican ,Sistine chapel and St. Peter’s basilica! We really enjoyed spending the afternoon with Patricia

Don’t do a private tour with this company.

Mehreen_Z, Jun 2023

I would in hindsight have chosen to do a group tour. This was too overpriced for being rushed and also learning about art history rather than what was actually painted. I also am disappointed that we didn’t have individual tickets but rather had to wait with a group tour to enter. This wasted 40 minutes in the beginning. Ridiculous considering this cost nearly 500 USD.

Armando was a fabulous...

Scott_L, May 2023

Armando was a fabulous tour guide! Great time, great tour, etc. All the art was absolutely amazing to look at and all the history was absolutely incredible!

Wonderful tour with Alessandra

Deborah_D, May 2023

Alessandra was such a great guide. Her knowledge of art and history were excellent, and she was just fun to be around. Definitely recommend her - it’s worth your time!