3 hours
Skip the line
Guided in English
Private tour

Highlights

Do you want to enjoy the Vatican away from the usual throng of tourists? If so, this Hidden gems Vatican Tour including Sistine Chapel is the perfect tour for you! You will have the services of a local guide who has a wealth of information on the history of this wonderful place. You will be taken to see some of the lesser-known parts of the museums – places not on the usual tourist itinerary. Visit the Gallery of Paintings (Pinacoteca), the New Wing with marvelous collections of Ancient Greek and Roman statues and the Carriage Pavilion with its wonderful exhibition of antique vehicles, including three Popemobiles!

Inclusions

What's included

Local guide
Private tour
Professional art historian guide
Guaranteed to skip the long lines
Local taxes

What's not

Gratuities
Private transportation
Hotel pick up and drop off

Itinerary

You will meet with your guide outside the Vatican Museum and with skip-the-line entry you begin your tour away from the bustling tourist crowds and busy galleries. This is truly an alternative experience of the Vatican Museums where you can immerse yourself in the history of the Catholic Church and the lives of the Popes.
1 hAdmission included
On the tour you have the opportunity to discover some of the lesser-known parts of the museums like the Gallery of Paintings where you will see wonderful masterpieces by Raphael, Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Tiziano and many more! Then it is on to the Carriage Pavilion where the many vehicles used over the centuries by the various Popes are displayed. There is the Grand Gala Berlin made in Rome in 1826 for Pope Leo XII, the Fiat Campagnola, the car in which Pope John Paul II was standing when an assassination attempt was made in 1981 in St. Peter’s Square. There are also three Popemobiles on show (Land Rover, Toyota and Mercedes 230 GE) and the Renault 4 donated by Pope Francis in 2013.
30 minAdmission included
At this point on the tour your guide will give you a detailed overview of the Sistine Chapel (talking inside is strictly forbidden). You will then be free to enjoy the rest of the museums and once you enter the Sistine Chapel you will have some background knowledge of the works displayed so that you can more fully appreciate its beauty and artistry.
30 minAdmission included
It is then time for a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica where you will explore the numerous side chapels with their hidden crypts. You will see Michelangelo’s Pietà and your guide will explain why this is the only work that he signed. You will gain an appreciation of the mastery that went into the creation of Bernini’s altarpiece and learn how Michelangelo triumphed over his contemporaries for the honour to paint St. Peter’s magnificent dome.
30 minAdmission included
The tour will end in Saint Peter's Square
30 min

Cancellation

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Reviews

5.0

Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point: At the stairs under the big white monumental gate topped with the statues of Michelangelo and Raphael ( vatican museums entrance). Address: viale vaticano
Pickup: Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by: Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tours

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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
READ CAREFULLY: Because of the growing popularity of the current pope Francis and his intense activity in organising mass events in the Vatican some areas might get closed last minute without previous notice. This has already happened this year and can happen again during your Vatican tour: the Sistine chapel and/or the Basilica of Saint Peter might not be accessible. In case of such events our tour guide will provide you with a valuable alternative focusing the tour inside the Vatican museums.
Please note due to the Jubilee, the Basilica might not be accessible as part of the tour. Unfortunately, we know that very last minute.In any case, you can go there after the tour, queueing.

How it compares in Rome

Its from-price is 126% above the median of the 8352 experiences we list in Rome.
Its length is typical for the group.
By number of reviews it ranks 4331 of 8352.

About Rome

Rome layers nearly three thousand years of history into one walkable city, from the Colosseum and Forum to Baroque piazzas and Vatican art.

Ancient Rome is still in plain sight. The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill sit together at the city's heart, the Pantheon still stands with its open oculus, and fragments of temples and aqueducts turn up between apartment blocks. Across the Tiber, Vatican City holds St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Top-ranked sights in Rome: Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel.

See all 8352 experiences in Rome