3 hours
2 languages
Instant confirmation
Private tour

Highlights

See the famous sights of the Vatican City with this fantastic half-day tour, accompanied by an expert guide. You’ll benefit from reserved tickets ensuring you won’t waste time in lengthy queues. You’ll witness the highlights of the Vatican’s extraordinary collection of Ancient Roman and Greek statues, Raphael’s Rooms, the Galleries of Tapestries and Maps, the Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter’s Square. This tour ensures that you will see the greatest works of art and architecture in the Vatican. You will be met by your guide at the entrance to the Vatican Museums and skip the queues with your reserved tickets.

Inclusions

What's included

Private tour
local guide
Admission tickets

What's not

Private transportation
Gratuities

Itinerary

First up on the tour will be an array of ancient Roman and Greek sculptures from excavations across Rome. The Vatican held the rights to all archaeological discoveries when the Popes ruled Central Italy. This part of the tour will focus on the most important of these, including the Belvedere Apollo, the Torso, the busts of Claudius and Hadrian and the sarcophagi of Helen and Constance, the mother and daughter of Emperor Constantine. Next you’ll enter the Room of Animals followed by the Gallery of the Candelabra where you can view the inspiring statues of Diana of Ephesus, the Muses and many Greek philosophers. After the Gallery of the Candelabra, you’ll view the Gallery of Tapestries, the Sobieski Hall and Raphael’s Rooms. The latter were decorated by Raphael for Pope Julius II, who used the rooms as his private apartments. These rooms are home to two of Raphael’s greatest works: the Parnassus and The School of Athens.
1.5 hAdmission included
Italy’s most visited attraction, and the Vatican’s most talked about place, is the Sistine Chapel. Your guide will share information about Michelangelo’s frescoes - The Last Judgment, the Creation of Adam and the Genesis - and details on the Stories of Moses and Jesus painted by Botticelli, Perugino and other masters of the Renaissance. The Sistine Chapel is still used today, most notably for papal elections. From your guide you’ll hear fascinating anecdotes and little-known facts about this renowned place.
1 hAdmission 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 honor to paint St. Peter’s magnificent dome. The tour will end in Saint Peter’s Square, where you can view Bernini’s statues and the famous chimney which announces the election of a new Pope. A couple of final anecdotes and it will be time for your guide will say goodbye, leaving you to enjoy the square under your own steam. A wonderful end to a tour of the Vatican!
30 minAdmission included

Cancellation

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

Reviews

5.0

Ratings come from 8 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 outside the Vatican museums (street address is viale Vaticano,100). Your tour guide will be holding a sign with your name on it.
Pickup: Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by: Accessible Italy Tours

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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 you Vatican tour. In case of such events our tour guide will provide you with a valuable alternative focusing the tour inside the Vatican museums.
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
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, queuing.
Each traveler must present a valid ID card or document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to the Vatican Museums

How it compares in Vatican City

Its from-price is 245% above the median of the 244 experiences we list in Vatican City.
Its length is typical for the group.
By number of reviews it ranks 84 of 244.

About Vatican City

Vatican City is a tiny independent state inside Rome, home of St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.

Vatican City is an independent state of less than half a square kilometre, enclosed by walls inside Rome on the west bank of the Tiber, and the smallest country in the world. It is the seat of the Catholic Church and the home of the pope. St Peter's Square, framed by Bernini's curving colonnades, leads to St Peter's Basilica, built over the traditional tomb of the apostle Peter, with Michelangelo's dome rising above and his Pietà inside.

Top-ranked sights in Vatican City: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica.

See all 244 experiences in Vatican City