Vatican crowds and long ticket lines can eat up your day and drain the experience. Skip the wait and explore the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with just 10 guests per group. This semi-private tour offers a more personal experience with a dedicated guide, plus direct entry to St. Peter’s Basilica through the Scala Regia. You’ll end in the basilica, free to explore until you’re ready to take on the rest of Rome.
Expert, English-speaking guide
Skip-the-line ticket to Vatican Museums
Entry to Sistine Chapel
Exclusive access to the Scala Regia
Direct entry to St. Peter’s Basilica
Guaranteed max group size of 10
Guide tips
Basilica entry on Wednesday mornings
Meet your guide outside Caffé Vaticano
Begin your semi-private Vatican adventure with a warm welcome from your guide outside the historic Caffé Vaticano. You'll quickly check in and get ready to bypass the long general entry lines and head straight into the vast complex of the Vatican Museums.
Vatican Museums
Uncover the incredible breadth of the Vatican's extensive art collection, featuring pieces across distinct galleries and halls. Your expert guide will lead you through the highlights, providing historical context and captivating stories behind the masterpieces you encounter.
Pinecone Courtyard
In this open-air courtyard, you’ll enjoy a moment of calm surrounded by greenery and iconic sculptures. It’s a refreshing pause before diving deeper into the museums’ most celebrated halls.
Pio-Clementino Museum and Nero’s Bathtub
Explore the Pio-Clementino Museum, home to iconic ancient statues like the Apollo Belvedere and Laocoön and His Sons. You’ll also visit Emperor Nero’s massive bathtub, carved from a single block of rare red marble.
The Best Galleries at the Vatican Museums
Follow your guide through the Vatican's spectacular corridors, including the Candelabra Gallery and the Gallery of the Tapestries. Next, stroll down the 400-foot-long Gallery of Maps, admiring the stunning 16th-century topographical depictions of Italy.
For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change
Select participants and date
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!
...
...
4.96
1709 Ratings
5
1647
4
51
3
10
2
1
1
0
Great experience!
Kent L.
Verified Review
December 01, 2025
Amazing tour guide! Very enjoyable tour. Learned some very interesting things!
Great tour for our family!
Michael V.
Verified Review
November 27, 2025
Our family of 5 loved our Vatican tour with Yamuna! Even our little ones enjoyed exploring the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Highly recommended!
Excellent Tour
Kenneth E.
Verified Review
November 26, 2025
Our guide Yamuna was friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. We were able to see everything we hoped to. I would highly recommend this tour.
Heidi C.
Verified Review
November 26, 2025
Memorable moments at the vatican
Sibylle R.
Verified Review
November 25, 2025
So glad we booked this smaller group tour, worth every penny. Our excellent guide zoomed us past the crowds and had so much to share about these location and profound meaning. The Vatican museum was little cut short but on e at St. Peter’s basilica we could stay and enjoy this incredible structure . The visit at the Sistine chapel didn’t linger long enough. You get kind of pushed through there. Thank you to our guide! She was lovely.
Great experience
KATHRYN O.
Verified Review
November 25, 2025
We are very glad to have done this tour. Our guide was fantastic and very easy to listen to. The meeting point was very easy to find, entry was quick and smooth, the rooms in the museum were amazing and her knowledge made it very interesting. The best part was being able to walk directly between the museums and the basilica without lining up again or having to go through security. The only thing I would liked to have been included on the tour was the double helix staircase. Highly recommended.
Elmeriza P.
Verified Review
November 24, 2025
Sara does her job very well. She’s prompt, very knowledgeable and gives clear instructions.
Great Tour
Shayla P.
Verified Review
November 20, 2025
P
Enlightening and enjoyable
Greg A.
Verified Review
November 20, 2025
Neva B.
Verified Review
November 19, 2025
Rebecca L.
Verified Review
November 17, 2025
Good Tour
Christine T.
Verified Review
November 17, 2025
Guide was knowledgeable and friendly. We really enjoyed this tour.
Semi-private Vatican Tour
Jason L.
Verified Review
November 14, 2025
Marzy was an amazing guide, we booked on a semi private tour for 10 but only 5 of us turned up today. It was an awesome tour, Marzy had great knowledge & told us so much & answered all of our questions. Took us for a quick coffee & toilet break before the Sistine Chapel so we were hydrated & relieved before taking in the awe inspiring paintings of Michelangelo
Great tour!
Eileen A.
Verified Review
November 13, 2025
Eleanor’s was perfect! Had an amazing tour and learned so much. Thank you!!
Elaine S.
Verified Review
November 13, 2025
Monica F.
Verified Review
November 13, 2025
Very friendly and knowledgeable!
William C.
Verified Review
November 10, 2025
Paul S.
Verified Review
November 08, 2025
Great Tour Guide / Unfinished Tour
George A.
Verified Review
November 06, 2025
Tour guide was GREAT but schedule did not work out well. The crowds had our tour delayed after the Sistine Chapel - we had to wait over an hour in line before entering St. Peter's Basilica. Our guide needed to leave for another tour so we walked the Basilica solo and missed getting the history of it.
Pauline S.
Verified Review
November 06, 2025
Margaret F.
Verified Review
November 05, 2025
Great tour and wonderful tour guide
John M.
Verified Review
November 04, 2025
Sarah was a terrific guide. With over 20 years of experience as a guide and a comprehensive knowledge of the Vatican (based on her long term employment with the Vatican), as well as her engaging personality, she was perfect for the task at hand. In a relatively short period of time she gave us a rich and deep understanding of the Vatican, made sure we saw the most critical sights, and shared with us her personal stories of being employed in the Vatican. Highly recommended.
Well covered.
Pranav K.
Verified Review
November 04, 2025
The Vatican museums are a vast expanse of invaluable art and collections. Jessica did really well to take us through it all in 3 hours. This tour also has the ‘shortcut’ access to St Peter’s Basilica, although nothing in the Vatican is without a queue (this was end-October). If you’re doing just one tour, I’d highly recommend this one. If you’re planning to do a more detailed visit (which will take you the best part of a day, at the bare minimum) this is an excellent precursor.
Vince V.
Verified Review
November 01, 2025
Awesome tour!
Kimberley E.
Verified Review
November 01, 2025
Sirikki was absolutely amazing (and shout out to our excellent driver Massimo!) to walk the steps of Paul was an experience. Mostly off the beaten path of the typical touristy places, we found meaning, purpose and oddly serenity along our way. Learned much and appreciate everything even more.
OUR BEST SELLING TOURS AT A GLANCE
Most Popular Tours
Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica
Palace of Versailles and Gardens Tour with Transport from Paris
Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum and Vatican Museums
Special Access Colosseum Arena Floor Tour through the Gladiator's Gate
St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge’s Palace Half-Day Tour with Gondola Ride
Semi-Private Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica