Semi-Private Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica

Skip the LineLikely to Sell Out

See the Raphael Rooms, Gallery of Maps, and Scala Regia, the exclusive passageway to the basilica

Skip the LineLikely to Sell Out

4.96

( 1534 reviews )


3 h


Max 10 Guests

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.

You’ll meet your local guide at the top of the stairs near

Select participants and date

Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!

Charismatic, English-speaking guide

Pio-Clementino

Hall of Maps

Raphael Rooms & more

Sistine Chapel

Scala Regia passageway

St. Peter's Basilica

Max group size of 10

Wheelchair accessible

Meals

Guide gratuity

Meet your guide outside Caffé Vaticano

Begin your semi-private tour with a warm welcome from your guide outside the historic Caffé Vaticano, ready to unveil the Vatican's wonders.

Vatican Museums

Uncover the historical details and impressive beauty of the Vatican's extensive art collection, featured throughout distinct galleries and halls.

Pinecone Courtyard

Pause in the serene Pinecone Courtyard, a beloved open-air space where art and nature blend seamlessly amidst the bustle of the Vatican.

Gallery of Candelabra

Follow your guide’s lead through a corridor lined with intricately carved marble candelabra and statues, each a clue to Roman history.

Hall of Maps

Take a stroll down the 120-meter-long (400 ft) corridor, where meticulously detailed maps of Italy from the 16th century adorn the walls.

For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change

Meet your guide between TMark Hotel Vaticano and Caffé Vaticano at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). You'll find our friendly welcome staff there holding The Tour Guy signs.

In addition to wearing or bringing clothing that covers your knees and shoulders, it's recommended to wear comfortable shoes. You're also welcome to bring a water bottle as it can get hot inside the Vatican during the summer months.

4.96

1534 Ratings

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Incredible experience

Debra King

Verified Review

June 12, 2025

Our experience with the this tour being incredibly crowded as always. Nearly 7 million visitors a year. It Could not have gone better , so much better than expected. Attributed to our most excellent tour guide,Carolina. She has an art Major degree, was extremely informative and knowledgeable. She was easy to understand. I heard so much more information than I had previously. She walked us easily through the process and I couldn’t be happier. It was a very important tour to me. A good guide is so important to get the very most from the experience. Thank you and tu sei bella Carolina ! Bravo! I will always remember this experience. Grazie mille ! The King’s

Lisa Schmidt

Verified Review

June 12, 2025

Unna

Jennifer McSweeney

Verified Review

June 12, 2025

We had a wonderful time w Unna. I know that her name is different but I can not recall spelling. She was thoughtful, creative and personal.

Amazing Time!

Cody Trotter

Verified Review

June 11, 2025

Sara was an amazing guide! She made the hot day and crowded areas fantastic!

Informative well guided tour!

Valerie Medvedic

Verified Review

June 10, 2025

Sara gave us an excellent tour of the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, St Peter’s was closed so we weren’t able to finish our tour in there. It would be nice to know this ahead of time, so one could plan accordingly or a discount was provided for the tour.

Sonja Brown

Verified Review

June 09, 2025

Great Guide from Eco Art

Franklin Stahlman Jr

Verified Review

June 08, 2025

The guide was amazing knowledgeable, kind, and funny... She made the tour fun and informative..We enjoyed every minute.

Joan L Ruark

Verified Review

June 08, 2025

Great tour!!

Kelley Molen

Verified Review

June 07, 2025

Antonella was incredible. She shared so many details and meaningful spiritual connections that made the tour memorable and something we could connect with. Highly recommend this tour.

Elizabeth Eves

Verified Review

June 07, 2025

Fabrizio was the best!

Terry Jay

Verified Review

June 07, 2025

Very informative tour with loads of information. There is so much to see in the museum the tour can only give you some of the highlights, however we never felt rushed. Only by tours such as these can you access the “shortcut” directly between the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica.

One of a kind experience

Laura Kuhn

Verified Review

June 06, 2025

The tour was packed with information and we hit every spot that we wanted to see in the museums and in the basilica. Exceptional tour guide!

Debbie Sponsler

Verified Review

June 05, 2025

Deborah Davis

Verified Review

June 03, 2025

Traci Gonzales

Verified Review

June 03, 2025

Angel Torres Rodriguez

Verified Review

June 02, 2025

Emelia Torlai

Verified Review

June 02, 2025

Margaret Samp

Verified Review

June 01, 2025

Michael G Pugliese

Verified Review

May 31, 2025

Tonya Hardin

Verified Review

May 30, 2025

Semi-Private Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica

Gabriel Brennan

Verified Review

May 28, 2025

Well organised, easy to find, ran on time, we knew what was happening at each stage. Tour leader was fun and well informed. We covered a lot and got to the Sistine chapel with plenty of time to linger inside. One suggestion - tour leaders sometimes tell funny stories about stupid questions tourists ask. It might be more tactful to tell people "no question is too silly, so this is a good time to ask those things that you really want to know." Thank you.

Mary Moulton

Verified Review

May 27, 2025

So Much to See, Not Enough Time

Christine Bonansinga

Verified Review

May 26, 2025

Our tour guide Sara was truly special. She brought to life so much of what we saw at the Vatican museum with her interesting stories and personal perspective. There is no way a three hour tour could even scratch the surface of what is available to see. But Sara touched upon the highlights in the museum and explained what to look for when we went into the Sistine Chapel on our own.

Donna Mendez

Verified Review

May 25, 2025

What a Fantastic Tour

Norma Marr

Verified Review

May 24, 2025

I highly recommend taking this semi-private tour. There were only seven of us on this tour and it was fabulous. Our tour guide, Sara, was so knowledgeable and she really knows her history and art work. She was ready with all the skip-the-line tickets and moved us through the line quickly to get ahead of the crowd. Sara also took us to areas that others were not allowed to go to. Be sure to start your tour at 8:00am and ask for Sara to be your guide.