Private Skip the Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter's Basilica Tour

With your friendly private guide, you can ask as many questions as you like and the tour will move at a pace that suits your group. Plus, if there's anywhere you'd like to spend more time or particular artworks you want to see, your guide will try to make that happen!

Early Morning Private Vatican Tour Description

Your 3.5-hour private tour includes:

• Skip-the-line early access Vatican private tour

• Pio Clementino Museum and Gallery of Masks

• Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Tapestries, and the Gallery of the Maps

• Raphael Rooms and School of Athens

• Early entry to the Sistine Chapel

• Explore inside St. Peter's Basilica (except Wednesdays)

• A private, English-speaking Vatican guide

Pio Clementino Museum and Nero’s Bathtub

Your private guide will take you to the Pio Clementino Museum where you'll see three of the most iconic statues in the world. Learn about the myths and legends associated with the Apollo Belvedere, Laocoön and His Sons, and the Belvedere Torso. You'll also visit one of the biggest and oldest bathtubs you'll ever see, made for Emperor Nero from a rare red marble that discovered in Egypt and impossible to find today.

Gallery of Masks

On this tour, you'll have a chance to see an incredible gallery that's only open to authorized guides and groups. Here you'll see an amazing collection of female Greek statues, tiled mosaics (some from Hadrian's villa), and beautiful paintings. And you'll see the reason for the name "Gallery of Masks," though there is much more to see here than just masks.

The Best Galleries at the Vatican

Your private guide will lead you on through the Vatican Museums before the big crowds, visiting the Candelabra Gallery, Gallery of the Tapestries, and Gallery of Maps. Admire the ancient Roman and Greek statues, the Flemish tapestries created by Raphael's students, and the gorgeous topographical depictions of Italy.

At the height of the Roman Empire, pontiffs rarely left Rome. In order to understand the Italian peninsula without endangering his life, Pope Gregory XIII commissioned 40 giant meticulous maps to be created for his use. Most of these maps measure more than 15 by 16 feet, and the end result is nothing short of spectacular.

You'll hear the stories behind these treasures from your expert guide as the Vatican secrets are slowly unveiled to you.

Raphael Rooms

Raphael is the epitome of a Renaissance artist. In the period of European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages, a great period of revival in art, literature, and thought occurred. Raphael encompassed the ideals of a Renaissance man and frescoed multiple rooms inside of the Vatican Museums. Among other masterpieces, see one of Raphael’s most famous works of art, The School of Athens.

The Sistine Chapel

One of the top things to do in Vatican City is visit the Sistine Chapel. Since you're coming early in the morning, it will be less crowded in this beautiful chapel than in the afternoon. Speaking is not allowed in the chapel since it's a sacred space, so your guide will explain what you'll see before entering and give you a handy guide for reference.

Only when you are inside is it clear why the Sistine Chapel is one of the most celebrated works of art in Western civilization. Michelangelo painted more than 600 figures in all, and the sheer magnitude of his endeavor is mind-blowing. As one of Michelangelo’s most prized masterpieces, the Sistine Chapel also serves as a gathering place for cardinals of the Catholic Church when electing a new pope.

The Sistine Chapel is a sacred place, so both men and women must cover their knees and shoulders. Otherwise, you may be refused entry to a portion of your Vatican tour. We understand the summers in Rome are hot - a great alternative is to bring a shawl/sweater to wrap around you when necessary.

St. Peter's Basilica

Your final stop on this tour is St. Peter's Basilica, so follow your guide through the special corridor reserved for groups to access the basilica quickly. Here you'll get to see the Vatican's prized church where the remains of St. Peter himself are presumed to be buried. Once inside, admire masterpieces that include the Baldacchino, La Pietá, the statue of St. Peter, and more. This guided tour helps you make the most of your time in the grand cathedral, and without suffering the long lines.

Please note that St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays for the Papal Audience and can occasionally experience other unexpected closures. If this happens, your guide will make up the time at other areas within the Vatican.