The best way to experience the Vatican is in the evening, when the atmosphere is at its most magical. With a private guide, skip the lines and explore the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel as the day winds down. Dive into the stories behind Raphael’s frescoes and Michelangelo’s breathtaking ceiling, with expert storytelling tailored to your interests. This unique evening visit offers a more intimate way to connect with the Vatican’s greatest treasures.
Expert English-speaking guide
Skip the line Vatican tickets
Pinecone Courtyard
Gallery of Tapestries
Sistine Chapel
Private tour
The Vatican by night
Start your after-hours Vatican tour with a visit to a terrace that boasts one of the best views of St Peter's dome.
Pinecone Courtyard
Named for the giant pinecone that adorns one of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the Vatican Museums, the Pinecone Courtyard was designed by Donato Bramante.
Pio-Clementine Collection
Get up close to some of the world's most iconic statues, including Laocoön and His Sons.
Gallery of the Candelabra
This gallery was originally an open "loggia" but was walled and closed some 200 years ago. The statues and candelabras you see during this Vatican tour date back as far as 3rd Century B.C.
Gallery of Tapestries
Some of the masterpieces in this gallery were designed after the cartoons drawn by Raphael. Look out for a tapestry that includes a spectacular optical illusion.
For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change
Select participants and date
Free cancellation up to 60 days in advance!
...
...
4.95
111 Ratings
5
106
4
5
3
0
2
0
1
0
Delightful private tour
Raymond M.
Verified Review
November 02, 2025
Francesco treated us to an excellent private tour of the museums and prepared us for our visit to the Sistine Chapel. Pacing of tour was just right. He added trivia-like questions to his lectures which made it engaging and fun, especially when we got a question right. His lecture on Sistine chapel included visuals of the many panels which made our time in the chapel much more enriching. Outstanding private tour.
Nancy R.
Verified Review
October 30, 2025
Steele
David S.
Verified Review
October 28, 2025
Wonderful guide!
Frank T.
Verified Review
October 22, 2025
Vatican evening tour
Michael B.
Verified Review
October 18, 2025
Our guide Shuji was great! Insight to everything we were able to see and explanation of what was before us was amazing. He shepherded us through the museums and got us to the Sistine Chapel in time to take it all in. His explanation of some of the critical paintings in the Chapel made us understand what we were seeing. Great guide!
David D.
Verified Review
October 15, 2025
Carolann K.
Verified Review
October 14, 2025
Evening tour
Anna B.
Verified Review
October 11, 2025
I’ve been to the Vatican 3 times over my life. And this was by far the best guide I’ve had. We really enjoyed her knowledge and she moved us through all of the museum and chapel smoothly around the larger groups. Really Great experience!!
Fast but deep dive into the world of the Sistine chapel.
Hope L.
Verified Review
October 09, 2025
Even though we had limited time to explore and soak in all the treasures of the Sistine Chapel, our guide did his best to share his knowledge. We would love to have had more time inside the chapel and less time outside. Nonetheless, I highly recommend The Tour Guy on your trip to Rome.
Excellent tour of the Sistine Chapel
Brian S.
Verified Review
October 08, 2025
We had a closing time tour of the Sistine Chapel with Milica. Our guide was fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. I would book another tour with her.
The closing time tour does not mean fewer people, only that it’s at the end of the day and no time to waste.
The Sistine Chapel tour
Kathleen D.
Verified Review
October 06, 2025
Ahmed was a knowledgeable guide and shared a lot of interesting information. We enjoyed seeing the succinct Vatican museum during our two hour tour. There is so much to see that it can be overwhelming. We were surprised at how many tourists chose the evening tour. The Sistine Chapel is amazing but difficult to take it all in. We appreciated the handout that helped us view the frescos. Thanks, Ahmed.
Amazing!
Katina H.
Verified Review
October 05, 2025
This tour was amazing! Well worth it. It was actually my second time thru the Vatican museum. First time- no tour director. This time- we got so much out of it!! The inside stories were fascinating. And being close to closing time was so nice. Much less crowded! Would highly recommend!
Fabulous Guide
Yvonne A.
Verified Review
October 01, 2025
Ela is a fabulous guide! She is so smart and knowledgeable, and she presents her information in an easy to understand format. She tailored our tour so that we could spent the most time seeing what we wanted to see specifically. She’s easy to understand, and she has a lovely personality. We loved her tour!
Excellent Introduction
Carolyn R.
Verified Review
October 01, 2025
This could only ever be a brief introduction to the Vatican Galleries as there are over 7km of corridors with artefacts to view but it was excellent.
Shame that the 'skip the queue' aspect did not work too well so valuable viewing time was lost through that and meant we were quite hurried to get to the Sistine Chapel before closing time and to allow sufficient time to take it in.
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and keen to personalise the tour to our interests and visits to other places.
Very worthwhile - we will return someday to take in more.
Adam S.
Verified Review
September 27, 2025
Eleanora was amazing!
Debra L.
Verified Review
September 26, 2025
We learned so much on this tour! Eleanora really took time to answer all our questions and she taught us so much!
We are really glad we took this tour on our first night in Rome!
Timothy C.
Verified Review
September 26, 2025
David J.
Verified Review
September 22, 2025
The only way to do it
Rachel F.
Verified Review
September 22, 2025
Wow, our evening private tour was awesome! We loved how we could do everything at our pace. Eleanora was an awesome guide! You are in great hands if you get her, such a treat!
Cheryl F.
Verified Review
September 22, 2025
Exceptional Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour with Eleanora
Ann B.
Verified Review
September 21, 2025
We had an absolutely amazing tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel with Eleanora. She was an incredible guide—extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and engaging from start to finish. Her deep understanding of the history and art brought everything to life, and her storytelling made it easy to connect with what we were seeing.
It was especially emotional to experience the Sistine Chapel after hearing Eleanora's insightful explanations beforehand. She gave us context that made the moment even more powerful and meaningful.
Eleanora was also wonderfully intuitive—she quickly picked up on our preferred pace and style of touring, and adjusted perfectly. It felt like a very personalized experience, and we never felt rushed or overwhelmed.
Highly recommend booking a tour with Eleanora—you won’t regret it!
Worst tour ever.
Janice L.
Verified Review
September 16, 2025
We saved this tour for the last night of our visit to Rome. Thought the night time tour would be magical like described. It was anything but magical. To start with there was no skip the line. Had to wait in line with many people. Even our tour guide said he never saw an evening tour so crowded. We didn't get to see a lot because he had to constantly dodge other tour groups and wait for the the large crowds to clear. We never saw Borgia apartments nor the Raphael rooms, The School of Athens. He also said on several occasions we would get back to revisit places wear it was too crowded, and we never did. As far as the Sistine Chapel, we were left in a line and no hand out as described. We finally entered and stood shoulder to shoulder with everyone else for 5 minutes then told to leave. They had everyone leave the building with no time to roam around afterwards as described. They even closed the restrooms so no one could use them on the way out. Very disappointed visit and tour. We only got to see half of what your literature described. We paid for a private tour and at BEST got a general admission experience with the masses. Based on our experience I think we deserve a refund.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Janice Lombardo
Batican
Rudolf K.
Verified Review
September 14, 2025
Eleanora was so exuberant and was able to convey not only her knowledge of every inch of the Vatican but she also expressed her deep appreciation for what the Vatican represents. Eleanora gave us insightful perspectives and really helped us to see the art and artifacts in a way I would not achieved on my own! Great tour!
Anita H.
Verified Review
September 06, 2025
Megan W.
Verified Review
August 27, 2025
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