Semi Private Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and Basilica Tour
Description
Discover the best of the Vatican City in a 3 hour tour of the Museum, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica. Our group size averages just 10 people. Enjoy being guided through the largest collection of art in the Western Hemisphere. Your professional English speaking guide will walk you through the Gallery of Papal Carriages, Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps, Pinacoteca and the Sistine Chapel. The last part of the tour quickly brings you into St. Peter’s Basilica, exclusively going down the Scala Regia and passing in front of the Pope's office and the Swiss Guards! Be prepared to be amazed by the grandeur and splendor of man's creation.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your tour at the renowned Vatican Museums. Aside from being the home of the Pope, Vatican city is also home to the Vatican Museums, the world’s largest collection of art with 9 miles of art that could wrap around the Vatican walls 4 ½ times! It contains 54 museums, 1400 rooms, chapels, and galleries. Aside from the renowned Sistine Chapel, the museums also display the only work of Leonardo Da Vinci in Rome, St. Jerome, the Raphael Rooms, and the Pinoteca, which contains collections of the Popes, all dating back to the middle ages and are set in chronological order.
Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is possibly the most well known masterpiece in modern day, with over 5 million visitors per year. It was a project the artist took on reluctantly because his focus was sculptures, and he would complain about the physical toll it took on his body. It is said that the design of the chapel from Pope Sixtus IV, is modeled after Solomon’s temple from the Old Testament, measuring at just larger than a professional basketball court! There are many more frescoes to admire here from other artists, including: Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Roselli and Sandro Botticelli.
You will head through a secret entry into our last stop on the tour, St. Peter's Basilica: the largest basilica in the world, with markings inside the church to ensure every other basilica would fit inside. The curious visitor is treated to Michelangelo’s Pieta at the front, 150 mosaics, and Bernini’s baldacchino, which stands at 96 feet tall and 100,000 pounds of bronze! Surprisingly, there is only one actual painting in the basilica, and it can be spotted hanging above the Pieta. Many popes are buried in the church or are on display, but most of the popes are buried underneath the basilica including St. Peter, the first pope.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please bring a bottle of water per person.
- Carry medium size back packs as large ones will be checked into the cloak room and involves a long walk to get them back.
- The following items along with the bags will have to be checked into the cloak room: glass bottles of any kind, swiss knives, wine openers, large tripods and large bags.
- Photography is permitted in most rooms but without flash. It is prohibited to photograph inside the Sistine Chapel.
- Entry to St. Peter's Basilica may be subject to unexpected closures or limited availability of tickets. If an area typically included in the tour is closed, our guide will provide an explanation and show an additional site or gallery to compensate As these circumstances are beyond our control, we appreciate your patience and understanding.
- You can also chose to climb the dome on your own, for a separate fee.
- On Wednesdays the Basilica is closed until noon due to the Papal Audience.
- 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
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Bring Umbrellas that can fold and are not long have a pokey end
- The tour ends in front on the Basilica. You can spend more time inside the Basilica but you cannot go back to the Sistine Chapel nor the Museum.
- Not recommended for clients who cannot climb and decent stairs
Reviews(195)
We had a fantastic semi private tour of the Vatican with Rahul! He was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and personable, and did a wonderful job bringing the history, art, and stories of the Vatican to life. There is so much to take in, but Rahul made everything approachable and interesting without ever making the tour feel overwhelming or rushed. The semi-private format was perfect — it felt personal, gave us plenty of opportunity to ask questions, and made navigating such a busy place much easier. Rahul was thoughtful about making sure everyone was comfortable throughout the tour.
Rahul our tour guide was amazing. He is efficient and very professional from the moment he began the tour. Provided a meeting place and was very patient and kind. We enjoyed the tour and learned a lot!
The most informative rahul was excellent couldn’t of made it without him would recommend him to everyone
Rahul was excellent, knowledgeable is an understatement.
Rahul was absolutely amazing! His knowledge and passion definitely showed and made our experience so much better. I would definitely recommend this experience especially with Rahul!
Rahul was amazing!! He was knowledgeable and very friendly. Rahul was also very patient… definitely I would ask for Rahul again
Rahul was very very knowledgeable but also kept kids entertained by including their interests. His English is impeccable. Nice size group because the Vatican is crazy crowded.
It was well worth paying a bit extra to have a semi-private tour. Our host was so informed and organized. We skipped all the long lines.
Excellent small group experience with Rahul as our guide. Small enough to maneuver through the larger crowds. Rahul was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of detail and insight on what we saw in the Vatican, Sistine chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, which could have been such an overwhelming experience. I would highly recommend this tour, everyone in my family felt it was a great value.
Our tour guide was great and very knowledgeable! He knew how to navigate the lines very well
