Vatican VIP:Exclusive Private Tour with Sistine Chapel & Basilica
Description
VIP Vatican Private 3-hour Tour: Benefit from skip-the-line access and your very own Vatican expert to guide you through the exquisite collection of the Vatican Museums. Save yourself the time and energy of going through it alone and head straight to what you want to see. All your questions are answered and all the personal attention you need. Meet at our comfortable offices just steps from the museum entrance where you’ll be pampered with hotel-like service and heart-warming hospitality. Skip-the-line access means you’ll have more time to explore millennia of art and history within the Vatican Museums without waiting in the long general admission lines. Follow an enlightening route through the splendors of the Holy See including the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, Gallery of Maps, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Enjoy the attention of a Vatican expert with all the flexibility and attention that only a private tour experience can provide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our office is located 2-min away from the Vatican Museums' entrance. Easy to find, stress-free location instead of searching random tour guides in the street!
The Vatican Museums feature many works of art that belonged to the different Popes and are full of artistic beauty. Here is a glimpse of some of the most beautiful things to see in the Vatican Museums. Rooms and Galleries of the Vatican Museums, as the Greek Cross Room, the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, Raphael Rooms, and much more!
Once inside the Vatican Museums, it’s straight to the main event – the Sistine Chapel. Gaze upon Michelangelo’s stupefying ceiling, Creation of Adam and the Last Judgment in awe, sharing the space with your group and a few others. Take your time – and savor each moment – because this is an experience you’ll never want to forget, as you nearly reach out and touch one of humankind’s most astounding creative achievements.
If you thought the size of the Vatican Museums was overwhelmingly spectacular, St. Peter’s Basilica takes the “wow factor” to another level. The sheer capacity of the interiors is enough to leave any visitor searching for words to describe its vastness. At 613 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 147 feet high, it took an incredible 120 years to build, starting from 1506. Admire Michelangelo’s unparalleled Pietà masterpiece and stroll towards the center-right nave to observe Bernini’s bronze Baldachin, which sits directly atop the site of St. Peter’s tomb.
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
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- St. Peter's Basilica is an active parish and therefore subject to last-minute closures due to mass or other religious events. In these cases, we will offer an extended tour of the Vatican Museums (including areas normally not part of the tour). No refunds are recognized for unexpected closures.
- Your tour voucher is valid only for the day and time reserved. We’re unable to accommodate late arrivals due to a strictly timed entrance ticket to the Vatican Museums. Missed tours or tickets due to late arrivals are non-refundable. Please allow extra time to reach the meeting point as Rome's streets can be confusing. Meeting time is 15 minutes before the start time of the tour.
- ALL participants MUST cover their knees and shoulders during visits to religious sites, the Vatican Museums included. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.
- Please notice that we are not responsible for the number of visitors the Vatican Museums allow inside.
- Pictures, videos, or even speaking is NOT allowed in the Sistine Chapel.
- Large umbrellas are not allowed so please leave these at your accommodations.
- All participants (including under 18s) must bring valid ID.
- This is a 3-hour guided tour.
- Under 18s aged 0-6 must book as "Child"; under 18s aged 7-17 must book as "Youth". This must be the age they will be on the day of the tour with us. Failure to book correctly will mean we cannot get your child inside the museums.
Reviews(39)
The guide Michele was SPECTACULAR, attentive, very knowledgeable and with great humor, made the difference!
Thank you!
We did the private tour with Giulia and it was unbelievable. We saw all the main sites and she did a great job of navigating the property and was full of amazing information. I couldn’t recommend this tour enough and highly recommend Giulia as a guide.
Outstanding Private Tour! Well Worth the money. Our Tour Guide, Daniela Senise was absolutely delightful. Her 16 years of knowledge on this tour was so refreshing and experienced in all questions asked. Breathtaking Tour.
Dear Susan_W, Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you had such an outstanding experience and felt the tour was well worth it. Daniela Senise is truly a delightful guide, and her 16 years of experience and knowledge really shine through in the way she leads her tours and answers every question with such passion and insight. We’re thrilled you found the experience breathtaking and that Daniela helped make it so memorable. Thank you again for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future! Wishing you continued safe travels and all the very best! Kind regards, Carima
My wife and I had an amazing tour with Yanira Morales – Fabbro. This young lady might be the best tour guide we have ever experienced. She has an incredible knowledge of every part of the Vatican. She always has a smile on her face, is incredibly friendly, seems to know every other tour guide in the Vatican and is incredibly well liked by all of them. She has a very nice way of explaining in great detail every room in the Vatican. Her knowledge is amazing. While she referred to some pictures that she carries in her backpack, I do not believe she needed them. She used them as a way for her to better explain details on what she was showing us. While I have an adversity to large crowds, she seamlessly worked her way through all of the rooms easily, avoiding the crowds and keeping us in areas where I did not feel crowded. We were never rushed, walked at our own pace while she calmly explained every single thing that we wanted to learn about. If you were lucky enough to have Yanira as your travel guide, you are guaranteed to have an incredible adventure, no matter where you go with her. The Viator tour was very good, we have taken several with them in Rome and have several more booked for the rest of our journey across Italy. If all of them go as well as the Vatican tour, we will have had an amazing trip Alan and Leah.
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your incredible review! We’re absolutely thrilled to hear that Yanira made your Vatican tour such a remarkable experience. Her knowledge, friendliness, and ability to navigate even the busiest areas seamlessly truly make her stand out, and we’re so happy you felt comfortable and able to enjoy every detail at your own pace. Yanira will be delighted to hear your kind words — she takes great pride in making each tour engaging, informative, and enjoyable for every guest. It’s wonderful to know that her explanations and storytelling left such a positive impression. Thank you for choosing What a Life Tours for your Vatican experience, and we hope the rest of your adventures across Italy are just as amazing! Wishing you and your wife safe travels and all the very best! Kind regards, Carima
What an incredible tour. We had Carlotta the tour guide who could not have been more enthused, impassioned and most importantly so so knowledgeable of every aspect of the Vatican. She knew so much and made our time in the Sistine Chapel so much more incredible by preparing us. Her knowledge of the maps of italy, the history and changes of the Vatican made me really feel as a non religious member, deeply connected to the roots of the Vatican and the Basilica. Could not recommend her highly enough! Ask for her if you get the chance to go!
Dear Traveller, That’s truly the beauty of visiting the Vatican; while religion is deeply intertwined with the experience, the tours are not designed solely for religious individuals. Anyone can gain something meaningful from the visit, regardless of their beliefs. We’re especially glad to hear that Carlotta’s delivery style helped you feel connected to the sites. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words and recommendation; she’ll be delighted to hear them! Thank you for booking with us and for taking the time to share your feedback. Until next time, we wish you safe travels and all the very best. Kind regards, Carima
My husband and I took the private all day tour of Rome. We started at the Vatican which included the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. We also toured the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and The Spanish Steps. Lunch was at an amazing authentic pizzeria. Our tour guide Danielle was amazing…so knowledgeable and an absolute pleasure to spend the day with. She pointed out so many other historical places of interest. The day spent in Rome will go down as one of the best memories we’ve made.
Dear Jjohnson, Wow! Thank you so much for choosing to explore Rome with us! It truly means the world to know that your experience is etched in your memory as one of your very best. Danielle will be absolutely delighted to hear that she had such a positive impact and that you appreciated her guidance through the city’s most iconic spots! Thank you for trusting us to plan your day in Rome; we hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay! We would be more than happy to welcome you back for future adventures should your travels bring you to Rome again. Until then, we wish you all the best and safe travels. Thank you for choosing What a Life Tours! Kind regards, Carima
Hi, Barbara led our large family entourage through the Vstican, and gracefully responded to an unexpected partial closure due to a Papal Jubilee event. A very memorable experience! Thanks much
Dear Russell_B, Hi There! We’re thrilled that Barbara was able to guide your family so smoothly through the Vatican, even with the unexpected partial closure. It’s wonderful to hear that, despite the closure, her knowledge and adaptability made the tour so memorable. We appreciate you choosing to explore with us and hope the rest of your time in Rome was equally special. Until next time, wishing you and your family all the very best and safe travels home! Kind regards, Carima
We had a fantastic private tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica with Jeanette. She was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the museum collection, the chapel and the church. She is an excellent guide and I would highly recommend her and What A Life Tours.
Dear EvanBG, Thank you for choosing to book your private tour with us! Jeanette will be thrilled to hear your kind words. She truly does a wonderful job of sharing her knowledge and making each tour a memorable experience for our guests. We’re sure she’ll greatly appreciate your high recommendation, and so do we! Thank you again for your review, and we hope to welcome you on future adventures should your travels bring you back to the Eternal City. Wishing you all the best and safe travels! Kind regards, Carima
Tour was amazing, highlight of our trip. We chose the earliest entry and practically had the place to ourselves for the first few hours . Jeannette, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable. She shared stories that truly brought the history to life! Highly recommend her and this tour.
Elaine our British tour guide was informative, humorous and kept us altogether well. I really like the fact that we had only 12 in our group and had personalized attention and questions answered. Her knowledge of the Vatican was extraordinary and I would highly recommend Elaine for your tour guide.