front view of the St Peter Basilica
View of the roof of the Sistine Chapel
Windows inside St Peter Basilica
tourists admiring arts at the Vatican Museums
Reserved Access

Semi-Private Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour

4.93
(1,810 Reviews)
3h
English
10
Mon to Sat
Several Departure Times

  • Intimate and exclusive, our Semi-Private guided tour is perfect for those who want a more personal visit of the Vatican. With no more than 10 people per tour group our expert, English-speaking guide will tailor the experience to your unique interests.
  • Through our Reserved Entrance we guarantee an improved access to the Vatican Museums. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the Vatican skipping the long queues, which means you can make the most of your visit.
  • Enjoy the Vatican highlights and marvellous masterpieces you’ve waited a lifetime to see with all the benefits of a private tour and none of the cost, including the Sistine Chape and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Tour Description

What's Included

  • Reserved Entrance Access to the Vatican Museums
  • Skip-the-Line Access to St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Groups no larger than 10 people
  • English speaking art historian guide
  • All tickets and reservation fees
  • Gratuities

Sites Visited

  • Vatican Museums
  • Sistine Chapel
  • Gallery of Maps
  • Gallery of Tapestries
  • St. Peter's Basilica
  • St. Peter's Square

No One Gets You in Safer

Discover the highlights of the world-famous Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica all in one intimate fully guided tour! After entering through the Pinecone Courtyard, this tour of up to 10 passengers begins at the Vatican Museums where you'll skip the line and head straight inside. We bring you straight through an exclusive Reserved Entrance to experience this incredible collection at a relaxing pace on our Semi-Private Vatican Tours.

No One Gives You More Access

Explore the myriad of paintings, sculptures, and tapestries the Museums have to offer.. There are over 2000 rooms across the Vatican, but with your expert, English-speaking guide you’ll follow a carefully planned route that shows you the best of what there is to see. You will enter the Pinecone Courtyard, where you will get an idea of the treasures ahead. Between ancient Egyptian statues and abstract modern sculptures, your guide will give your intimate group an outline of what to look out for in the Sistine Chapel as there is no commentary allowed inside. This will give you time to prepare for the fascinating details which will be on display when you enter, bask in Da Vinci’s illustrious and renowned ceiling frescoes.

Before you reach the Chapel, however, you will have plenty of time to explore other wonderful sites such as the Gallery of Tapestries, Hall of Maps, and the Gallery of Candelabra.  All through these sections, your guide will be with your group pointing out the many fascinating details such as optical illusions and tiny paintings of Christopher Columbus. Your guide will also be with you in the Sistine Chapel, but we observe the respectful quiet asked for and give people time to reflect on the fascinating details such as Michelangelo’s portrayal of his contemporaries to his own hidden self-portraits.

No One Gets You in Faster

Leaving the Sistine Chapel, you can avail of our Skip-the-Line Access once more bypassing long lines of spectators, to provide an overview of this spectacular church. Your guide will escort you straight into St. Peter’s Basilica, whose dome looks even more impressive as you stand underneath it. Inside you have time to view Michelangelo’s ‘Pietá’, the only one of his sculptures to be signed by him. At the end of the tour, you can remain in St. Peter’s Basilica at your leisure for as much time as you like, to take in the spiritual atmosphere among the tall columns. When you are ready, you will exit the Basilica to gaze at the impressive St. Peter's Square where the Pope addresses those who flock to listen to him and to admire Bernini’s clever optical illusion and the basilica’s heavenly façade. 

In just 3 hours, we’ll show you the highlights of the Vatican Museums and its incredible buildings on this intimate tour. You'll stroll through the vast basilica where St. Peter and the popes are buried and gaze at the religious stories coming to life on the Sistine Chapel. More importantly, you will see how the Popes spread the word of the gospels by using the highest art imaginable.  

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Get to Know City Wonders

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A City Wonders tour is the product of meticulous research, detailed planning, and a passion for providing customers with travel experiences they will cherish forever.

With City Wonders it's not just facts, our passionate guides tell you the stories that bring the sights to life.

  • All of our guides are experts in their field
  • We only hire fluent English-speakers so nothing is ever lost in translation
  • We focus on the little details and anecdotes that make City Wonders so special

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