Private and Semi-Private Guided Tours of the Vatican

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Private Tours
Semi-Private Tours
Early Entrance to the Sistine Chapel

Here is another one: this paramount religious complex and artistic masterpiece is enormous! The basilica itself is a treasure trove as big as two football fields. And the Sistine Chapel, home of the most famous frescoes in the world, is at the far end of the Vatican Museums. Even if you take the museum's "short itinerary," you will be treated to thousands of fascinating artworks along the way. What are they? Who created them? If you stop to try to figure it all out you'll never make it to the Last Judgment. (We mean Michelangelo's, of course!).

Most weeks of the year, there is a two-to-five hour wait outside the museum (click here to see a picture of the line), so if you want to truly see, enjoy and understand St. Peter's and the Vatican, the only way to skip that outside line and avoid the mayhem inside is to treat yourself to a private guided tour of the complex. For the three-hour tour, these licensed guides will gently steer you to the highlights of the Museums, culminating at the Sistine Chapel, then on to the Basilica to see the dome and Michelangelo's Pietà. If you would a more in-depth visit, take the four-hour tour which also includes the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica and the popes’ tombs, as well as the Vatican cemetery (closed to the general public)**. Along you will learn the story of these masterpieces' creators, the reasons they are here, and how they fit in with each other. Rather than be part of a "herd" in the large group tours sold by other web sites, straining to hear the words of a bored guide and to see the art from fifty feet away, enjoy Rome's most fundamental site with your personal guide, who will shape the visit to meet your tastes, personality and physical needs. Afterwards, when you can actually remember what you saw and what it was, you will be grateful indeed!

Available in English or Spanish. St. Peter's Basilica is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer. The Museums are open Monday through Saturday (except religious holidays), 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. (doors close at 4pm). Click here for a calendar of religious holidays. We recommend you try to schedule your tour for the afternoon, in order to avoid crowds. Due to Papal Audiences, tours are never available on Wednesday morning. Tours are always private, for your group of 1 to 15 people. We regret that we cannot combine groups or combine individuals to make groups, or arrange to include the Scavi in your tour*. You will be met by a driver at your hotel or, if you prefer, at a simple pre-arranged spot in central Rome. The driver will take you to meet your guide, who will be waiting at the Vatican and who will have pre-booked your tickets. If there is a portion of the described tour that you prefer to stress or minimize, please tell your guide at the beginning of the tour and he or she will be very happy to accommodate your wishes. Be aware that you are welcome to linger after the tour in the basilica (but not in the Museums), in case you would like to climb to the cupola or have devotional time on your own. Dress comfortably and wear good walking shoes. For the basilica, both women and men must wear clothing that covers their shoulders and knees. If you are planning a tour on the same day you arrive in Rome, please account for time in case you arrive late, because we cannot guarantee that we will be able to offer you a last-minute time change and in that case, the tour is totally non-refundable. Cruise passengers, please click here for rates that include pier transfers.

The basic tour lasts three hours from the time you meet your guide; the in-depth tour lasts four hours. Prices include private car transfer as described, and personal tour guide. Meals are not included. Entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums are extra. If your party includes 10 people or fewer, tickets cost 19 Euro/person, including the special priority pass fee that insures you will be in the priority line. If your party includes more than 10 people, tickets cost 20 Euro/person, including the special priority pass fee that insures you will be in the priority line. Please be sure to have Euros cash on hand because tickets are paid in cash during the tour (your tickets will be pre-booked by the guide, and ticket prices may vary slightly without notice). You may have to wait briefly before the museum doors open but you will not have to go to the end of the long line. If your group includes at least two adults plus children, up to two of the children under 12 years old pay nothing for the tour except for tickets (children pay 19 Euros/person unless they are younger than 7, in which case tickets are free). If you have more than two children, all the others pay the adult price for the tour no matter their age. If your group numbers more than 7, you will hear the guide better if you purchase audio headsets at the door for 2 Euro/person.

Click here to see a Photo Album of the Vatican and St. Peter's

Click here to see what days the museums are closed

Click here to consult a calendar

The Vatican tour is also available for the sight-impaired and their guide dogs.
Please click here if you need to bring your guide dog with you on the tour.

* - The Scavi tour is run by the Vatican itself. They accept applications and confirm the tour only the day before. Unless you are planning an extended stay in Rome, you will have trouble arranging this tour.

** - Because of the extremely unique nature of the crypt and the cemetery, they are occasionally closed due to visits by foreign dignitaries, pilgrims and so on. We regret that it is not possible to know this in advance, and so it may be impossible to include these areas in your tour. Be assured that this is a very brief part of the tour and in the unlikely event that you are not able to do it, the length of your tour will not change.

Click here for information about Papal Audiences

Semi-Private Three-Hour Guided Tour of the Vatican

The semi-private three-hour guided tour of the Vatican is a great alternative for small groups of one to three people.  It covers the same areas of the Vatican as the private tour, but is more economical. Tour groups number no more than 10 people, and tours are guaranteed with a minimum of two people. The semi-private tour starts at 10:00 a.m. outside the Vatican Museums and is available March 1-November 15, December 20-24 and December 27-31, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Afternoon tours are also available at 2:00 p.m., but only March 1-September 1. Children under 12 are not admitted.  We suggest families with children book the private Vatican tour where the guide can gear the tour towards the children’s interests.

Entrance tickets to the museums cost an additional 20 Euro/person, including the special priority pass that insures you will be in the priority line. Please be sure to have Euros cash on hand because tickets are paid in cash at the beginning of the tour (your tickets will be pre-booked by the guide, and ticket prices may vary slightly without notice).

Click here to see a Photo Album of the Vatican and St. Peter's

Click here to see what days the Vatican museums are closed

Click here to consult a calendar

Early Entrance to the Sistine Chapel

If you are willing to get up early one morning, here is a unique opportunity to start your tour at the Sistine Chapel, before the crowds arrive. Your driver will meet you at your central Rome lodgings at 7am and take you by private vehicle to the Vatican, where you will meet your guide, enter the museums and go straight to the Sistine Chapel. After 45 minutes viewing the exquisite frescoes and learning about their meaning, their creators and the techniques they used, you will head back to visit the Museums and then end up in the Basilica. The tour lasts four hours in all.

Entrance tickets to the museums cost an additional 35 Euro/person for the first two people in your group, and 30 Euro/person for all others. These include the special reservations and priority pass. Please be sure to have Euros cash on hand because tickets are paid in cash at the beginning of the tour (your tickets will be pre-booked by the guide, and ticket prices may vary slightly without notice).