The Quickest Direct Access Private Vatican Tour

Especially if you're only in Italy's capital city for a short time, this earlier and slightly shorter private tour gives you almost a full day to explore more of Rome's highlights after your Vatican experience comes to an end.

Private Vatican Highlights Tour Description

Your 2.5-hour private tour includes:

• Skip-the-line entry to the Vatican

• Tailored private guided tour of the Vatican Museums, rooms, and galleries

• Entry to the Sistine Chapel

• Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica

• Private English-speaking guide with expertise in art history

As this is a private tour, your guide will have a well-planned itinerary but there's some flexibility too. Depending on what your interests are and the pace that you're comfortable with, the tour can be tailored to suit you. Just chat with your guide and they'll do what they can to make your Vatican experience just perfect!

Pio Clementino Museum and Nero’s Bathtub

After skipping the line for early entry to the Vatican Museums, you'll begin your tour in a collection of the most important Roman and Greek artwork at the Pio Clementino Museum. Visit three of the world’s most iconic statues: the Apollo Belvedere, Laocoön and His Sons, and the Belvedere Torso. Learn the stories behind the statues, before visiting Nero’s huge, one-of-a-kind red marble bathtub and St. Helen's sarcophagus.

Highlights of the Vatican Museums

Before the crowds have begun to flood into the world-famous Vatican Museums, you'll follow your guide through the Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of Maps. Admire the ancient Roman and Greek statues, the Flemish tapestries created by Raphael's students, and the gorgeous topographical depictions of Italy.

Based on painted maps by Dominican Italian friar Ignazio Danti, the Gallery of Maps is both beautiful and informative. Predating a unified Italy by nearly 300 years, the Gallery of Maps shows the length and breadth of the peninsula in the late 1500s.

On this slightly shorter tour, your guide will recommend the best things to see depending on your interests and the pace you're comfortable with, and you'll hear the stories behind these treasures as the Vatican secrets are slowly unveiled to you.

Sobieski Room and Room of the Segnatura

You'll continue your guided tour to the Sobieski Room and the Room of the Segnatura. The Sobieski Room is known for its stunning canvas by Polish artist Jean Marejko, depicting the Polish victory over the Turks in 1683, but also holds a couple other beautiful pieces. In the Room of the Segnatura, your guide will share the story behind Raphael's stunning frescoes that portray a heavenly vision of God.

The Sistine Chapel’s Ceiling

While you stand beneath the frescoes of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, it’s impossible not to appreciate how difficult it must have been for Michelangelo to toil away year after year at this masterpiece. Visiting the Vatican is simply not complete without a Sistine Chapel tour. You'll see the famous Creation of Man and the Last Judgement, and enjoy the silent serenity of the world's most famous chapel.

The Sistine Chapel is a sacred place, so both men and women must cover their knees and shoulders. Otherwise, you may be refused entry to this portion of your Vatican tour. We understand the summers in Rome are hot - a great alternative is to bring a shawl/scarf/sweater with you. That way, you can cover your knees and shoulders when necessary.

St. Peter's Basilica

Your last stop will be at St. Peter's Basilica, where your private guide will lead you inside and detail the incredible and controversial history of its construction, and the amazing art inside. This massive icon of a church is where St. Peter's remains are believed to be buried, but it's the architecture and artwork that also set this church apart. Stand in awe under St. Peter's dome and the magnificent canopy (Bernini's Baldacchino) and explore the Basilica's collection of art, relics, mosaics, and sculptures.

St. Peter’s Basilica’s dome was inspired by the Pantheon, just like the Florence Duomo. Bearing the distinction of being the tallest dome in the world at 448 feet, the dome's presence stands out amidst Rome’s skyline. After this tour concludes, we suggest you purchase a ticket and take the climb. The views from the dome are among the best in Rome.

St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays for the Papal Audience and can occasionally experience other unexpected closures. If this happens, your guide will make up the time at other areas within the Vatican.