Alone at the Vatican: Private After Hours Tour

You'll be picked up from your Rome accommodation by a private driver in the early evening, and after passing through a short security line at the Vatican Museums, you'll set off on a tailored private guided tour that lets you experience the famous galleries and incredible Vatican artwork with no crowds. To top things off, you'll enjoy an intimate private viewing of Michelangelo's spectacular Sistine Chapel that'll stay in your memory forever.

At the end of your tour, your driver will be waiting to take you back to your accommodation or to a location of your choice in central Rome.

Private After-Hours Vatican Tour Description

Your 2-hour VIP private Vatican tour includes:

• Private luxury return transfer from your Rome accommodation

• Exclusive after-hours access to the Vatican City

• Tailored private tour of the Vatican Museums and Galleries with no crowds

• Raphael Rooms, Borgia Apartments, and much more

• An intimate private viewing of the Sistine Chapel

• A private English-speaking guide with expertise in art history

This ultra-exclusive Vatican tour books up months in advance, so please contact us to inquire so we can contact the Vatican and confirm availability.

Private Luxury Round-Trip Transportation

To make this private Vatican evening/night tour even better, we arrange private transportation to and from the meeting point in a luxury climate-controlled vehicle. After the tour, when you’re finished marveling at the priceless artwork inside the Vatican, your private driver will drop you off at your hotel or at a nice restaurant.

Please reach out to our Travel Experts to confirm your pick-up details so we can be sure travel arrangements are ready.

The Pinecone Courtyard

Named for the giant pinecone that adorns this large and beautiful outdoor space, the Pinecone Courtyard was designed by Donato Bramante. Catch an amazing view of St. Peter’s Dome and take note of the giant fractured sphere sculpture by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. One interpretation of the sculpture is that the spheres represent the complexity of our world and how easily it is torn apart. Originally part of the Cortile del Belvedere, the Pinecone Courtyard once connected the palace of Pope Innocent VIII with the Sistine Chapel.

Pio-Clementino Museum and Nero’s Bathtub

Your Vatican Museums private tour begins with a visit to the Pio-Clementino Museum, where you'll see three of the most iconic statues in the world. Learn about the myths and legends associated with the Apollo Belvedere, Laocoön and His Sons, and the Belvedere Torso. You'll also visit one of the biggest and oldest bathtubs you'll ever see!

The Vatican’s Best Collections

With no crowds to navigate your way through, you'll follow your guide on a peaceful journey through the Candelabra Gallery, 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. You'll hear the stories behind these treasures from your expert guide as the Vatican secrets are slowly unveiled to you.

Raphael Rooms and the School of Athens

Raphael was one of Rome’s most famous Renaissance artists. In constant competition with Michelangelo, he designed and frescoed many rooms associated with the Vatican Museums. Among other masterpieces, visit one of Raphael’s most famous works of art, The School of Athens. A depiction of philosophy, the painting represents all the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists sharing ideas with one another. In an early version of a selfie, Raphael included himself into the painting! Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, engaged in dialogue, take center stage in the masterpiece.

Pope Alexander VI and the Borgia Apartments

A suite of rooms in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the Borgia Apartments were adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI (Rodrígo de Borgia, 1492-1503). Frescoed by Bernardino di Betto, known as "il Pinturicchio", it was closed off by Julius II who refused to live in rooms sullied by his hated predecessor. Until the rooms’ reopening at the end of the 19th century, the incredible frescoes were hidden behind black crepe. You'll love your chance to see these amazing apartments.

The Sistine Chapel After Hours

If you’ve ever visited the Sistine Chapel during normal opening hours, you know how crowded it gets. Going on this exclusive Vatican after-hours tour is the perfect solution. Your private tour concludes in the Sistine Chapel, and you can enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of Michelangelo’s frescoes with the chapel all to yourself!

Only when you enter the Sistine Chapel is it clear how high the ceiling is and how many frescoes there are. At this point, it is impossible not to appreciate how difficult is must have been for Michelangelo to lay on his back and toil at the masterpiece, year after year.

The Sistine Chapel is a place of worship, so visitors are not allowed to speak inside the chapel. Your guide will explain what you'll see in advance and provide you with a map or handout for reference before you enter. Men and women must cover their knees and shoulders before entering, so it's recommended to bring a shawl, scarf, or sweater you can quickly put on.