Skip-the-line Sistine Chapel Tour and Vatican City Private Tour

See the best of the Vatican City with this three hour private tour with an expert guide. You’ll benefit from pre-booked tickets so you won’t have to waste time in lengthy queues before touring the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica. Throughout the tour your guide will talk about the history of these iconic locations and tell you more about some of the artistic gems in the Vatican’s collections.

There is a choice of a 9:00AM or 2:00PM start for this tour, and one benefit of a private tour is that you can set your own pace, as well as be able to view some of the rooms in the museums which are not open to larger groups.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy

You will meet your guide at the entrance of the Vatican museums and with pre-booked tickets you’ll begin the tour right away, visiting the Belvedere Courtyard, the Pio-Clementino Museum and the large collection of Ancient Roman and Greek statues.

You’ll move next through the Tapestries Gallery and then the Maps Gallery: one of the most valuable collections of Renaissance maps in the world. In the Sobiesky Room you'll see one of the Vatican’s largest paintings in addition to visiting the room of the Immaculate Conception, which is home to some beautiful frescoes.

One of the most enchanting stops on the tour is at Raphael’s Rooms. These rooms were decorated for Pope Julius II and house some of Raphael’s greatest works: the Parnassus and The School of Athens.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Viale Vaticano, 00165 Vatican City Italy

As there is no talking allowed in the Sistine Chapel, before entering your guide will discuss the works of art you will see inside, including the mesmerising frescoes by Michelangelo, Botticelli and others on the walls and ceiling. Your guide will also share captivating anecdotes about the chapel, which is still in use today as the setting for the papal election: Conclave.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Next stop will be Saint Peter’s Basilica where you’ll see Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini’s Baldacchino, along with many other masterpieces celebrating the lives of Popes and Saints.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: St. Peter's Square, Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy

The tour will end in Saint Peter’s Square where you can see the exterior of the papal palace as well as glimpse the colourful Swiss Guards.

Duration: 30 minutes