Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour | Semi-Private
LivTours Highlights Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour is an ideal way to experience the Vatican Museums, which include Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, and get a complete overview of one of the world’s largest art collections. With your expert guide and groups no larger than 6 travelers, you will have direct access to your guide giving you a memorable experience! This tour is perfect for first-time or repeat visitors to Rome.
This semi-private tour guarantees a maximum of six people per group so you can fully enjoy your Vatican experience in a more intimate environment with your guide. Your Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour takes you to most of the Vatican highlights, from antiquity to Renaissance – over 2000 years of history in one museum!
Your semi-private guide will delight you with information about little-known stories and gossip of popes and the artists commissioned by them to create the works found in the Vatican Museum such as tapestries, candelabras, fresco maps, Raphael Rooms, and of course, the Sistine Chapel.
- Enjoy a semi-private tour of no more than 6 people max with skip-the-line entrance
- Discover the masterpieces of the Vatican Museum with your expert guide by your side
- See works by Bramante, Michelangelo, Bernini, Bramante & Raphael on one tour
- Visit the world's largest Christian basilica, known as the resting place of St Peter
- See the world's most prized artwork up close with anecdotes of millennial old history
Semi-Private tours and experiences are guaranteed six participants max.
Our prices always include tickets and reservations fees (no waiting in lines!)
Our tour guides and staff are selected experts and speak perfect English
Easy to book and prepay your tours with our secure payment system
Eco-sustainable tourism, designed to respect and support local culture, art and traditions
Your Semi-Private Highlights Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour begins with a friendly welcome from your expert tour guide and direct access to the Vatican Museums with LivTours’ priority access, so no waiting in any lines! Once inside, you will begin learning about the amazing art housed here, seeing the wonders of the Pinecone and Octagonal Courtyard and the Belvedere Torso, a statue studied by the greats – even Michelangelo! Later on, you will stroll throughout the Round Room and admire the Constantine coffins of the Greek room.
Your expert guide will take you to see the Gallery of Tapestries; housing handcrafted tapestries by Pieter van Aelst’s School which were created from drawings by Raphael’s pupils! Next, it is on to the Gallery of Maps, just imagine, wall-to-wall hand-painted maps which will give you an idea of the 16th-century maps which will give you an idea of geography visuals from the past. From there it is on to see the recently restored Raphael Rooms which are sure to take your breath away! As you easily spin through the afternoon crowds, you will appreciate the size of your semi-private group. Admire one of Raphael’s masterworks – The School of Athens and learn about all the historic greats and even some contemporaries he carefully placed within this masterful painting.
After this, it’s time to head over to see one of the shining masterpieces of the tour – Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. After admiring the 8,000 square feet of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, your expert tour guide will take you towards your final stop, St. Peter’s Basilica where you will enjoy exclusive direct access (please see current Alert message on top of the page). Your guide will take you through the most immense and ornate Catholic church in the world, sharing with you the most amazing pieces of art – including Michelangelo’s dramatic statue of the Pietà. This statue of the Virgin Mary holding her dying child in her arms is one of the most stunning pieces held in the basilica. Another must-see work of art is Bernini’s alter canopy, which is made of an astounding 100,000 pounds of gilded bronze.
This comprehensive tour will give you an idea of the grandeur of Vatican City and the artwork it holds.
Continue Exploring On Your Own! Your guide will leave you inside Saint Peter’s Basilica, allowing you ample time to continue your exploration, if you so desire, of the Papal Tombs, and even climbing to the top of the Dome.
- Skip-the-line into the Vatican
- Fully guided experience
- Groups of maximum 6 people
- Pinecone and Octagonal Courtyard
- Belvedere Torso
- The round room
- Constantine coffins
- Gallery of Tapestries
- Gallery of Maps
- Raphaels rooms
- The School of Athens painting
- Sistine Chapel
- Michelangelos ceiling & Last Judgement
- St Peters Basilica (see current alert message)
- Berninis bronze alter canopy
- St Peters square
- Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter.
- There is no photography allowed inside the Sistine Chapel.
- St. Peter’s Basilica is an active church and can be closed unexpectedly for liturgical ceremonies. If closed, the time inside the Vatican Museums will be extended.
- Saint Peter’s Basilica is closed on most Wednesdays mornings due to the weekly Papal Audience. If you book this tour for a Wednesday the time inside the Vatican Museums will be extended.
- Please be aware that the Sistine Chapel is a Holy Place and talking during your visit inside is strictly forbidden, therefore your guide will give you an explanation of the Sistine Chapel beforehand during your tour, in order to give you a comprehensive explanation before entering the chapel.
- Backpacks are not permitted in the Museum.
- Guests with wheelchair accessibility needs will find difficulty with this small group tour. In order to ensure a barrier-free tour with alternative routes, please book the private version of this tour.
LivTours’ group size of max 6 participants is and always has been based on sustainable travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront of change and innovation in the industry. LivTours is committed to providing travelers with truly sustainable tours with the lowest possible environmental impact, all while supporting the local industries and people of each unique destination. To learn more about how you can actively support sustainable tourism and how LivTours is contributing, click here.
All LivTours Semi-Private Group Tours are limited to 6 guests per tour guide. Our commitment to maintaining our uniquely tiny group sizes can sometimes be a little tricky, mathematically speaking. For example, we want to ensure that traveling families and friends can tour together so on rare occasions we may add one or two guests in order to not split groups. On that same note, you may also find yourself on tour with less than six people! We thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
Wonderful memories
"My wife and I greatly appreciated Sylvia's tour of the Vatican. She gave us wondeful insight and context into the works and entertained us with her storytelling abilities and sense of humor. She's very knowledgable and helpful. We also appreciated how well Sylvia manuevered us through the dense crowds and got us to the important places promptly but politely. Thank you very much for a wonderful memory!"
Kevin L. - USA
Highlight of our trip
"Alessandro was a phenomenal guide on our Vatican Highlights tour! He was so knowledgeable and such a great person on top of that. We learned so much. We could never have understood the significance of what we were seeing without him explaining not only what a painting was for instance but why it was at that location. So glad we took the tour!"
Gail E. - Canada
Greatest tour
"Our tour of the Vatican with Paola was amazing! She really brought the scene to life with her stories and animation and wit. Well done and organized. She also managed to make sure we got into the Basilica just before it closed."
Tiffany - USA
By selecting Choose Dates Later / Buy as Gift at booking, any tour can be purchased without fixed dates. This is the perfect option if you want to purchase your tour as a gift for a loved one, or if you are in the pre-planning phase of your vacation. After booking, you will receive a Travel Voucher Code and full instructions on how to schedule your tours when ready. Once your travel plans are confirmed, you can easily use the Travel Voucher Code on the LivTours website to formally schedule your tours. You can find out more here.