Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel Tour | Semi-Private

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Group · 6 Max
3 hrs
Vatican
Refundable booking

LivTours Vatican & Sistine Chapel Highlights Tour is an ideal way to experience the Vatican Museums, including Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. With your expert guide and groups no larger than 6 travelers, you will have a complete overview of access to one of the world’s largest art collections.

This semi-private tour allows you to fully enjoy your Vatican experience in a more intimate environment with your guide. Learn little know stories and facts of the popes and artists commissioned to create these world famous pieces. Your tour takes you through the Vatican highlights, showing art from over 2000 years ago from antiquity to Renaissance.

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  • Enjoy a semi-private tour of no more than 6 people max with reserved 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
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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 Vatican & Sistine Chapel tour begins with direct access to the Vatican Museums, meaning no waiting in line. Once inside, you will begin learning about its amazing art, seeing the wonders of the Pinecone and Octagonal Courtyard, and the Belvedere Torso. 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 where you will walk the halls of 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 from the 16th-century giving you an idea of what the geography looked like back then. From there you will visit the recently restored Raphael Rooms which are sure to take your breath away. Admire The School of Athens, one of Raphael’s master works, and learn about the historic greats and some contemporaries he carefully placed within this painting.

After this, it’s time to head over to see one of the stars of the tour – Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Admire the 8,000 square feet of this masterpiece standing in its center surrounded by paintings. After the Chapel and all its glory, your tour guide will take you towards your final stop, St. Peter’s Basilica* where you will enjoy exclusive access to the most immense and ornate Catholic church in the world. Visit one of the most stunning pieces of art in the basilica, Michelangelo’s statue of the Pietà, depicting the Virgin Mary holding her dying child in her arms. 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.

To end, your guide will leave you inside Saint Peter’s Basilica, allowing you ample time to continue your exploration of the Papal Tombs, and even climbing to the top of the Dome.

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  • Reserved Vatican entrance tickets
  • 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
  • Raphael Rooms*
  • The School of Athens painting
  • Sistine Chapel
  • Michelangelos ceiling & Last Judgement
  • St Peters Basilica*
  • Berninis bronze alter canopy
  • St Peters square
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  • *Access to the Raphael Rooms is contingent upon crowd conditions, timing constraints, and guard-regulated routes. Including them may not always be feasible. In these cases, your tour guide will exercise discretion to adjust the itinerary, ensuring a high-quality experience
  • *St. Peter’s Basilica is an active church and can be closed unexpectedly for liturgical ceremonies. If closed, your guide will provide a revised itinerary including more of the Vatican Museums. No compensation is granted in these circumstances.
  • *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 note: Michelangelo’s Pietá is currently under restoration until September 2024
  • 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.
  • 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.
  •  Everyone in your group, regardless of age, needs a government issued ID to enter the Vatican Museums.
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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.

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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.

 

 

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  • Excellent tour with Massimo

    I booked a semi-private tour, Highlights of the Vatican & Sistine Chapel with LivTours. The tour was excellent. Massimo, the guide, was extremely knowledgeable about the objects in the Vatican museum, as well as the history and architecture of St. Peter’s basilica. It was apparent that he has a great deal of experience both with the subject matter, but also with how to guide a group effectively. He highlighted key artifacts in the museum, things that we may have not noticed and his explanations certainly enriched our understanding of the history and culture. He invited questions from the group and generously shared his wealth of knowledge. It was apparent that Massimo has cultivated strong relationships with other guides and Vatican staff, as he was so collegial and was recognized, respectfully, by others as we proceeded with the tour. This made the experience all that more personal. Massimo was generous and engaging and, by the end of the tour, I felt like the small group of six had connected with each other and Massimo. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend LivTours (& Massimo) to friends and family, as it is evident that LivTours hire skilled, experienced guides to lead the tours, thereby ensuring an enriching experience for visitors.

    - Helen Davies
  • Great tour with Rosalba

    We had a 3hr tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica with Rosalba on August 6, 2024. We have just arrived home from Europe this week and we wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our tour with Rosalba. She was very friendly, kind and Knowledgeable and knew so many interesting facts. Rosalba also kept a good pace and we managed to see everything that we wanted. It was so nice to have our own personal guide to show us around. Working our way through the Vatican museums on our own would have been impossible. It was also nice to have a quicker access to the Sistine Chapel. The tour was well worth it! Thank you so much. The Meloche Family

    - Stephen Meloche
  • Great Guide!

    First, I must say that our guide, Matteo, was personable, very informative, and had a good sense of humor. We saw many beautiful rooms and objects. However, even though it was a morning tour, we should have gone earlier—not the tour operator's fault, we just didn't anticipate how crowded it would be. There was no lingering, as even the security guards kept pushing everyone to keep moving. You will definitely see the highlights, but it's best to go as early as possible!

    - Sally
  • Great Tour

    Fantastic tour with an excellent guide. The small group size made it feel very intimate. We saw a lot and received great information. Skipping the long lines made the experience much more enjoyable.

    - Tobias
  • Smooth and easy

    Stefano took us on a comprehensive tour through the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s. In our group of six, several of us had visited before, and Stefano did a great job correlating what we would have already seen with new rooms and passages that have only recently opening to the public. Stefano is very knowledgeable about art history and the many artifacts and time periods represented in the museums. We really enjoyed our tour and wouldn’t hesitate to book with him again. Highly recommended.

    - Erica Feiste
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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.

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