Rome Attractions
The Vatican Museums have for centuries housed some of the world’s most exquisite treasures, art pieces, and religious relics, with some even preceding the pre-Christian era.
Naturally, traversing through the hallowed halls of the Museums could prove daunting for even a seasoned visitor due to their immense size and grandeur.
Yes, there are a lot of guided Vatican Museums tour options available online. But how about a more intimate and refined tour that takes you into the very heart of the Museums?
Here’s everything you need to know about the Vatican Museums private tour tickets and how they can be tailored to meet your preferences and interests.
Top Vatican Museums private tour Tickets
# Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s Private Tour
# Private Vatican City Tour including Vatican Gardens
# Vatican at Night: Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums (Vatican Private Tour)
Private tour vs. guided tour tickets
Undecided on which of these tours works best for you? Here is a tabulated overview of the same to help you decide better:
| Factors | Private Tour | Guided Tour |
| Attractions | Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Gardens, St. Peter’s Basilica | Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel |
| Group size | Your group of 1-10 participants | Large groups of 10-50 members |
| Personalization | Customizable to suit your interests and preferences | Pre-set itinerary, decided by the tour company |
| Tour guide | An expert in the Museums’ art history | Common guide, may vary in expertise |
| Flexibility | Spend more time at your favorite exhibits | Fixed start times and durations due to the size of the group |
| Entry | Skip lines and get early access to special rooms, Sistine Chapel, etc. | Skip the line access, but you got to deal with crowds during peak hours |
| Interactivity | Opportunities for questions, and personalized insights | Limited interaction due to group size |
| Experience | In-depth insights into art, history, and culture; explore specific topics in detail | Standard commentary; only general information provided about the exhibits |
| Duration | 2-4 hours, depending on preferences | Fixed duration, lasts for 2-3 hours |
| Price | Higher cost due to exclusivity, personalized experience | More affordable compared to private tours |
If you are looking for the best private tour tickets offering top-notch quality and experience at the Vatican Museums, there are several of them for you to choose from.
Guests can opt for either a private tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s Basilica, or enhance their experiences with a private tour that includes the Vatican gardens.
You could also book a night tour of the Vatican Museums with transport or opt for a tour without transport.
There’s also a 105-minute long early morning tour of the Vatican Museums, often preferred by those who have a day-long schedule ahead of them.
Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St Peter’s private tour ticket
This Vatican highlights ticket offers you the best of both worlds; you don’t just get an official Vatican Rome guide but also a private tour in English of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Being a 3-hour tour, you get access to areas normally closed to the public such as the Vatican Museum’s secret chamber, Cabinet of the Masks.
Apart from this, you also get to discover the hidden gems and treasures of the Papal collection.
The meeting point for this tour is the Caffè Vaticano, right in front of the entrance of the Vatican Museums.
The adult ticket (18+ years) for the private tour sells at €237.50 per person. It is actually priced at €250, but you get a discount of 5% when you book now
The private tour ticket for youth aged 6 to 17 years, carries a discounted price of €125. Kids aged 5 years and under can enter the Museums for free.
Buy This TicketRecommended Reading
# Vatican Museums and Vatican Gardens tickets
# Does the Roma Pass include Vatican Museums?
# Vatican Museums entrances
Private tour of Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s & Gardens
If you are looking for a special tour offering you the best that there’s in the Vatican, you’ll find it all under the Private Vatican city tour including Vatican Gardens ticket.
This ticket includes a guided tour that takes you through the Vatican Gardens first, then the Vatican Museums, and finally St. Peter’s Basilica.
When you buy this ticket, you can skip all the lines and visit the Vatican Gardens which is generally closed to the public.
After touring the Gardens, you can access the Museums from Bramante’s Courtyard, and likewise, exit the Sistine Chapel and enter St. Peter’s Basilica from the North side.
The Private Vatican city tour including Vatican Gardens ticket costs €315 for a group of 10 visitors, irrespective of age.
The duration of the tour is 5 hours, and it starts at 9 am, from Monday to Saturday.
Buy This TicketThere are certain do’s and don’ts that need to be followed irrespective of what guided tour ticket you buy. For instance, avoid wearing sleeveless and low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, miniskirts, and hats. Big bags and suitcases aren’t allowed inside the attraction. Make sure you leave them at the lockers on-site. Also, you aren’t allowed to click photos and record videos inside the Sistine Chapel. Knives, scissors, metal tools, and food and drinks aren’t permitted inside the Museums.
Vatican Museums private night tour ticket
If you are looking for a more memorable, private, after-hours experience with your family or a loved one, we suggest you book this Vatican Museums ticket.
Priced at €550 for adults aged between 15 years and above (children aged 14 years and below can enter for free), this ticket includes a skip-the-line admission and an expert guide..
The highlights of this tour include visits to the Museums’ Hall of Maps and Raphael’s Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel—minus the crowds!
The meeting point for this tour is in front of Caffè Vaticano; it ends at the same spot too.
This guided tour is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese.
There are two time slots available for this ticket—5.30 pm and 8 pm, and you’ll be provided with headsets if your group has more than 6 participants.
Note: If you’re looking for a ticket that takes care of transport from your hotel to the Museums and vice versa, check out this private night tour ticket with transport options.
Buy This TicketMost guided tours offer a full ticket refund if you cancel your ticket up to 24 hours before your visit date. Some tickets even allow you to reschedule your tickets to a date of your choice (please check the ticket page for more details).
Express private early morning tour ticket
Are you short on time, in a hurry to visit Rome’s other prominent attractions, and don’t want to miss out on the Vatican Museums?
Well, we’ve just got the right ticket to brighten your day!
This private guided tour ticket offers you an express early morning start to the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms.
It begins at 7:30 am, 30 minutes before the Museums’ actual opening hours (8 am), and lasts for about 1.5 hours.
Highlights of this tour include private visits to both the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, and a guide well-versed in the Museums’ art collections from the Baroque and Renaissance eras.
The ticket for this private tour is priced at €200 for an adult aged 18 years and above.
Children aged 3 to 17 years pay a discounted fare of €109, and infants 2 years and younger can enter the attraction for free.
Note: This express Vatican Museums private tour is available in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German.
Buy This TicketSave time and money! Buy the Rome Tourist Pass and get skip-the line and Fast Track access to attractions in and around the city. This includes entry tickets to Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Pantheon and a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica. You also get a 10% discount code, which you can use (five times!) to get discounts on future purchases.
