Exclusive Private Tour: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel - Early Bird Tour

Tour the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica

Major highlights

• Vatican Museums
• Candlesticks Gallery
• Tapestries Gallery
• Geographic Maps Gallery
• Rooms of Raphael
• Sistine Chapel
• St. Peter’s Basilica

Skip the long lines at the entrance and visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with one of our passionate and knowledgeable guides. After the tour of the Museum, you will use the internal passage that leads directly into St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing you to enter without waiting in line in order to enjoy a fully guided visit of the basilica.

Your guide will enlighten you with historical facts and will entertain you with myths and legends connected to this unique place.

You will follow a selected itinerary of one of the biggest museums in the world to visit the best of this art collection.

Description of the itinerary

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are one of the world’s most visited attractions, featuring an extraordinary collection of art, archaeology, and history gathered by the popes over centuries. A Vatican Museums tour leads visitors through stunning galleries filled with ancient Roman sculptures, Renaissance masterpieces, and religious treasures. As one of the top things to do in Rome, the museums attract millions of travelers each year, making them a must-see destination for anyone interested in art, culture, and the history of the Catholic Church.

Candlesticks Gallery (Gallery of the Candelabra)

The Gallery of the Candelabra is an elegant corridor decorated with colossal marble candlesticks, colorful Roman statues, and vibrant ceiling frescoes. This gallery blends classical art with 18th-century architectural harmony, creating a visually captivating passage within the Vatican Museums. Ideal for photography lovers and art enthusiasts, the Candlesticks Gallery is often highlighted on guided Vatican tours for its combination of ancient sculpture and refined interior design.

Tapestries Gallery (Gallery of Tapestries)

The Tapestries Gallery showcases magnificent Flemish tapestries from the 16th century, renowned for their exquisite detail and storytelling. These artworks depict scenes from the life of Christ and key episodes from papal history, creating an immersive journey through Renaissance craftsmanship. The play of perspective within the tapestries makes the scenes appear to shift as you walk past — a feature that fascinates visitors on any Vatican Museums guided tour.

Geographic Maps Gallery (Gallery of Maps)

The Gallery of Maps is one of the most impressive corridors in the Vatican Museums, lined with 40 oversized frescoed maps representing the Italian peninsula in remarkable 16th-century detail. Commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII, this 120-meter-long corridor features a richly decorated vaulted ceiling and offers a spectacular walk through history, geography, and art. Frequently mentioned among the top Vatican Museums highlights, the Gallery of Maps is a favorite location for photos and cultural exploration.

Rooms of Raphael (Raphael Rooms)

The Raphael Rooms are four lavishly frescoed chambers painted by Raphael and his workshop between 1508 and 1524. These rooms feature some of the most celebrated masterpieces of the Renaissance, including the iconic School of Athens, a symbolic meeting of the greatest philosophers of antiquity. Rich in theological, philosophical, and political meaning, the Raphael Rooms are essential for visitors interested in Renaissance art and are a major highlight of any Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tour.

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is the crown jewel of the Vatican Museums and one of the most famous artistic spaces in the world. Michelangelo’s stunning ceiling frescoes, including the legendary Creation of Adam, and his powerful Last Judgment on the altar wall make this chapel an unforgettable experience for visitors. As the sacred venue where the Papal Conclave elects new popes, the Sistine Chapel holds immense spiritual and historical importance. It is the grand finale of most Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tours, drawing millions of visitors every year.

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest and most important church in the Catholic world, standing majestically in St. Peter’s Square within Vatican City. Built over the tomb of Saint Peter, the basilica is a masterpiece of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, featuring contributions by legendary artists such as Michelangelo, Bernini, and Bramante. Visitors can admire breathtaking highlights including Michelangelo’s Pietà, Bernini’s monumental bronze Baldachin, and the massive dome that dominates Rome’s skyline. A visit to St. Peter’s Basilica is often considered one of the top things to do in Vatican City, attracting pilgrims, history lovers, and travelers from around the world.