About this experience
Go beyond the Vatican’s famous highlights on a private tour that combines essential sights with access most visitors never get. Enter the Vatican Museums with tickets arranged in advance, then visit a hidden section normally closed to regular ticket holders, with access to the Bramante Stairs, Niccoline Chapel, or Cabinet of Masks depending on availability. Continue to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica with the same private guide throughout, for a more personal and seamless Vatican experience.
At a glance
- Duration: 3 hr 30 min
- Private experience
What is included
- Local English-speaking guide
- Skip-the-line ticket to St. Peter's Basilica
- Michelangelo's Pieta
- Expertly guided tour by your own private guide
- Gallery of Maps
- Raphael Rooms
- Michelangelo's Last Supper
- Skip-the-line ticket for Vatican Museums, including Sistine Chapel
- Hidden Section of Vatican Museums (one of 3 options, depending on availability)
Not included
- Hotel Pick-Up / Drop-Off
- Gratuities
Itinerary and highlights
Meet your guide near the Vatican Museums entrance with your tickets arranged in advance. After a brief orientation, follow your guide through the Gallery of Maps and Raphael Rooms before continuing toward a section of the Museums that most regular ticket holders never see.
Enter one of three rarely seen Vatican spaces, based on availability: the Bramante Stairs, a remarkable double-helix staircase designed to allow two-way traffic without crossing paths; the Cappella Niccolina, a private chapel frescoed for a 15th-century pope; or the Cabinet of Masks, or the Cabinet of Masks, an elegant room featuring ancient mosaics from Hadrian’s Villa and classical sculptures.
Before entering the Sistine Chapel, your guide explains Michelangelo’s ceiling and The Last Judgment, highlighting the stories and details to look for inside. Since silence is required and photography is not permitted, you’ll have time inside to take in Michelangelo’s frescoes without distraction.
Continue into St. Peter's Basilica and take in its immense interior from the nave beneath the soaring dome. See Michelangelo’s Pietà before continuing to the main altar and Bernini’s baldachin.
Meeting and pickup information
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a yellow WalksDevour sign. This tour meets at Touristation Cappella Sistina, Viale Vaticano 95, 00192 Roma RM.
Languages and tickets
- English — Guide
- Mobile Only
Tour operator
- Walks - Italy & Spain
Accessibility and practical details
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, wheelchairs, or strollers.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
- The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and may close unexpectedly during special celebrations, including Easter ceremonies. On such days, a more in-depth museum tour will be provided. Refunds or discounts cannot be issued.
- The full names of all participants must be provided at the time of booking and must match the names on the ID/Passport. Name changes are not permitted.
- All guests (including children) must bring valid ID on the day of their tour.
- Due to the religious nature of the Vatican, all individuals regardless of gender must cover shoulders and knees. Entry may be denied for improper dress.
- Walks Tours is an Accredited Tour Operator with an official ticketing agreement with the Vatican Museums.
Cancellation policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
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