Small Group Vatican Tour

We meet our guests at 7:30 AM right near the Vatican Museums to get a head start on our adventure of visiting the Vatican City. At our meeting point, we get to know each other a bit and then get right to the subject at hand---the Vatican City and its profound role in today's world both as an independent country and as headquarters of the Catholic Church.

We enter the Vatican Museums while they are still closed to the general public at 8 AM skipping all lines. Inside the Vatican Museums, we visit the Pinecone Courtyard, the Octagonal Courtyard, the Greek statues of the Laocoon, Apollo Belvedere, Belvedere Torso, the Candelabra, Gallery of the Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries, Raphael's Rooms, and finally, the Sistine Chapel.

Our head start into the Vatican means a peaceful and less crowded visit of the Sistine Chapel. We have the benefit of being ahead of the wave of visitors that enters the museums one hour after us and therefore get to enjoy the sacred space in the way that the Sistine Chapel was intended to be--in quiet.

After an extended visit of the Sistine Chapel, we utilize a special shortcut entrance into St. Peter’s Basilica which means avoiding all lines. St. Peter's architecture in itself is breathtaking. The Vatican Papacy commissioned several artists and architects to help establish the Vatican City as the center of the Catholic Church. Michelangelo himself has a gorgeous statue on display inside the Basilica called the Pietà and architect Bernini created the extraordinary Baldacchino Altar.

There are intricate statues of angels and apostles inside the church. Following our tour, it is possible to visit the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, the Papal Tombs, St. Peter's Square, the Vatican Pharmacy, and the Vatican Post Office. There are Mass services throughout the day inside St. Peter's Basilica in Italian and Latin that you are welcome to join. We will be happy to direct you to your destination of choice. 

Our Small Group Vatican Tour is 3.5 hour long which gives us the excellent advantage of taking our time and attending to each individual guest's questions and interests. There will an opportunity to use the restroom and to get a drink or snack during the tour. 

We limit our small groups to a maximum of 10 guests to ensure an optimal and personalized touring experience as we know it's just one of those things you do just once in your life.

Our guides are professors, artists, art historians, actors, and lovers of art who choose to guide because they love meeting new people and love sharing the Vatican City's unparalleled history and art collection with our guests.

Tickets, reservation fees, gratuities, and skipping the lines, and a pre-departure call with a Vatican expert are all included in the price. No amount is due on the day of your visit.