This Vatican Private Tour will give you a chance to fully appreciate this marvellous art collection at your own pace with one of our knowledgeable and passionate guides. In three hours you will discover some corners of the Vatican Museums that are not usually included with standard tours. Also, your guide will be at your disposal and they will answer all your questions and curiosities.
Tour Overview
An experienced, professional licensed guide will lead you through several Galleries and rooms of the Vatican Museums, and you will discover the history and behind-the-scenes knowledge of all the major artworks. This tour option will bring you inside Pio Clementino Museum, through the Upper Galleries (Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps and Gallery of Candelabra), The Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel
You will have the chance to admire the statues and the Octagonal Courtyard.
PLEASE NOTE
Due to the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, the passage from the Vatican Museums to St. Peter's Basilica will not be always open. Only on selected days, groups may have the opportunity to access the Basilica via the privileged passage from the Sistine Chapel. If this access is available during your visit, rest assured that you will be guided through this passage, allowing you to skip the line and enjoy a seamless experience at the Basilica. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to making your visit as smooth and enjoyable as possible!
Tour itinerary
Meeting Point
Ristorante "Da Paolo" Viale Vaticano, 104
Pio Clementino Museum
This section is the first, original collection of statues of the Vatican Museums. Named after the two Popes Pio and Clemente who, throughout the 18th century, founded and opened it to the public. The statues displayed here are of enormous importance and many of them date from the 1st to the 4th century AD. Statues of Heracles, Osiris – Antinous, Laocoonte and Apollo Belvedere are just a few of the classical statues that you will encounter on your way through the Vatican Museums.
Upper Galleries
The Galleries that are part of this itinerary are the Gallery of Candelabra, the Gallery of Maps and the Gallery of Tapestries. The statues and the marble floors, with precious decorations and mosaics and frescoes on the ceilings, are what makes the Gallery of Candelabra one of the most beautiful sections of the Vatican Museums. The Gallery of Tapestries, that will follow, will bring you closer to the expression of the genius work of Raphael. The Tapestries, which were made originally for the Sistine Chapel, were designed by Raphael and embroidered by tapestry masters in Belgium. The Gallery of Maps is 120 meters long and hosts the maps of all the Italian regions and was created between 1581 and 1583. Every region’s map is connected to the fresco, painted on the “golden” ceiling, that represents miraculous events that occurred in the region.
School of Athens
The School of Athens within the Raphael Rooms is one among many well known artworks created by Raphael. While the older Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, a young artist Raphael had been called by the pope Julius II to paint the apartments inside the Vatican Palace. The room, meant to be the private library of the Pope, was brought by Raphael to a new level of artistic expression and topic composition. He reproduced a combination of Philosophy, theology, literature and jurisprudence.
Michelangelo’s Last Judgement and Sistine Chapel ceiling
The astonishing ceiling painted by Michelangelo when he was barely 30 years old. Known as a sculptor, Michelangelo succeeded in this challenging task: his paintings left everyone astonished. The combination of artistic talent (sculptor and painter) and knowledge of the history and catholic history, brought to light the completeness of this artist. The technique used to paint the figures on the ceiling was a pioneering method that later affected his sight and overall health.
St Peter's Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica stands as one of the largest and most significant churches globally. Once you step inside, you’re greeted by breathtaking Renaissance artwork, featuring masterpieces like Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s magnificent Baldachin.