17 BEST Vatican Tours to Experience in Rome, Italy (2024)
Want to book one of the the best Vatican Tours?
As someone who has been lucky enough to have visited the Vatican five times, I guarantee you Vatican tours are worth it. I’ve visited unguided plenty of times and while I was able to appreciate the beauty around me on my own, I didn’t learn much.
Taking a guided tour of the Vatican is eye-opening. You’ll see beyond what meets the eye and really get to know the significance of all that you’re observing.
That’s why I’ve rounded up the best Vatican tours for you. This guide includes a breakdown of 17 best Vatican tours including ones that are family-friendly, wheelchair accessible, the best private Vatican tours and even foodie friendly Vatican City tours.
Don’t have time to read about every tour on this list? I’ve got you covered — the BEST tour of the Vatican is this VIP Vatican Breakfast: Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour with more than 1,000 outstanding reviews.
17 Best Vatican Tours to Experience in Rome
1. VIP Vatican Breakfast: Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Start your day with an Italian-American breakfast buffet on site, and then explore the Vatican Museums before they open to the general public with this small group tour.
From there you’ll enjoy a fast-tracked entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica.
If you’re shopping around for tours of the Vatican, LOOK NO FURTHER! This early morning tour is the best way to get in when there are no people. The breakfast was fabulous and peaceful in the courtyard, with an automatic serving of a hot breakfast but also choices of pancakes, yogurt etc. It was a great way to start the tour. Our tour guide was so friendly. She was amazing at taking us through everything at a good pace, with her knowledge and stories of all the sculptures, paintings and tapestries. The galleries are truly breathtaking. The price of this tour is worth every cent. Absolute 10/10.
— caroline (READ MORE REVIEWS)
This tour begins at 7:30 AM and is a great way to admire the Vatican without the crush of fellow tourists. The tour guides themselves are also highly rated and known for making this tour even more enjoyable.
2 Vatican Gardens Private Tour- Pick up included
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 4.5 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
For a unique and intimate (only 10 people per group) tour of the Vatican book this Vatican Gardens private tour.
Few tours include the Vatican Gardens, and with this one you’ll visit the tree-lined pathways, botanical treasures and historic fountains that reside in the “green heart” of Vatican City.
We were picked up in a private car at our hotel and brought directly to the Vatican. That tour lasted about 30 mins. Then after a fair walk to the Vatican Museum, then into the gardens. Wow! No words. If you have ever wanted to see these gardens in a private setting, this the way. My wife and I were guided by a member of the research staff of the Vatican archives, and she was beyond compare. It was as if the Pope would be walking around the corner at any moment. Forget the price, just do it!!!
— Robert (READ MORE REVIEWS)
The tour includes morning pick up from your hotel, and is led by a professionally licensed Blue Badge tour guide.
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3.5 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Want to get off-the-beaten-path and see what so many others miss when they visit the Vatican? This private Vatican tour will highlight unique aspects along the way and infuse your Vatican experience with engaging storytelling.
St. Peter’s Basilica is staggeringly beautiful, and the opportunity to see areas of the museums off limits to most tourists was well worth the modest added cost. Overall, this private tour was beyond any expectation… and having a lovely and brilliant guide made all the difference. Strongly recommend!
— Jerome (read more reviews)
This tour also includes round-trip transportation from your Rome hotel.
4. Vatican & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Ticket-Line Tour for Kids
⭐️ Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Traveling to Rome with kids? This Vatican tour is designed specifically to keep young minds engaged on what might otherwise feel like a long and boring day for kids.
Our tour guide Alessandra was AMAZING! Highly recommend this specific tour for families with young children. This was our family’s first time in Italy and we wanted to check off all of the major attractions. Having a tour guide to navigate the entrance to the Vatican without waiting in line and to point out all of the history/significance of what we were seeing while we toured was so valuable to us. She kept our 8 year old twins engaged with facts and quizzes throughout, enhancing the experience for all of us. Highly, highly recommend.
(READ MORE REVIEWS)
This tour uses interactive visual learning tools, iPad games and trivia to help kids enjoy and understand their experience. Plus, it’s informative for the adults as well!
5. Private Vatican Museums Tour with Food & Wine Tastings
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 6 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Expand your cultural experience with a food and wine tasting before your private tour of the Vatican. With this tour, you’ll first visit one of Rome’s best gourmet shops to sample wine, cheese, truffle, cured meats and more Italian staples.
Don’t miss this tour! It was simply amazing. Our guide was really engaging and fun. We had a wonderful time, we met a lot of people and the food was de-li-cious!!!
— Alice (READ MORE REVIEWS)
This tour is offered daily from 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
6. Skip the Line: Colosseum and Vatican in Just One Day Private Tour
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 6 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Want to make the most of your day in Rome? Then book this 2-in-1 guided tour and visit two of Rome’s top historical landmarks together. On this tour, you’ll explore both the Colosseum and tour the Vatican.
We loved the tour, our tour guide was very knowlegeable and passionate about history. It was just my husband and I and the tour was very efficient, the guide wisked us up before other larger groups. We even got a private blessing at the Vatican because of her quickness. I would recommend to anyone.
— Brenda (read more reviews)
This tour is especially great if you only have a few days in Rome and want to make the most of your visit.
7. Early Entry Vatican Museums: The Best of the Sistine Chapel
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 4 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Visiting the Vatican can be stressful with the many crowds. If you’re looking for a peaceful way to experience the Vatican, this early entry tour is for you. Enter and explore the Vatican Museums while they are still closed to the general public.
Don’t do the Vatican without a guide! We were able to get in early without the huge crowds that are normally there. Our guide gave us great info behind what we were seeing. We were able to get into the Sistine Chapel right as it opened so we were able to see it with minimal crowds. Much different than the last time I went. Highly recommend!
— sabhi (read more reviews)
The tour guides for this tour are also highly regarded.
8. Entire Vatican Tour & St. Peter’s Dome Climb
⭐️ Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 5 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
This is one of the most comprehensive tours of the entire Vatican:
It was such a wonderful and event filled trip! So much to see and it was beyond worth every penny and every minute! We got to not only climb the dome but also visit the basement tombs. It is certainly a long tour but it’s incredible. Be aware that it’s a ton of stairs and walking! This is a great tour for people who enjoy fast paced but still very educational. The views were priceless !
(READ MORE REVIEWS)
On this tour you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Papal Crypts and Catacombs. You’ll also visit the top cupola designed by Michelangelo, as well as the Vatican Museums.
9. Private Sightseeing Tour of Rome and Vatican Museums with Your Driver
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 8 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Allow yourself to be escorted around beautiful Rome by a private driver with this tour option.
You’ll get to custom create the itinerary to see everything you’d like to see on your visit to the Eternal City from the comfort of a luxury vehicle.
We had an amazing time on our sightseeing tour! Pietro was wonderful, he took us to all of the must-see places in Rome. He was kind & very informative- he recommended a place for lunch based on our desires, and worked it into the itinerary so the tour flowed seamlessly! At the end, he stopped for our family to get some delicious Gelatos! It was a great experience – and we highly recommend this tour!! GRAZIE PIETRO! You were amazing!!
— anthony (READ MORE REVIEWS)
A great option for anyone interested in a VIP day in Rome supported by helpful guides along the way.
10. Morning Vatican Tour & Exclusive Access to Secret Room
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3.5 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
If you want the guarantee of a small tour group size, then book this tour that guarantees a maximum group size of 6 people.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and had a lot of great information to share. Limiting the group to six people made this feel almost like a private tour! We highly recommend this for anyone to take.
— theresa (READ MORE REVIEWS)
This tour also includes access to the exclusive Room of Masks which is not generally accessible to the public.
11. Exclusive Vatican Evening Semi Private Tour
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
Want to combine a small group (max 6 people) experience with an evening ambience at the Vatican? This tour offers you the chance to marvel at the Vatican in different lighting, as an evening activity.
Tour was phenomenal, with a perfect balance of Renaissance, Roman, and Modern history combined with both informative facts and some historical gossip. The time literally flew by it was so interesting, with a well thought out narrative for the entire trip. Recommend highly.
— dennis (READ MORE REVIEWS)
An evening tour of the Vatican is also a great way to beat the daytime heat in Rome.
12. Entire Vatican Tour Experience Treasure of the Sistine Chapel
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 2.5 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
For anyone who is interested in a shorter tour of the Vatican, this 2.5 hour experience allows you to get an overview of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums with a tour guide.
Great tour through the vast collections of the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Catacombs. Our guide was an art historian and had a wealth of knowledge about the specific pieces highlighted throughout the three hour tour.
(READ MORE REVIEWS)
Make the most of a shorter visit to the Vatican with a tour to help guide you through the highlights.
13. Papal Audience in Rome Private Tour
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 4 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
While this isn’t a full tour of the Vatican, it is a unique experience. Every Wednesday, the Vatican hosts a free Papal audience. This is open to the public but does require tickets.
Purchasing this experience guarantees your tickets, as well as prime seating for the Papal audience.
Picked up at our hotel by a friendly guide and led to FRONT ROW seats to see Pope Francis – This was an incredible experience. The company is top notch with very pleasant and professional people. Rosanna and Giuliana made this day very special for us. We would highly recommend booking this!
(READ MORE REVIEWS)
For a truly inspirational and meaningful experience of the Papal Audience, book this tour.
14. Skip the Line: Vatican Wheelchair Accessible Private Tour
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
This tour makes the wonders of the Vatican accessible to anyone in a wheelchair or who is visiting Rome with a loved one who uses a wheelchair.
This was an excellent tour for people who are physically challenged. We were able to get a wheelchair for my mom who can’t walk due to having spine surgery recently. We had our own private tour guide who was an art historian with a Ph.D in Arts and History.. Our guide knew interesting facts about the Vatican museum since she also studied there. We were given a course in Vatican art and history and we highly appreciate her for doing so. Thank you for giving my mom a wonderful memory of visiting the Vatican museum.
— ram (READ MORE REVIEWS)
The guides for this tour are reviewed to be engaging, knowledgeable and kind.
15. Skip-the-Line Private Tour of Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel with a PhD Guide
⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
This experience takes you on a guided tour with a professional art historian or archaeologist.
Our private tour was exceptional, no crowds and our guide a wealth of information and joy.
— Sandra (READ MORE REVIEWS)
Learn unique facts from a true scholar on this guided tour of the Vatican.
16. St. Peter’s Basilica with Vatican Official Guides
⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 1 hour | ⛪ BOOK NOW
While many of the tours on this list focus on the impressive Vatican Museums, this one puts the emphasis on St. Peter’s Basilica, complete with official guides of the Vatican.
Very informative and well worth your time. There is so much lost in what you are viewing without a tour guide. If it is of interest, outside of the gift shop, a Priest with bless your purchases and your family as well as fill any containers with Holy water.
— denise (READ MORE REVIEWS)
It’s entirely possible to visit St. Peter’s Basilica without a guide, but if you want to learn more about your surroundings while there then book this informative tour.
17. Skip-the-Line Group Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica
⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 3 hours | ⛪ BOOK NOW
If you’re looking for a more affordable tour than some of the other ones outlined in this guide, and you don’t mind touring with a larger group then consider this well-rated tour.
Fantastic, comprehensive and well managed tour that exceeded our expectations. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and organized and made sure all guests were well catered for in her management of the group and that we saw as much as possible in the time we had. I highly recommend this company and the guide Lucia with her yellow jacket and little pompom stick to make sure we didn’t lose her on what was a very crowded day.
— caroline (READ MORE REVIEWS)
For anyone seeking a more affordable yet still informative group tour with the opportunity to meet fellow travelers, book this tour.
FAQ: Best Vatican Tours
As you prepare for your visit, you may also be wondering:
Is a guided tour of Vatican worth it?
If you want to skip the lines, and learn more about the Vatican than could ever meet the eye then yes. A guided tour of Vatican is worth it.
Where is the best to buy Vatican tickets?
The best way to visit the Vatican is on a guided tour where the guide either takes care of booking your tickets for you or guides you how to do it (be sure to check whether tickets are included with your tour or not, they should be).
If you’d rather book them directly and go yourself, visit this website.
Can you wear jeans at the Vatican?
The primary consideration for outfits when visiting the Vatican is that your knees and shoulders must be covered. So yes, jeans are acceptable as long as they cover your knees. I recommend steering clear of ripped jeans for this excursion.
Conclusion: 17 Best Vatican Tours
There you have it, the 17 best Vatican tours to take while visiting Rome. Make the most of your Italian adventure with a guided tour to help you delve deeper into the culture and history of the Eternal City! And check out these 54 tourist mistakes to avoid in Rome for first-timers!
