Private & Small Group Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel& St. Peter’s

Very informative. The tour was very good. Tour director easy to understand she explained every room in detail.

I booked this tour because it was advertised as a small group or private tour and we were traveling with 2 kids and my elderly father in law and seeing the Vatican for the first time. I did a lot of research and comparisons of tours when booking and specifically booked a 10:30am time slot due to our jet lag but got a message that the tour operator had made a mistake when opening the time slots and we had to move to the 9:30am slot or get a refund. Since the operator was apologetic and we were told about this with only about 24 hours in advance of the tour, we decided to just make the best of it and I regret it. The tour had 15 people in total and no other children, which is not a small group or private as advertised. The tour guide had to use radios for such a large group and for such a crowded place and the kids could not understand anything she said due to static and her rushed speech and my older daughter asked a lot of questions so it was difficult to keep explaining things to them that we could understand from the headset. The worst part was that when we were about to enter the Sistine chapel, the guide told us we could take a toilet break and then spend time in the chapel and meet back up with the group after the chapel. Well, the toilet line and the line to buy a bottle of water took 30 minutes and we didn’t get to see the chapel at all because the guide was rushing us out of there and apparently nobody else in the group had understood that there was also a break time. So, the part of the tour I was most excited to see I didn’t get to see at all because we were rushed by the guide. The guide did not enter St. Peter’s basilica at all because she said tour guides aren’t allowed inside even though we saw plenty of other guides walking around and explaining significant things like La Pieta. Basically, the tour was 3 hours of the museum only and we had a large group which I never would have booked if I had known it would be like this. This tour has been the biggest disappointment of our trip to Rome and I cannot believe what a bad experience it was.

Slobodan was incredible. Very in depth. Amazing tour!!! You want him!!! The family from Chicago loves you Slobodan!!!!

Overall the experience was good. There were plenty of times I wish our guide would not have talked so much. Sometimes you just want to look, not hear talking. We went end of June. It was so hot and there is no air conditioning so be prepared. Also so many people it is packed where ever you try to move. I think we also could have gone on our own and read all the signs. Tour was good overall.

This was an experience of true history and has to be seen in person. Our guide (Tony) was super informative and fun!

A MUST SEE IN ROME. You CAN get tickets on your own but, I do not recommend it. ALWAYS hordes of visitors and your guide is your advocate. I don't know how you'd do without their services.

Ava was excellent. Very informative and kind. We have a large family with kids ranging from 4-16. She was so patient!

Great knowledgeable guide. Easy access to find guide location and easy access to all of the museums.

Such an amazing tour experience! Absolutely loved it! Our guide was so knowledgeable and a great host.

Great tour and definitely worth the price. The guide was kind, helpful and very informative. Saved us a lot of waiting by taking us through the shortcuts. Made sure everyone in the group was comfortable. Would highly recommend.

Very informative tour. Luigi was knowledgeable and pleasant. He kept us engaged and was very good at keeping track of us—even the little one.

Tour guide did get providing commentary and pushing us through the crowd and ahead of the lines hitting the highlights. It was slightly less crowded than peak season but still a lot of people around so having the guide, skipping lines and a small group setting was a really big plus! My only issue is not with the tour but the Vatican in that they don’t do well with limiting the crowds or making sure people remain respectful and tourists were loud, pushy and rude sort of dampening the awe inspiring experience. This isn’t the fault of the tour guide though as he works to expertly guide us though and reduce stress! Thanks!!

Our tour guide was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting. Headsets provided worked most of the time. St. Peter’s basilica was closed due to a Pope event. The nerve of him, LOL. Would not hesitate to recommend. The line to get in was huge but the skip the line feature worked great. Nevertheless, it was extremely crowded so beware of this.

We had a great time. Group was very small, about 12 people. Our guide, Alex, was sensational, very knowledgeable and kept the perfect pace. We learned a lot and enjoyed the beauty of the Vatican!

Great guide full of information and very interesting. Kind and considerate to others . Definitely book again !

Very nice tour guide with a good sense of humor. Got in rather quickly with the skip the line passes., The Vatican was very crowded and he did not hold up a sign which sometimes made it hard to find him. The radios were given to us at the Vatican museum and this particular kind went over our ear. It was very hard to hear. Other groups had the small type you hang around your neck with one earpiece as we used on another tour. They are far superior to those given to us today. Perhaps this tour company should invest in these. Our guide did know some back door/ hidden entrances that sped things up a bit in the museum and going to the Sistine Chapel. That was appreciated. He followed the tour route that the Vatican had laid out, so if you thought you could wander free, you cannot. Only certain parts are open to the public. We saw the statue collection, tapestries, and map galleries, along with the way. Sistine chapel was crowded as well. He brought up down the stairs to the outside line for the Basilica, then left. It took us over an hour to get in. It was quite hot outside. Perhaps he could have stayed in line with us to give us some more info while we were waiting to get in. At least that would have filled the time. A decent tour, but could be improved. Happy to have gone to the Vatican during this trip to Rome. All in all a decent tour with many time savers.,

A small group of 12 and the guide was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the history of the Vatican and its artwork.

We had a great time on this tour. I was traveling with my cousins and brother and we all agreed it was at a good pace and we learned a lot. The tour was about 2 hours and we were unable to get into St. Peters that day due to a closure for a concert.

Our guide spoke great English had a good sense of humor and really helped us engage with the surroundings. He didn't give too much detail just enough. It was a really small group which we liked as well. Skipped all of the queues which was fantastic. Highly recommend.

She was so informative. She was very polite about questions. She was never boring. Her English was excellent.

Ava was a wonderful guide. She was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Loved the small group tour as we skipped the long lines. Recommend this tour.

Super tour, really informative and even kept the teenagers engaged. So helpful to skip the queues and the guide was able to keep us all moving through at a good pace.

From start to finish, everything was smooth, well-organized, and deeply enriching. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable. The priority access saved us so much time, letting us skip the long lines and maximize our time inside the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. The small group size made the experience feel more intimate and allowed us to ask questions and really engage with the tour. I Really appreciated the guide’s insights. Highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the Vatican without the stress of navigating it alone. If you’re debating whether to book it—do it. It’s worth it.

Our guide was amazing! I wish I could remember her name. We had a small group tour and it was beyond words! I would definitely recommend.

It was hard to hear the guide through the ear piece. This was not his fault because the Vatican owns the ear pieces. It was crowded and rushed but everyone was going at the same speed as us. I think that is just part of the deal. I'm very glad we went and the Sistine Chapel was beautiful.

This was a great semi private tour. We were travelling with someone needing a walking stick and the team at Gaudium really took care of us. The tour was great and our guide really knew what she was talking about. The language was great and we didn’t feel rushed.

Guide had fantastic knowledge and made the tour a personal tour. We were quickly moved past any queues.

Our guide Luigi was knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. I would recommend the tour to anyone interested

We had the best experience with our guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable, got us sheparded through lines and shortcuts (we had our baby with!). We are still talking about the Tour and repeating what we learned. English was perfecto, was funny, and checked into make sure we were good. I will book with this Tour guide again next time I'm in Rome, my only regret was not forcing a tip on him at the end :)

Excellent they do what they say they will deliver. Our guide was about as good as you get, didn’t over cook it

Such a great way to see the Vatican if you only have a short time! Our guide was great and we really got to see a good portion of the museum - highly recommend this tour - the skip the line tickets were totally worth it!

We had the Best time!! Our tour guide Jeanette was incredible!! She extremely knowledgeable and kept us totally entertained! I would recommend her 100%!!!

This was a great tour! Our guide was so knowledgeable. Being able to skip the lines on this tour is the only way to go.

Our tour of the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel were great! There wasn't a tour of the Basilica but the guide gave us lots of information before our time with her finished and we went into St. Peter's to explore. Our Oct 2024 visit definitely had some missed exhibits due to all the restoration work preparing for the Jubilee beginning in December. For us it wasn't a deal breaker. We weren't going to see anything in particular and I dont think it made our experience any less amazing. Our guide (don't recall her name) was so knowledgeable and has been doing these tours since 2009!

Nice tour with knowledgeable guide. Kept everything understandable for those who are not experts. Great sense of humor as well

Our guide was lovely. Spoke clear English, had good connections in Vatican City that made for a pleasurable half day excursion.

Our guide was very knowledgeable! Wonderful experience! No waiting in lines. I would book again! Great experience!

VERY professional! Fun tour guides. VERY knowledgeable. This is the place to go with. Don’t look anywhere else. (No I'm not getting paid for this, 😂). They knew everyone in the Vatican. I’m not a big fan of tours, they might have changed my view.

Our guide was a wealth of knowledge and very accommodating to the needs of the group. I would highly recommend this tour!

Viator Review Maria Paola - A Fantastic Vatican Tour Guide! We recently took the Vatican tour with Maria Paola and our two kids, and we had an amazing time! Maria Paola was absolutely wonderful. She has a fantastic personality that kept everyone engaged, and her explanations were clear and easy to understand, even for our children. We learned so much about the history and art of the Vatican, and Maria Paola's passion for her work was evident. We highly recommend booking a tour with her!

My 10 y.o. son and I very much enjoyed the tour and highly recommend it. Our guide, Luigi, provided many interesting information, anecdotes and did a fantastic job engaging both adults and children in the group. The tour is very interesting and very well planned. So, if you are in Rome, this is a tour you have to book.

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about showing us all the beautify of the Vatican. He was very insightful and explained everything so clearly to us. We highly recommend the tour and our tour guide!

Maria Paula was great. She kept the museum lively for everyone except my 14 year old son (which wasn’t impressed either the Louvre either). I would highly recommend this tour.

Our guide was fantastic amd very knowledgeable and provided lots of facts. Recommend this tour and this guide.

A very enjoyable, informative and fun tour. The guide was able to skip all queues despite the crowds, and clearly was familiar with the staff and the shortcuts.

I highly recommend the "Skip-the-line-tours". Time is money and you don't want to spend hours in line waiting to get in. You'll also be too tired for all the walking you will do. Our guide was great. Our only complaint was the audio headphones. It was hard to hear because of the quality of the reception.

Vatican tour was perfect. Small group, everything organised smooth and on time. Guide Luigi was really excellent! Very pleasant and friendly energy, impressive knowledge, feeling the place, articulated and precise. He used to be radio presenter which generates pretty cinematic experience of the tour.

This tour is small in size and intimate. Very informative and full of fun times. You get to know everyone your with and the tour guide was magnificent!!! I highly recommend. Thank you for adding onto my Italian experience

This tour was great! I was running late and did not think I’d make it. The cancellation policy was very clear when booking and I accepted that I would not be able to make the tour. Despite this, the company was very empathetic and even reached back out to me to let me know there had been another cancellation and I was able to join another group. They didn’t need to do this and I really appreciated it. I also understand I really got lucky because it would have been out of their hands but the fact that they thought of me despite that it wouldn’t have changed anything to them really speaks to their level of effort and kindness. Everyone there was very helpful, friendly and kind. Our guide was very informative and took time to answer questions and get to know others in our group. I would definitely recommend!