Joy of Rome

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LIVE TOURS
VATICAN TOURS
VATICAN Museums & SISTINE Chapel Tour classic

LIVE TOURSVATICAN TOURSVATICAN Museums & SISTINE Chapel Tour classic

VATICAN Museums & SISTINE Chapel early bird

Visit the Popes’ ancient Roman collection, the wonderful Gallery of the Tapestries, the amazing Gallery of the Geographical Maps, the breathtaking Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

NOT AVAILABLE at the moment

Vatican Museums early bird photo by Léonard Cotte Unsplash

DA SAPERE

IL TOUR COMPRENDE:

  • Rome and Vatican Museums with a local, licensed guide.
  • Raphael Rooms.
  • Sistine Chapel frescoes by Michelangelo.
  • Pinecone Courtyard.
  • Galleries of the Candelabra, Tapestries and Maps.
  • Pius-Clementine Museums.
  • Skip the line access to St. Peter’s Basilica
“I would like to visit Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s, skipping the line…”: 70% of emails we receive has this request in it.  The Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel are one the most visited (and beautiful) attractions in the world.

From April to October thousands of people book a skip the line ticket/tour to access the galleries every day. If they don’t, they wait in line to get in. Assuming that there is no right time to find yourself alone in the galleries, waking up early  is a very good strategy!

The opening to the general public is at 9 AM with the early bird ticket you will be allowed in at 8AM and the galleries will be as empty as you can find them. Your tour will be away from the heat and the huge crowd of the standard entrance. We’ll meet at 7.30 AM to be ready to enter as soon as they open. In the meantime, your guide will introduce you to the collections of the Pope’s, to the Secret’s of Michelangelo ceiling and when the gates will finally open…we will be amongst the first hundreds of people walking through the galleries and reaching the Sistine Chapel.

A 3 hour long tour to discover the highlights of one of the most visited museums in the world. Our 5 star Rome and Vatican Museums guide will show you masterpieces by Raphael and Michelangelo, the marvelous statues in the Gallery of the Candelabra and more! Have you ever heard about the incredible Gallery of the Maps with its 36 frescoes of Italian regions, thanks to which we can walk all the way along the “boot”? Want to know more about the beauty and stories of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, painted in just four years by Michelangelo Buonarroti? 

Will you enter St. Peter’s Basilica in this Tour?

Not at the moment! There was a time when from the Sistine Chapel we could skip the line to get into St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world.  This possibility is temporary off the table due to internal decision after Covid-19.

Will you be able to visit the Basilica when in Rome?

YES INDEED! It’s a Church, it’s free and you can go when you want, on your own pace, or you can book out tour about it. There you’ll see the Baroque canopy by Bernini and Michelangelo’s Pieta, as well as the highest dome in Rome and the tombs of some of the most important Popes, including John Paul II.

Our 5 star Rome and Vatican Museums guide will also show you St. Peter’s square, where thousands of pilgrims gather together every week for the papal blessing.
Since afternoon services will be held in the Basilica, the tour of the Church will be enriched by the spiritual atmosphere as warm afternoon light glows through the windows, filling the naves.

Where does the Vatican Classic Tour end?

Inside the Sistine Chapel so that you can spend more time inside, exploring for as long as you like (up to closing time if you wish), at your own pace.

IMPORTANT: Please remember that the Sistine Chapel is a church and there may be changes in opening and closing times according to last minute celebrations. You will enjoy an unforgettable experience across centuries of history with a friendlyenthusiastic, officially licensed Rome and Vatican Museums guide who will answer any question with passion and great knowledge of Italian Art History. Keep in mind that many people had the same idea you had, many people have the same ticket you have and if you want peace, silence or space, well, we’ll make our best to make you happy but we haven’t found the way to hide this unique place to the rest of the world 🤗 TIP💡: book early, go early, travel off season, go off the beaten path or…Be patient! 🤝 
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • Private tour, tailored upon request.
  • Your guide is LICENSED, LOCAL and specialized in ROME and VATICAN HISTORY.
  • Dress code: no shorts – no uncovered knees and shoulders, no backpacks.
  • IMPORTANT: Tickets and headphones (compulsory for 5 or more people, price 1.50 euro each) are not included in the guide fee.

Vatican Museums skip the line tickets price:

  • ADULTS: 29 euros (27 € + 2 € for st. Peter’s entrance fee).
  • CHILDREN under 18 y.o or students under 26 y.o.: 20 euros  (18€ + 2€ for St. Peter’s entrance fee).

We will buy tickets for you asking for a prepayment to secure your tour.
From June to October and extra fee of 15% will be added on last minute requests (3 days before the tour date).

PRICES: The Guide Fee must be considered as a total, not per person

TOURS & PRICES
  • Private tour, tailored upon request.
  • Your guide is LICENSED, LOCAL and specialized in ROME and VATICAN HISTORY.
  • Dress code: no shorts – no uncovered knees and shoulders, no backpacks.
  • IMPORTANT: Tickets and headphones (compulsory for 5 or more people, price 1.50 euro each) are not included in the guide fee.

Vatican Museums skip the line tickets price:

  • ADULTS: 29 euros (27 € + 2 € for st. Peter’s entrance fee).
  • CHILDREN under 18 y.o or students under 26 y.o.: 20 euros  (18€ + 2€ for St. Peter’s entrance fee).

We will buy tickets for you asking for a prepayment to secure your tour.
From June to October and extra fee of 15% will be added on last minute requests (3 days before the tour date).

PRICES: The Guide Fee must be considered as a total, not per person

Meeting point

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People say about us…

  • star rating  What a wonderful experience led by our tour guide, Marta! Our children ages 7 and 5 really absorbed the stories and enjoyed their scavenger huntlooking for specific objects. ... read more

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    star rating  This was our third tour with Joy of Rome and second with Francesca. She has a gift for bringing the stories behind the artworks to life and sharing her enthusiasm.... read more

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    star rating  Our guide Francesca was fantastic! As an art historian and curator of street art, she really made the subject com alive. I strongly recommend this activity for anyone interested in... read more

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    star rating  Francesca‘s narrative is always the best. She is our joy of Rome. No one brings Rome to life better.

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    star rating  We did four tours with Grace and found her to be extremely knowledgeable, speaking at length about the history, culture and traditions of the artifacts we saw. She answered all... read more

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    star rating  Took four tours with Joy of Rome and Francesca and Grace were a true Joy! We did the Vatican, catacombs, pantheon and colosseum. Highly recommend! Thanks so much ladies.

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  • star rating  Francesca was a great guide. She engaged with my 8 yo and had lots of interesting details to share. Definitely a must do tour in Rome.

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    star rating  Great tour with not just historical facts but plenty of anecdotes that kept the teenagers attentive the whole time. Massimo was just fantastic. Period.

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    Would highly recommend this company and your .
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    star rating  Francesca was extremely knowledgeable. She has great enthusiasm for the art, artists, the gallery and helping us learn. She answered our questions and welcomed them. It deepened... read more

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    star rating  I would highly recommend Joy of Rome. The whole experience from booking the tickets by email to being guided to the meeting point to the tour itself was faultless.
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