Vatican City Tour
Sistine Chapel, Museums, Basilica & Dome Climb

LIMITED DATES REMAINING FOR 2010, PLEASE MAKE YOUR REQUEST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

What's your idea of a perfect Vatican tour? One that hits all the important parts of the collection and leaves you wanting more? One that is informal and fun, yet leaves time for detailed answers to your questions? Are you looking for a tour that brings together all sorts of threads that connect the stories, the same way the History Channel and National Geographic do?

Well then you're in luck. That's our idea too. This is a perfect way to see all the important parts of the Vatican in a relaxed and enjoyable 4 hours.

The tour is conversational and the groups are tiny (not more than 4 couples) so you will have plenty of time to ask questions and get detailed answers, as well as take photos of what interests you.

The Vatican tour will start at a cafe near the entrance to the museums, that way you can enjoy a glass of wine while getting to know the guide and getting an overview of the afternoon.

There won't be any line, so you'll go straight through the front entrance without any trouble. The tour will start with the Vatican pinacoteca, the overlooked paintings gallery that contains Raphael's Transfiguration and Leonardo da Vinci's St Jerome, among other things.

The tour will cover all the traditional highlights of the museums, including the Laocoon, Belvedere Torso, Gallery of the Tapestries, Gallery of Maps, and (if open) the Etruscan or Egyptian collection.

The highlight of the day, of course, will be Michaelangelo's fresco paintings in the newly-restored Sistine Chapel. You'll understand them so well when you come out that you'll be showing off to your friends what you've learned!

By popular request we've added a climb inside the massive dome over St Peter's Basilica. The view from the top is by far the highest in Rome and is truly breathtaking! Note: an elevator takes us the first 26 floors, but you need to be able to walk the equivalent of 10 stories once there. The stairs are shallow and there are places to rest; it's not particularly demanding if you are a walker, but if you have a weak heart you may want wait for us here.

When we return to the ground the tour will finish with a walk inside St Peter's Basilica, and you will have the option of staying for the 5pm mass, otherwise the guide will take you outside and you will finish the tour with questions and answers.

This has always been one of our most popular tours and it's a fantastic way to get what is essentially a private vatican tour....but at a fraction of the cost!