We’ve been to Rome around 14 times and have visited the Vatican Museums at least five times—most recently in 2023. You might think then that I would give it a pass then. Nope.
The thing about the Vatican Museums is that they are worth 100 visits…or more. I love them. Inside their hallowed walls are millennia of history. Artifacts—pagan and religious—abound within the various museums (yes, there are several). The building itself is a marvel with painted walls and ceilings by Renaissance greats like Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, and many more.
Each visit I see something I never noticed before. And, with a good guide, I hear a story (or stories) that I didn’t know.
I’ve visited without guides before and, if your budget only affords you the opportunity to see the Vatican Museums without a tour—then by all means just go it alone. But if you can afford a tour, I highly recommend one.
My favorite tour company for the Vatican is LivTours. They offer semi-private (six or fewer people) or private tours at reasonable prices. They also offer some Vatican tours that few, if any, other tour companies offer. Having that small group means that you have a really personal experience. You can pose questions easily letting you have a unique experience that feels curated just for you.
We’ve seen the Vatican Museums at most times but we’ve never seen them in the early evening, so for this trip we took the “Vatican at Night” tour. Seeing it later in the day meant that we had an intimate experience in the museums without the crowds.
Like all the other Vatican tours I’ve been on—we were instructed to meet our guide in front of the café across from the entrance. It was there we met our guide Paola. She asked if we had visited before and we explained that we were fortunate enough to have seen the museums several times, so she asked us what she should focus on. We explained that Raphael was my husband’s favorite artist and I said what parts I would like to see again. With that information, Paola took us on an energetic and informative whirlwind of a tour.
We started at the Pinocateca, which I had visited by myself once, but had never been featured on a tour I had been on before. I knew right then that LivTours was going to give us a special experience.
Besides seeing fabulous paintings in the Pinocateca, we saw ancient artifacts from Egypt, Rome, Greece, and other amazing places. We visited courtyards and cool niches around the museums with Paola pointing out famed and obscure pieces of history as we went along. We marveled at amazing statues, tapestries, frescoes, and other pieces of art. Although we saw new things, we also saw the parts of the collection that are the most famous like the Hall of Maps, the Raphael rooms, and the Sistine Chapel.
Paola made it effortless for Jon, who is mobility-challenged, to see things from a wheelchair. Best yet for him—the tour flew by (he generally gets very antsy in the Vatican Museums). We got to see works that were special to us and we had a blast. We even were the last ones, besides the staff, to leave the Sistine Chapel. It was a magical, amazing tour…and definitely the best one I’ve had. Grazie mille, Paola.
If you’re going to the Vatican Museums—and you really should—I highly recommend at guide from LivTours. Happy travels! –Amy
Here are links to semi-private tours by LivTours. They also offer private options that are phenomenal and truly one-of-a-kind. They have a special “keymasters” tour that is an exclusive way to see the Vatican. Check them out. If you use our affiliate links and the code “AMYRH10,” you can save 10% off two or more tours by LivTours.
Vatican Tour at Night—the Museums at their Best (2 hours 30 minutes): https://livtours.com/tours/semi-private-vatican-tour-at-night?af_code=E1DDN61
Express Early Morning Sistine Chapel Tour (2 hours): https://livtours.com/tours/express-early-morning-sistine-chapel-tour-semi-private?af_code=E1DDN61
Early Morning Vatican Tour (3 hours 30 minutes): https://livtours.com/tours/semi-private-early-morning-vatican-tour?af_code=E1DDN61
Highlights of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour (3 hours 15 minutes): https://livtours.com/tours/highlights-of-the-vatican-sistine-chapel-tour-semi-private?af_code=E1DDN61
St. Peter’s Basilica Tour with Dome Climb and Papal Tombs (2 hours 30 minutes): https://livtours.com/tours/st-peters-basilica-tour-with-dome-climb-semi-private?af_code=E1DDN61
Best Sistine Chapel Early Morning Viewing Wednesday (3 hours): https://livtours.com/tours/sistine-chapel-early-morning-wednesdays-semi-private-tour?af_code=E1DDN61
Alone in the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums—EXCLUSIVE (2 hours 45 minutes): https://livtours.com/tours/alone-sistine-chapel-vatican-museums-exclusive-semi-private-tour?af_code=E1DDN61
VIP Key Master Experiences (2 hours): https://livtours.com/tours/vip-semi-private-vatican-key-master-experience-opening-the-sistine-chapel?af_code=E1DDN61
Cortile della Pigna at Vatican 
Raphael’s “School of Athens” in Vatican. The large man in the front who is writing represents Michelangelo. 
Laocoon statue 
Egyptian tablet 
Hall of Tapestries at Vatican 
Hall of Maps
Traveling soon? You will love our tour partners at LivTours, Tour Guy, and Viator. Check them out:
LivTours (semi-private/private tours): https://livtours.com?af_code=E1DDN61
TourGuy (small group/private tours): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1362329&u=4109975&m=89095&urllink=&afftrack=
Viator (small to medium size groups/private): https://www.viator.com/Italy/d57-ttd?sortType=external&pid=P00161535&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
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Disclosure: Roaming Historian may derive revenue from affiliate links and other sources, which helps offset the costs of bringing you the information we do. The blogs and reviews posted on this website are of our own opinion though.
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