Vatican City: Exclusive Half-Day Guided Tour with Breakfast and Gardens

You’ll enjoy a unique experience while all is still silent and the throngs of tourists have yet to arrive. Walk through the Vatican corridors hearing only your footsteps, and savor a rich American breakfast buffet in the Vatican Cafeteria, with everything from croissants to muffins, egg to pancakes, fresh fruit to jam, and cereal to cookies. Enjoy both espresso and American coffee, or fresh juice or other cold and hot beverages. After breakfast, you’ll hop on to a shaded open-air private bus, riding through the hidden parts of Vatican State, just recently opened to the public, namely its gardens. Your guide will entertain you with historical anecdotes and intriguing facts. See the Vatican railway station, the giant Year-2000 Jubilee bell, the stunning meditation gardens in use by popes since 1279, and the Pope’s private heliport. This 45-minute journey through the Vatican State's green areas will pique your curiosity for the rest of the beauty, mystery and history within the Museum walls. Housing irreplaceable art and religious artifacts, your guide will host you on a 3-hour tour through time. Knowing your vacation time is as priceless as these masterpieces, we’ve tailored our route to the best the Museum has to offer, giving you the highlights you’ve been longing to see.

Time-honored tapestries, precious relics, ancient sculptures, the galleries seem to stretch on longer than time itself. Behold the Raphael Rooms and the famous characters modeled in his 'School of Athens'. Stand before the Sistine Chapel and marvel at Michelangelo’s mastery. Learn how these fabulous frescoes were made and be entertained as your guide points out the private jokes painted into them, as well as the painful punishments Michelangelo painted for his enemies and the secret personal message he left for the Pope. The tour ends at St. Peter’s Basilica, where you are treated to the masterpieces inside. The world-renowned altar, Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta,’ not to mention the Basilica itself with its impressive dome.

Benefit from a small, intimate group of no more than 25 people with unparalleled early access and an unforgettable experience of the Vatican Museums and Gardens.