Rome: Sistine Chapel, Vatican & St. Peters Private Tour

It will reveal to you some of the greatest treasures found within the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, and St.

Peter's Basilica with a learned guide marveling at Michelangelo and Raphael Masterpieces while in one of the greatest collections of art around the globe.

It holds more importance to sit and ponder on the ceiling; most travelers are rushed through one of the most important masterpieces.

Your guide will explain some secrets about these works that went into their details.

Next to the Sistine Chapel are the suite of private papal apartments called the Raphael Rooms, beautifully decorated with some of Raphael’s greatest works, such as his famous ‘School of Athens’ - a group portrait of the most celebrated ancient philosophers.

As you walk through these rooms your guide will explain what prompted the choice of a young painter from Urbino for such an illustrious commission, a commission that was much sought after and envied.

They are also extremely interesting for their insight into the life of the papal court and demonstrate Renaissance interest in the classical world.

The Raphael Rooms are often bypassed by visitors eager to reach the Sistine Chapel but deserve a slower and more thoughtful visit; your guide will make sure you have enough time to enjoy Raphael’s masterpieces at your own pace.

The visit to the Vatican Museums offers a unique opportunity to explore one of the greatest art collections in the world.

An art historian guide will help put into perspective these ancient works that are key to understanding Roman art and its place within the entire history of art.

Walking through such famous spaces as the Gallery of Maps, Pinecone Courtyard, and Belvedere Courtyard is more than impressive; it amounts to fully immersing oneself in over 2,000 years of artistic achievement.

While seeing all of the holdings within Vatican City's massive collection is impossible, your private tour of the Vatican Museums will allow you to maximize your stay by seeing not only some requisite highlights but also a number of treasures that are off-the-beaten-path.

You will exit the chapel through a passage that leads you directly to St.

Peter's Basilica-a front-door, no-line entry, indeed! As you walk inside the marvelous and gigantic basilica of St.

Peter's, listen to your guide share with genuine interest in putting together a narrative that frames this magnificent place within the larger history of Christianity from its humble origin as a mere burial ground to its transformation today into such splendor and grandeur on the world stage.