• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Carbon Neutral

Get ready for an exciting adventure through the Vatican Museums! Join your local guide for a 2-hour family-friendly tour filled with fascinating stories, stunning artwork, and plenty of fun surprises. From the famous Sistine Chapel to the colorful Gallery of Maps, discover the magic of the Vatican in a way that's perfect for kids and adults alike. Skip the crowds, leave the audio guides behind, and explore these iconic treasures with your own personal guide!

Destination

Rome, Italy

Category

Skip The Line Tours

Duration

2 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

Español, Italiano, English, Deutsch

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance tickets are not included and need to be paid in cash directly to the host
• Note: Tickets will be purchased by your host in advance and a list of all participants with full names and ages is required at the time of booking.

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 3 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at in front of Cafe Vaticano, Viale Vaticano 100 - Rome to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Inside the Vatican Museums

   Explore the Vatican Museums with your friendly guide, discovering highlights like the Gallery of Maps and the Sistine Chapel. Enjoy fun stories and answers to all your questions as you explore together!

4. Keep Exploring

   After the time with your host is over, you can either stay inside the attraction and keep exploring by yourself or say goodbye outside the attraction where your host will point out other spots to explore in Rome

5. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Micheal🇺🇸 United States

(About local Francesca Romana)

10 September 2025

We had an incredible tour in Rome with Francesca as our guide. The day began at the Vatican Museums with a tour of the Vatican Gardens, which gave us a wonderful overview of Vatican history before we moved on to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Throughout the day, Francesca shared fascinating details and pointed out many unusual and interesting aspects we would have otherwise missed. Her insight and deep historical knowledge made the experience unforgettable. From there, we continued on to the Colosseum and finished at the Roman Forum. The entire day was filled with captivating facts and stories that brought the history of Rome to life. Francesca’s expertise, enthusiasm, and ability to make every stop engaging truly set this tour apart. She is highly recommended!Franseaca brings Rome to life!

Jan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Francesca Romana)

4 September 2025

Francesca was a great guide—very knowledgeable, flexible, and congenial. We have been to Rome a number of times but wanted to figure out where we were in relationship to our hotel. As we visited many city center cites she would tell us how to get back to our hotel. I must say this was very valuable information. Getting oriented in Rome

Keith

(About local Emanuele)

3 September 2025

Exploring Rome with Emanuele felt effortless and engaging—every story was packed with history and insight, but shared in such a personable and down-to-earth way that the hours disappeared. Their kindness and warmth made us feel instantly at ease, and the balance of knowledge, humor, and local tips made the city come alive in a way we’ll remember.Found a Roman Friend

Anthony🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emanuele)

26 August 2025

Emanuele was such a wonderful host and guide—spending time with him honestly felt more like hanging out with a local friend than being on a tour. He even sent me the exact meeting spot with photos ahead of time (so even I couldn’t get lost 😅) He showed me some really fun spots, like the gelato stand where the Obamas once stopped (yes, that famous one!). We stopped in and had some ourselves. Along the way, he shared stories and explained little details—like why the statues in the fountains look so crisp and white—that really brought Rome to life. Where the Embassies were and where Julias Caesar was assassinated. I’d reached out before the tour to let him know I have celiac disease, and he went above and beyond: sending me a list of gluten-free resources and even checking in the next day to see if I had questions. That kind of thoughtfulness meant a lot. What I loved most is that he’s truly local to Rome! He knows the side streets, the history, and all the stories that make the city so special. The whole experience was relaxed, personal, and genuinely enjoyable. Highly recommend!Gelato + Kindness = Better Than a Tour!

Michelle🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

26 August 2025

My daughter and I enjoyed a day in Vatican City with the best tour guide. She was kind, patient, and had a wealth of information to share with us. Would def recommend Eleonora. Eleonora is the best!

Lorena🇺🇸 United States

(About local Francesca Romana)

10 August 2025

1

Francesca gave us a great tour of the Coliseum. She provided historical information without being boring for my teens! We really enjoyed her tour. Thank you!Great tour of the Coliseum

Randi🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

2 August 2025

We had a great tour! She was easy to meet and had it all planned out. Even with the crowds we were able to move through the Colosseum with ease. Very knowledgeable and extremely pleasant. And she took great photos of us! Highly recommend. Great Tour!

Mike🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yanira)

1 August 2025

Yanira had been referred to us by a friend who had taken a tour with her so we knew the tour would be great. The tour was so good she took time before we got into spaces where talking was not allowed to give the history, insight, and humorous back stories. You can spend days in the Vatican but our schedule (and a 15 yo) only allowed a couple hours and it was the perfect. Yanira was able to show us spaces and cut through busy areas to allow us to maximize our time and also gave us tips for things to do after our tour in the Vatican and in Rome. So grateful we were able to spend some time with Yanira and hope to do another tour with her soon.VIP vatican tour

valerie🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Eleonora)

27 July 2025

We were lucky to have Eleonora as our guide during our visit to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and she truly made the experience unforgettable. Her passion, and engaging storytelling brought the ancient ruins vividly to life — for both us and our teenagers. She struck the perfect balance between historical depth, fun facts, and interactive moments. It never felt like a lecture — more like a fascinating journey through time. Thanks to Eleonora, we didn’t just see the monuments, we understood the stories behind them. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to experience the true heart of ancient Rome!

Elizabeth🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Francesca Romana)

24 July 2025

My whole family had a wonderful time with Francesca . She was very kind , flexible and very knowledgeable about the tour that she gave us . We had a great experience. Thank you Good experience

Sara

(About local Yanira)

21 July 2025

Yanira was an absolutely fantastic guide! She brought the Vatican and Sistine Chapel to life with her knowledge, energy, and warmth. What really stood out was how engaged she was with the kids—she even created a fun scavenger hunt to keep them interested throughout the tour. We all learned so much and had a great time. Highly recommend her for families!Shes amazing with kids!

Patty🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

20 July 2025

Eleonora was an amazing tour guide for our family of five, which included our three children, now young adults. Not having been to the Vatican before, we were so grateful for her knowledge. She had the perfect personality to keep all of us engaged and interested. She covered a lot of information and territory within our 2+ hour tour. Given the volume of crowds, a private tour is definitely the best way to see the Vatican. We highly recommend Eleonora as your private guide!Excellent Private Tour of the Vatican

Venetia🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Francesca Romana)

6 July 2025

Francesca was a great guide. Her knowledge and passion about art shines through. There is so much history and Francesca communicated these beautifully. The tour was enjoyed by us all ( including the kids!) Informative tour of Vatican.

Michelle

(About local Francesca Romana)

4 July 2025

We enjoyed oud visit with Francesca very much. She helped us perfectly to the museum, with attention to the beautifull details. Wish we could have spent a whole day at the museum with her. Super nice visit to the vatican musea

Sheree🇿🇦 South Africa

(About local Yanira)

3 July 2025

What a fun morning. Yanira kept our whole family entertained and informed. We had a large tour party of 11, including grandparents to grandchilren. Children enjoyed the treasure hunt very much. Don’t hesitate to book with Yanira- you won’t be disappointedFun filled tour with Yanira

Cathy

(About local Francesca Romana)

29 June 2025

Francesca is a wonderful guide sharing so much knowledge of the Vatican museums. She recommended we do the tour late in day to avoid the big crowds and the heat which worked very well on a very hot day. She’s very friendly and shares her passion and knowledge in a very engaging way. I highly recommend Francesca. Vatican tour

Angelica🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Eleonora)

27 June 2025

A wonderful and informative experience, despite a very hot day this was a smooth journey through stories and incredible scenery. a very knowledgeable guide who could easily relate to the present and the past, find connections between human behavior and the collecting habits of men with great power and wealth, and could tell us about the buildings, the landscapes and the incredible art treasure that exists. we left the vatican extremely happy with the visit and the experience. thank youWonderful and informative experience

sara🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Yanira)

26 June 2025

Fue una gran guía y muy simpática. Lo hizo en español y en inglés, sin problemas. Muy profesional tanto en cuanto al contenido como en cuanto a las formas. Muy empatía con todos. Excelente. Si volvemos la volveremos a pedir que nos acompañe. Fantastica guia y muy simpatica

Bob🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

22 June 2025

I would highly recommend Eleonora if you want to do a private tour of the Vatican/Sistine Chapel. This was the first time at the Vatican for our 18 and 20 year old granddaughters and Eleonora struck the perfect balance of providing interesting info about the most important features of the Vatican museum and Sistine chapel without getting bogged down on any one subject. Even though my wife and I have been to the Vatican several times, Eleonora made it interesting for us as well. She also did a great job of maneuvering our little group through the throngs of tourists. To top it off, Eleonora has a great personality.Best Tour of the Vatican and St Peters

Dan

(About local Eleonora)

12 June 2025

First day in Italy, just off the plane, 4 adults and 3 small children. If this first family adventure was to be a success we had to do a Coliseum tour that first day... Eleonora made it happen and with her having an architectural background and with what appeared to be a Nanny's understanding of small children the experience couldn't have been any better. She read her audience (us) recognized what we had just endured and made our first visit of the trip a memorable experience. I will always seek out when traveling "with locals" for that personal feel, friendliness, understanding and on hand to provide quick suggestions for any other assistance you may be in need of. Thank you so much Eleonora for such a wonderful experience. DanEleonora is the best!

Richard

(About local Yanira)

11 June 2025

My Girlfriend and I had the pleasure of being shown around the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Tiber Island and Trastevere for four hours with the lovely Yanira. She was punctual, very warm and friendly, extremely knowledgeable and took a mean picture! We could not recommend her enough and she rounded off our trip to the Eternal City in style! Richard & HelenBest 4 hours in Rome!

Richard🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yanira)

8 June 2025

Yanira gave our family of 6 a wonderful tour of the colosseum. Balanced with knowledge, humor, and patience. Her communication before the tour was excellent and prompt, and she was generous with recommendations beyond our tour. Her suggestions led us to many great experiences throughout the city. Our kids ranged in age from 17 to 8 and she held all their attention. Even brought visual Aides to supplement tour information. Wonerful Guide

margit.wech

(About local Eleonora)

5 June 2025

Wir hatten eine fantastische Führung mit Eleonora. Sie ist wunderbar altersgerecht und geduldig auf die Fragen unseres 8jährigen Sohnes eingegangen und hat es gleichzeitig geschafft, die Tour auch für uns Erwachsene zu einem Erlebnis zu machen. Ganz herzlichen Dank aus Österreich!Großartig - vor allem mit Kind!

Nathan

(About local Emanuele)

30 May 2025

Our private food tour of Rome with Emanuele was wonderful. Our guide was extremely friendly and informative. It was not only a food tasting tour it was also a historical tour. We got to see many of the Rome sights and eat along the way. Highly recommend Emanuele and WithLocals group. This was great way to start our visit to Rome after a long flight.The 10 Tastings of Rome

Debra🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

26 May 2025

Eleonora is hands down the best tour guide you will ever have! She is a local that is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and has such a wonderful pleasant manner. I wish all my tours were booked with her! You won’t be disappointed she is the absolute best and worth every penny! Thank you Eleonora for a wonderful tour to the Vatican museum, Debra & family ❤️Excellent tour with a local expert!

Jerry🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

19 May 2025

It was a delight for us to spend time with Eleonora on our food tour. We had some amazing food and tasted some items never experienced that were delicious And of course to top off the night some amazing gelato😊 Eleonora is fun, informative annd a pleasure to be with. We had a terrific time walking around and taking in the sights and tastings of Rome!! Delicious

Uwe

(About local Eleonora)

17 May 2025

Eleonora ist eine positive, sehr empathische junge Frau mit exzellentem Wissen und besten Deutschkenntnissen. Sie hat uns eine sehr lebendige, anschauliche private Tour für 2 Personen gegeben. Sie ist exakt auf unsere Wünsche eingegangen und wir konnten uns aufgrund ihrer Erklärungen und Hintergrundinformationen ein tolles Bild von allem Gesehenen machen. Wirklich sehr empfehlenswert! a very polite and empathetic young lady with excellant know how who has given us a very vivid and well personalised private tourgreat!!! einfach toll

Brayden

(About local Francesca Romana)

9 May 2025

Francesca is an amazing tour guide! We loved our time at the Vatican with her, and the effort she put in to make our experience memorable. Francesca is very knowledgeable about Rome & its history. It was wonderful getting to know her, and I would recommend her to anyone! Wonderful Vatican Experience

Steve🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Francesca Romana)

7 May 2025

Fantastic tour of what would otherwise be a very difficult place to navigate. Francesca took the time to explain the background to what we were seeing, as well as linking it in to the current Conclave preparations. Communication was excellent, particularly around the changes required as a result of the passing of the current pope. She was also very flexible, ensuring that we got great value for money despite some of the Vatican imposed restrictions. Francesca was very friendly and approachable, making sure we were happy to ask questions and understood what we were seeing. She also made a great effort to accommodate the reduced mobility of my elderly mum, which was really appreciated. Highly recommended.Outstanding tour

Bobbie

(About local Francesca Romana)

1 May 2025

Francesca was a godsend! She is extremely knowledgeable! Beyond her knowledge, she is a wonderful person. She patiently answered all of my questions in the months leading up to my trip. She helped us secure a fantastic driver. She was extremely patient with us and our elderly mother. She even helped me secure tickets to Easter Mass to be blessed by Pope Francis. There are not enough kind words nor enough stars in the sky to give her! She is the perfect guide.I cannot give her enough stars!

Ken

(About local Francesca Romana)

1 May 2025

Francesca was a great guide for Vatican Museum and St Peter. Everything was arranged and very convenient so we skipped all the lines. Her knowledge was very impressiveExcellent Knowledge

eric🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Francesca Romana)

26 April 2025

A wonderful walk and talk thru Ostia Antica. Francesca brings a fresh perspective to an enjoyable stroll thru the antique cityOld stones and new ideas

Clayton

(About local Eleonora)

16 April 2025

Our driver Stefano Piersigilli was absolutely fabulous, and because of his expertise, great personality and fluency in English we would use this service again, and always recommend it.A Great Experience

r9z9rrygfn

(About local Eleonora)

15 April 2025

Super nette , kompetente und sympathische Führung. Wir haben die Zeit sehr genossen und konnten viele interessante neue Eindrücke gewinnen. Die Informationen waren nie trocken und wir haben uns stets gut unterhalten gefühlt. Wir können Eleonora zu 100% weiterempfehlen.Top Ereignis

Kimberly🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

11 April 2025

Eleonora was fantastic! She was so knowledgable and very accommodating to my 7 year old answering all his questions and making it fun for him. We never could have made it through everything with her. Highly recommend! Couldnt have made it through without her!

Susan

(About local Francesca Romana)

30 March 2025

We had a wonderful few hours with Francesca at this amazing place. Francesca made the history come alive as we walked through the ancient port town, and we learned a lot about what the people’s daily lives there were like. A beautiful place with a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide - thank you, Francesca!Fabulous tour at Ostea Antica

Lana

(About local Francesca Romana)

24 March 2025

Francesca was Awesome!! We were running a little late due to traffic and we still made the garden tour. She was very accommodating to our needs, personable and knowledgeable. I highly recommend any tour with Francesca. Great tour of the Vatican

Jane🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Eleonora)

18 March 2025

Eleanor was just fantastic. She brings such energy and enthusiasm to the day. I'd highly recommend using With Locals and getting Eleonora if you can.Colosseum tour

Mirka🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Yanira)

26 February 2025

We had a Colosseum tour with Yanira and we couldn’t wish for a better guide. Yanira is very friendly, extremly knowledgeable, she explains the history facts in the best possible and un a such interesting way. Do not hesitate to book her for your memorable Rome tours. We wished we had booked more tours with her. Yanira is your best guide in Rome

Sydnie

(About local Francesca Romana)

18 February 2025

My family and I spent the morning touring with Francesca which would become one of our best experiences in Rome. As a family who had visited Rome multiple times, I was pleasantly surprised at the level of professionalism and commitment to our tour. I/we highly recommend Francesca for all things Vatican. Ciao! No regrets

Fosca

(About local Eleonora)

7 January 2025

I was just in Rome with my daughter and nephew and booked a guided visit of Ancient Rome in English with Eleonora. The tour went above and beyond my expectations. Eleonora was knowledgeable, fun and perfect for our little group: a college student majoring in history, a high schooler with a keen interest in the classics and history, and me, a lifelong learner. Eleonora led us expertly through the ruins, alternating intriguing stories with hard facts giving us a solid foundation and understanding of life in Rome in the past, through the centuries, and up to the present day. The three of us absolutely loved our time with Eleonora and learned a great deal from her and our tour. I cannot recommend her highly enough! Book a tour with wonderful Eleonora!

elizabeth🇺🇸 United States

(About local Francesca Romana)

4 January 2025

My family and I loved spending the day with Francesca touring the Vatican Museums, seeing the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s. Francesca made everything so easy amidst the insane crowds of people - we felt safe and special in her care. She knew exactly how to engage our three 13 year olds with fun challenges and her wonderful knowledge of the art and artists, history and lore. Francesca felt like a friend from the start. I would recommend her as a guide to anyone - she is truly a delight. Amazing Day with Francesca

Eric🇺🇸 United States

(About local Francesca Romana)

2 January 2025

We had a fantastic tour with Francesca. Our 2nd time at the vatican and getting a guided tour was definitely worth it. We learned so much more. Francesca did a wonderful job of engaging with our 10 and 5 yr old daughters to keep them interested in all of the different subjects. They had fun with the treasure hunt and they said they had so much fun. Highly recommend!Our girls love Francesca

Cody🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yanira)

24 December 2024

Yanira was extremely knowledgeable and made the experience at the colosseum very enjoyable. She was very easy to talk to you and made sure you could understand and hear her during the tour! I would recommend her for anyone looking for a VIP tour with someone who knows it all! Amazing

Brenda🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Francesca Romana)

24 December 2024

Very knowledgeable. Extremely pleasant, warm and considerate guide. Francesca went above and beyond -- and so we highly recommend her.Outstanding guide

Ruth🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Yanira)

18 December 2024

Rome is historic and can be daunting to explore/ discover. But Yanira made it so easy and she brought the Roman history to life! She was also patient with my children - which is a plus point, especially in winter! Pre-tour, she followed up and explained the necessary documents and details we'd need to provide. Because Yanira has an art history background, she gave us great insights as we toured the Vatican museum, and before, background upon seeing the monuments which were undergoing restoration ahead of the Rome Jubilee. ## Do note that the queues to the sites, the security checks etc are all mandatory and as a tour guide, she has to prep everyone in the group. Also, note that tickets to the Vatican/ Basilica are timed and you shouldn't miss those timings to have the maximum time allotted inside. Our tour was on a Wednesday and she customised it so we could still visit all the sites, even with the Pope's papal audience. We managed to get pastries, gelato and even pizza along the way and ended at St Peter's Basilica. What a lovely way to spend a morning! Lovely walk with a local History Expert!

Migel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Francesca Romana)

15 December 2024

Francesca was super knowledgeable had perfect English and most importantly for us, went out of her way to personalize the tour. Unforgettable experience!! Thanks again Francesca. Amazing experience!

Lucija

(About local Eleonora)

13 December 2024

We loved it!

Rheda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Eleonora)

11 December 2024

Eleonora was a great tour guide and this was a perfect tour for use to take just hours after arriving in Rome. Plenty of food was included and she provided us with the name / address of a place to try porchetta. Food tour with an architect.

Kevin

(About local Francesca Romana)

29 November 2024

Francesca was so knowledgeable. We learned so much. She was kind and patient with us as steps can be a challenge. I would highly recommend her to anyone that wants to learn so much background on the Vatican. Great tour