• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Carbon Neutral

Tell your kids you're going on a fun treasure hunt while discovering the fascinating Vatican together as a family. I will share myths & stories in an interactive way that all of your family will love. Save the best for last: there are yummy treats at the end!

Destination

Rome, Italy

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano

Included

• Private guide
• snacks

Excluded

• Entrance tickets are not included in the price online. I can pre-book the tickets and you can pay me when we meet. Tickets Prices: Adult €21, kids €12.

What you can expect

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 Francesca Romana.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Vatican Museums - 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. Meet & Greet

   Mee me at the entrance of the Vatican Museum

4. Treasure Hunt!

   Discover the Vatican Museum on a fun treasure hunt with your family. Uncover secrets and find hidden symbols along the way

5. Amazing Ceilings

   Be amazed by the Sistine chapel and hear amazing stories behind this masterpiece

6. More Games!

   Find out more about the St. Peters Church in an interactive way

7. Sights & Prizes

   Enjoy the sights of Vatican city and get a cool prize!

8. 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.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

Kicki

26 February 2025

Francesca is a great and friendly guide! She is great with children, the treasure hunt was a hit!!! Thank you from GreeceVery niceeeee!!

Sydnie

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

Eric🇺🇸 United States

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

Melanie🇺🇸 United States

8 October 2024

Francesca was amazing!! She was so knowledgeable and such a nice person. She really paid attention to the needs of our group (ranging in ages 2-70 years old) and was able to truly customize our experience. We can’t wait to come back to Rome to see Francesca again!

Simon🇦🇺 Australia

31 August 2024

We had such a great experience on our Vatican tour with Francesca. She was very easy to deal with in the lead up and on the day it was really easy to find her among the crowds. The tour was fantastic. Francesca had amazing knowledge of all of the history of the Vatican and was great at engaging our 12 and 9 year old daughters throughout, as well as accommodating my 79 year old mother. She also knew all of the tricks to move through the galleries and avoid the queues! We would highly recommend her for future tours.Great experience

Mary🇦🇺 Australia

30 August 2024

Really enjoyed our tour of the Vatican. Very well planned a very informative. Francesca was friendly and took great care of us. Would thoroughly recommend her to anyone. Great with the kids. Great tour of the vatican

Roberta🇺🇸 United States

28 June 2024

Francesca guided us through the Vatican and was nothing short of extraordinary. Having used Withlocals on numerous trips, I can confidently say she is the best tour guide we've ever had. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable about the Vatican, but she also had a unique ability to keep our two sons, including our youngest who is autistic, fully engaged and comfortable throughout the tour. Her thoughtful approach and captivating explanations made the experience unforgettable. I highly recommend Francesca as a tour guide; she is truly exceptional.Francesca is Amazing

Sarah🇺🇸 United States

26 September 2023

Hands down, this was the perfect tour to do for our group. I was traveling with my 7 year old daughter and my 70+ year old parents and Francesca made everyone in the group a 100% priority. She found quiet places to talk in the extremely busy Vatican museums, making it easier to hear and less stressful. She pointed out small details and things that were of interest specifically to my daughter. She came with a gift for my daughter for completing the "quest" that was prepared ahead of time. She never made us feel rushed and always explained the process in full. She was respectful and knowledgeable about the history and details within the Vatican and truly took her time to make sure we understood what she was speaking about. It was a marvelous tour. The only reason for marking a 9 instead of a 10 was because of some unfortunate lack of communication pre-tour. There was a lot of information on social media that tickets were being impossible to obtain and our group was very concerned that a last minute cancellation would put us in a bind. Francesca didn't do anything to quell our fears about this and we waited (somewhat) patiently for information until 2 days prior to the tour...biting my nails for months between then and us making the booking. This aside, the tour was truly marvelous and the personal approach was VERY much noted and appreciated! Personable, friendly, and well informed!

Saju🇺🇸 United States

21 August 2023

Francesca was our guide for the Vatican museums. She was on-time and was great in explaining what we were seeing. She is great in engaging the kids.A great guide 😊

Ben🇺🇸 United States

14 June 2023

Francesca was fantastic! The Vatican Museum was absolutely packed the day we visited, and she did an excellent job finding calmer pockets around the museum to fill us in. She was great at engaging our kids (5 & 8) with a treasure hunt while also filling in the adults on the history and details of the museum’s highlights. A treasure pack for the kids afterward was greatly appreciated, as were her tips for other activities in St. Peter’s (papal tombs and the dome experience) where the tour ended. Would absolutely reccomend!

Selena🇨🇦 Canada

5 May 2023

What a day! We arrived early and Francesca was able to accommodate us. She completely customized our your day to fit in the Vatican and the Colosseum. And to our surprise added in a few more must sees and must eats. We were in Rome for the day for a cruise stop. Took the 7:44 train in and left in the train just after 5. Francesca was patience and so kind to me and my husband and our 2 kids 11 and 8. So happy she brought my vision to Rome alive. Provided so much knowledge and great conversation. Couldn't had done Rome without her. Great communication before tour. She will make your time in Rome amazing. An amazing day!

John🇺🇸 United States

19 February 2023

Francesca is a rare combination of very knowledgeable and a very engaging guide. She helped our kids (13, 11, 8) understand the complex history of the Vatican, St Peter’s, and all the attendant art and artifacts. We were very grateful for her patience and experience. Fantastic and engaging family experience!

Sveta🇺🇸 United States

14 February 2023

It is very tricky to make a 2 and a half hour tour of Vatican fun for a 7 and a 9 year old, while also making it interesting for adults, but Francesca absolutely nailed it. She was so thoughtful in how it was planned, she made a little scavenger hunt with prizes for kids and balanced learning with fun really well. Would definitely recommend.Fantastic day in Vatican with the family

Duncan🇬🇧 United Kingdom

18 January 2023

We toured the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Church with Francesca. She was great with the kids, and gave all of us some real history and details on everything. Highly recommend if this is what you're after.Great guide, very friendly & knowledgeable

Leeann 🇺🇸 United States

2 December 2022

Francesca was extremely knowledgeable and made the experience fun for all ages. The kids were immersed! She was kind and generous with her time. Do not hesitate to book your with walks experience with her! Thank you from Miami :) Lovely Experience

luly🇺🇸 United States

20 November 2022

Francesca was absolutely amazing! She was extremely personable and knowledgeable. She gave us an amazing tour of the Vatican and kept our children engaged and interested. It was an excellent experience and we highly recommend Francesca. Vatican

Keeley🇺🇸 United States

18 September 2022

On our first full day in Rome, after their first overseas overnight flight, we took our 8 & 10 year old boys to the Vatican. Francesca was so calm and patient with them! Understandably, they were overwhelmed and tired but Francesca made sure they were never bored. I personally learned so much and she presented it in the perfect, friendly format. We couldn’t imagine going to the Vatican without someone to help us navigate and point out all the treasures and she made it digestible for the kids. Highly recommend for young kids, which (by the way) we did not see many of while there!Patient, flexible and relatable

Renarta🇬🇧 United Kingdom

16 August 2022

It was a really good tour and we were shown places in the Vatican that we didn’t know existed. Communications really good. Children enjoyed it. Great experience

Sarah🇸🇬 Singapore

2 August 2022

We really enjoyed our tour and highly recommend Francesca. The tour was a great balance of pace and info for both adults and kids, and our daughter was engaged and actually enjoyed being in a museum. Francesca is a great guide - communication before the tour was clear and the meet up was easy. Best way to visit the Vatican with kids

Kindlee🇺🇸 United States

27 July 2022

Francesca was a joy for my family to spend the day with at the Vatican. I cannot say enough about how much we enjoyed ourselves. She explained the history of the Vatican very well. My two girls ages 5 and 7 had a blast completing the scavenger hunt. She was very patient and kind with them and definitely kept them entertained. The Vatican is amazing and having Francesca as our tour guide made it even better. If you are a family with young kids definitely pick Francesca as your tour guide! 🇮🇹😊Lovely time in Vatican. Would do it again

Julia🇺🇸 United States

14 July 2022

We had a great tour of the Vatican - made just for our family. The Vatican museum is an odd museum. You can only go in one direction and you do not get to backtrack. I knew that ahead of time, so I was ready for it. What I didn't realize was that the Vatican also decides on a daily basis what galleries are open, so it can be hard to always know what you will be seeing ahead of time. What was fantastic about our tour with Francesca is that she was ready for EVERYTHING! She came with our scavenger hunt that had clues for whatever we would encounter. So no matter whichever rooms we came to, we were ready for it! There are some main galleries that she had ready with some sculptures and artwork for our son to find. They were challenging enough to keep him interested and kept his interested. Then, we got to see an amazing collection of Etruscan art. While I had seen that in text books, it was so different to see it in real life. Then comes the walk to the Sistine Chapel during tourist season. Having a tour guide during all of this is so critical. First of all, having the tickets and having it all pre-planned really made everything so smooth and easy, but when things got crowded (and let's face it - it was summertime, it was crowded!), tour guides keep an eye out for each other. She was able to position us on the correct side of crowds to make things easier for us and our son, she knew how to move ahead or behind them to make things more breathable. We're seasoned travelers, so this would seem obvious. But this museum is totally unlike any museum I have ever encountered. I would not attempt this one without a guide! Then we got to the hall of maps. If the museum did not have the Sistine Chapel, this might have been my favorite room. It was glorious. Several more rooms skillfully guided and onto the star - the Sistine Chapel. She was able to find us our own little spot to stand to appreciate the magnificence and to take it all in. Our 8 year old was working through a book where he earned points for finding different things, but the scavenger hunt had different things to look for. He was busy inspecting artwork everywhere! I was worried that by that point he was going to be too tired, but he was thrilled to be recognizing all the things that we had been talking about. After that we went to the Basilica St Peters. Even though I had been there, my husband and son hadn't. Francesca brought us around to see so many interesting parts of the church and many things we would have missed on our own. The museum, the Sistine Chapel and St Peters are all places with so much art and so much to see, you simply cannot take it all in. If you add in trying to herd children with you and keep them going, it is difficult. Francesca made it easy and fun! Our son is still talking about the things he learned! Definitely worth having someone who understands the history behind the art explain it to you!Amazing scavenger hunt through the Vatican

Alisa🇺🇸 United States

22 June 2022

We had a wonderful Vatican tour. Francesca did a great job engaging all of us, especially my 7-year-old son. It was hot & crowded but she paced us well so that we saw, experienced & learned so much throughout the tour. She was knowledgeable, funny and personable. Wonderful Vatican tour

Paula🇺🇸 United States

17 June 2022

Chose Francesca to take us (a family of 6) on the Vatican tour. She was friendly and attentive especially to our 5 year old. Very knowledgeable on museum tour and St. Peter's.....Showed us all parts of the Vatican that we wanted to see. Thank you Francesca for a great tour!!!! Francesca is the best!!!

Sara🇺🇸 United States

8 June 2022

Francesca was wonderful to work with! She communicated clearly leading up to our tour and responded quickly to any questions that I had. Once we met up with her for the tour, she was able to provide interesting education for the adults while still keeping things fun and engaging for the kids. My kids especially enjoyed the scavenger hunt! I highly recommend taking a tour with Francesca!Great with kids!

2d5m5cvbtb🇩🇪 Germany

22 April 2022

Francesca was great. Extremely knowledgeable and experienced at the museum as well as navigating through the crowds. Kept our kids engaged which was no small feat. Fabulous

Christina🇺🇸 United States

3 April 2022

Francesca was really easy to work with from booking to planning and the actual tour. We felt very privileged to have a personal tour guide bc it gets very busy in the Vatican Museum. She is very knowledgeable about the Vatican and there’s a lot of information, but she gave basic info for all the different rooms and kept my little one engaged in a treasure hunt. She also knew all the different shortcuts bc I’m 6 months pregnant and my 5 year old didn’t want to walk through the whole thing or behind all the large groups or be in long lines. She knew how to make the trip more manageable. The Sistine Chapel was the grand finale and she taught it so well prior bc you can’t talk inside or take photos. Francesca is super friendly and we highly recommend her Knowledgable and Great with Kids

Jamie🇺🇸 United States

30 March 2022

Our family had an amazing tour of the Vatican and St. Peter’s square with Francesca. She was so sweet with our 7 and 9 year old and kept them entertained. We all learned so much. I highly recommend FrancescaVatican Tour

David🇮🇪 Ireland

25 March 2022

One of the best tours we have ever taken. Francesca was very knowledgable and answered all of our questions. We had the family on the tour include two children aged 8 & 10 and she entertained all of us. I would definitely book again on Withlocals.com.Excellent family walking tour of the Vatican

Michael🇬🇧 United Kingdom

18 February 2022

We had an amazing tour around the Vatican with our two families (three children 6, 7 and 9). Our guide was very knowledgeable and provided great explanations for the adults while keeping the children engaged with their treasure hunt. She kept their attention really well and they came back with lots of titbits about the Sistine Chapel, Michaelangelo and Rennaisance art. Would throughly recommend.Amazing experience in the Vatican

Kaspars🇬🇧 United Kingdom

5 February 2022

All was great, Francesca was awesome, kids were so exited. Thank you, we will definitely come back in spring!

David🇺🇸 United States

24 November 2021

Melissa🇩🇪 Germany

23 November 2021

Francesca was kind, engaging and great with our kids! Definitely would recommend her for families looking for someone who can entertain both kids and adults. Family guided tour

Martha🇺🇸 United States

2 September 2021

Francesca guided my family on an amazing tour of the Vatican. She customized our experience based on the needs of my family (boys ages 11&10yrs). She gave them a scavenger hunt that kept them engaged and looking around. Francesca found early morning tickets for us that allowed us to avoid crowds, so everything felt very personalized for us. Once in a lifetime opportunity, thanks to Francesca. She was patient and kind with my boys and my family, understanding we were a bit tired from our travels. Francesca spent extra with us and explained all of the amazing beauty that was all around us. Don’t hesitate to book with Francesca!Wonderful experience

Francisco🇺🇸 United States

10 August 2021

Francesca was s wonderful guide for our family. This was the first visit for our teenage kids, and we're glad we got her to bring the Basilica and Museum alive for them. Thank you, Francesca!!Vatican with Teenagers

Charlotte🇳🇱 Netherlands

24 July 2021

We had two separate trips with Francesca: The Vatican and Rome. Both trips she told interesting stories suited to our interests. She gave information on the touristic highlights but also the small things on the way. This way we could see The most well-known places in both cities, but also get more in-depth information and pieces of knowledge you would never get if you were on your own. We were also invited to tell her which things we wanted to see or perhaps skip, so the tours were really tailor made for us. She was also really sweet for our daughter and made sure she was included in the tours. Francesca had some special stories and activities for her and made her feel welcome and special. I can really recommend Francesca as your guide!Great guide with interesting stories!

Dina🇨🇭 Switzerland

13 July 2021

We are so happy to have met and been guided through the Vatican museums by Francesca. She took care of everything, including getting our tickets to skip the lines and came prepared with a scavenger hunt map to keep our 8 yr and 15yr old boys on the look out for key items in the museums. Francesca shared her wealth of knowledge on the history of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, all in a very engaging and kind manner. She was super patient with our questions and was careful to reignite the boys’ attention whenever they started to wane a bit (it was very hot that day!). We highly recommend Francesca as a tour guide and would certainly book her again the next time we are in Rome. We are so lucky to have learned so much! Thank you, Francesca! A wonderful tour of the Vatican!

elena.favetti🇮🇹 Italy

7 July 2021

Ho prenotato la visita ai Musei Vaticani per me e i miei nipoti di 9 e 12 anni e ho scelto Francesca Romana perché proponeva una caccia al tesoro per scoprire i tesori dei musei... è stata bravissima! È riuscita a fare una lezione di storia dell'arte attraverso i secoli stupenda e a tenere vivo l'interesse dei ragazzi con aneddoti e indovinelli, a stimolare il loro senso critico e le loro conoscenze in modo esemplare per ben 3 ore (e non è facile!). Sono rimasta molto soddisfatta di averla scelta e spero di ripetere l'esperienza per visitare altri monumenti con lei la prossima volta che sarò a Roma. un'esperienza fantastica!

Natalie🇨🇭 Switzerland

19 October 2020

I loved this tour of Ostia Antica. I supposed one has to love crumbling walls with lots of history to enjoy this huge archaeological site. However there are so many buildings that are almost fully intact! Francesca was very learned in the subject and was great at sharing such fascinating historical information with us. It was really quite astonishing to see the ways the Romans lived then. This site isn't far from Rome and is very easy to get to by train, just 30 minutes from Piramide station. Fascinating Tour Ostia Antica

Lindsey🇩🇪 Germany

1 October 2020

Francesca was truly wonderful! She really went above and beyond to keep our three daughters (ages 11, 8, 2) engaged, and was so thoughtful about our needs/concerns with bringing a toddler to the Vatican. Without hesitation if we return to Rome, Francesca will be our choice for any tour!Exceeded Our Expectations!!

Chris🇺🇸 United States

23 February 2020

Highly recommend Francesca. We did a tour with her, my wife, and my two toddlers(2 and 4). She was so good and patient with the kids and so helpful with helping us navigate with them. Very good with kids and knowledgable.

Melanie🇺🇸 United States

21 January 2020

Francesca was a wonderful guide. She is so knowledgeable! We were able to learn a lot in three hours, and asked her many questions. And she made it easy to navigate the Vatican without wasting any of the precious time we had there. We would love to see her again next time we're in Rome. Fantastic tour

Helen🇦🇺 Australia

10 December 2019

We had a wonderful experience and it’s certainly worthwhile taking a private tour with Francesca. She was very organised. Francesca purchased our Vatican museum and St Peter’s Basilica tickets in advanced. She was able to clearly communicate the detailed history to the whole family. We have 3 children and we were all engaged throughout the tour. The kids had worksheets to follow the treasure hunt and they received little treats at the end of the tour as a reward. Thank you Francesca. We will always remember our tour at the Vatican!! Grazie. Fantastic Francesca

Kevin 🇺🇸 United States

30 November 2019

Francesca was a great choice for our family wanting a tour of the Vatican in a limited amount of time. She was the perfect choice as a guide for families with kids! We have 3 kids ages 11, 5 and 2 and she did a wonderful job trying to engage all of them- and helping to calm our 2 year old down! Francesca was very knowledgeable about everything and we learned more than if we did a self-guided tour. The kids loved the prizes and treat at the end! A very patient, kind and understanding guide! Would book with her again if returning to Rome in the future! Thanks Francesca!Great Guide with LOTS of patience with kids!

Hadas🇺🇸 United States

27 November 2019

Francesca was very knowledgeable about the Vatican, was easy to connect with, and led a great tour!Great tour

Marjos🇳🇱 Netherlands

25 October 2019

Eldad🇮🇱 Israel

17 October 2019

We were a couple with a child, 12 years old. From the get go, Francesca was super friendly and attentive to our needs. She took us through the Vatican and even though it was packed to the brim, the tour was very enjoyable. Francesca is very knowledgeable, and her insights about the various parts of the Vatican and about specific art works were invaluable. We learned a lot! This was our second time in the Vatican, but this time cannot be compared to the first -- the tour with Francesca made all the difference in the world. On top of that, our kid was captivated and remained interested in the tour for the entire time, which is not an easy feat, especially with the language barrier - but Francesca kept him involved and he came out of the tour very excited and appreciative. We recommend Francesca to anyone who wants to enhance their experience in the Vatican - don't miss her tour!Amazing Vatican tour with Francesca

Sarah🇬🇧 United Kingdom

24 August 2019

A kid friendly treasure hunt around the Vatican. Complete with a prize! Francesca did an amazing job keeping the kids engaged and entertained whilst ensuring the adults learnt about this amazing place and got to see some spectacular sites. Vatican city treasure hunt!

Joe🇺🇸 United States

21 August 2019

Francesca was great! She really made the experience fun while also educational. She was great with our teenage daughter and helped us learn so much more than we would have on our own. Would strongly recommend her to anyone looking for a tour!Great family tour!

Mark🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 August 2019

This was our first experience with WithLocals, and wow, what a treat. Francesca was amazing. To start with, after flight delays and being late for the start of the tour my daughter left her bag in a taxi, luckily Francesca came to the rescue and tracked down the taxi (this was a day after the tour) and had the bag returned to our hotel. Francesca went so far beyond what could normally be expected that we were all quite stunned! The tour itself was fantastic, Francesca’s knowledge of all things Vatican, Rome, Roman and Michaelangelo was so impressive and made me realise what little I know. We were a tour of four adults and four kids (4,6,7 & 12) and Francesca pitched it at exactly the right level with enough for kids and adults alike. Based on this experience we will certainly be using WithLocals again and whenever in Rome will look for another tour with Francesca.What a treat!

Laura 🇺🇸 United States

29 July 2019

Francesca was amazing. She kept my 9 year old so engaged and loving every bit of the Vatican. She had so much knowledge! We loved her