Rome Tours
Skip the line: Private Tour Vatican Museums for kids and families
5

Skip the line: Private Tour Vatican Museums for kids and families

By Joy of Rome Tours
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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About

Ages 0-99
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Headsets to hear the guide clearly
  • Local guide
  • Professional art historian guide
  • Guides trained to work with kids and people of all the ages
  • Private tour
What's not included
  • Entrance tickets NOT included: 35€ per adult, 25€ per kid. Tickets have to be prepaid to JoyRome.
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
  • Entry/Admission - Vatican City


Start:
  • Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
    In front of Caffè Vaticano. Look for the guide with a "Joy of Rome" Sign
End:
  • Saint Peter's Square, Piazza San Pietro, 00120
    The tour will end in the porch of St. Peter's basilica so that you can visit the church at the end of the tour, skipping the lines for it.

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 21986P21

  • This tour is suitable for the all family but the best age for children to be involved is 5+
  • This tour is not available on Sunday, Jan 1st and 6th, May 1st, June 2, 28 and 29, Aug 15, Nov 1st, Dec 8, 24, 25 and 26,
  • Please note: **Admission Tickets are not included in the price of the tour. Please read under EXCLUSIONS before booking the tour**
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • The Vatican Museums are wheelchair accessible
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • dress code: cover knees and shoulders, no shorts are allowed, no short skirts no bare shoulders.
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

  • All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 21986P21

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Itinerary
  • Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
    In front of Caffè Vaticano. Look for the guide with a "Joy of Rome" Sign
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Piazza San Pietro, 00120
    The tour will end in the porch of St. Peter's basilica so that you can visit the church at the end of the tour, skipping the lines for it.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • Joy of Rome Tours
    1,271
    Rome, Lazio, Italy
    Joined in October 2013
  • 53SThomas
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Francesca is the best.
    Francesca was our guide and she was wonderful. My wife, son, and I spent 3 hours going through the coloseum and through the Palentine gardens, which is like a park. She was very informative and made history come alive. We were not rushed and we felt like we were walking with a friend and not part an actual tour.
    Written September 2, 2024
  • Carissa E
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour guide.
    Dario was a fantastic tour guide with a wide knowledge, flexibility and a great sense of humor. We had a wonderful four hour tour with him and learned a lot about the history and culture. We will definitely be back to discover more of the city with him in 2025
    Written August 30, 2024
  • Y8304WNkarend
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous!
    Dario was a fabulous tour guide! So knowledgeable and clearly has a passion for history, but he was also very personable and we felt comfortable and at ease with him right away. For the three months leading up to our trip, he was in regular communication with me, sending me tips and recommendations that would help us during our trip. On the tour, he went out of his way to send me places to visit at our next stop on the Almafi coast. He also took his time with us, even going over our agreed upon time a slot, which we really appreciated. We felt like friends visiting his city, rather than customers. Book with Dario and you’re sure to have a great experience. Ciao!
    Written June 12, 2024
  • Sightseer59704889918
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience exploring Ancient Rome
    Our group of 4 (Mom, Mother-in-law and two teenage girls) did the walking tour of Ancient Rome which included the Pantheon, Forum and Colosseum. Our guide, Dario, was fantastic - very insightful and helpful in bringing these ancient places to life. He was knowledgeable about the sites, with pictures and descriptions to show how they looked two thousand years ago. He was also able to answer all of our extra questions about culture of those times and curiousities about present day Rome. In addition to his professionalism, he was incredibly patient and accommodating of our group and our need to rest with my elderly MiL’s injured back. It made the tour enjoyable for everyone. My family highly recommends investing in tours with local and knowledgeable guides and we think Joy of Rome has the best!
    Written June 10, 2024
  • Janisdl
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family visit if Rome
    Taking guided tours with Joy of Rome during 2 full days was an excellent decision. We enjoyed and learned so much more than going our own way. Francesca and Dario were so knowledgeable, interesting and friendly that we enjoyed every minute of our tours. Thank you so much for an exceptional service!!
    Written June 4, 2024
  • F7384CVtaylorc
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic experience with kids in the Colosseum
    We had a phenomenal experience with Maria, our Colosseum guide from Joy of Rome. She was friendly and engaging from the first moments, taking special interest in our son (10 years) and daughter (8 years). She whisked us right to the front of the line and helped us negotiate the ticket-taking and ID check process. Once inside, she knew the Colosseum comprehensively, stopping to point out interesting facts and details. She was constantly asking questions of the kids and getting them to use their imaginations, explaining Roman history in a way that was appropriate for them. An impromptu bathroom break was no problem, and we resumed our tour. Maria had a bag full of activities to match the several exhibits she showed us, which the kids enjoyed completing. Maria also knew some of the best spots for views and photos, allowing us breaks to take snapshots. Keeping the kids' attention for 2+ hours is not easy, yet Maria was able to do it through her thoughtful questions and friendly nature. Easily the best tour guide we've ever had, anywhere. Her help with the logistics (tickets/lines) alone would have made the cost worth it; we got so much more out of the experience, for which we are very grateful. Also worth noting that Alexandra from Joy of Rome, with whom we corresponded before and after the visit, was extremely helpful and provided all the details we needed before our arrival. Can't say enough good things about Joy of Rome generally, and Maria specifically. We've enthusiastically recommended Joy of Rome to all our friends with kids who are considering taking kids to Rome. Our 2 hours with Maria were the highlight of our vacation!
    Written April 7, 2024
  • beverlyunited
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Coliseum tour with Dario
    Dario was fantastic. He was thorough, personable and professional. I would recommend this company and use them again!!!!
    Written April 1, 2024
  • JenK105
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A brilliant museum
    So enjoyed our few hours in the Capitoline Museum, we purchased our tickets at the door only queued for a few minutes. Definitely worth a visit, a huge amount to see and very spacious. There is an incredible vista from the lower level, we spent 10mins complete alone taking beautiful photos of the city. Perfect
    Written March 4, 2024
  • Z5655NWandrewd
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    You must visit this museum!
    I couldn't find a page for the official museums so i'll review here even if I don't know Joy of Rome Tours (i'm sure you are wonderful). For me, this museum was the best place I visited in Rome. Incredible artefacts from ancient Rome can be found inside and it's not so busy either.
    Written February 28, 2024
  • Kelly G
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Personal tours are the way to go!
    My friends and I had an excellent tour of the Franciscan Crypts and the Catacombs with Marco. We highly recommend Joy of Rome and guides, Francesca, Marco and Grace. I met Francesca in 2015 and enjoyed the tours so much, I booked them again for my recent trip in October. Grace was our guide for the Colosseum and the Forum. The guides are so knowledgeable and have a great sense of humor. These tours were the best part of our trip….and that is saying something! Everything is amazing in Italy!! Thank you, Joy of Rome!!
    Written January 13, 2024
  • Ami D
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Second Amazing Experience with Fracesca
    This is the second time Francesca has been our guide at The Vatican. The first time was in 2017 for just my husband and me. This time we brought our niece and her roommate and Francesca did not disappoint. She is phenomenal! Her love of the Vatican, the art, and Rome shines through. She is able to bring everything to life and make it real with her stories and knowledge. We sought out Joy of Rome and Francesca this time because our first experience was so amazing. Since she was our guide in 2017, we have done a great deal of traveling all over the world and we compare every tour guide to Francesca. It is actually a conversion we have after every tour. "Was this one as good as Francesca?" No one has come close. Thank you, Francesca! This is a picture of my husband and me with Francesca in 2017 and again this year. She hasn't aged a bit!
    Written December 19, 2023
  • 272juliusb
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent museum and guide!
    Amazing tour! Excellent guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Her passion for the museum made it even more interesting and exciting. We will remember her and the museum fondly. If you like to hear the history of art and artifacts as you view them, this is the tour and tour for you.
    Written October 22, 2023
  • DallasTravelingmom
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must see in Rome
    What a wonderful museum! The Borghese Gallery is unique for its history and we would have missed so much if we hadn't one with Ilaria from Joy of Rome. She clearly adores the Gallery and knows so much. She was the perfect guide and seeing the museum was such a treat. Timed entry is very important as they limit the number of visitors very strictly and you have to check all your purses (so I didn't take one). A must see!!
    Written October 4, 2023
  • DallasTravelingmom
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful tour off the beaten path
    Wonderful tour! Ilaria was our tour guide -- in fact she was our guide for 3 Joy of Rome tours -- and she was wonderful. Very knowledgeable. English was great. This tour was wonderful because it was off the beaten path without 1000s of tourists, but yet it was easy to get to and taught us something new. We highly recommend!!
    Written October 4, 2023
  • Goannac
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome Trastevere & surrounds food tour
    Awesome food tour with Dario! We loved the integration of food, history and culture shared through Dario’s great storytelling and humour! Totally recommend this tour
    Written September 24, 2023
See all 1,271 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles24 reviews
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Trottier
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
Our guide Francesca did a wonderful job taking us around the Vatican Museums. She made the tour enjoyable and educational (but just the right amount of educational or our kids (age 9 and 12) most certainly would have complained). We were very happy to have Francesca lead us on the private tour given how crowded the Vatican Museums are; otherwise, it might have felt overwhelming for the kids. We did a few different family-oriented private tours during our trip with other guides and Francesca was definitely the kids' favourite.
Written June 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gary H
Singapore, Singapore105 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We did 2 tours with Serena on the same day for our family of 4( 6y and 8y old boys) , visiting Colosseum in the morning and Vatican in the afternoon.
Serena was perfecto for the kids with the right energy and tempo to engage our kids on a day in which we had light rain in Rome. The clever use of ipad visuals enable us ( and the kids) to visualise Ancient Rome and have a better sense of what it felt like centuries ago.
Thank you!
Written December 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Danielle V
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
I took the Vatican by Night Tour in August 2023 with my two sons, aged 19 and 22. Laura was our wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide for the evening. The tour was perfectly paced, Laura stopping for extra attention in the pieces we found most interesting. The evening tour was special with fewer crowding and a more enjoyable pace and visit. I highly recommend Joy of Rome and will use them for our next visit!
Written August 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brittany B
15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Our amazing tour guide was Francesca. Her ability to articulate what we were seeing and why it was important kept us two adults, two teens, and 10 year old engaged in the whole tour. This was not a tour it was an experience. In fact, this is a MUST do experience if you are going to Vatican City!
Written October 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Grace R
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Family
This was the best tour we had in Italy! Grace was an amazing guide, so knowledgeable and helpful. The Vatican is so big and overwhelming but she made it enjoyable for our entire group ages 24-85. I can't recommend enough! SO worth it to have a private guide - no waiting in lines. Especially great because we were short on time in Rome. Thank you Grace and Joy of Rome!!
Written October 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TammyLynnKY
Cincinnati, OH16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Such a fabulous tour. Excellent way to hear about the Vatican and skip very long lines . Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. Marta really knows her business and we highly recommend this professional service
Written May 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Heather M
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
We did the Vatican tour and the Colosseum tour with Francesca! She was amazing with our two boys aged 9 and 12. They both said her tours were their favorite part of our trip. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Highly recommend to anyone in Rome with kids.
Written November 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jane H
20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Family
We had seen the Vatican before with a typical Viator group tour, and frankly, were left disappointed, having been cattled and bored with random trivia for three hours. Arianna and Joy of Rome was a huge breath of fresh air! Our kids were so engaged with the history behind the art. We felt well taken care of. No annoying earphones. We learned about everything at our own pace. And our guide, Arianna was a natural teacher, so thoughtful and sweet to the whole family. Grazie mille to Joy of Rome!!
Written April 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

@cosgriff
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Family
Our Joy of Rome Vatican tour with Marta couldn’t have been better. She is extremely knowledgeable and conscientious. Our sixteen year old daughter appreciated her approachability and level of engagement. We had an Ancient Rome tour the day before and a tour of St. Peter’s tomb later in the day. Marta gave us the overview and detailed knowledge we needed to enjoy and engage in the rest of our visit and look forward to future trips back to Italy.
Written July 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jane S
Hartford, CT7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Family
Allessandra was amazing. On a hot day with a huge crowd, she navigated us through the museum and educated us along the way. She was delightful and knowledgable. My kids (13, 12, and 10) enjoyed her as well.

Joy of Rome is a gem.
Written July 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Skip the line: Private Tour Vatican Museums for kids and families provided by Joy of Rome Tours

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