Early Access To Vatican Museums Before Morning Opening - Rome

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Tour Information

Key Details

  • Mobile Voucher Accepted
  • Free Cancellation
  • Duration: 4 Hrs
  • Language:
    English
  • Departure Time :
    7:20 AM
  • Departure Details :
    Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
  • Return Details :
    The Guided tour ends in St. Peter's Square
  • Cancellation Policy :
    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Overview

Here is your chance to be a real VIP while visiting the Sistine chapel. When you don’t want to be disturbed by the crowd and admire this artistic masterpiece in absolute peace, this tour is perfect for you! It comes with a professional art history expert or with an audioguide for a self-guided tour. VIP entry means privileged access to the Sistine Chapel through a special door before any other groups and before the general public. After the Sistine chapel, you will head off to explore the Vatican museums.

Highlights

  • Exclusive after-hours access
  • Excellent value for money
  • Skip the line
  • Small group ensures personal service
  • Tour is wheelchair accessible
  • All entrance fees included
  • Recorded commentary by audio headphones
  • Know More about this tour

    Itinerary
    Early Access To Vatican Museums Before Morning Opening follows this itinerary - 

    Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Lazio

    When you step in the Sistine Chapel, you will be welcomed with one of the most famous and celebrated works of art of the Western artistic civilization, the frescoes of Michelangelo Buonarroti, which cover the Vault and the bottom wall with the last Judgement over the altar.

    Duration: 1 hour

    Stop At: Vatican Museums, Vatican city, Lazio

    Vatican Museums occupy most of the Belvedere's vast courtyard and are one of the largest art collections in the world. Taking a tour of this collection is one of the must-do things on your trip. 

    Duration: 3 hours

    Stop At: St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican city, Lazio

    St. Peter's Basilica is the perfect place to witness the grandeur of one of the largest churches in the world. You will be awe-struck by this centuries-old beauty!

    Duration: 20 minutes

    Inclusions

    DVD souvenir (only for the 'at your pace tour' option)

    Skip-the-line access

    Guided tour in English (only for the guided tour)

    Access to St. Peter's Basilica (only for the guided tour)

    Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel

    Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums

    Entry/Admission - St. Peter's Basilica

    Exclusions

    Gratuities

    Hotel drop-off

    Hotel pickup

    Transportation to/from attractions

    Additional Info

    Confirmation will be received at the time of booking

    Dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.

    Visitors must pass through metal detectors at the security check point. Please expect to wait 20-30 minutes to clear security.

    The cloakroom staff will accept visitors bags and personal belongings (regardless of the form, material, or dimension of the object), with the exception of clothing items, hats, and portable umbrellas. The following must be left in the cloakroom: suitcases; backpacks and containers with dimensions larger than 40 x 35 x 15 centimeters; bags and packs that are cumbersome, except for small-sized bags that are carried on the shoulder, and don't jut out more than 15 centimeters from the body; any umbrella with a spike tip, and umbrellas of medium and large size; walking sticks (except those required by disabled visitors); tripods for cameras and video cameras; and signage of any kind.

    Important: The Basilica is an active place of worship and may be closed without prior notice for religious events. In this case, the visit will be substituted by a visit to the Vatican Library.

    Access to St. Peter's Basilica and live tour guide are provided only with the guided tour option.

    Traveler Reviews

    See all reviews
    • 14-Aug-2019

      I would highly recommend this tour- being allowed access before the crowds arrived is well worth waking up early on your vacation. We got to leisurely see what we wanted to see without being rushed along with the crowds. The general admission line was already growing when our tour operator arrived but we were able to go right past the line and into the building without waiting in line. It was great!

    • 03-Jul-2019

      These early access tickets were a great option for visiting the Vatican earlier than most of the other tourists. There are a couple hundred other people dong the early access from this tour company and others too, but you will be able to enjoy it without feeling like you're in a can of sardines. We chose the ticket only option. The lady from the company didn't show up until around 07:20 so we didn't enter until after then. When we finally did go through security, the lady got our tickets, handed them out and took us to a place in the museums, at which point we were on our own, where you walked through three of the galleries to then join a queue to get into the Sistine Chapel when it opened at 08:00. After spending time in the chapel we were able to go back into the museums to explore the other galleries we didn't see earlier - by this time the Vatican was getting packed with tourists. We never got a map so it was sort of difficult to navigate so make sure you get one!

    • 01-May-2019

      We arrived in plenty of time for the tour. The tour guide arrived late. She did not introduce herself, give any directions on how to use the audio guide nor directions to the Sistine Chapel. By the time she had collected the tickets, all the other early groups had long gone into the Sistine Chapel. When we finally arrived, it was packed. It was a total waste of money to purchase the early entry. The description states that the tour will enter the Sistine Chapel 15 minutes before any other groups. That was certainly not the case.

    • 14-Jul-2018

      Absolutely do this but the tour company was highly chaotic at gathering the group. After the gathering and they got us in, this was TRULY skip the line.I was told that skip the line was not really skip the line as there is still a small wait time but this was, they really bypassed that crazy immense crowds even at 7:30am in the morning, the lines for the normal entrance is crazy think 20,000 people trying to get in. So for anyone going at peak tourist season, the waking up in the wee hours of the morning, getting there early and doing this was WELL WORTH IT.

    • 08-Jul-2018

      Your crazy not to pay the extra to get in early. By noon the place was wall to wall people, hot, smelly and not at all enjoyable.

    • 06-Jul-2018

      This was a great way to enjoy the Vatican Museums - before the crowds arrive after waiting in long lines outside. Our tour group was small and we were able to move at our own pace with the recorded audio provided. The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking. Because we had tickets to the Papal audience, we went through the museums relatively quickly but you could easily spend much time there. Thank you!

    • 06-Feb-2018

      There were only 8 of us and we were the only people in the Sistine Chapel for nearly an hour. We met the guide across the street from the museum at 7:05 and then waited around until we could enter the museum at 7:30. Then we were given our tickets and maps and were on our own to look at other things until the Sistine Chapel opened at 8:00. In winter when the lines are shorter, I'm not sure it's really necessary to meet so early. Also, since the chapel opened at 8:00 instead of 7:45, it wasn't clear to me why they claim you will get in 75 minutes before the public, but it was still great.

    • 06-Jan-2018

      Epic, simply epic. We were two out of 8 total people in the Sistine Chapel and spent nearly an hour there alone. 100% worth it.

    • 08-Nov-2017

      We enjoyed this tour very much despite standing in the rain for over 30 minutes as the doors opened at 9:00am instead of 8:30am due to the Pope having a special mass for All Soul’s Day.
      Paula was a wonderful guide through all the exquisite art, architecture and history!

    • 19-Oct-2017

      We were literally the only people in the Sistine Chapel for a few minutes...let that sink into your head. Amazing. TIP: You meet right where it says you meet-at the top of the stairs by the cafe. There are many other tours meeting at the foot of the large steps-this is NOT your tour. Stay at the top.

    See all reviews