Early Vatican Museums Tour: The Best Of The Sistine Chapel - Vatican City

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Tour Information

Key Details

  • Mobile Voucher Accepted
  • Hotel pickup Available
  • Instant Confirmation
  • Lowest Price Guaranteed
  • Duration: 4 Hrs
  • Language:
    English
  • Departure Time :
    07:15 AM
  • Return Details :
    • The tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds can be provided for late arrivals or no-shows. If you cannot join your tour at the last minute (running late, etc), please c.. read more
  • Cancellation Policy :
    This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Overview

Enter the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the general public and enjoys Michelangelos masterpiece in serenity before embarking on a thorough guided tour of the Vatican Museums, ending at the awe-inspiring St. Peter's Basilica. There's no better way to see the highlights of the Vatican without the crowds that descend upon the galleries later in the day.

Know More about this tour


Your guide will lead you on a full tour of the Vatican Museums, stopping to see all the most important works. Since you got a head start compared to most of the day's visitors, you’ll stay one step ahead of the crowds in most galleries.
Inside the peaceful, Pinecone Courtyard you'll pass a spectacular bronze globe. It was designed for the Vatican by well-known Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro and copies of it can now be found all over the world, including Dublin, Tel Aviv and New York City.
During the day, the Raphael Rooms are as busy as the Sistine Chapel. At this hour of the morning, however, when the Museums have just opened for the day, you'll have plenty of space to enjoy them peacefully. Your guide will point out where Raphael worked the faces of his contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo into his frescoes.
The Sistine Chapel wasn’t meant to be seen standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people. Beat the crowds by entering first thing in the morning and enjoy the incredible frescoes in relative peace.
Last but certainly not least, you'll head straight to St. Peter's Basilica via a special secret passage, bypassing the long lines that are starting to form outside. End your morning with a full tour of the sacred space and gaze upon Michelangelo's moving Pietà, Bernini's grandiose altarpiece, and so much more as you learn the stories and legends behind them. Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is subject to unexpected closures. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinacoteca Gallery.

Itinerary:


Your guide will lead you on a full tour of the Vatican Museums, stopping to see all the most important works. Since you got a head start compared to most of the day's visitors, you’ll stay one step ahead of the crowds in most galleries.
Inside the peaceful, Pinecone Courtyard you'll pass a spectacular bronze globe. It was designed for the Vatican by well-known Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro and copies of it can now be found all over the world, including Dublin, Tel Aviv and New York City.
During the day, the Raphael Rooms are as busy as the Sistine Chapel. At this hour of the morning, however, when the Museums have just opened for the day, you'll have plenty of space to enjoy them peacefully. Your guide will point out where Raphael worked the faces of his contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo into his frescoes.
The Sistine Chapel wasn’t meant to be seen standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people. Beat the crowds by entering first thing in the morning and enjoy the incredible frescoes in relative peace.
Last but certainly not least, you'll head straight to St. Peter's Basilica via a special secret passage, bypassing the long lines that are starting to form outside. End your morning with a full tour of the sacred space and gaze upon Michelangelo's moving Pietà, Bernini's grandiose altarpiece, and so much more as you learn the stories and legends behind them. Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is subject to unexpected closures. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinacoteca Gallery.

Inclusions

  • Local English-speaking guide
  • Skip the line ticket for St. Peter's Basilica
  • Small groups of 15 people or fewer
  • Expertly guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica
  • Headset
  • Skip the line ticket for Vatican Museums

Exclusions

  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

All guests (including children) must bring ID on the day of their tour.

Please note the attire must be appropriate for the visit. Both men and women are required to wear clothing that covers both shoulders and knees. We cannot be held responsible for denied entry due to improper dress. It is sufficient to bring extra coverings (i.e. scarves and shawls) with you to wear before entering the holy areas.

While the Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair and stroller access, they are not conveniently located on the group tour route and only give access to specific sections of the Museums. We advise clients to contact Walks Customer Service Team to make further arrangements

The tour is in English

Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, or for wheelchairs or strollers. Please contact the Guest Experience team to make alternative arrangements.

Traveler Reviews

See all reviews
  • 23-Aug-2023

    The tour was amazing and our guide was absolutely brilliant, really engaging, enthusiastic and a great sense of humour too. We struggled a little after 3hrs due to the heat and rushing around to see everything, but I'm so glad we did the early morning tour as I imagine it was heaving by the afternoon and ridiculously hot too. Highly recommend going on this tour.

  • 22-Aug-2023

    Our tour guide was EXCELLENT! So knowledgeable! Explained everything in detail. Made our experience the best it could be!

  • 19-Aug-2023

    Valentina was an amazing guide, knowledgeable and entertaining, and she even managed to pay attention to unique requests and needs of members of the group. Very highly recommended! Looking at the length of the line of people who were trying to enter the Vatican without a guided tour made it obvious that it worth every cent.

  • 11-Aug-2023

    Really interesting guided tour. It was a good thing we were early because the lines were crazy after and we were able to see the sistine chapel with very few people. When we left the chapel after 20 minutes, it was full of people and much less interesting. Our guide was Luigi and he was great!

  • 10-Aug-2023

    Our tour guide was Ambra. She was so knowledgeable and really made the tour enjoyable for us. The Basilica is just mind blowing, and there is so much to see in the museum. The Sistine chapel is absolutely beautiful. Really recommend this tour if you want to get in early and avoid the crowds.

  • 10-Aug-2023

    The Tour and our fabulous tour guide Anna… she was excellent in knowledge and presentation! Highly recommend this tour made our visit to the Vatican a memorable one!

  • 09-Aug-2023

    Sabrina was an amazing tour guide. Very knowledgable and looked after us all. Well worth it to get in before the masses.

  • 09-Aug-2023

    Started really early but there’s already alot of people ahead of us. Nevertheless it’s only a small crowd instead of a mob. Enough space to make it a very pleasant experience.

  • 07-Aug-2023

    Kylie was very informative very courteous and very knowledgeable it was a pleasure. Early means waiting on a line early to get in the Vatican at 8am. But glad we did

  • 05-Aug-2023

    First time using Viator. Easy to book, easy to cancel and you don't have to pay in full up front on most tours depending on tour operator. There were so many tour options for visiting the Vatican. Ultimately, we decided on the early entry tour. We had an excellent tour guide, don't remember his name (July 28th, pink "Walks" sticker). He was very knowledgeable/informative and our group was small. We were actually the fist group on line that morning waiting for early access. We moved through the museums with no one ahead of us. What a pleasant surprise!! I was expecting mobs of people based on what I read online. When we got to the Sistine Chappel people were starting to arrive, but we were able to enjoy it before it became a total mob scene. St. Peter's wasn't too bad either, just a bit crowded in front of Michaelangelo's Pieta. I recomend using Viator. They have access to so many tour options. I would definitely book my tours through them again.

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