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Early Vatican Museums Tour: The Best of the Sistine Chapel | 3 hours to 4 hours

861 Reviews | Rome
Skip The Line
From $94.34 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 14 travelers in total.
Adult (15-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 14
2
Child (2-14) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 14
0
Infant (0-1) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 14
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Early Access Vatican Museums
2 Adults x $124.94
$249.88
Approx Total
$249.88
& St. Peter's Basilica: Enter Sistine Chapel at the most peaceful time of day on expertly guided tour of the Vatican Museums & St. Peter's Basilica.

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Guests can stay and enjoy time at their leisure after the tour finishes
  • Small groups of 15 people or fewer
  • Expertly guided tour of the Vatican
  • Skip the line ticket for Vatican Museums
  • Skip the line ticket for St. Peter's Basilica (AM Tour option only)
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off

Overview

Enter the Sistine Chapel at the most peaceful time of day to enjoy Michelangelo’s masterpiece in serenity and embark 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. Not a morning person? Book the Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour with Sistine Chapel for a relaxed afternoon visit after the crowds have left for the day.

Meeting points

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets at Antico Café Candia, Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM.

End point

Open in Google Maps

St. Peter's Basilica

Itinerary

  • Vatican Museums

    If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour or Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour: Your guide will lead you on a full tour of the Vatican Museums, stopping to see all the most important works. Visiting either before or after the daytime crowds, you’ll appreciate the extra space and silence to appreciate the magnificent artwork in the Museums.

    2 hours

  • N/A (Pass By)

    Guided tour & Photo Stop

  • Sphere within a Sphere (Pass By)

    If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour or Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour: 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.

  • Stanze di Raffaello

    If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour: 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.

    30 minutes

  • N/A (Pass By)

    Guided tour & Photo Stop

  • N/A (Pass By)

    Guided tour & Photo Stop

  • Sistine Chapel

    If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour or Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour: 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 or in late afternoon to enjoy the incredible frescoes in relative peace.

    30 minutes

  • St. Peter's Basilica

    If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour: 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.

    1 hour

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • The tour is in English.
  • This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
  • Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
  • The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and is subject to other unexpected closures during special celebrations/festivities, including the Easter ceremonies. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinacoteca Gallery.
  • All guests (including children) must bring ID on the day of their tour.
  • Due to the religious nature of the Vatican, all individuals regardless of gender must cover their shoulders and knees. Walks cannot be held responsible for those denied entry.
  • Please note: starting December 2024, access to St. Peter's Basilica may be limited due to the Vatican's Jubilee Year 2025, which includes special events and ceremonies. These closures are determined by the Vatican and are beyond our control. Thank you for your understanding.
  • Walks and Devour comply with all local government regulations. Please refer to local government guidelines for the most up to date information.

Free Cancellation

October 31100% refund
November 01No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

4.7

861 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    730
  • 4 stars
    60
  • 3 stars
    37
  • 2 stars
    14
  • 1 star
    20

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 730 reviews with 5 stars

Vatican and more

Published on Jan, 2025

It’s excellent. Our guide was funny and knowledgeable. He was punctual and gave plenty of direction to bathroom breaks and speed of walking.

Vatcan skip the line

Published on Jan, 2025

This skip the line tour is worth the money as you learn so much from the guide about the different artworks and galleries. Not just facts and figures but interesting history or rumour.

Informative tour

Published on Dec, 2024

Guide is knowledgeable and the tour is really informative. We learn a lot. Skip the line and directly move to St Peter Basilica is one major plus point.

What an Experience

Published on Nov, 2024

Our tour guide Dario was amazing! He wasso informative and readily available to answer any questions our group had. Highly recommend going to the Vatican on early for the best experience.

Early Morning Small Group—-The only way to tour the Vatican.

Published on Nov, 2024

Maria-Theresa, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and personable and made the 4 hour tour fly by. Our small group was met promptly at 7:15 am at the meeting point (which was by a little cafe where you could grab a coffee or pastry before the tour)whisperers were distributed and then we proceeded to the Vatican to line up and wait til the opening time of 8am. Our group was 2nd in line after a private tour group of 5 individuals. Our guide efficiently used this waiting time to give us background information on the Sistine Chapel as it is a silent place and no cameras are allowed. She distributed lovely colorful descriptive handouts for us to keep. The tour began through the exterior courtyards and gardens with plenty of time for pictures and then we toured the rooms of the Vatican Museum. It is overwhelming but our guide highlighted the significant pieces, again allowing time for photographs. We had ample time in the Sistine Chapel to roam, sit, contemplate before we took the shortcut through the historical staircase, bypassing the Swiss guard into St. Peter’s Square and into the Basilica. Again, great introduction and highlights by our guide while in the Basilica. At the end of the tour we were advised to visit the crypt (free) and the dome (for a fee) is interested. We all hate getting up at the crack of dawn, but this is the way to go if you want a stress less way to tour the Vatican—no lines, great information, beat the crowds, small group tour (about 10.) Bravo to Maria-Theresa who made the morning so enjoyable and informative.

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