Early Vatican Museums Tour: The Best of the Sistine Chapel

based on 723 reviews

Duration:4 hours (approx.)
Location: Rome, Italy

From $108.31

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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.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
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.
2. Sphere within a Sphere
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.
3. Stanze di Raffaello
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.
4.
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.
5. St. Peter's Basilica
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.

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.
• Walks / Devour complies with all local government regulations. Please refer to local government guidelines for the most up-to-date information.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Deborah_H
It was nice being in the museum before the crowds got bad. Our guide was fantastic!!! It was easy to find the meeting place
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-14 07:42:04

Posted By : donnapW1486GM
Alessia was outstanding! She was incredibly organized and knowledgeable. Great to get into the Vatican Museums before the big crowds.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-13 08:48:28

Posted By : chauntel_c
The guide was knowledgeable not only on the history but was great at navigating the crowd so that our small group was able to view and gain insight on the most famous works and we had a ton of free time at the end to explore on our own. I didnt feel like I missed out on anything.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-12 12:52:04

Posted By : E4755OLjamesw
The Sistine tour was absolutely amazing and guided by a knowledgeable and friendly guide. Jeb was a superb guide and made the entire experience educational and fun. Top notch! Highly recommended.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-12 03:13:28

Posted By : MrsKerryS_C
Don’t bother we met at 7.45 for early access skip the line tickets we then st at the coffee shop till 8.30 because they hadn’t obtained tickets for earlier. There were three groups the other two left but we had to wait. We were in a line with thousands we had no time in the first courtyard which was even mentioned in the promotion, not even time to get a little closer for a photo by the time we got to the Sistine chapel it was so crowded and guards were yelling, I would go early get your ticket and line up with an audio guide way way cheaper you could buy two tickets the first time go straight to sister chapel then second entry wander through Vatican, this would still be way cheaper than what we paid.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-11 01:34:21

Posted By : Roger_K
Excellent guide who ensured we saw the highlights. The tour was about four hours, so it was quite long and a little tiring fighting the crowds, but crowds are unavoidable. Still glad we did the tour and would recommend it to anyone wishing to see the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-11 01:30:24

Posted By : Coastal370326
Elisabetta was amazing. So much knowledge. Tour process was very organised and well run. Would for sure book you again
Thank you
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-10 11:42:20

Posted By : Janeth_G
Our guide Michael was great, very kind, knowledgeable and he made sure everyone was as comfortable as possible.
Here few notes for other turists to consider:
- the chosen route has lots, lots of stairs.
- the tour takes you over several rooms of the vatican (a bit too much for my like), then to the sistine chapel, and lastly to the basilica.
I wish they took the shorter route to the sistine chapel, so we had less people and don't be so tired to enjoy the chapel or the basilica.

If I would take this tour again, I would split to the short route to the sistine chapel by myself, and then meet the tour again in the chapel to enjoy the basilica
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-10 10:50:56

Posted By : V6471JAjaneb
This is an excellent tour. Our guide, Sabrina, was extremely knowledgeable and pointed out things that we never would have seen on our own. We met very early in the morning and, because of that and Sabrina's skilled guidance, we were able to visit the Sistene Chapel when it was still mostly empty. Later, when we visited St. Peter's Basilica, we saw the line that stretched all through the Square and felt fortunate that we were able to skip that. The tour was an indulgence, but was a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 18:31:51

Posted By : Frederico_C
The meeting area was great. Our tour guide Anna was knowledgeable and knew many historical nuances about the Vatican. We loved going thru the “secret door” into Saint Peter’s Basilica. Although crowded we heard everything with ear pieces.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-09 01:04:21