Guided tour

Rome: Early Entry to the Vatican & The Sistine Chapel

4.7  / 5500 reviews
Activity provider:Walks of Italy
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Guided tour

Rome: Early Entry to the Vatican & The Sistine Chapel

Activity provider:Walks of Italy
4.7  / 5500 reviews
Likely to sell out

From $70.75 per person

Likely to sell out

Embark on an early morning walking tour of the Vatican Museums and avoid the busy crowds. Discover the history from your guide, explore the Sistine Chapel, and skip the lines at St. Peter's Basilica.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Duration 225 minutes
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English

Experience

Highlights
  • Witness "The Creation of Adam" in the Sistine Chapel before the daytime crowds
  • Explore the Vatican Museums, and see the Belvedere Courtyard and Gallery of Maps
  • Skip the long lines at St. Peter's Basilica and admire Michelangelo's "Pietà"
  • Gaze upon world-famous masterpieces by Raphael, Michelangelo, and Bernini
  • Marvel at the awe-inspiring Raphael Rooms as you explore with your guide
Full description
Beat the crowds and see historic masterpieces up close on this guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. See the stunning Raphael Rooms, marvel at the artwork in the Sistine Chapel, and visit the impressive Vatican Museums with a guide. Enter the Vatican Museums before the general public for a complete guided tour of this stunning space. Enjoy the masterpieces without the bustling crowds as you follow your guide through the Belvedere Courtyard, the Gallery of Maps, the four Raphael Rooms, and more. Learn from your guide where Raphael worked the faces of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo into his frescoes. Next, head to the Sistine Chapel. Arrive just as the doors first open to groups and visit at the most peaceful time of day. Get a full run-down of Michelangelo's frescoes, including a detailed handout, from your guide before heading in. Finish your tour by going to St. Peter's Basilica via a special secret passage, bypassing the long lines outside. End your morning with a full tour of this sacred space and gaze upon Michelangelo's moving Pietà, Bernini's grandiose altarpiece and learn the stories and legends behind the art.
Includes
  • Guide
  • Guided tour of the Vatican Museums
  • Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica
  • Skip-the-line ticket for Vatican Museums
  • Skip-the-line ticket to St. Peter's Basilica
  • Headset
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Tips
Not suitable for
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Please meet at Antico Café Candia, Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM. Your guide will be holding a green Walks sign.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Passport or ID card
  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Shorts
  • Short skirts
  • Sleeveless shirts

Know before you go

  • All guests (including children) must bring ID on the day of their tour
  • 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 the magnificent Pinacoteca Gallery is explored instead
  • Wheelchairs cannot be accommodated on this group tour. The group route utilizes staircases where elevator access is not easily accessible. Those with wheelchairs and limited mobility can contact the activity provider so the visit can be arranged
  • 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 at to make alternative arrangements.

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 500 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.9/5
  • Value for money
    4.6/5
  • Service
    4.8/5
  • Organization
    4.6/5

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S
Su Ling – MalaysiaNovember 22, 2023 – Verified booking
Excellent guide with experience in art restoration. Marta took us through the highlights of the Vatican museum, gave the most thorough explanations, and prepped us well for the Sistine Chapel. I then knew what to look out for in the Sistine Chapel where guides are not allowed to provide commentary inside. The early start is a great idea to beat the crowds and the queues. Also going with a tour allows easy passage into St Peter's Basilica. All the admin work was very efficiently run too. I highly recommend this tour!
Helpful?
O
Oleg – United StatesNovember 15, 2023 – Verified booking
Our tour guide Jeb was excellent. He had put historical perspective and shared some anecdotes that helped to better understand what we were seeing. But it appears that we a bit misunderstood what it really meant that we will get there early and “beat the crowds”. We did skip the lines and got into the building early. We also skipped the line into the Basilica and were able to stay there after the tour to take our time admiring this magnificent place. However, the walk down the Gallery of Tapestries and the Gallery of Maps was just that: a fairly quick walk where we were shoulder to shoulder with people from other groups. When we got the Sistine Chapel, it was also shoulder to shoulder, with just enough room to move around. Jeb had given us an excellent explanation of what we were supposed to look for, but we don’t feel that allocated 15-20 minutes at the Chapel is nearly enough at this place. Overall, I am glad that we took the tour and our guide was outstanding, if not for time limit
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C
Carla – United StatesNovember 12, 2023 – Verified booking
The tour was fantastic! But Giuliette is so knowledgeable, patient, and well spoken that it made the experience doubled worth it. She made it so easy to understand and follow Roman history that the next tour guide we had seemed like a hot mess! We definitely recommend the early entrance so you avoid the crowds and have enough time to revisit the St Peter’s chapel. Thanks Giuliette for all your patient, your details and your knowledge!
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Product ID: 78872

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