Enter the legendary Vatican Museums on a guided tour with exclusive early entrance before the other visitors. Pass through the halls of historic treasures and admire Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Covid-19 precautions: Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
Reserve now & pay later: Keep your travel plans flexible—book your spot and pay nothing today. Learn more
Duration 3.5 hours: Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the line through a separate entrance
Live tour guide: English, Spanish
Small group: Limited to 10 participants

Highlights

Skip the line with with exclusive early entrance tickets
Enjoy a guided tour of maximum 10 participants
Discover the treasures of the Vatican Museums
Explore the Vatican Galleries and the Sistine Chapel
Admire the masterpieces of St. Peter's Basilica

Full description

With an exclusive entrance before the general opening to the public and a very small group of maximum 10 people, this guided tour will be your chance to discover without crowds the immense art collection built up by the Popes throughout the centuries. The itinerary includes Pio Clementino Hall, Laocoon and Apollo Belvedere, Maps Gallery, Candelabra Gallery, Tapestries Gallery and the most celebrated Michelangelo’s masterpiece: the Sistine Chapel! After exploring the Vatican Museums, the tour will continue directly and without line into St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world and symbol of the Catholic religion, where it will be possible to admire iconic masterpieces such as La Pietà by Michelangelo and the huge Baldacchino by Bernini. The tour ends in St. Peter’s Square, dominated by Michelangelo’s imposing Cupola and surrounded by the famous Bernini’s double Colonnade.

Includes

Exclusive early skip the line entrance tickets
Professional licensed guide
Official Vatican headsets
Sistine Chapel illustrated factsheet

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Not suitable for

People with mobility impairments
Wheelchair users

Covid-19 precautions

Safety measures in place

All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds

Traveler requirements

You are required to bring and wear a mask
You will receive a mandatory temperature check
You must present either proof of full vaccination, proof of a Covid-19 infection in the past 3 months, or a negative test taken no more than 24 hours before the activity starts
Masks are required while indoors
All participants are required to bring and wear FFP2 masks. Blue surgical masks will not be accepted

Meeting point

Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the activity starts. No refunds will be issued to customers who are late and miss the tour.

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Important information

What to bring

Passport or ID card for children
Face mask or protective covering
FFP2 mask

Not allowed

Shorts
Weapons or sharp objects
Luggage or large bags
Short skirts
Pets (assistance dogs allowed)
Sleeveless shirts

Know before you go

Should St. Peter’s Basilica be closed or not accessible within the scheduled time, the tour will include the Raphael's Rooms or the explanation of the Basilica from outside.

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.5 /5

based on 6 reviews

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Agency highly recommended. Friendly reception in an office near the Vatican. Small group of 8-9 people for the early tour of the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums. Surprisingly, there was also a guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica, including a quick connection. We were there early and saw a few things on our own, but there are a lot of tours on the road that offer the same thing - at the time we got to the Sistine Chapel it was packed... next time it's better to invest in the VIP tour, where with the key person in charge of the Vatican you really are the first to get everywhere... but the guide Angelo was very good and highly recommended - very friendly and nice, explained things in an understandable and memorable way. In general I would recommend the tour and the provider

May 28, 2022

Loved loved loved this tour! Our guide Barbara was so knowledgeable in all aspects of the Vatican and answered all my questions for me. Since it was an early access tour we got in before the onslaught of crowds and it was great. Not too crowded that you can’t move anywhere. The tour is shorter and was over for us by 11 but there was also only 2 of us that day so probably helped a lot. I wish the tour was longer but it gives you the opportunity to explore other aspects of the city with plenty of time. Even book another tour!

May 10, 2022

Our guide was excellent! very knowledgeable and fun.

June 14, 2022

Vatican City: Early Entrance Vatican Museums Guided Tour

Vatican City: Early Entrance Vatican Museums Guided Tour

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