Enter the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the general public and enjoy Michelangelo’s masterpieces in peace before embarking on a thorough guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.
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
- Mobile ticketing
- Use your phone or print your voucher
- Duration 225 minutes
- Check availability to see starting times.
- Skip the ticket line
- Instant confirmation
- Live tour guide
- English
Experience
Highlights
- Enter the Sistine Chapel 45 minutes before the general public to see the chapel at its best
- Spend 3-hours exploring of the Vatican Museums seeing highlights including the Raphael Rooms
- Enjoy skip-the-ticket-line access at the Vatican Museums & St Peter’s Basilica, saving your hours of waiting in line
- Take a 1-hour guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica
Full description
The Sistine Chapel wasn’t meant to be seen standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people. Beat the crowds by entering 45 minutes before the Sistine Chapel opens to the public and enjoy the incredible frescoes in relative peace. After spending quality time with Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Chapel, your guide will lead you on a full tour of the Vatican Museums, stopping to see all the most important works. Since you have started early, you’ll stay one step ahead of the crowds in most galleries as you enjoy fantastic art like the Raphael Rooms, the Apollo Belvedere, Laocoon and Sons, and more.
When you’ve covered the museums, you’ll enter the Sistine Chapel again, much more crowded now, and pass through a special corridor that lets you skip the ticket lines into St. Peter’s Basilica. Here, you’ll enjoy an hour long tour of the immense basilica, including stops at Michelangelo’s heart-wrenching Pietá and Bernini’s enormous baldachin altar. Afterwards you’re free to explore St. Peter’s for as long as you want.
Traveling in a small group with an expert local guide and with headsets for every guest, you’ll never have to worry about losing your group or missing an interesting piece of information - and there is a lot of interesting information. The Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica have never been more accessible.
Includes
- Skip-the-ticket-line tickets for Vatican Museums
- Skip-the-ticket-line access to St. Peter’s Basilica
- Until February 29, 2020, groups are a maximum of 14 people
- From March 1, 2020, groups are of maximum 16 people
- Expert 5 star tour guide
- Headsets
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick-up/ drop-off
Not suitable for
- Wheelchair users
COVID-19 precautions
Safety measures in place
- All required protective equipment is provided
- All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
- The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds
Select participants and date
Participants
Date
Prepare for the activity
Meeting point
At the Green Bar (called l'Ottagono) in Piazza del Risorgimento. Meeting Point Directions: meet just outside the Green Bar in the middle of Piazza del Risorgimento Square. This is the only bar/ cafè located on the square. The bar is on the side of the square towards via Crescensio - close to the tram stop number 19. The closest metro/ underground stop is Ottaviano.
Open in Google Maps ⟶Important information
What to bring
- Passport or ID card
- Comfortable shoes
Not allowed
- Shorts
- Short skirts
- Sleeveless shirts
Know before you go
- 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. As a result, the local tour operator cannot accommodate wheelchairs on any of the Vatican group tours.
- All visitors must pass through airport-style security. During high season the wait at security may be up to 30 minutes.
- Clients are advised that St.Peter's Basilica may be closed during special celebrations/festivities. If this occurs during your visit, you will spend more time inside the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. Refunds cannot be provided in such a case.
- Please ensure that all members of your party have a valid ID on them on the day of the visit (particularly for guests with reduced-price tickets due to age).
- Please note that guests may only carry small handbags inside the Vatican Museums. Larger backpacks and other items must be left at the cloakroom.
