First Entry Detailed Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica
See the Vatican 90 minutes before the public
Limited to only a very select amount of tour providers, enter the Vatican Museums 90 minutes before the public and 30 minutes before other pre-opening tours. You will enter with only a handful of others on this truly VIP experience.
Tour Details
- Laocoon and his sons
- VIP Early Access
- Pinecone Courtyard
- Pio-Clementino Museum
- Nero's Bath
- Vatican Main Galleries
- Raphael Rooms
- Borgia Apartments
- Sistine Chapel
- St. Peter's Basilica
- Bernini's Baldacchino
- La Pietà
- Papal Tombs
Do you want to be amongst the very first people in the Vatican? Do you want a 90 minute head start on the public? Are you interested in incredible areas the majority of tours skip over? The most exclusive early morning Vatican tour available, you will enter the Vatican Museums promptly at 7:30 am. The vast majority of "pre-opening tours" enter at 8:00 am. On this tour your expert guide will take you through the galleries without any crowds. This 3.5-hour tour includes:
- Skip the line Vatican tickets
- A highlights visit to the museum's three main galleries
- Exclusive Sistine Chapel tour
- Raphael Rooms, Borgia Apartments and Pio Clementino Museum
- Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica & Papal Tombs
- An expert professional English-speaking Guide
COMPARE ALL VATICAN TOURS
Nero's Bath at the Pio-Clementino
Our first stop is the Pio-Clementino Museum. The location of three of the Vatican's most famous statues, you will see the Apollo Belvedere, Laocoön and his Sons and the Belvedere Torso. Learn the history and mythology of these statues which date back to antiquity. You will then see one of the Vatican's most valuable pieces, Nero's Bath. Built as a bathtub for Emperor Nero out of marble that can no longer be found, causing this to be the world's most expensive bathtub.
Vatican Galleries
See the incredible main galleries of the Vatican which are the Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Tapestries, and The Roman Guy's favorite the Gallery of the Maps. Commissioned by different pope's, the massive tapestries and maps are jaw dropping and a great appetizer to the grandeur of the Sistine Chapel.
Borgia Apartments
Commissioned as the personal residence for Pope Alexander VI of the Borgia Family, this lavish suite includes the oldest known depiction of Native Americans in Europe. The apartments were frescoed by Pinturicchio who was a co-pupil of Raphael under the master Perugino. Your guide will explain the amazing technique Pinturicchio used to create the effect of three dimensions on the walls.
Raphael Rooms
Though now famously the namesake of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Raphael was one of the Renaissance's true masters. In the galleries dedicated to the great artist, you will see his most famous painting School of Athens. If you are not yet familiar with the painting, on the day of the tour you will notice it is the painting on your ticket into the Vatican Museums.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel
The most famous work in the Vatican and one of the most impressive in world history, you will feast your eyes on the immaculate Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's masterpiece depicting Biblical stories including most impressively The Creation of Adam cannot be properly described in words. As the Chapel is a sacred place, speaking and photography are not permitted in the Sistine Chapel but you will have plenty of time to immerse yourself in its beauty.
Please note: In order to enter the Sistine Chapel, both men and women must cover their knees and shoulders. Otherwise, you may be refused entry to this portion of your Vatican tour. We understand the summers in Rome are hot - a great alternative is to bring a shawl/scarf/sweater with you. That way, you can cover your knees and shoulders when necessary.
Reserved Entrance St. Peter’s Basilica
From the Sistine Chapel we will take the special VIP door directly to St. Peter's Basilica by skipping the massive security line. You will see Michelangelo's Pietà, Bernini's Baldacchino and the Papal Tombs before your guide will end the tour. After the tour you are welcome to climb the dome of St. Peter's or leave the Basilica for your next adventure in Rome.
What you get with this tour
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7 total reviews
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5.00 / 5 based on 7 total reviews
Awesome tour!
This tour was great for many reasons, but most importantly that our group got to enter so early! The early entrance allowed us to beat the crowds and have an exclusive experience in the Vatican. This was like no tour I have ever taken before!
Truly Magical!
If being in Rome doesn't make you feel special, this tour certainly will. We felt like true VIPs being able to enter before the public. We got to see things I've only ever seen in textbooks, which was really cool for me. Definitely a magical experience I won't forget.
Amazing experience
Our guide was incredible, we got in 90 minutes before the public so we saw almost no one for an hour. It was amazing. I wanted to get in as early as possible and see as much as possible. If your looking for this combination its absolutely the perfect tour for you too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to meet?
Between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano, at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). A representative will be there holding a sign with our company name on it.
What to bring?
Cover your knees and shoulders. There's no need to dress like the people who live in Vatican City, just avoid short pants, dresses and tank tops. If you're a woman and you are wearing something that bares your shoulders, bring a shall or sweater. Comfortable shoes are always recommended for walking tours. No tripods or large backpacks can be brought into the museums, we kindly ask you to leave them at your accommodation.
Is there a way to see the Vatican without a guided tour?
Of course. Click here for skip the line Vatican tickets.
I have some doubts about my mobility. Is this tour right for me?
If you have any doubts about your mobility, we strongly suggest you take a private Vatican tour.
What are the chances my tour will be canceled or the Vatican will close something.
We run the tour rain or shine all year round. Although it is rare, sometimes part of the Vatican City closes for special religious events. If an area normally covered on a tour is closed, our guide will still provide explanations of the closed areas from outside. Plus, we will show you an extra site or gallery to compensate.
Does the tour go inside at 7:30 am without waiting in any lines?
Yes! Enter the museums through the "center lane". Individuals enter through the left lane. Tour operators enter in the right lane. We enter through the center lane for this tour which lets us inside 90 minutes before individuals and 30 minutes before other tour operators.
Does this tour always include St. Peter's Basilica?
St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesday mornings due to the Papal Audience. We still run the tour because it might be your only day in Rome! Instead, we visit some of the most iconic statues in the world and Emperor Nero's enormous marble bathtub.
What to bring?
Cover your knees and shoulders. There's no need to dress like the people who live in Vatican City, just avoid short pants, dresses and tank tops. If you're a woman and you are wearing something that bares your shoulders, bring a shall or sweater. Comfortable shoes are always recommended for walking tours. No tripods or large backpacks can be brought into the museums, we kindly ask you to leave them at your accommodation.
Where to meet?
Between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano, at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). A representative will be there holding a sign with our company name on it.
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