Early Morning Vatican, Sistine, St. Peter’s Semi or Private Tour

Get early morning access into the Vatican Museums to admire countless works, and beautiful courtyards! Together with a truly small group of only 6 participants max, or in your very own private group, you will be able to avoid the big crowds and quietly enjoy these wonderful masterpieces. The Vatican Museums is on everyone’s Rome itinerary so you can imagine it gets quite full, quite quickly. This tour guarantees the personalized and intimate feel that is only possible with our truly small group size, or in your very own private group. We believe that having an intimate experience makes ALL the difference! With your expert local guide, make your way through the vastness of the Museums, with the greatest highlights of the Papal art collection, the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Pinecone Courtyard, and of course the exceptional Sistine Chapel. Finish with the incredible Saint Peter's Basilica.

With the luxury of our truly small group size of 6 people max, or in the personalized intimacy of your very own private group, you will be guaranteed to get the very most out of your Vatican experience. This way you can easily navigate through the countless masterpieces with an expert guide, ask all the questions you wish, and have the guarantee of a personalized experience. We trust this makes ALL the difference! Walk through the heavily decorated Gallery of the Candelabras and enjoy the trompe l’oeil in the Gallery of the Tapestries. After you learn about the impressive Gallery of the Maps, continue to the exquisite Raphael Rooms. With your professional expert tour guide, you will be sure to see all the highlights as well as hidden gems! You will not only learn the fantastic history of the powerful Popes but will also delight in the bits of gossip and other little-known stories about life in Vatican City.

The Papal art collection at its best in the Raphael Rooms

Enjoy a thorough explanation of the incredible masterpiece that is the Sistine Chapel and learn all about it from your professional expert guide before you actually enter the chapel. As it is a holy place, it is strictly forbidden to speak inside. That is why we guarantee you will learn all about it before you enter. Then, once inside, you will have time to take it all in and admire the breathtaking beauty of this world famous site in contemplative silence.

Your comprehensive Vatican tour concludes with VIP entrance directly into St. Peter’s Basilica without standing in the long lines. Walking through the Basilica, you will learn all about the secrets of the magnificent and ornate decorations, sculptures, altars and chapels. Visit Michelangelo’s Pieta and walk down the main nave to admire the dome he designed that sits on top of the largest Catholic church in the world.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Access to the Raphael Rooms is contingent upon crowd conditions, timing constraints, and guard-regulated routes. Including them may not always be feasible. In these cases, your tour guide will exercise discretion to adjust the itinerary, ensuring a comprehensive experience.
• Important Notice Jubilee Year 2025: As part of the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, from December 24th, 2024 to January 6th, 2026, St. Peter’s Basilica may experience unexpected partial or complete closures. In the rare event that the Basilica cannot be visited, rest assured that your tour experience will remain exceptional. Your guide will seamlessly adapt the itinerary to include alternative highlights, ensuring the full duration and quality of your tour. Please note that, in accordance with our Terms & Conditions agreed upon at the time of booking, partial or full refunds cannot be issued due to Basilica closures.
• Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter.
• Vatican management maintains the right to delay the opening of the Sistine Chapel for religious reasons, in this case the guide will modify the itinerary and extend your visit of the museums to ensure you make the most of your time before access to the Sistine Chapel is permitted.
• Photography is not allowed in the Sistine Chapel and all other artwork can only be photographed without flash.
• Please be aware that the Sistine Chapel is a Holy Place and talking during while inside the chapel is strictly forbidden. Therefore, your guide will provide a comprehensive overview of the Sistine Chapel before entering and will be able to answer more questions once you have left the space.
• St. Peter’s Basilica is an active church and can be closed unexpectedly for liturgical ceremonies. If closed, your guide will provide a revised itinerary including more of the Vatican Museums. No compensation is granted in these circumstances.
• Backpacks are not permitted in the Museum.
• Guests with wheelchair accessibility needs will find difficulty with this small group tour. To ensure a barrier-free tour with alternative routes, please book the private version of this tour.
• Everyone in your group, regardless of age, needs a government issued ID to enter the Vatican Museums.
• IMPORTANT: Please advise our team if you believe that a disability qualifies you for complimentary access to the Vatican
• Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues

• Vatican Key Master Upgrade
  Add
  End your exclusive VIP tour with a delightful breakfast in the Pinecone Courtyard.
  Duration: 2 hours: Join the Vatican’s Key Master to unlock the empty galleries and the Sistine Chapel in total privacy. St. Peter's NOT included
• Shared Tour max 6 people
  Add
  Semi-Private Tour
• Private Tour
  Add
  Private Guide: Book this option for your own private group and enjoy a complete Vatican tour with a Private Guide for you only.

• Skip the long ticket lines
• Private Option of this tour is Available!
• Tour in a Safe and Semi Private Group of 6 people
• Learn from a Professional Local Expert Guide
• Enjoy Early Morning Entrance to the Vatican Museums for a quieter experience

• Food and drinks
• Gratuities (optional)

• Please arrive at the meeting point 10-15 min prior tour start time. • A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements • Please be aware that the Sistine Chapel is a Holy Place and talking during your visit inside is strictly forbidden. Therefore, the first 30 minutes of the tour outside of the Vatican Museums in order to give you a comprehensive explanation before entering the chapel. • Please note St Peter's Basilica is closed on most Wednesday's. If you book during a day in which the Basilica is closed, your tour of the Vatican Museums will be extended to compensate the closure • Occasionally the Basilica may be closed due to last minute private events outside of the tour operators control and often without notice. In these uncommon circumstances the tour will operate as usual and the time spent inside the basilica will be made up elsewhere on the tour. No refunds will be granted in the event the Basilica is closed • We do our very best to cap all groups at 6 people max. However, on very rare occasion we may make the exception of adding an additional 1 to 2 guests in order not to split families or friends traveling together. On that same note, you may very well find yourself on tour with less than 6 people! We thank you for your understanding. • As part of the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, St. Peter’s Basilica may experience unexpected partial or complete closures. In the rare event that the Basilica cannot be visited, rest assured that your tour experience will remain exceptional. Your guide will seamlessly adapt the itinerary to include alternative highlights, ensuring the full duration and quality of your tour. Please note that, in accordance with our Terms & Conditions agreed upon at the time of booking, partial or full refunds cannot be issued due to Basilica closures.

Please be advised..

• This Tour is Provided by LivTours.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Europe/Rome.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• This Tour is Rated 4.8 Stars based on 3290 valid reviews on VIATOR.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 15 Travelers is accepted for booking.