Alone In The Vatican: Exclusive VIP Access Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour
Vatican
2 hours
Varies
20Highlights
- Experience Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in exquisite peace and quiet. On our VIP Vatican tour, you’ll have it entirely to yourself.
- Gaze upon the treasures of the Vatican Museums in the company of an expert tour guide.
- Morning tour: Arrive at the Vatican at sunrise and explore the tranquil Museums before they officially open.
- Evening tour: Make your way through the hallowed halls of the Vatican after the gates have closed to the general public for the day.
Tour description
Explore the Vatican Museums alone for two full hours.
One our most exclusive Vatican tours, this VIP Vatican tour includes early or after-hours access to the Vatican Museums for a once-in-a-lifetime visit to one of the busiest attractions in Rome.
You’ll begin your VIP Vatican tour directly outside the Vatican Museums. As the sun rises over Rome or after the Museums close their doors for the day, you'll walk right into one of the most impressive collections of art in the world. For two full hours, you'll wander its empty halls alone with your small group and an expert Walks tour guide.
Discover the Vatican's renowned art collection with an expert guide.
Your guide will furnish you with all the context you need to fully enjoy your magnificent surroundings. These include the Raphael Rooms—laden with extraordinary frescoes by the Renaissance master—the ornate sculptures in the Octagonal Courtyard, and the awe-inspiring Gallery of Maps.
With 70,000 distinct pieces stretched over nine miles housed within the Vatican, it’s no wonder many visitors lose their way as they attempt to make sense of it all on their own. But with an official Vatican guide, you’ll be in the most capable hands as you traverse the best possible route to experience this renowned collection.
Without the typical crowds, you’ll have the Sistine Chapel exclusively to yourself.
The magnificence of the Vatican Museums is just the beginning. The cherry on top of your VIP Vatican tour comes at the heart of Vatican City: the Sistine Chapel. Our exclusive early and after-hours access to the Vatican Museums means you’ll step inside a virtually empty Sistine Chapel that's normally packed with crowds during the day. Enjoy this extremely rare look inside this iconic building adorned with Michelangelo’s best-known masterpiece. The Sistine Chapel is always a sure highlight on any Vatican tour, so we’ve worked directly with the Vatican itself to ensure a truly one-of-a-kind visit.
Most people who visit the Sistine Chapel aren't able to appreciate the holy space as it was intended due to the influx of other visitors. On this VIP Vatican tour, you’ll experience Michelangelo’s masterpiece in a way few others can claim to have seen it. You'll leave with a full appreciation for the masterful works contained within the Vatican’s walls.
Please note that this description is an example and your experience may vary depending on the season, day of the week, and group size. Regardless of where your tour goes, you always have an excellent experience.
Sites visited
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Vatican Museums![]()
Sistine Chapel![]()
Raphael Rooms![]()
Pinecone Courtyard![]()
Gallery of the Candelabra![]()
Gallery of the Maps![]()
Gallery of the Tapestries![]()
Octagonal Courtyard
Included
Verified guest reviews
Kevin
Oct 20, 2023
We were in a group of 10 with an official Vatican guide, which made a world of difference. His knowledge was exceptional on all of the art works. The wine with meat and cheese at the end was a nice finish to this tour.
Victoria
Oct 14, 2023
This was a truly incredible experience. Not only are you getting the guided tour, with an exceptionally knowledgable guide, but also the quiet access to the Sistine Chapel (less than 50 people in the room), but at the end you get a rather filling, multi-plate meal with you choice of wine. It is such a good value for the price. Our specific guide was I Believe Sylvia and she was so kind and patient with all of us, explaining the importance of each piece and really bringing the history to life. I highly recommend this trip for anyone who is considering it, let it be known, this was a highlight of our family's trip to Rome.
Angela
Oct 10, 2023
Fantastic from beginning to end! Less people with the ability to see everything without being rushed especially in the Sistine Chapel. Loved this tour and the tour guide!
Jan
Oct 07, 2023
This is a very good tour . You get private time in the Sistine Chapel and a food/wine experience in the Vatican courtyard which is cool .
Laurie
Oct 03, 2023
Our tour guide, Debora, was the best part about our visit to the Vatican. She is a wealth of information, and she LOVES sharing the Vatican with her groups. We had all ages in our group - 70's down to a 2 year old, and Debora was the tour guide that every single one of us needed. We were appreciative of her breadth of knowledge! She brought details to light that we would never have gotten in an audio tour. The pace of the tour was just right, although my husband became tired part of the way through. (She was so kind to periodically check on him.) In the Sistine Chapel Debora gave us about 15 minutes to reflect on what we were seeing. She knew that for each one of us our our hearts were full from all we had seen and learned - it meant so much to be able to sit amongst the masterpiece and soak it in. And one important aspect about Deborah to mention is her compassion. There was a couple in our group who mistakenly thought we would be seeing St. Peter's Basilica. When they realized it was not part of our tour, they were devastated. The next day they were flying out of Rome, so they only had that afternoon to see it. Debora went out of her way to set up a quick personal visit for them at the end of our tour, and she also escorted them there so that they would be sure to see it. The woman of the couple was so touched by Debora's willingness to orchestrate the visit that she was in tears. Debora was their superhero that day. I highly recommend this tour, and I hope you can get Debora as your guide!
