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Early Access Vatican Tour: Explore Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica before Crowds
4.7
812 Ratings
Roma
Experience the Vatican like never before with our early access tour. Beat the crowds and explore the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in peace. Book now!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
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Vatican Museums - Highlights of the Vatican Museums
Experience the best galleries at the Vatican with your expert guide, visiting the Candelabra, Tapestries, and Maps galleries. Admire ancient Roman and Greek statues, Flemish tapestries, and spectacular topographical maps commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII. Your guide will reveal the stories behind these treasures as Vatican secrets are unveiled to you. See Raphael’s famous fresco, The School of Athens, and other masterpieces in multiple rooms inside the Vatican Museums.
Raphael Rooms
Experience the grandeur of the Renaissance with a visit to the Raphael Rooms inside the Vatican Museums. As one of the most iconic artists of the era, Raphael’s frescoes are a must-see for any art enthusiast. Explore multiple rooms adorned with stunning artworks. And don’t miss the chance to marvel at The School of Athens, one of Raphael’s most renowned masterpieces that depicts some of history’s greatest thinkers in a grand architectural setting.
What's Included
- Skip-the-line Early Access to the Vatican Museums
- Exclusive Earlier Entry to the Sistine Chapel
- Guided Tour of the Raphael Rooms including the School of Athens
- Expert English-speaking Guide Provided
- Small Group Experience with a Maximum of 16 People
- Priority Access and Tour of St. Peter’s Church
- Explore the Pio-Clementino Museum, Gallery of the Candelabra, Tapestries, and Maps
What's Not Included
- Hotel Pick Up / Drop Off
- Food & Beverages
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Get set for a unique and memorable journey at the Vatican! Our early-entry tour enables you to avoid the crowd and explore the marvels of the Holy See calmly. Assisted by our knowledgeable local guide and a small group of fellow explorers, you’ll benefit from early admission to the Vatican Museums before they open for the general public. This equates to a more intimate view of the striking art and architecture spanning the Vatican Galleries, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica without having to jostle with the crowd. Believe us, you’ll be grateful for beginning your day with this serene and breathtaking expedition!
- A specific dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. 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.
- A fair amount of walking is involved, and there will be stairs between different levels. We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or any walking impairments that require special assistance on our group tours. We are also unable to accommodate strollers or baby carriages.
- Mandatory: Everyone is required to carry a copy of the identification page of their passports on all tours. A photo of the first page of your passport saved on your smartphone works as well.
- Please contact The Tour Guy to book a wheelchair accessible tour
Location
Viale Vaticano, 100
Viale Vaticano
Please arrive 10 minutes early. Your guide will meet you between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano, at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). A representative will be there holding a sign reading “The Tour Guy.”
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(812 Ratings)
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Julie_l
Jun 21, 2024
Worth the moneu - The museum is huge, so it was very helpful to go through with a guide. We also appreciated that it included the Sistine chapel and St. Peter basilica and we were able to avoid lines.
Review provided by Viator
Kevin_v
Jun 21, 2024
Amazing - Amazing tour! So much to see. You could spend a week and not see half of it. A must do when in Rome.
Review provided by Viator
Kristina_s
Jun 17, 2024
Small group with very knowledgeable guide. We didn’t wait in any lines. Highly recommend - Our tour guide was Sarah who was very knowledgeable and kind. We easily found the merino point and the tour was on time. We had 15 minutes in the Sistine Chapel and the tour was a small group of 10. We were able to visit the Vatican Museum and St Peters Basilica without any waiting.
Review provided by Viator
Jules_j
Jun 14, 2024
Amazing Experience - Serena was an incredible guide through the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica! We could not have been happier with another guide sharing the intimate history, culture, and importance of one of the most hallowed places on earth. The tour was helpful, informative, and a true gem on our trip to Rome.
Review provided by Viator
Patricia_d
Jun 4, 2024
Don't think about it, do it! - Our tour guide was amazing. We lucked out in that both this tour and our Colisseum tour were led by archeologists! She made our tour interesting and fun! Definitely recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Madry_m
May 29, 2024
Booked this tour the... - Booked this tour the night before (bad planning on our part lol) but was well worth it!! Our tour guide was amazing and was knowledgable! Walking through ourselves would have been overwhelming and included waiting in lines all day long. Taking a guided tour was the best decision, you get to learn about all the amazing artifacts you are looking at and learn about all the history itself; would not have done it any other way. If you are on the fence just book it, you won't regret it!
Review provided by Viator
Olivia_w
May 26, 2024
Vatican and Sistine Chapel - Sara was amazing! This was easy to find the group and entry. Small group of only about 6-8 people. She was very knowledgeable and gave us plenty of time for photos and looking in the Sistine Chapel.
Review provided by Viator
Lacey_w
May 15, 2024
St. Peter’s Basilica - Sara was an amazing guide! It was all wonderful but St. Peter’s Basilica was our favorite. It’s grandeur and holiness brought us to tears.
Review provided by Viator
Dana_s
May 13, 2024
Book your semi-private tour with RAFFA with Tour Guy! She's absolutely amazing!! - Raffa was our guide from The Tour Guy and she was absolutely fantastic! Raffa is beautiful, very captivating and incredibly knowledgeable. I had done a lot of research and realized that it's very important to have a guided tour, with audio because there are so many people and it's very hard to hear your guide without.
We were a group of 5 and there were 4 others with us.
Raffa gave us an experience of a lifetime and we are so appreciative! Do yourself a favor and book this tour with Raffa. Don't accept anyone else as your guide! Thank you Raffa!! From the Sito Family❤️
Review provided by Viator
Lind_j
Jun 11, 2024
Terrible. Do not do this tour. - Do not do this tour. It was awful. And expensive. Just avoid the Vatican altogether. The guide tried her best but spent at least 45 minutes reading the info boards to us, which we could have done ourselves. We saw very little art but spent way too long in a map gallery which was super boring. The guide provided no new insights or even interesting commentary on what she was showing us. The crowds were unbelievable and exhausting. Can’t stress this enough, avoid the Vatican, save your money, find a quiet church to explore than go and get a cocktail.
Review provided by Viator
