Early Access Group Tour to St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel

On this guided tour, you will enter the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before everyone else, which means you will be able to the skip the line and enter by 8 am. In the company of an expert guide, you will be able to gain access to the museums and Sistine Chapel more than an hour before the scheduled opening time and enjoy the treasures of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in solitude and peace. Early Access Tour Highlights Get exclusive early access to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. You'll be one of the first groups to enter the Sistine Chapel with this exclusive early access pass! Entering 15 mins before any tour group enters and 1.5 hours before the Chapel's opening time. While the Vatican Museums open at 9.00 AM, you will be able to enter the museum at 7:20 PM before anyone else. This is an extremely exclusive tour, allowing you to experience the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in solitude with only your group and guide accompanying you. After the early tour, you are free to roam about and explore the Vatican Museums at your own pace. Why You Shouldn't Miss This This guided tour provides you with a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the general public for the day. Beginning more than an hour before the scheduled opening time of 9:00 AM, you will be able to explore the galleries of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel in complete isolation with only your group and guide to give you company. With thousands of visitors flocking to the museums every day, it is one of the most crowded attractions in Rome. This tour, however, allows you to peacefully experience the beauty of the Vatican Museums without the distraction that crowds of tourists bring. The Vatican Museums are home to a number of classical sculptures and paintings by Renaissance greats such as Raphael, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Bernini and Leonardo da Vinci. Artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso are also represented in the Modern Religious Art section. The Sistine Chapel is situated at the end of the Vatican Museums and neighbors St. Peter's Basilica. Covered in the artistic works of Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Roselli among others, it is probably most famous for its frescoes that were painted by the great Michelangelo. Painted by Michelangelo in a span of 4 years, the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel are considered to be a cornerstone of western art. The Last Judgement is probably the most famous single work of art in the Sistine Chapel and covers the wall behind the altar. Your Experience Your tour will begin at the designated point where you will meet your guide. The meeting point is the steps near the bar “Caffe Vaticano (Viale Vaticano, 100) and is situated opposite the entrance of the Vatican Museums. After you meet your guide, you will head straight to the Vatican Museums. Your guide will lead you through its 54 galleries and show you the highlights of the Vatican Museums. You will explore the Raphael Rooms, the Pinecone Courtyard, the Gallery of the Candelabra and the Gallery of the Tapestries and Maps. Next, the tour will head to the Sistine Chapel, the last building in the Vatican Museums complex. Here, you will come face to face with some of the most important works of art, some that are considered to be cornerstones of western art. The most impressive among them will be the marvelous ceiling that was painted by Michelangelo in a span of 4 years. Another iconic piece is The Last Judgement, also painted by the great Michelangelo. Imagine walking into the most massive church you've ever seen, filled with artwork of all the most famous artists you've ever heard of! You walk in through the massive front entrance, without waiting in line, into what is considered the most opulent church in the world. Here you will see some highlights with your guide such as the Baldacchino, La Pieta, the Statue of St. Peter and other masterpieces. St. Peter's Basilica took approximately 120 years to build, spanning 20 popes and almost every famous Renaissance architect that you can think of, including Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo. Now you can better understand why it is hailed as the most beautiful church in the world! We cannot mention enough that from the St. Peter's Basilica you will be unable to return to the Vatican Museums. If you would like to spend more time inside the museums you will need to forgo the Basilica on the tour. Inform your guide at the beginning of the tour and remember not to go with the group to St. Peter's Basilica or else you won't be able to re-enter the museums. If you would like to stay in the St. Peter's Basilica longer DO NOT leave with the guide to take photos in the piazza. The security line is long and re-entry on your own is not recommended. The guide will not explain much if anything from inside the piazza so we recommend you stay and explore on your own after finishing the tour. For additional tips on what to see inside the Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel, refer to our Vatican tours and tickets collection.