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VIP Early Access

Sistine Chapel Tour Before Opening Hours with St. Peter’s Basilica

4.89
(828 Reviews)
2 h.
English
20
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri & Sat
07:20

  • Start your experience at the Vatican 1.5 hours before the public by heading directly to the Sistine Chapel as it is being opened for the day, allowing you and your group to be the first to enter the still quiet and empty space to marvel at Michelangelo’s masterpieces while your guide brings the art to life with stories and details of its creation.
  • After the Sistine Chapel, follow your guide for Skip-the-Line access to St. Peter’s Basilica where your guide will point out some of the most famous artworks in Christendom and finish the tour by taking you under the basilica to visit the Vatican Crypts.
  • With an expert English-speaking art historian as your guide, small groups of no more than 20 people, and an entrance well before the opening time giving you access to the Sistine Chapel before anyone else arrives, we can guarantee a great experience on this tour!

Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican Crypt exclusive tour

What's Included

  • Access to the Vatican Museums 30 minutes before other tour operators and 1 hour and 30 minutes before the general public
  • Expert, English-speaking tour guide
  • Skip the line to St Peter Basilica
  • Visit to the Crypts beneath the Basilica
  • Gratuities

Sites Visited

  • Sistine Chapel
  • St. Peter's Basilica
  • Vatican Crypt

For short-time visitors in Rome or those who want to see the highlights of the Vatican without spending hours inside the Museums, our First Entry Sistine Chapel Tour with St. Peter’s Basilica & Vatican Crypt offers an exclusive opportunity to see the top three sites in just two hours.

Be First in to The Sistine Chapel

With first entry to the Sistine Chapel, you’ll have time to explore on your own before other tour groups and the general public arrive. Skip the Line Access gets you directly into St. Peter’s Basilica afterward, before descending to the incredible Vatican Crypt, not covered on regular Vatican tours.

Our early access Sistine Chapel tour starts outside the Vatican Museums before they have opened. You’ll enter 30 minutes ahead of any other tour group and a full hour and 30 minutes before the general public. With an expert guide leading the way, you’ll go directly to the Sistine Chapel (passing through the Museums). On the way your guide will give you some tips on what to look out for in Michelangelo’s world-famous frescoes; from his cheeky self-portrait in ‘The Last Judgement’ to ‘The Creation of Adam’ on the ceiling.

Being the first to enter the Sistine Chapel means that you can avoid the notorious crowds that fill the room during regular opening hours. Spend some time taking in the incredible artwork that surrounds you in the Sistine Chapel.

The Beauty of St. Peter's Basilica

Once you’ve had your fill of the Sistine Chapel, we’ll take you through a special door – not available to the general public – through which you’ll gain direct access to St. Peter’s Basilica. Skip the Line Access here means you'll avoid another long queue outside the walls of the Vatican. On the way, your guide will give you an overview of St. Peter’s Basilica, letting you know what you should look out for during your visit.

Entering St. Peter’s Basilica, you’ll be blown away by its size and beauty. Visit Michelangelo’s sculpture ‘La Pietà’ and Bernini’s altar, a monumental structure of twisted wood and bronze, recycled from the Pantheon.

The Vatican Crypt

The last leg of our tour takes you below the Basilica to the Vatican Crypt. This is where the most important Popes in Church history have been buried – a huge honor bestowed upon past popes.

Once you've finished, your guide will lead you back outside to St. Peter’s Square where you can appreciate the mastery of Bernini, one of Rome’s greatest architects and artists.

With an expert, English-speaking guide leading the way, you’ll see all the highlights of the Vatican City in just two hours, while first entry at the Vatican Museums and Skip the Line Access at St. Peter’s Basilica keep us ahead of the crowds.

For the very best of the Vatican in one breathtaking morning, choose our First Entry Sistine Chapel Tour with St. Peter’s Basilica & Vatican Crypt.

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  • Know Before You Go

    Meeting Point

    Near Museum Entrance - Open in Google Maps

    FAQs

    • Are the Vatican Group tours accessible for people with a disability?

      Please note that the Vatican Museums offers free tickets for people with disabilities exceeding 74%. Show the required documentation (certification of invalidity) to our City Wonders staff at Meeting Point to avail of this. After the tour you can contact our CW Customer Care in order to get the reimbursement of Vatican ticket cost. However, due to some itinerary restrictions, we are unable to accommodate wheelchair users or customers with restricted mobility on our Vatican Group Tours.

      We welcome wheelchair users on our Private Vatican tours. Wheelchair users are required to use a different route through the Vatican Museums. Our Private Vatican Tours fully accommodate wheelchair users and persons of reduced mobility. Your guide will bring you through the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, but not the Basilica. 

      *Important note: Neither option detailed above includes the special skip-the-line access to Saint Peter's Basilica as it is not wheelchair accessible. If you wish to visit Saint Peter's Basilica after your tour, you will need to exit the Vatican Museums, go to Saint Peter's Square and queue to enter. Entry to the Basilica is free. 

    • I am taking a Vatican Tour that includes Saint Peter’s Basilica, will we go up the dome?

      It is possible to climb the Dome on your own if you wish, however you will need to purchase a ticket directly on site.  Our tours do not include a visit to the Dome. Please note that if you intend to climb the Dome after your tour ends, you should make sure to book a morning tour (not on a Wednesday) as the Dome access is already closed in the afternoon before our afternoon tours reach Saint Peter’s Basilica, and the Basilica is often closed on Wednesday mornings.

    • At the end of the tour, will I be able to explore the Vatican Museums on my own?

      No. With our tickets, it is not possible to re-enter the Vatican once you leave as the Vatican tickets are single entry only.

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US$91.11
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