Early Morning Vatican Truly Small Group Tour

Meet your guide and small group of no more than six near the Vatican Museums.

Listen to an introduction to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes from your guide. Talking inside the chapel is not allowed, so you’ll learn about these Renaissance artworks before entering. Then, head directly inside the pope’s private place of worship. Your ticket gives you early access to the chapel as one of the day’s first visitors, so you can enjoy it without the crowds. 

Gaze in awe at Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco, The Creation of Adam, as well as The Last Judgment gracing the back wall of the chapel. Soak in unobstructed views of the works, and enjoy time to inspect them in detail.

When your time in the chapel is up, reconvene with your guide and bypass the main admission lines for a tour of the Vatican Museums’ highlights.

Stroll around the Pinecone Courtyard, and see works like the Belvedere Apollo and Laocoon Priest of Troy statues. Admire the celebrated marble Belvedere Torso, and stroll through the must-see 16th-century Gallery of Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries, and Raphael Rooms.

Afterward, walk back through the Sistine Chapel — seeing how crowded it is during normal opening hours — and continue through an exclusive exit into St. Peter’s Basilica.

Here, let your guide introduce you to the best of the treasures held in the magnificent interior. Admire Michelangelo's glorious Pietà, the marble sculpture depicting Mary holding the dead Jesus, as well as Bernini's Baldacchino altar canopy and Pope Alexander VII monument among other great works.

Your tour concludes inside the church when your guide departs. You’re free to then continue exploring independently, perhaps looking further around the interior to see the papal tombs, climbing the Dome, or strolling around St. Peter’s Square as you wish.