HomeVatican Museum Early Entry – Sistine Chapel - Tour in the city

Enter at 7.30 a.m. with just a few tour groups.

Almost empty Sistine Chapel is yours to explore.

A special passageway cuts the waiting time and you enter past the long lines.

Duration : 2 hrs.
Tour Type: Sistine Chapel Early Entry – St Peter’s Basilica.
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, and other languages are available on request.

We are one of the few selected tour operators who have been given permission to offer this tour which allows our visitors to enter the Sistine Chapel 1hour and 30mins before the official opening time. As such, this is truly a personalised tour with just a handful of other tour groups you will bump into. This allows for a very relaxing tour.

An early entry time of 7.30 a.m. also means that you will get through the security checkpoints much quicker (think of it as arriving two hours at the gate before your flight is to depart). The two hour includes a visit to the three main galleries in the Vatican Museums followed by a private tour of the Sistine Chapel and access to the Papal Tombs and St Peter’s Basilica.

Your guide will take you through three famous galleries; the Candelabra Gallery, Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of Maps. You will hear about the stories behind the Candelabra Gallery and the ancient statues of Greece and Rome, which are so intricately sculpted and displayed there. Learn about the tapestries and the creators behind them in the Gallery of Tapestries. The Gallery of Maps will leave you spellbound with the detailed depictions of Italy.

Since, we are one of the few operators allowed to bring in our groups this early, imagine being in the Sistine Chapel with so few visitors! The serenity and peace will invite you to be truly part of a magical experience surrounded by magnificent frescos which adorn the walls and ceiling. As this is a place of worship, men and women are requested to dress appropriately. Kindly cover your shoulders and knees.

Enter St. Peter's Basilica without waiting in the long lines. You may just get lucky and hear mass taking place. IF the mass is on, your guide will provide explanations of what you will see inside before you enter as speaking is not allowed when mass is on.

Designed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernin, the St. Peter's Baldachin is a sculpted bronze canopy which is displayed under the Basilica’s dome. It is a remarkable sight, and your guide will share with you the reason it was commissioned.