Wednesday Early Morning Sistine Chapel and Vatican I Max 6 People
Description
Wednesday's are a wonder - and the best day to experience the Vatican Museums in all their glory! Since St Peter's Basilica is closed for the Papal Audience on Wednesday mornings, the museums are far emptier than on other days of the week. This, coupled with early morning access, gives you the ultimate advantage of seeing the museums with the fewest crowds possible! Explore the vast Vatican Museums with your expert guide and see incredible works from famous Renaissance masters such as Raphael, Caravaggio, Leonardo and Giotto. Stroll through the charming Pinecone Courtyard & Octagonal Courtyard as you hear stories and anecdotes from your guide. Then, behold Michelangelo's greatest masterpiece - the Sistine Chapel, all before the crowds pile in! This tour is offered in a small group of maximum 6 people so you can interact directly with your guide and ask all the questions you like!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover some of the most famous paintings and sculptures from western civilization and listen to amusing anecdotes about the former popes and artists represented in the museums. With a small-group tour of maximum of 6 people, easily maneuver through the crowded museums at a comfortable pace. After a view of the terrace over the Vatican gardens, make your way across the beautiful early Renaissance courtyard to admire Hadrian's Pinecone, and then to the modern art piece of Arnaldo Pomodoro. You will then head to the magnificent Octagonal Courtyard which is one of the most remarkable collections of Roman and Greek artifacts. Admire the famous Belvedere Torso, learn about the mystery of the Laocoon Priest of Troy, and visit the Muses Room. Walk through the beautiful galleries to admire an abundance of candelabra, tapestries, and maps. Then head to the Julius II apartments and see the grandeur and the magnificent details of the Raphael Rooms.
Next comes the highlight of the tour -Michelangelo's masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel. Since you are forbidden to speak inside the chapel, your guide will prepare you with anecdotes and details before entering to see one of the most remarkable works of Renaissance art ever known. Then, enter through a tiny door to admire the majestic Sistine Chapel. Take in its grandeur in contemplative silence as you admire this 8,000 square foot wonder. From January 12 through March 31, the Vatican Museums will be carrying out special conservation work on Michelangelo’s Last Judgment inside the Sistine Chapel. During this time, a scaffolding structure will cover the entire Last Judgment wall. The Sistine Chapel will remain open and fully accessible, but this specific artwork will not be visible during the restoration period. Thank you for your understanding as this masterpiece receives important care.
Stroll through the charming Pinecone Courtyard
Marvel in front of Raphael's masterpieces.
Once you have finished admiring the Sistine Chapel, it's then time to continue to your last stop of the tour - the Pinacoteca of the Vatican Museums. This special section has been a part of the museums since 1932, and houses amazing works from Renaissance masters such as Raphael, Caravaggio, Leonardo and Giotto. And here your tour concludes, as you bid farewell to your guide. You are welcome to stay inside the museums to further explore their vastness, or exit to explore what more the Eternal City has to offer.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- On Wednesday morning St. Peter’s Basilica is closed, which means less crowds, but also that you will not be able to access the Basilica until after the tour ends.
- Vatican management maintains the right to delay the opening of the Sistine Chapel for religious reasons, in this case the guide will modify the itinerary and extend your visit of the museums to ensure you make the most of your time before access to the Sistine Chapel is permitted.
- There is no photography allowed in the Sistine chapel, and all other artwork can only be photographed without flash.
- Please be aware that the Sistine Chapel is a Holy Place and talking during your visit inside is strictly forbidden, therefore your guide will give you an explanation of the Sistine Chapel beforehand during your tour, in order to give you a comprehensive explanation before entering the chapel.
- Backpacks are not permitted in the Museum.
- Everyone in your group, regardless of age, needs a government issued ID to enter the Vatican Museums.
- IMPORTANT: Please advise our team if you believe that a disability qualifies you for complimentary access to the Vatican
- Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter.
Reviews(31)
Our guide, Luciana, was excellent. Can’t imagine doing this meaningful tour without her.
We had an amazing experience on our Vatican City tour! Massimo was extremely knowledgeable and informative. We loved the small group format, which allowed us to see everything up close and at a great pace. If you want to fully experience Vatican City, we highly recommend booking this tour.
5 stars, 6 stars, 7 stars more! Sisi (Sylvia) was an exceptional guide. She was patient with all of our questions, thoughtful in her presentation and accommodating to a last minute scooter requirement (broken foot). The art, of course, was incredible. The guide made it come to life. LivTours did a great job!
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Massimo. He was both informative and humorous. We found him engaging and knowledgeable.
Our family of four (two daughters aged 12 and 16) had the most amazing tour with Valerio -we visited the Sistine Chapel early in the morning and managed to beat the crowds. Valerio had us captivated for the whole tour - he is a great storyteller with deep historical knowledge and an intimate understanding of the key works of art in the chapel and beyond. We had the most wonderful morning and can’t recommend Valerio and LivTours more highly enough. Thank you Valerio.
We had the amazing Francisco as our guide who was more a history and art history professor out with his favourite students than a tour guide. He kept us in good humour through the tedious entey formalities and took care of us like a mother hen does with chicks . Well done
Elisa was a superb guide -- highlighted many interesting points about the history of the sculptures, artifacts, and paintings. Made our visit much more enjoyable and fulfilling than if we had gone with large group.
The guide and the experience were first rate.
Another great experience, so easy from meet and greet to the tour guide flows wonderful Meet a chap (sorry he was a great laugh forgot his name) from liv who waits for all the group to arrive then introduces us to the guide Carlotta was brilliant so friendly and easy to be around and again another person so knowledgeable and eager to share, she could do a 6 hour tour feel like 2 hours time just flies by! The information to absorb is huge, and the things to look at so vast Carlotta breaks it into a way you can take in, Thank you
Great experience with small group. Our tour guide -- Massimo -- was incredible. Felt was able to appreciate so much more than if was part of a larger tour. Crowd sizes in January were manageable. We have heard that -- in busier months -- you get pushed through the Sistene Chapel. We were able to take a lot of time to visit and soak in. The Basilica is amazing -- could have spent all day just there. Should be on the Honorable Mentions list for Wonders of the World.
