Alone in the Vatican Museums VIP Early Entry Tour with Key Master
Description
Walk alongside the Vatican’s Keeper of the Keys and witness the lights turn on throughout the galleries on this exclusive VIP Key Master semi-private tour. This once in a lifetime experience will allow you to hold in your hand and turn the keys that unlock the doors of the Vatican’s halls, galleries, and the Sistine Chapel itself—all completely alone. Once the private palace of the popes, the Vatican Museums welcomes 25,000 people every day. On this very special early morning tour, you will be able to enjoy the marbled halls, frescoed galleries, world-famous antiquities, and Renaissance masterpieces in almost total privacy. Experience the vibrant color and artistic genius of the Raphael Rooms alone. Bask in the awe-inspiring magnificence of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the empty Sistine Chapel. Then, enjoy a delicious breakfast in the grandeur of the Pinecone courtyard.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Be the first people to enter the hallowed portals of the Vatican an hour and a half before it opens to the general public. Enjoy a unique private tour with an expert guide completely alone in the Vatican. No other parties or groups. Just you. A unique, unparalleled opportunity.
Normally buzzing and bustling with hundreds of people, enjoy the peaceful solitude of Pope Julius II’s private apartments, frescoed by Raphael, the painter of sweetness and light. Admire the School of Athens and the Disputa – unparalleled works of art.
Marvel at the Flemish tapestries, created according to Raphael school designs and originally meant to insulate the Sistine Chapel. Admire the golden opulence and staggering accuracy of the 17th-century Gallery of Maps.
To enter the empty Sistine Chapel is an extraordinary and unforgettable moment. Stand alone beneath Michelangelo’s great masterpieces, the Creation of Man and the Last Judgment. Its magnificence and majesty is both moving and humbling. A once in a lifetime experience. 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.
Lastly enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet in the open-air grandeur of the Pinecone Courtyard.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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
- There is no photography allowed inside the Sistine 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
- Due to the exceptional circumstances of this tour your group size will have a max of 20 people