Exclusive Sistine Chapel After Hours Small Group Tour

Step inside the Vatican Museums after they close to the public for a once-in-a-lifetime experience

5.00 (113) ·

Travel Flexibly

· 2.00h · Vatican, Italy

Exclusive Sistine Chapel After Hours Small Group Tour

Visitors walk through the Sistine Chapel, admiring the intricate frescoed ceilings illuminated by warm light.

A small group explores an ornately decorated corridor in the Vatican Museums, surrounded by golden-hued ceilings and Renaissance artwork.

A woman walks through a vast hall in the Vatican Museums, gazing up at the elaborate frescoes covering the ceiling.

A visitor stands in a doorway, silhouetted against the bright golden light of the Vatican’s historic corridors.

A tour guide gestures toward the ornate ceiling inside the Sistine Chapel, explaining the artwork to a small group of tourists.

A long, empty hallway in the Vatican Museums showcases intricate frescoes and elaborate gold-trimmed ceilings.

A group of tourists poses inside a Vatican Museum room, surrounded by vibrant murals and historical artifacts.

Two travelers smile in front of a frescoed wall inside the Vatican Museums, wearing audio guides around their necks.

A tour guide speaks to a small group outside the Vatican, pointing toward the entrance while discussing its history.

Visitors stand inside the Sistine Chapel, gazing up at Michelangelo’s masterpiece on the ceiling.

When the Vatican Museums close to the public, you step inside, with no crowds enjoying Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in perfect silence. On this rare after-hours tour, wander the Vatican’s galleries as they were meant to be seen, free from the chaos of the day. With a small group and expert guide, explore the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, and the treasures of the Vatican as few ever will.

What You Get With This Tour

Passionate English-speaking guide
Exclusive after-hours Vatican entry
Crowd-free experience
Raphael Rooms
Exclusive Sistine Chapel entry
Max 20 pax
Guide gratuity
Hotel pick up
Meals

Tour Itinerary

1

Meet your guide near the Vatican Museums entrance
Your after-hours Vatican adventure begins as you meet your expert guide outside the Vatican Museums, ready to step inside once the doors close to the public.
2

Gallery of the Candelabra
Marvel at towering marble columns, intricate sculptures, and golden candelabras that illuminate the gallery, a space once reserved for displaying the Vatican’s most prized antiquities.
3

Gallery of Tapestries
Admire handwoven masterpieces depicting biblical scenes in stunning detail. With lifelike expressions and optical illusions, these tapestries were designed to impress even the most distinguished visitors.
4

Gallery of Maps
Stretching an astonishing 120 meters (400 ft), this corridor is lined with vibrant, 16th-century maps illustrating Italy’s mountains, coastlines, and cities as they were known during the Renaissance.
5

Raphael Rooms
Enter the private chambers of Pope Julius II, where Raphael’s legendary frescoes, including The School of Athens, bring together history’s greatest philosophers and artists in a grand Renaissance composition.
6

Sistine Chapel
Step into the stillness of the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment unfold across the ceiling and altar wall, their beauty amplified in the silence of the evening.
7

End your tour inside the Vatican Museums
Your exclusive experience concludes inside the Vatican Museums, where you’ll have a final moment to soak in the after-hours magic before exiting into the heart of Rome.

Additional Information

Good to know:

Accessibility: The Vatican Museums & Sistine are wheelchair accessible on this tour. Please notify us in advance, so we can make proper accommodations.
Dress Code: As the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel are deeply religious sites, everyone must cover their knees, shoulders, and toes. Guests who do not meet the dress code may be refused entry by security officials. No hats please.
Bag Policy: Camera tripods and large backpacks are not allowed in the museums, so please leave them at your hotel.
Please Note: Photos are allowed inside the Vatican Museums, but photography is not permitted inside the Sistine Chapel. St. Peter's Basilica is not included in this tour itinerary.
Tour Changes: The 6:15pm tour slot enters the museums just after the last public entrance, by 7pm, you'll enjoy 90 minutes of near-total solitude. The 7:15pm tour slot is a completely private experience — two full hours with the Vatican to yourself.
Check-in: Arrive 15 minutes early for check-in at the meeting point so the group can enter sites on time.

Your 2-hour tour includes:

Expert English-speaking guide
After-hours entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Terrace overlooking St.Peter's Basilica
The Pinecone Courtyard
Visit to the Raphael Rooms, Gallery of Maps, and upper galleries
Pio-clementino Museum (6:15pm option only)
Exclusive opening of the Sistine Chapel door
Time to soak in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel masterpieces
Maximum group size of 20

What to bring:

Shawl or scarf for covering shoulders/knees
Comfortable shoes
Government-issued ID
Camera

Customer Reviews

5.00 (113)

Leave a review

Exclusive Sistine Chapel after hours

Donald Lavich, 19 October 2025

This was by the far the most impressive and informative tour we have taken. The atmosphere of a small group alone in the Vatican was truly awe inspiring. Our guide Marcia was the best.

John Fathree, 18 October 2025

Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel after hours - Amazing Tour

Ward Schendel, 13 October 2025

Catherine was an outstanding tour guide! And to be in this location with a very small group viewing famous paintings and the Sistine Chapel - well worth it! The background and detailed information presented by our guide made for a wonderful evening! Thank you!

Would not recommend

Paula Seibel, 11 October 2025

Lovely guide but I thought we would have 30 minutes inside the chapel in silence. We had neither. We should outside listening while trying to see pictures in the dark for far too long then she repeated some of those things inside the chapel. Of course it was wonderful to be without the crowds but overall we were disappointed.

Tammy Franks, 11 October 2025

Words cannot explain how beautiful and peaceful this tour was.. Our guide was amazing and extremely knowledgeable. Initially, we entered into our own private gate, visited one of the gardens, and learned about the sistine chapel. We continued our walk through different rooms with ancient greek statues, fresco's, on every wall and ceilings that were beyond belief. Painings by Leonardo and more. While admiring the sisting chapel with only fifteen people in the room was an experience I will never forget.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What to bring?

Comfortable walking shoes and a respectful outfit, as this is a religious site.

What to bring?

Comfortable walking shoes and a respectful outfit, as this is a religious site.

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts approximately 2 hours.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the Vatican Museums are wheelchair accessible. Please notify us in advance so we can make accommodations.

Are photos allowed?

Yes, but photography is not permitted inside the Sistine Chapel.

Can I stay in the Vatican Museums after the tour?

No, as this is an after-hours tour, the museums close once the tour concludes.

What language is this available in?

This tour is immediately available in English. If you’re looking for another language, please book our Private After Hours Vatican Tour and we’ll work to accommodate you.

Is this tour truly crowd-free?

Yes! While there may be some lingering visitors in the Vatican at the start of your tour, since it closes to the publich at 6pm, you will have the Sistine Chapel completely to yourself!

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