8am Entrance Platinum Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel
Red Carpet Access to the Vatican Museums Licensed Guide with St. Peter's Basilica Drop Off
Our Super Early Platinum Vatican Tour offers the most exclusive experience of the Vatican Museums. Enter an entire hour before the general public does at 8am and see the Sistine Chapel at its most serene.
Tour Details
- Super early 7:30a.m. entry time
- Candelabra Gallery
- Gallery of the Tapestries
- Gallery of Maps
- Without the crowds
- One of the first to enter the Sistine Chapel
- Skip the line to the Basilica
- St. Peter's Basilica
- Papal Tombs
If you’re one to actively avoid crowds on your vacations, this exclusive super early private Vatican tour is absolutely perfect for you, for a few reasons. First, this private Vatican tour allows you to customize your group size and experience the magic of the Vatican with hardly anyone else inside. Entering an entire hour and a half before the general public will allow you to be there right when the Sistine Chapel is unlocked and it’s the quietest. Additionally, most guided tours only have 8:30 am access. However, this private Vatican Platinum tour offers you the chance to enter the museums when the collections are at their least crowded! This 2-hour long tour includes:
- Skip the line access with fewer crowds
- Highlights of the Vatican’s three main galleries with a guide
- The earliest and most quiet Sistine Chapel guided visit of the day
- Access to St. Peter’s Basilica and Papal Tombs
Raphael's Students and Maps of the Italian Peninsula
As you make your way to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, your guide will show you the main galleries of the Vatican, including the Gallery of Maps, Gallery of Tapestries and Candelabra Gallery. Admire all of the iconic works of art throughout, including ancient Greek statues and tapestries created by Raphael’s students. Get a sense of how topographers thought centuries ago by studying some of the first maps of Italy and the surrounding areas.
Sistine Chapel Without the Crowds
A visit to the Sistine Chapel often involves standing in the midst of hundreds of other people. On this private tour, that’s not the case at all. Taking in the magic you came to the Vatican to see when this jaw-dropping room is at its most empty. This early, early entrance time to the Vatican museums allows you a quieter, less congested and more meaningful Sistine Chapel experience. The Sistine Chapel opens its doors at 8 am, meaning you and your group will quite literally be one of the first groups to enter the Sistine Chapel that day.
The Sistine Chapel is a sacred place, and no speaking is allowed inside. Your guide will explain everything there is to know about the artwork ahead of time before you enter. This way, you can enjoy the silence of the sacred space. In addition, the Sistine Chapel is a place of worship and it requires a specific dress code. All visitors must cover their knees and shoulders while inside. Although Rome can get hot during the summer months, we recommend a light shawl or scarf to adhere to these regulations.
Majestic St. Peter’s Basilica
On your private Vatican City tour, your guide will grant you access to a special door from the Sistine Chapel that leads to St. Peter’s Basilica. Before entering the Basilica, your guide will provide insightful information to your group to allow you to make more meaning out of all of the sights. Speaking is prohibited in the holy space, so it’s best for your guide to prepare you for your visit beforehand. Enter the largest church in the world that took over 120 years to build. Once inside, you’ll understand why. The details of this iconic Italian Renaissance Basilica make the structure one of the most renowned landmarks in the world.
Explore the famous artworks crafted by Michelangelo, Bernini, Bramante and more on your own. See La Pieta up close behind bulletproof glass and marvel at the Baldacchino and take a special visit to the Papal tombs, the final resting place for hundreds of popes after your tour.
If your tour falls on a Wednesday, St. Peter’s Basilica is closed due to the Papal Audience. In this case, your guide will use this time to show you more masterpieces that the Vatican Museums has to offer.
Important: Remember, it isn’t possible to return to the Vatican Museums from St. Peter’s Basilica. Once you leave the Sistine Chapel to walk over to the Basilica, you cannot return.

See what people are saying
11 total reviews
Leave a reviewAMAZING!!!!
Jeremy McCassy
The ROMAN Guy made my daughters and I'd vacation and tours extremely simple, easy and full of knowledge. Its the best way to go!
Awesome tour. Great timing.
Great timing. Skip the line is really good. This is a must do tour with a guide. Our compliments to Sara our tour guide. Definitely knows a lot about the Vatican. She explain many things really good and detailed. Also our compliments to the organizing team that receive us in the morning. Great experience.
Joshua Sroka
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to meet?
Between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano, at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). A representative will be there holding a sign with our company name on it.
What to bring?
Wear comfortable shoes because you'll be on your feet for the length of the tour. Also if you're wearing summer clothes because it's hot in Rome, bring something to wrap around yourself before you enter the Sistine Chapel or St. Peter's Basilica.
I have some doubts about my mobility. Is this tour right for me?
If you have any doubts about your mobility this is a great tour for you to take. Your private guide will ensure you are comfortable the entire way and can tailor the tour to your needs.
What are the chances my tour will be canceled or the Vatican will close something.
We run the tour rain or shine all year round. Although it is rare, sometimes part of the Vatican City closes for special religious events. If an area normally covered on a tour is closed, our guide will still provide explanations of the closed areas from outside. Plus, we will show you an extra site or gallery to compensate.
Does the tour go inside at 7:30 am without waiting in any lines?
Yes! Enter the museums through the "center lane". Individuals enter through the left lane. Tour operators enter in the right lane. We enter through the center lane for this tour which lets us inside 90 minutes before individuals and 30 minutes before other tour operators.
Does this tour always include St. Peter's Basilica?
St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesday mornings due to the papal audience. We still run the tour because it might be your only day in Rome! Instead, we visit some of the most iconic statues in the world and Emperor Nero's enormous marble bathtub.
What to bring?
Wear comfortable shoes because you'll be on your feet for the length of the tour. Also if you're wearing summer clothes because it's hot in Rome, bring something to wrap around yourself before you enter the Sistine Chapel or St. Peter's Basilica.
Where to meet?
Between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano, at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). A representative will be there holding a sign with our company name on it.