Booking fee
The booking fee includes the costs of booking your tickets such as charges for payment processing. It also covers the provision of our customer care center for processing your order, and all charges imposed by our suppliers.
* This tour requires at least one of the following per booking: Adult, Senior
Enter the Sistine Chapel at the most peaceful time of day to enjoy Michelangelo’s masterpiece in serenity and embark on a thorough guided tour of the Vatican Museums, ending at the awe-inspiring St. Peter's Basilica. There's no better way to see the highlights of the Vatican without the crowds that descend upon the galleries later in the day. Not a morning person? Book the Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour with Sistine Chapel for a relaxed afternoon visit after the crowds have left for the day.
Local English-speaking guide
Small groups of 15 people or fewer
Expertly guided tour of the Vatican
Headset
Skip the line ticket for Vatican Museums
Skip the line ticket for St. Peter's Basilica (AM Tour option only)
Gratuities
Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Departure Point
Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Meet at Antico Café Candia at Via Candia, 153, 00192 Roma RM. Your guide will be holding a Walks sign.
Return Details
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
St. Peter's Basilica
Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Italy If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour or Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour: Your guide will lead you on a full tour of the Vatican Museums, stopping to see all the most important works. Visiting either before or after the daytime crowds, you’ll appreciate the extra space and silence to appreciate the magnificent artwork in the Museums. 120 minutes
Sphere within a Sphere, Vatican City, Italy If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour or Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour: Inside the peaceful, Pinecone Courtyard you'll pass a spectacular bronze globe. It was designed for the Vatican by well-known Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro and copies of it can now be found all over the world, including Dublin, Tel Aviv and New York City.
Stanze di Raffaello, Vatican City, Italy If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour: During the day, the Raphael Rooms are as busy as the Sistine Chapel. At this hour of the morning, however, when the Museums have just opened for the day, you'll have plenty of space to enjoy them peacefully. Your guide will point out where Raphael worked the faces of his contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo into his frescoes. 30 minutes
00120, Vatican City If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour or Afternoon Vatican Museums Tour: The Sistine Chapel wasn’t meant to be seen standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people. Beat the crowds by entering first thing in the morning or in late afternoon to enjoy the incredible frescoes in relative peace. 30 minutes
St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Italy If you select the Early Vatican Museums Tour: Last but certainly not least, you'll head straight to St. Peter's Basilica via a special secret passage, bypassing the long lines that are starting to form outside. End your morning with a full tour of the sacred space and gaze upon Michelangelo's moving Pietà, Bernini's grandiose altarpiece, and so much more as you learn the stories and legends behind them. Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is subject to unexpected closures. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinacoteca Gallery. 60 minutes
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
All guests (including children) must bring ID on the day of their tour.
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, or for wheelchairs or strollers. Please contact the Guest Experience team to make alternative arrangements.
Walks / Devour complies with all local government regulations. Please refer to local government guidelines for the most up-to-date information.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
635chloel
19 Dec 2024
Guide is knowledgeable and the tour is really informative. We learn a lot.
Skip the line and directly move to St Peter Basilica is one major plus point.
Gina_C
21 Nov 2024
Our tour guide Dario was amazing! He wasso informative and readily available to answer any questions our group had. Highly recommend going to the Vatican on early for the best experience.
Ann C
21 Nov 2024
Maria-Theresa, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and personable and made the 4 hour tour fly by. Our small group was met promptly at 7:15 am at the meeting point (which was by a little cafe where you could grab a coffee or pastry before the tour)whisperers were distributed and then we proceeded to the Vatican to line up and wait til the opening time of 8am. Our group was 2nd in line after a private tour group of 5 individuals. Our guide efficiently used this waiting time to give us background information on the Sistine Chapel as it is a silent place and no cameras are allowed. She distributed lovely colorful descriptive handouts for us to keep. The tour began through the exterior courtyards and gardens with plenty of time for pictures and then we toured the rooms of the Vatican Museum. It is overwhelming but our guide highlighted the significant pieces, again allowing time for photographs. We had ample time in the Sistine Chapel to roam, sit, contemplate before we took the shortcut through the historical staircase, bypassing the Swiss guard into St. Peter’s Square and into the Basilica. Again, great introduction and highlights by our guide while in the Basilica. At the end of the tour we were advised to visit the crypt (free) and the dome (for a fee) is interested. We all hate getting up at the crack of dawn, but this is the way to go if you want a stress less way to tour the Vatican—no lines, great information, beat the crowds, small group tour (about 10.) Bravo to Maria-Theresa who made the morning so enjoyable and informative.
This tour in
is organized by
Walks - Italy, Spain & Greece
We always double-check the availability with our local partners for each booking. Even though this is usually a swift process, it can take up to 24 hours. Once this process is completed you will receive your voucher or ticket by email. If our local partner is not able to confirm your booking we will offer you the best possible alternative. If the new date and/or time doesn’t fit your itinerary, we will reimburse the full amount paid.
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