Early Morning Vatican, Sistine, St. Peter's Semi or Private Tour
Overview
Available languages
3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Get early morning access into the Vatican Museums to admire countless works, and beautiful courtyards! Together with a truly small group of only 6 participants max, or in your very own private group, you will be able to avoid the big crowds and quietly enjoy these wonderful masterpieces. The Vatican Museums is on everyone’s Rome itinerary so you can imagine it gets quite full, quite quickly. This tour guarantees the personalized and intimate feel that is only possible with our truly small group size, or in your very own private group. We believe that having an intimate experience makes ALL the difference! With your expert local guide, make your way through the vastness of the Museums, with the greatest highlights of the Papal art collection, the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Pinecone Courtyard, and of course the exceptional Sistine Chapel. Finish with the incredible Saint Peter's Basilica.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Important Notice Jubilee Year 2025: As part of the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, from December 24th, 2024 to January 6th, 2026, St. Peter’s Basilica may experience unexpected partial or complete closures. In the rare event that the Basilica cannot be visited, rest assured that your tour experience will remain exceptional. Your guide will seamlessly adapt the itinerary to include alternative highlights, ensuring the full duration and quality of your tour. Please note that, in accordance with our Terms & Conditions agreed upon at the time of booking, partial or full refunds cannot be issued due to Basilica closures.
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.
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.
Photography is not 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 while inside the chapel is strictly forbidden. Therefore, your guide will provide a comprehensive overview of the Sistine Chapel before entering and will be able to answer more questions once you have left the space.
St. Peter’s Basilica is an active church and can be closed unexpectedly for liturgical ceremonies. If closed, your guide will provide a revised itinerary including more of the Vatican Museums. No compensation is granted in these circumstances.
Backpacks are not permitted in the Museum.
Guests with wheelchair accessibility needs will find difficulty with this small group tour. To ensure a barrier-free tour with alternative routes, please book the private version of this tour.
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
Access to the Raphael Rooms is contingent upon crowd conditions, timing constraints, and guard-regulated routes. Including them may not always be feasible. In these cases, your tour guide will exercise discretion to adjust the itinerary, ensuring a comprehensive 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.
Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Skip the long ticket lines
Private Option of this tour is Available!
Tour in a Safe and Semi Private Group of 6 people
Learn from a Professional Local Expert Guide
Enjoy Early Morning Entrance to the Vatican Museums for a quieter experience
Food and drinks
Gratuities (optional)
What To Expect
Vatican Museums
With the luxury of our truly small group size of 6 people max, or in the personalized intimacy of your very own private group, you will be guaranteed to get the very most out of your Vatican experience. This way you can easily navigate through the countless masterpieces with an expert guide, ask all the questions you wish, and have the guarantee of a personalized experience. We trust this makes ALL the difference! Walk through the heavily decorated Gallery of the Candelabras and enjoy the trompe l’oeil in the Gallery of the Tapestries. After you learn about the impressive Gallery of the Maps, continue to the exquisite Raphael Rooms. With your professional expert tour guide, you will be sure to see all the highlights as well as hidden gems! You will not only learn the fantastic history of the powerful Popes but will also delight in the bits of gossip and other little-known stories about life in Vatican City.
Stanze di Raffaello
The Papal art collection at its best in the Raphael Rooms
Options
Shared Tour max 6 people
Semi-Private Tour
Vatican Key Master Upgrade
End your exclusive VIP tour with a delightful breakfast in the Pinecone Courtyard.
Duration: 2 hours: Join the Vatican’s Key Master to unlock the empty galleries and the Sistine Chapel in total privacy. St. Peter's NOT included
Private Tour
Private Guide: Book this option for your own private group and enjoy a complete Vatican tour with a Private Guide for you only.
Reviews
3,728 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Very informative! Our...
Lisa M,
Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very informative! Our group was small, only 5, so it was easier to ask questions and enjoy the tour. From beginning to end it was fabulous!
Our guide Lia was...
Patrick M,
Dec 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide Lia was friendly, informative, knowledgeable, and she expressed a genuine care and concern for our experience. She was also good at pointing out hidden gems not commonly known to most visitors. And seeing other tour groups with larger sizes made us appreciate being a smaller group of 6.
Love Massimo
Fearless797686,
Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Massimo was a delight! Such a great tour, easy logistics, learned so much. I will use LivTours again. Highly recommend!
Maximize the Experience with Massimo
John A,
Nov 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Oh my goodness, a magical day in Rome none of us could have imagined. Our guide, Massimo, gave us Rich’s art-history detail on the craftsmanship and historical context on the Sistene Chapel and Vatican museum that was engaging and relatable to everyone in our party. Also, the direct access to the galleries, avoiding the long lines, was the only way we were going to experience this once in a lifetime treat. Everyone in our party of family and friends was delighted.
Super Massimo!
Blainri2,
Nov 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic, insightful tour with our guide Massimo who was not only extremely knowledgeable and engaging but also very funny! 5 stars!
Early morning Vatican tour; excellent!
ryank422,
Nov 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Serafina in particular was a wonderful and informative guide. She gave great context and insight into the day, we really couldn’t have enjoyed our experience any more. Her pace and direction on what to stop at and where to go made the experience one to remember. She was a great guide and everyone should be requesting her be their guide.
The only way to experience it.
Yuva A,
Nov 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00An exclusive and truly immersive way to experience the destination. Having Massimo (Max) as our private guide elevated the entire tour—his exceptional expertise, coupled with effortless charm and refined wit, made every moment both enlightening and engaging. The experience involves a fair amount of walking, but the richness of the journey makes every step entirely worthwhile.
Amazing!
jesseaO2502UY,
Nov 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Oksana was an excellent guide! She was knowledgeable, interesting, and so kind. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with her!
Private Vatican Breakfast Tour/VIP Experience with Luciana (La Argentina)!
Luz Celeste P,
Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Best experience with Luciana! She was kind and empathetic to my Mom who is a bit fragile walking. We managed to the do the entire tour in the wheel chair. Bonus! We were a few minutes late but Luciana made up for the missed time. If I had to do something differently, not do the breakfast. Restaurant could have served the food warmer and coffee, too. Food was bland. Mami nor I enjoyed it. Nothing to do with Luciana nor Liv Tours. But restaurant can do better. Without hesitation will do any tour with Luciana! Loved her. Thank you, Luciana for your compassion, knowledge and gracious time with us!
Definitely worth the early start!
Trooth S,
Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Deborah shared a wealth of information with us during our tour. Even though the works of art are beautiful on their own, understanding the history behind them made for a much better experience. Her navigation and the early start when the museums opened meant we had a lot of exhibits to ourselves, and while the Sistine Chapel was obviously more busy, we still had an opportunity to sit and spend some time to take it all in. The shortcut to St. Peter’s Basilica was also a huge time saving. And a shout out to the office staff too, for accommodating some short notice changes when our companions travel plans changed. Thanks again!
From €199.00
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