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Rome: Complete Early Morning Vatican Tour | Small Group

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Overview

Available languages

English

3 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Meet at our comfortable offices less than a block from the museum entrance. Join our small group Vatican tour in the early morning with a top-notch tour guide and get the earliest entrance available to the museums, Sistine Chapel & Raphael Rooms. In a small group, you will be able to discover with no rush the extraordinary abundance of history and art.

Your guide will tour you through these corridors and halls, pointing out the exhibits on display. Once through, the Sistine Chapel awaits you.

The finale of our early entry Vatican tours culminates in St. Peter’s Basilica. Majestic and inspired, it is the perfect place to come full circle on the morning’s itinerary. Feast your eyes on Michelangelo’s Pietà and admire the stunning interior of the dome he designed, as well as Bernini’s massive bronze baldachin sitting over the Pope’s private alter directly above St. Peter’s tomb and other little-known details that can only be spotted when inside!

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

MEETING POINT IS VIA SANTAMAURA 14b, What a Life Tours

The ticket is valid only for the date and time reserved. We are unable to accommodate late arrivals due to a time entrance of the Vatican Museums tour voucher. Missed tours or tickets due to late arrivals are non-refundable. Please allow extra time to reach the meeting point as Rome's streets can be confusing. Meeting time is 15 minutes before the start time of the tour.

A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. ALL participants MUST cover their knees and shoulders. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.

While the Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair access, they are not conveniently located on the group tour route and only give access to specific sections of the Museums. As a result, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs/walkers on this tour.

Please remember to bring with you a valid ID document for all participants.

We cannot accommodate service animals.

Please notice that we are not responsible for the number of visitors the Vatican Museums allow inside.

Large umbrellas are not permitted, please leave these at your accommodation.

No pictures, videos, or even speaking is allowed in the Sistine Chapel.

We recommend that you bring your own headphones as the ones provided by the Vatican have a single earpiece only, and you may prefer to use both earbuds to hear the guide better.

St. Peter's Basilica is an active parish and therefore subject to last-minute closures due to mass or other religious events. In these cases, we will offer an extended tour of the Vatican Museums (including areas normally not part of the tour). Please note that closures of St. Peter's Basilica can happen anytime without further notice. No refunds are recognized for unexpected closures.

Between January 12 and March 31, 2026, the Vatican Museums will carry out an extraordinary maintenance project on Michelangelo's "Last Judgement" fresco in the Sistine Chapel. During that time, the entire wall featuring the fresco will be covered by scaffolding, leaving the artwork temporarily out of view. The Sistine Chapel will remain open to visitors.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

1

The activity starts directly at our office located conveniently very close to the Museums' entrance.

Admission Not Applicable
2

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums feature many works of art that belonged to the different Popes and are full of artistic beauty. Here is a glimpse of some of the most beautiful things to see in the Vatican Museums. Rooms and Galleries of the Vatican Museums, as the Greek Cross Room, the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, Raphael Rooms and much more! From a relatively small collection of statues brought in by Julius II, it grew into a gigantic museum to a point that nobody even knows how many items are kept in the vaults and galleries of the Vatican.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included

What‘s Included

Meet your guide at our comfortable offices near the Museums' entrance

Skip-the-line access to St. Peter’s Basilica

Headsets to hear the guide

Entry to the Sistine Chapel

Small group

Expert English-speaking tour guide

3.5-hour guided tour

Early entrance guaranteed

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Options

Complete Early Morning Tour

Sistine Chapel & Pinacoteca

Duration: 3 hours: Admire the amazing Vatican Pinacoteca in this Wednesday's Special itinerary.
Museums & Sistine Chapel: Please note this tour does not include St. Peter's Basilica but will go to the marvelous Pinacoteca instead.
Before the Crowds Early Entry: EXCLUSIONS: -St.Peter's Basilica

Reviews

4.93

2,230 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

2125
68
23
10
4
  • Knowledgeable and serious but also funny

    979tyt,,Jan 27, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Elaine was our guide and she was fantastic! She showed us a couple "Easter eggs" that not alot of other guide's showed their tours. She also had a great blend of seriousness and humor that made our experience one to remember!

  • The best way to visit the Vatican.

    Thomas W,,Jan 27, 2026

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    Elaine, our tour operator, was wonderful. She was very enthusiastic and had some interesting insight into papal events.

  • Great guide, impressive tour

    cdevries1,,Jan 27, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    We'd booked the 3,5 hour tour. Tourguide Elisabetta of What a Life Tours did a great job of explaining the Vatican's history and lay-out, and of pointing out all of the especially noteworthy pieces of art in the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. Recommend!

  • Amazing tour!

    675bridgettep,,Jan 27, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    It was such an amazing tour. Elaine was so educated and incredibly entertaining .. recommend to everyone!!

  • Elaine was great! Loved...

    Stephanie T,,Jan 24, 2026

    - Review from Viator

    5.00

    Elaine was great! Loved our uncensored tour of the Vatican-don’t let the “uncensored” part dissuade you; she asks what kind of tour you want before venturing out. Loved all the information and little secrets she shared during our tour. Highly recommend!

  • Amazing

    mariepZ7238ST,,Jan 24, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    The tour was amazing! Thank you so much! What a delighting tour. Helene was really kind and such an interesting tour guid. She knows how to keep her audience interested!

    mariepZ7238ST's photo 1
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  • Go early, beat the crowd!

    tesso103,,Jan 23, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    The whole experience was lovely and a lot information to adsorb! Ask for Elaine as your guide and she will share a lot of hidden and interesting spots! Go for the early morning tour to beat the crowd, you won’t be regretted!

  • Very well organized tour

    nanad682,,Jan 22, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Elaine was an outstanding tour guide! She was very intentional with the tour, made great use of the full time, and even built in bathroom breaks, which we really appreciated. Her knowledge of the area and history was impressive, and she explained everything in a clear and engaging way. She made the experience enjoyable, organized, and informative from start to finish.

  • Transformative

    brianmJ1396XE,,Jan 20, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Going with a guide is a great experience. But going with a guide like Elaine is a transformative experience filled with facts that will satisfy your geeky side, tickle you with humor and bring the Vatican to life. Plus she knows all the practical things to get you through the crowds. Wow! What a blessing!

  • Vatican Tour!!

    R3023MGeduardom,,Jan 20, 2026

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Hey! Elaine is absolutely the best tour guide I've encountered in ages. Our time was incredible—funny, memorable, and truly the highlight of our trip. Elaine, you're amazing! Highly, highly recommended!

From €109.00

4.93
(2,230 reviews)
Check availability

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