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Sistine Chapel First Entry Experience with Vatican Museums

Badge of ExcellenceRoma, Italy

From $70.01

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Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
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Unique Experiences
  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Visit the Sistine Chapel before the crowds arrive on this guided first-entry experience to the Vatican Museums complex with a small-group of up to 16 people. Explore at your own pace, accompanied by an expert guide, stopping to admire Michelangelo’s famous ceiling fresco and his other works in a tranquil, crowd-free atmosphere.
  • First Entrance into the Vatican Museums & the Sistine Chapel before the general public
  • Enjoy Michelangelo's masterpieces before the crowds arrive
  • Take the time to explore the Vatican Museum for as long as you want
  • Share the experience with a small group of up to 16 people

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Be among the first people of the day inside the Sistine Chapel with this ticket.

What's Included

  • First Entrance into the Vatican Museums
  • First Entry Experience to the Sistine Chapel
  • Tickets to the Vatican Museums and all reservation fees
  • All Day Access to the Vatican Museums
  • Small group of 16 people or less
  • Expert, English-speaking guide
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Via Tunisi, 4
    Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy

    At the bottom of the steps across the street from the Entrance of the Vatican Museums. The steps are located right next to Caffè Vaticano on the corner of Viale Vaticano and Via Tunisi. The closest Metro stop is Line A (Ottaviano – Musei Vaticani).

Start time

08:00 AM

End point

  • Sistine Chapel
    00120, Vatican City

What To Expect

Your early morning Vatican experience starts as you meet your host outside the Vatican Museums. Go in and head directly to the Sistine Chapel, the pope’s private place of worship, which is normally the last thing seen on a tour of the Museums complex. However, with this ticket, enter the chapel as one of the first visitors of the day, allowing you to enjoy it without the crowds.

Gaze in awe at Michelangelo’s iconic ceiling fresco, 'The Creation of Adam,' as well as 'The Last Judgment,' his blue fresco that adorns the back wall of the chapel. Talking is not allowed inside; learn about these Renaissance masterpieces before you enter. After seeing the chapel, you're able to explore the Vatican Museums at your own pace.

Your tour concludes back in St. Peter's Square, where you're able to take in the architectural splendor of the Vatican.

Vatican City (Pass By)

With this First Entry Experience to the Vatican Museums you will admire the Sistine Chapel at its best, without the notoriously large crowds.

Vatican Museums

After your once-in-a-lifetime Sistine Chapel experience, you have the option to visit the Vatican Museums without having to leave and enter again. Besides full-day tickets, we also provide a map of the 9-mile-long museum and an introduction to its highlights - everything you need to design your own itinerary, enjoying the world-renowned art collections at your own pace.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
  • St Peter's Basilica, the grottos and the dome: After the tour, you may visit these attractions on your own. Your tour will end at the front of St Peter's Basilica, which is a very convenient location to leave for lunch, visit the Vatican bookstore, visit the Vatican post office, enter St Peter's Basilica, continue to the grottos below St Peter's or climb to the dome. Your tour guide will be happy to point you in the right direction!
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Please note: Due to the current circumstances and regulations, the Vatican currently opens at 8:30am instead of 8:00am. However, by arriving at the line 30 minutes before the doors open, you will be one of the first visitors to enter the Sistine Chapel and enjoy the Museums in peace before the crowds arrive.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start 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.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

There are other tour groups, but no where near as the mass crowds as usual.this tour is highly recommended for all.
Don't worry, you will still have the opportunity to explore the museums after you visit the Chapel.
Show up early, grab some cappuccino before the tour, and get ready for the experience of a lifetime!
Reviews
4.5
942 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 942 reviews
Sistine Chapel
Andrew_O, Mar 2023
Our guide Oscar was knowledgeable, took time to answer questions, and was professional and friendly.
Amazing tour!
Ghulam_M, Mar 2023
To go without a guide with this experience would have been the biggest mistake! Our guide gave us so much insight and history that the appreciation for everything was beyond what we had ever expected or planned for!
Early access Sistine chapel
Linda_L, Mar 2023
Seeing the Sistine Chapel with only a few people there . The whole trip was very informative and the guide was excellent
Good, short tour
Brian_K, Mar 2023
Good tour, short, focused on highlights. Right amount of time for someone with limited attention span :)
Art and more art!
Charles_B, Mar 2023
The artwork! To be able to be upfront to art that is no where else in the world. YaYa gave a good outline of the works that would have been missed without a guide.
Sistine Chapel should always be first!
loopla, Mar 2023
This is the only tour I would ever recommend for the Vatican. All roads lead to the Sistine Chapel, which means it can get CROWDED and overwhelming by 10:00. Beginning the day with the Sistine Chapel is the only way to go; afterward you have the freedom to tour the museums on your own or exiting to St. Peter’s (if you can find it - we struggled but that’s more to do with lack of coffee than anything else). Oscar was a great guide who kept us entertained and informed as we made our way to the Chapel.
Great tour!
Kim_T, Mar 2023
The 90 minute tour was a perfect way to get a taste with an expert and then go on our own. If you're short on time as we were, or just want to have this kick off your learning experience, I highly recommend.
Amazing tour
Alix_W, Mar 2023
This was an excellent tour by Alessandra and we couldn’t have had a better time. You hit all the highlights and get to the chapel before it’s too busy. Alessandra also helped us with places to see after the tour. Great experience.
Best tour of our trip to Rome!
Susan_P, Jan 2023
Our Guide, Oscar was so interesting, friendly and has a great sense of humour. We learnt so much and were very glad we went on this tour. Highly recommend.
Oscar our guide made the...
Vicki_B, Jan 2023
Oscar our guide made the tour fantastic! This first entry was totally worth every penny. We never waited in any line and learned all the important highlights
Our guide was great!...
Natalie_L, Dec 2022
Our guide was great! Informative and witty. The early entrance is the only way to see the Sistine chapel and Vatican museum!
Beautiful masterpieces by Michelangelo and Raphael!
Ramiro_G, Dec 2022
Our Vatican Museum tour was an amazing experience, beautiful art from floor to the ceilings. Our guide was very friendly and informative. It is worth going first entry as you are able to enjoy the Sistine chapel without feeling like your stuck in a crowded subway :) once more visitors filled the halls it was more difficult to get around. There are so many incredible art works that it's impossible to see everything in a day. My wife and I visited with my two teenage kids and we all had a great time.
If you want to see the Sistine Chapel take this tour.
Brenda_W, Dec 2022
Oscar, our guide was great. Very knowledgeable. So happy to take this tour. Last time we went was too crowded. Smaller group and early access was priceless.
Good day at Sistine Chapel
Jennifer_H, Nov 2022
It was very nice to be there before the crowds! We enjoyed our guide very much. We look foward to coming back
Perfect length
alexis_g, Nov 2022
The 90 minute tour was perfect. Our guide was detailed, interesting and funny and timed it perfectly so we arrived at the entrance of the chapel right as it opened (we did the 08:00 tour). She explained the frescos in a public area then gave us an explanation of statues and tapestries we passed on the way to the chapel. She was finished teaching after 70 minutes but then stayed in the back of the Chapel for the next 20 minutes (until the tour time was over), in case we had any questions while viewing the chapel. The tour ticket then allowed us to explore the rest of the Vatican museum until closing time that day. We spent three hours (go see the chariots and “Popemobile”) there then took our guide’s advice and walked over to St.Peter’s. The basilica is free and though the line looks very long it moves quickly. I highly recommend the 90 minute Sistine Chapel tour.
Book the early morning tour!
leah_s, Nov 2022
Oscar was wonderful! Absolutely book this early morning express tour! we tried to go back into the museum later and it was complete chaos with the crowds. So glad we booked this one and had lovely and informative Oscar as our guide.
Sistine chapel
Jamie_W, Oct 2022
Perfect for us, we had been to museum before but very crowded. We wanted to spend more time in Sistine chapel with more space to sit in different spots and view and only had half a day. Guide shows you highlights and gives interesting information along route to chapel and detailed info on Sistine chapel before entry. Guide leaves you in chapel to stay as long as you like. After you can go back to other areas of museum on your own or leave if short on time. The longer you stay in the chapel the more the crowds build in rest of museum so decide you priorities. We found meeting point easily with their instructions. Skip the line - we walked right in. If you can, go on Wednesday when pope is at St. Peter’s, crowds are there and museum is even less crowded in morning.
Too notch!
Kristen_B, Oct 2022
Very attentive. Really knowledgeable and made it real. Asked where everyone was from. Great personality. Great English. Passionate about her job. Gave you tips and advice on continuing a self tour. a real pro!
Great guide
Greg_S, Oct 2022
The guide we had was great. His knowledge was second to none. Small group was very beneficial. All employees were very helpful and friendly.
Good tour
Leslie_W, Oct 2022
Great guide. Very informative and personable. Used headsets to make communication easier. Small group size. Would recommend.
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