Viator
4.8
1,792 reviews
Early Morning Vatican, Sistine, St. Peter's Semi or Private Tour
★ 4.9 (4,184 reviews, Viator and Tripadvisor) · Operator: LivTours
- 3 h 30 min on the listing; the time can vary by option
- Up to 6 people, up to 15 per booking
- Live guide: English
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Editor's take
LivTours starts this small shared tour at 7:30. The Shared Tour option lasts 3.5 hours with up to 6 guests. An English guide takes you through the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, then inside St Peter's.
Key Master follows a different route. It includes breakfast and leaves out St Peter's. On the shared tour, crowds or staff routing can leave the Raphael Rooms out. A Basilica closure means extra Museums time without compensation.
Which LivTours early Vatican tour includes St Peter's?
3 options. Prices are per adult for a party of two, the usual lowest price of each option. The booking page shows the price for your date.
| Option | When | Guide | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Tour max 6 peopleSemi-Private Tour | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat 07:30 | English | €209 |
| Private TourPrivate Guide: Book this option for your own private group and enjoy a complete Vatican tour with a Private Guide for you only. | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat 07:30 | English, Italian, Portuguese, French | €300 |
| Vatican Key Master UpgradeEnd your exclusive VIP tour with a delightful breakfast in the Pinecone Courtyard. Group size: Please note: due to the exceptional circumstances of this tour, your group size will have a max of 20 people Duration: 2 hour | Mon, Sat 05:55 | English | €719 |
What's included
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
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities (optional)
Tour or official ticket?
Official online entry to the Museums and Sistine Chapel is €25, against the Shared Tour from €209. The extra pays for English guiding in a group of up to 6. Choose the official ticket if you can forgo the guide and visit the free Basilica separately.
Meeting point
In front of Cafè Vaticano, right across the street from the Vatican Museum's Entrance. Your guide will be holding a LivTours sign. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start time.
Itinerary
From the operator: LivTours's own description of the route.
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.
Read more
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.
Raphael Rooms
The Papal art collection at its best in the Raphael Rooms
Sistine Chapel
Enjoy a thorough explanation of the incredible masterpiece that is the Sistine Chapel and learn all about it from your professional expert guide before you actually enter the chapel. As it is a holy place, it is strictly forbidden to speak inside.
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That is why we guarantee you will learn all about it before you enter. Then, once inside, you will have time to take it all in and admire the breathtaking beauty of this world famous site in contemplative silence.
St Peter's Basilica
Your comprehensive Vatican tour concludes with VIP entrance directly into St. Peter’s Basilica without standing in the long lines. Walking through the Basilica, you will learn all about the secrets of the magnificent and ornate decorations, sculptures, altars and chapels.
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Visit Michelangelo’s Pieta and walk down the main nave to admire the dome he designed that sits on top of the largest Catholic church in the world.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Know before you go
From the operator: LivTours's own notes for this tour.
Tickets and ID
- Everyone in your group, regardless of age, needs a government issued ID to enter the Vatican Museums.
What to wear
- 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.
Rules inside
- 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.
- Backpacks are not permitted in the Museum.
Access and children
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
- IMPORTANT: Please advise our team if you believe that a disability qualifies you for complimentary access to the Vatican
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues
Route and closures
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Good to know
- Public transportation options are available nearby
Reviews
4.9 out of 5 from 4,184 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor together. 98% gave 4 or 5 stars.
Tripadvisor
5.0
2,392 reviews
As shown on Viator, read . The rating is for the whole listing, not for one option, and we do not have the review texts.
Photos
From the LivTours listing, 15 photos in all.
From the operator
From the operator: LivTours's own description of the tour.
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 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.
Read more
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.
