2 h

Skip The Line

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About this activity

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Citta del Vaticano 1, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Be one of the first to enter the Vatican Museums in the early morning, skipping the line that forms before the doors are even open and going directly to the crown jewel of the Vatican. With an expert guide leading the way, you’ll navigate the Museums to a nearly empty Sistine Chapel, taking in the incredible artwork without the notorious crowds that fill the space during regular opening hours.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza di San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy

After you’ve had time to admire this breathtaking site, you’ll head through a special door – not open to the general public – directly into St. Peter’s Basilica, avoiding another long line outside. The sheer size of St. Peter’s, the largest ancient basilica in the world, will take your breath away. Here you can visit Michelangelo’s sculpture ‘La Pietà’ and Bernini’s altar, a monumental structure of twisted wood and bronze, recycled from the Pantheon.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Vatican Necropolis, Piazza San Pietro Beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, 00120 Vatican City Italy

The last leg of the tour takes you below the beautiful Basilica to the Vatican Crypt – not covered on regular Vatican tours. The most important Popes in Church history are buried here.

Finally, your guide will lead you back outside to St. Peter’s Square, where you can appreciate the mastery of Bernini, one of Rome’s greatest architects and artists.

With an expert, English-speaking guide leading you all the way, you’ll beat the crowds and see the very best of the Vatican in one unforgettable morning.

Duration: 30 minutes

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Included

Access to the Vatican Museums 15 minutes before other tour operators and 1 hour and 15 minutes before the general public
Expert, English-speaking tour guide
Skip the line to St Peter Basilica
Visit to the Crypts beneath the Basilica
Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel
Entry/Admission - St. Peter's Basilica
Entry/Admission - Vatican Necropolis

Not included

Gratuities
Hotel pick-up/drop-off
Food/Beverages

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
This service ends at St. Peter's Square at around 9:30 AM.
Extra measures may be implemented at some venues due to heightened global security. As a result, we may experience delays in getting through mandatory security checks when entering these venues. Extra measures may also restrict the size of bags that can be brought inside. To avoid disruptions or possible denied entry, we strongly suggest that you avoid bringing large purses, bags, or backpacks on your tour. The Vatican only permits very small bags, and specifically prohibits large bags, tripods, umbrellas, and backpacks. Any such items must be checked into the free luggage storage area. The group will not be able to wait for those who need to check their baggage.
This tour goes straight to the Sistine Chapel with no bathroom or water break to give you as much time as possible in the chapel. Please plan accordingly.
This tour involves a fair amount of walking and stairs; comfortable shoes are recommended.
We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or any impairments requiring special assistance. We are also unable to accommodate strollers or baby carriages on our group tours.
Entrance into the Vatican requires a strict dress code. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women.
Non-flash photography is permitted throughout the tour, except in the Sistine Chapel where talking and photography are prohibited.
Guided visits inside Saint Peter’s Basilica are not permitted in the early morning due to mass being held. Instead your guide will deliver a full commentary from the Basilica porch. From there, you will be free to enjoy the artworks within the Basilica at your own pace, meeting your guide after the visit.
Saint Peter’s Basilica is subject to last-minute closures for religious ceremonies. When this occurs, we're happy to offer customers an extended tour of the Vatican Museums.
The Basilica Crypts are subject to last minute closures for religious ceremonies. In this case, the guide will endeavor to inform the tour group of when the crypts will be accessible and clients who wish to spend more time in the Basilica to wait for the crypt to reopen are welcome to do so. In this case, the tour will conclude on the Basilica porch overlooking St. Peter’s square.
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Features

Cultural

95%

Tourism

95%

Reviews

5.0

17

D

Dennis S

4 | 2019-07-03

Our lead was informative and very helpful. With the holiday schedule that day made the tour a little unorganized however I felt the guide did the best considering the circumstances.

B

Betty C

5 | 2019-05-09

Ursus was our guide and he did a super job leading us ahead of most other groups. He had lots of info to share and we got to see a lot on the tour. Well organized!

G

Gregory B

5 | 2018-04-18

Another excellent walking tour with our guide Therese. The meeting point was clear and easy to get to. We started in the Vatican museum and made our way into St. Peter's Basillica which is not to be missed. The only regret is we did not see the cryps due to the Pope making his way through the area which closed the crypts down. You have to be prepared for things like this as the Pope can move and cause changes to the itinerary. However, we had an excellent tour of the basilica and Sistine Chapel as well as great historical information on everything. Therese gave us a great tip on how to see the Pope speak the following day and it paid off as we were able to attend his appearance in St. Peter's Square the next day. Going early is an absolute must as the lines can get very long! We did not wait at all and the experience was very pleasant and without delay. Although it was not part of the tour I would highly recommend walking to the top of the Cupola when done.

s

semeieran

5 | 2017-09-10

I researched for hours trying to figure out the best way to see the Sistine Chapel without the crowds and without the oppressive heat in August. All the tours started blending together, and it was not clear if any of them had any advantage over the other. If you feel similarly, THIS IS THE RIGHT TOUR FOR YOU!!! We were literally the FIRST to enter the Sistine Chapel in the morning - I couldn't quite believe it. It was magical! Lindy our tour guide was the most professional, personable and knowledgeable guide we could have hoped for our kids loved her. This was a highlight of our trip to Italy!

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