Due to a new Vatican partnership, this tour provides VIP access through a reserved door, allowing you to skip all the lines – even the priority lines. End your tour with an after-hours private viewing of the Sistine Chapel, empty except for your group (average 10 people) and guide. Michelangelo's fresco in the Sistine Chapel – including The Creation of Adam – is considered the most influential fresco in the history of Western art. See it with no crowds, linger over every detail, and earn one-of-a-kind bragging rights for the rest of your life!
Highlights
- 3-hour small-group VIP tour of the Vatican Museums including skip-the-line entry
- This tour includes exclusive access through a reserved entranceway and we guarantee you will not wait in any long lines
- Enjoy a rare, private tour of the Sistine Chapel after its doors are closed to the public
- Hear commentary from your guide inside the Sistine Chapel -- normally forbidden!
- Visit hidden corridors and secret Vatican rooms that are usually closed to the public, such as the Niccoline Chapel or the Bramante Staircase
- See top Vatican attractions like the Apollo Belvedere statue, Raphael’s Rooms, Gallery of the Candelabra and Gallery of the Tapestries
- Experience the Vatican as a VIP insider with this Viator exclusive
Recent Photos of this Tour
Useful Information
Viator VIP: Sistine Chapel Private Viewing and Small-Group Tour of the Vatican's Secret Rooms
Due to the nature of this special-access tour, the itinerary changes each time. Access to the secret rooms varies and is based on availability, but most tours include the impressive Bramante Staircase (Scala del Bramante), which is actually a ramp on the corner of the Pope's Palace. You’ll also most likely visit the Room of Gold (Sala degli Ori), an opulent, rarely seen room that holds a dazzling collection of papal gold jewelry and precious Etruscan jewels.
The Niccoline Chapel (Cappella Niccolina) is another secret room most likely seen during your tour. Every bit as beautiful as the Sistine Chapel, this secret room is adorned with gold brought back from Christopher Columbus' travels, and frescoes by Fra Angelico, a Renaissance painter whose mesmerizing artwork pre-dates Michelangelo's.
In addition to the closed rooms, see many of the Vatican Museums’ classic attractions. As your expert guide entertains you with tales of Vatican art, power and treachery, admire Apollo Belvedere and other renowned monuments. Visit Raphael’s Rooms, the public part of the papal apartments in the Palace of the Vatican, and stroll through the Pinecone Courtyard.
Your tour ends on a high note with private access to the Sistine Chapel for your small group. After the doors close to the public, you'll have 30 minutes inside this incredible (and empty!) chapel. Speaking is typically forbidden, but during this private experience, your guide will explain Michelangelo's stunning ceiling fresco, which depicts scenes from Genesis, and his wall fresco, The Last Judgment.
Itinerary
· Sistine Chapel, home to artwork by Michelangelo including The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment
· Apollo Belvedere statue
· Lacoon statue
· Raphael's Rooms
· Pinecone Courtyard
· Gallery of Maps
· Gallery of the Candelabra
· Gallery of the Tapestries
· Chiaramonti Museum
Secret Rooms of the Vatican Museums (subject to change):
· Bramante Staircase (Scala del Bramante)
· Room of Gold (Sala degli Ori)
· Niccoline Chapel (Cappella Niccolina)


