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VIP: NYC EmptyMet Tour at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, United States
  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
New York City Tours
All New York City Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
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Overview

Thousands visit New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art daily to see masterpieces by artists such as van Gogh, Klimt, and Warhol. Rather than negotiate the crowds, enter before the galleries open to the general public on this VIP tour and see many of the museum’s highlights before the bustle begins. Follow a carefully planned, time-efficient route; and explore with a guide who tells tales of the works many visitors miss.
  • Enjoy the best of NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on a VIP early-hours tour
  • Enter the Met and see some of its highlights before it opens to the public
  • Explore with a guide to hear stories and observations you’d miss alone
  • Admire works by van Gogh, O’Keeffe, and more without surrounding bustle

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

On this VIP tour, be among the first visitors of the day inside this art-packed museum.

What's Included

  • Exclusive access to The Met
  • Transportation to/from attraction

Departure & Return

Departure Point

  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA

    Departure Point: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Address: Main Building 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street), New York, NY 10028 Dates: Days vary by season

Departure Time

8:30 AM

Return Details

This activity will end right where it started.

What To Expect

On the morning of your tour, make your way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the eastern edge of Central Park. The Met ranks among the most prestigious museums in the world, among the likes of the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Vatican Museums. The proof is in the numbers: over six million visitors flock to the Met each year, making it the city’s most visited tourist attraction. And you get to explore its galleries before the museum is open to the public.

Meet your guide—an employee of the Met—near the entrance and head directly inside. See highlights of the permanent collection such as the Egyptian Temple of Dendur, Tiffany glass, and revered masterpieces by the Old Masters. Other notable works include Roman frescos, Greek statues, and modern pieces. Throughout the tour, there is time to snap photos of your favorite works.

After in-depth commentary about the exhibits and the museum’s history, you can leave the museum—just try not to look too smug as you pass the long line of people waiting to get inside.

Want to see more? You can stick around to explore the Met on your own with the included EmptyMet ticket that not only gets you same-day admission to the Met, but also the Met Breuer and Met Cloisters.

Viator VIPs feature travel experiences not typically available to the general public—from behind-the-scenes access to private viewings and VIP service—at many of the world’s top attractions, often with no lines and no crowds. Viator VIP tours are not available from other 3rd-party online sellers.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Start your day with this exclusive tour through The Metropolitan Museum of Art. For an hour and a half, journey uninhibited through an institution which hosts over 5,000 years of art from every corner of the world. Experience this popular New York attraction in an intimate setting, limited to 25 guests each tour. As you roam the galleries, snap photos without the crowds and listen to commentary from an expert guide. Feel a frisson of achievement passing the long lines of people once you exit the museum. This surreal, one-of-a-kind experience is not to be missed!

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Please arrive on time. Any guest arriving 15 or minutes after their group has entered the galleries will not be permitted entry.
  • Coat check will be available for small bags and coats.
  • Food and drinks are not permitted in the museum.
  • Luggage, carry-on bags, and oversize backpacks are not allowed in the museum.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Operated by Empty Met

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

    about cancellations

    Traveler Photos

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    Traveler Tips

    Have been to the museum before but far better when empty well worth it.
    In the allocated 90 mins we only had access to about 7-8 different items but that was still fine because our passes were valid for 3 days.
    You get to have the highlights before get to explore it on your own.
    Reviews
    4.5
    226 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 226 reviews
    Best introduction to the Met
    Alicia_L, Mar 2020
    Paige was fabulous! Can't say enough great things about her. It was a wonderful overview of the museum with also enough details of particular pieces to make me both satisfied with the tour, yet want to come back again and again to the Met for more.
    Highly recommended
    Joe_A, Mar 2020
    I booked this in March 2020 as a surprise, and was very happy with our experience. On arriving, we were greeted, and had out coats checked etc. There were three of us on the tour in total, and two tour guides to take us around. The knowledge and enthusiasm of the guides was fantastic, and added a whole lot of extra info for someone like me (who's a complete art newbie). Due to the massive size of the museum, we didn't get to see everything within our 1.5h, but we did get to see a good chunk (although obviously it's a bit whistlestop, so if you'd like to really take your time, this might not be for you). After the tour, we stayed in the museum for another 4 hours, going over the bits we'd missed, and studying other bits more closely. These last 4h really hit home how surreal/lovely it is to experience the museum without other people around. It's a very personal, tranquil 1.5h experience - definitely one to recommend for the art lovers who can take things at a brisk pace.
    Excellent tour
    Lorraine_P, Mar 2020
    We are long time members of the Met, but this tour took us to parts of the museum we had not seen before. Our guide was knowledgeable about the history of the museum itself, as well as the curated works and their provenance. we thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
    Great concept but the group was way too large for the price and time.
    Sue_C, Feb 2020
    The group was very large. The guide was good but difficult to hear due to size of group. Too pricy for length and group size.
    Early morning Met Museum tour
    Yulia_G, Feb 2020
    Great: to be in an empty Met Museum in early hours, and having an opportunity to observe and enjoy without a crowd. Unique experience and atmosphere of the museum! Not so great: the guide was focused for too long on few objects that didn't impressed me. Plus, speaking very very low voice that was really hard to hear unless you stand just next to the guide. Didn't produce an impression of a person with deep knowledge of Met Art. I have been in similar tours in Louver, Hermitage, and museums of London, and it was a very different (better) experience. My observation, the guide didn't sense the reaction of the audience, e.g. most people there were not at all interested in what she was saying, she couldn't engage the audience.
    Very positive
    Thomas_L, Feb 2020
    The docent has an excellent fund of knowledge, included interesting historical anecdotes when describing the works, and included most of the must see pieces. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
    Empty met
    dms110, Feb 2020
    Enjoyed the empty met . Got a great overview than I would have otherwise. Very leisurely and unrushed. Would highly recommend this tour.
    Beautiful
    JaynaMarie_J, Jan 2020
    This experience went well beyond expectations. The tour guide was knowledgeable, funny, and welcoming. The small (aprox. 15) group size allowed for greater discussions of the exhibits. The pass lasts for 3 days and we were able to visit the Cloisters the following day. Highly recommend to anyone interested!
    Private Met Visit
    Barbara_J, Jan 2020
    It was wonderful and intimate. Very small group and the guide was extremely knowledgeable. Would recommend!
    Exceptional experience
    Charles_F, Jan 2020
    The staff guide, her associates and the volunteer - Kimberley - were all exceptional. It was aprivilege to have the Met all to ourselves for such a perfect length of time. As a Canadian, I was delighted to see a Canadian artist prominently featured at the entrance of the Museum.
    Excellent!!
    Derek_B, Dec 2019
    This is the absolute best way to see the museum without the crowds!! It’s fast paced but as soon as it ends you are the first ones in the museum when it opens. You basically have the museum to yourself for about 2 hours. 100% worth every penny!!
    Thoroughly enjoyable!
    ThanhUyen_N, Dec 2019
    Totally worth the price because I also saw special exhibits before they could get crowded. I was able to ask ALL of my questions and actually hear the answers.
    Amazing tour!
    James_D, Dec 2019
    The tour far exceeded our expectations. The guide was extremely knowledgeable! Would recommend it to anyone who wants to see as much of the Met as possible.
    Empty Met Tour
    Rodney W, Dec 2019
    Fantastic once in a lifetime experience. Columbia University Art Lecturer guide was fantastic. Gave us a different perspective on the museum. Have been to the museum before but far better when empty well worth it.
    Great Experience
    Kevin_C, Dec 2019
    Wonderful experience. Well coordinated and curated. Not only saw many great pieces, but also learned some of the history of the museum, its evolution and goals. Highly recommended!
    Great!
    Michael H, Dec 2019
    It was an amazing experience to see all those works of art without a lot of other distractions and with such a knowledgeable tour guide!
    Great overview
    lynneb838, Nov 2019
    Yes, this tour is pricey but getting a knowledgeable guide in a museum as massive as this before it’s mobbed is such a treat. It’s not really a “greatest hits” - but we definitely saw some - more an introduction to the diversity of the collection. We enjoyed seeing some works in galleries we might not have chosen ourselves, and appreciated explanations of the works that were highlighted in our tour.
    Great for a family of art / culture lovers
    Roland_K, Nov 2019
    My family and I (children 15,14 and 10) were in NYC for a quick trip, where time was a premium. The tour took us through the “highlight” portions of the Met with great efficiency (e.g. before the throngs of people begin to spill in). The tour guide was world class. We stayed several hours after to soak more in and find some other works. Amazing experience
    Worth the money
    Carole_S, Nov 2019
    Our guide was raised in the Met. It showed, she obviously loved her job and made the tour outstanding. There is so much to see and she managed to give us a great overview of important exhibits, some of which we may never have found on a short visit to such a grand museum.
    Excellent Morning!!
    dv8weeby, Nov 2019
    An immersive introduction to the museum from a PhD Columbia professor of Art History. You can't get any better than this!!!!!
    ...

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    Product code: 31213EMPMET

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