• vatican tours

  • VIP Vatican Key Master’s Tour: Unlock the Sistine Chapel

    •  298     4.8 / 5
Vatican
2 hours
6:00 AM
20

Highlights

  • Join the Vatican Key Master on a special access tour and witness the opening of the Vatican Museums for the day.
  • Spend a few precious moments alone inside the Sistine Chapel.
  • Enjoy two exquisite hours alone inside the museums.
  • Follow an official Vatican guide who will reveal fascinating context and hidden details in each of the galleries you visit.
  • Spend as much time as you desire inside the museums at the conclusion of your tour.
  • Can’t find your dates? Try our VIP Alone in the Sistine Chapel Tour or Private Pristine Sistine Tour offering the same crowd-free experience at dawn or after hours. (See dates below).

Tour description

Insider Tip: The Key Master Tour is a truly exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experience with very limited availability. It’s the perfect opportunity to plan your Rome trip around. Check the dates and secure your spot today!

The Key Master's tour is the most incredible Vatican experience available.

Just before dawn in Vatican City, the Key Master moves from gallery to gallery, unlocking the various sections within the Vatican Museums. For the very first time, officials at the Vatican have invited a select few tour operators (including us!) to take part in this incredible morning ritual. For two memorable hours, join a small group before any other visitor steps foot inside, following the official Vatican Key Master to unlock the galleries (including the Sistine Chapel) for their thousands of daily visitors—none of whom you will even see.

Enjoy two full hours with an official Vatican guide.

Along with the Key Master, an official Vatican guide will join you on the tour, adding color and character to these hallowed halls. Along the way, they'll introduce you to famed frescos, marble sculptures, and artifacts of grandiose proportions. Void of the daily crowds, you'll appreciate the time and space given in one of the world's most revered spaces. Greet world-renowned works of art including Raphael's School of Athens, the celebrated Apollo Belvedere, and Laocoön and His Sons. Float through the most famed galleries such as the Gallery of Maps and Gallery of the Tapestries.

Spend time (truly) alone in the Sistine Chapel.

With great anticipation, you'll approach the small, unassuming wooden doors leading to the Sistine Chapel. Here, the Key Master graciously allows our guests a chance to turn the key and pry open the old doors, just as cardinals and popes have done for centuries. Beyond the threshold, celestial figures of Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Perugino await your arrival. Step inside and feast your gaze upon the most famous work of art in the world in unrivaled silence and peace.

Once your Vatican Key Master's Tour draws to a close, you're welcome to stay in the museums at your own leisure for as long as you choose. You'll depart full of wonder and awe, with memories of uninterrupted access to the world's greatest masterpieces that will be with you for years to come.

Don't Wait: Our VIP Vatican tours book fast & have limited availability.

The Key Master Tour and Alone in the Sistine Chapel Tour give you VIP access at the Vatican's most exclusive hours—before sunrise or after closing—when the crowds have disappeared. These once-in-a-life-time experiences have extremely limited dates, and are well worth planning your trip to Rome around.

Key Master 2026 Dates:

February 14th, February 28th, March 5th, March 28th, April 28th, May 11th, May 14th, May 19th, May 27th, June 15th, July 8th, August 6th, August 27th, September 14th, October 1st, October 24th, October 30th, November 3rd, November 4th, December 2nd, December 23rd, December 30th

Alone in the Sistine Chapel 2026 Dates: 

March 16th, April 2nd, April 13th, April 27th, May 19th, June 1st, June 8th, June 20th, June 24th, July 10th, July 11th, July 13th, August 1st, August 22nd, August 31st, September 4th, September 7th, September 17th, September 28th, October 1st, October 12th, October 19th, November 16th, November 21st, December 7th, December 30th

If your preferred date isn’t available, don't worry you still have the chance to experience the Vatican with far fewer crowds. Our Private Pristine Sistine Early Morning Vatican Tour gets you inside the Vatican as it opens for the day and is nearly empty. With no other guests in your group and more dates available, this is your opportunity to stand beneath Michelangelo’s masterpiece in peace. Secure your spot while they last.

Walks Tours is proud to be an Accredited Tour Operator with an official ticketing agreement with the Vatican Museums.

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Total guest reviews: 298

Verified rating
4.8/5
based on 292 Walks' customer ratings
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Make it a perfect day

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Enjoy the finer things in Rome on this one-day itinerary. Start the day with a VIP tour of the Vatican Museums and end with a food tour in the charming Trastevere for a day you won’t soon forget.

Reviews from our guests
VIP Vatican Key Master’s Tour: Unlock the Sistine Chapel
Latest guest reviews
Nicole
We were bummed that while this sounded like a small group of 20 only for this tour, there were actually two groups of us, so 40 people total, which was 20 too many in my opinion fort what we paid! You should mention this in your marketing!!!
Verified · Oct 24, 2025 · USA · Female · 45-54 years
 Darren
The group was much larger than I anticipated. There were actually 2 groups, each one with maybe 20 people so 40 people total. Each group had their own tour guide but we were really all together for most of it. I think our group opened 4 doors? Was hoping for more people to get an opportunity. The best benefit of this tour is the early private access.
Verified · Oct 15, 2025 · USA · Male · 45-54 years
 Leslie
The tour has two groups of 20 (40 people overall) instead of the 20 advertised. This increase in people took away from the experience as our guides were talking over each other at times and having to switch off positions in the hallways. Not everyone was able to open a door. This tour is advertised and priced as being small and exclusive. However, this is not the case. I believe the price should be adjusted to reflect a larger group experience. My family and I paid a large sum of money that was worth a small group experience, not whatever we just got on our tour yesterday.
Verified · Sep 24, 2025 · USA · Male · 25-34 years
 Valarie Anne
Outstanding experience, my only concern was …. personally I was emotional when I entered the Sistine Chapel that I was unable to hear Mikaela and her noteworthy information on this beautiful chapel. Lastly, this has nothing to do with the guide, but we were expecting Max 20 people and since there were 2 groups, perhaps the cost of each person could have significantly reduced aince there were 40 people now in the tour. Overall, still a great experience and highly recommend! Still hoping I can afford to bring a family of 5 next time
Verified · Sep 14, 2025 · USA · Female · 45-54 years
 Irene
Absolutely the best tour and experience ever!
Verified · Aug 28, 2025 · USA · Female · 65-74 years
 Maria
This tour was excellent! We had a total of 20 people that were broken down into 2 groups, each with a guide. Walking thru the empty halls and rooms was perfect as I was able to take in the whole feel/experience versus bumping into people. Our guide, Rose was knowledgeable and provided just enough info without coming across as being in a boring history class. Rose was engaging with the group.
Verified · Aug 05, 2025 · USA
Kelly
Having the Vatican Museum to a small group and no one else was fantastic. The guides were knowledgeable and tried to make the experience special for you. 2 things to note- not everyone gets to open the door with a key because 2 groups go on this tour simultaneously. A bit disappointed. -people who are self serving can delay the whole group. Very frustrating!
Verified · Jul 30, 2025 · USA
Giles
The review is not a reflection of our tour guide, Rose, who was excellent - very knowledgeable, amenable and clearly loves her job and the museums that she guides you round. A 5* guide. The positives - getting to see the museums with no crowds and areas that are normally not open to the public and being in the Sistine Chapel with so few other visitors and being able to take it all in. The two hours of the tour flies by, there is just so much to see and take in (but see the negative below). Rose's knowledge of the Vatican, the museums and the history is a real asset. The negatives - we booked this once in lifetime tour in January for a visit in June when at the time of booking the website stated that there would be a maximum of 20 people on the tour. Since our booking the company has doubled the number to 2 tours of 20 people, which means it loses its exclusivity and rather smacks of cashing in. The two groups had to keep swapping places which took the shine off the experience and meant that it all felt a little rushed. With the two groups and with guides having to talk over each other it wasn't as intimate as it should have been and not everyone was able to open a door as a result of the increase in numbers. We had the impression that other members of our tour party and the other group felt the same way about the increase in numbers and its impact on their experience. It was certainly an experience and the sights will live long in the memory, but would we book now at the price we paid, knowing that there will be 40 people on the two tours - definitely not. It's a pity as the initial premise of our booking was the exclusivity, which seemingly has been watered down in pursuit of profit. Walks are investigating, but we've had no feedback since our return
Verified · Jun 22, 2025 · United Kingdom · Male · 45-54 years
 Denise
Wonderful experience. The early admittance, ability to unlock a Vatican door, access to areas off limits to the regular public and the small group is great.
Verified · Jun 11, 2025 · USA · Female · 55-64 years
 Claire
This review is not a reflection of the Tour Guide. Rose was fabulous with lots of knowledge to impart and with just the right amount of humour. The super early start is worth the lack of lines and crowding and we did enjoy the tour. The downside: we purchased this expensive and ‘exclusive’ MAX 20 people tour. There was almost double that. Couldn’t hear our tour guide at times over the other group. Tour advertised as participants opening the doors. We thought all would get a turn but only a handful did. Company cashing in, so not an exclusive experience. Walks have apologised but after the fact leaves a bitter taste to what should have been excellent instead of just good.
Verified · May 29, 2025 · Australia · Female