VIP Pristine Sistine Tour & Vatican Palace Breakfast
Vatican
4 hrs
7:10 am
15Highlights
- Enter the Vatican an hour before it opens to the public to get ahead of the crowds.
- Relax with a buffet breakfast in a serene courtyard to fuel up for a morning of discovery on your Vatican tour.
- Visit the Sistine Chapel before it gets busy and take in Michelangelo’s frescoes in relative peace.
- Marvel at the art and architecture housed in St. Peter's Basilica with fascinating insights from your guide.
Tour description
Start your tour with a relaxing breakfast in a historic Vatican courtyard.
Some things are well worth waking up early for—and our VIP Pristine Sistine early morning Vatican tour with breakfast is one of them. After enjoying a sumptuous breakfast in one of the Vatican's idyllic courtyards, you'll embark on an in-depth tour of the Vatican Museums before the crowds of the day pour in. Our specially secured early access to the Vatican means that you'll be among the very first people of the day to enter the Sistine Chapel, allowing you to marvel at one of the world's most iconic masterpieces in relative peace.
Your Pristine Sistine Vatican Breakfast Tour starts early so you can be among the first to enter the Vatican—before the museums even open to the general public. After meeting up with your guide and small group, you'll head straight to one of the lovely Vatican Museum courtyards for a breakfast buffet. Relax and take time to soak up the ambiance of our peaceful surroundings as you enjoy your breakfast before you're whisked away for a full tour of the Vatican Museums.
Explore the Vatican Museums without the crowds and be one of the first people of the day to enter the Sistine Chapel.
After breakfast, your Vatican tour will showcase all of the Museums' highlights. In the Belvedere Courtyard, you'll find classical Greek and Roman works. Keep an eye out for the Belvedere Torso in particular; you might recognize it from the Sistine Chapel. Hear details that will enhance your appreciation of the fascinating Laocoön Group sculpture and the Raphael Rooms—widely considered to be among the most beautifully frescoed interiors on earth.
The crown jewel of your early morning Vatican tour comes as you step into the Sistine Chapel as one of the first visitors of the day. Soak up Michelangelo's masterpiece at the quietest time of the morning before the crowds descend.
To finish, you'll head into St. Peter's Basilica via a special access passageway that allows you to bypass the long line already forming outside. It's the perfect place to finish your exploration of one of the most sacred sites on earth.
Visiting the Vatican is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so you'll want to make the most of your precious time. Our VIP Pristine Sistine early morning Vatican tour with breakfast ensures you have an experience to remember.
Note: The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and subject to other unexpected closures during special celebrations, including the Easter ceremonies. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinoteca Gallery. Your guide will still give you an introduction to the church should you wish to visit this on your own at a later occasion. We are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, or for wheelchairs or strollers. Please contact the Guest Experience team at +39 068-596-0143 (Italy) or 888-683-8670 (USA) to make alternative arrangements.
Sites visited
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Sistine Chapel![]()
Vatican Museums![]()
Raphael Rooms![]()
Belvedere Courtyard![]()
Gallery of the Candelabra![]()
Gallery of the Maps![]()
Gallery of the Tapestries![]()
St. Peter's Basilica
Included
Verified guest reviews
Pamela
Dec 28, 2023
The tour guide was so knowledgeable, friendly and pleasant. When another unexpected section was open to us on our tour she went the extra mile- literally- and also showed us that area.
Eric
Dec 20, 2023
Great experience! From check-in to leaving the Vatican everything was well thought out. Julia was an excellent guide, extremely well-versed in the art and artifacts. Great sense of humor and could tell a story.
Kimblee
Dec 11, 2023
Alessa was such a fun guide, witty guide and super knowledgeable. I really enjoyed the tour with her. You do have to move quickly through some of the rooms just because there are so any people but that is less about the tour itself and more about the amount of people the Vatican allows in at a time. I would recommend doing the early morning before open to the public. I can't imagine how busy it would have been in the middle of the day. The skip the line passes were so helpful. If you are even considering do one of the early morning ones then spend the money and do it. Well worth it
Christine
Nov 02, 2023
The whole process including sign up, meet up, tour and guide were well planned by city walks. The knowledge these guides have is outstanding. They know their stuff and do a great job in the time frame they have. They know how to navigate the crowds from years of experience. I’d say do the early morning but skip the breakfast. It does the job of giving you food to fill up but it’s not that good.
Stephanie
Oct 19, 2023
The tour guide was great, friendly and had some really interesting stories. The headset was essential given the crowds. The breakfast was subpar, kind of chaotic, cold, and generally not very good. The VIP doesn't get you into the Sistine early. We did that about 2-3 hours into the tour and it was about as busy as it can get. We may have gotten into the museums "early", I'm not really sure, but there were definitely crowds the whole time.
Know before you book
Make it a perfect day
Waking up early for our Pristine Sistine tour means not only getting to experience the Vatican Museums without the typical crowds, but you’ll also have the entire day to explore Rome after. Here’s our one-day itinerary for visiting the Eternal City.
