Pristine Sistine Early Entrance Small Group Vatican Tour

Pristine Sistine Chapel Tour has been our flagship tour for over 13 years and really set us on the map.__ In that time, we've tweaked and tested the experience to create what is inarguably the best tour for any first-time visitor to the Vatican Museums. We secure special entrance an hour before the public and then head straight to the Raphael Rooms & Sistine Chapel before any of the swelling daytime crowds.

While most companies begin their tour in the first rooms - we breeze past. Instead, we're headed straight for the Raphael Rooms. During the day these corridors are as busy as the Sistine Chapel. At this hour of the morning, however, while the Museums are still closed to the public, you'll have plenty of space to enjoy them. Your guide will give you the full tour they rarely deliver, pointing out where Raphael worked the faces of his gurus Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, into his frescoes.

Now that your eye has adjusted to world-famous masterpieces, you'll move onto the Sistine Chapel. You'll arrive at the door as the first regular groups are admitted, to visit at the most peaceful time of day. By now your guide will have given you a full run-down of Michelangelo's frescoes, including a detailed handout, so you spend every minute inside the Sistine Chapel in awestruck contemplation.

Just as the crowds are beginning to arrive, you'll be whisked away to another incredible space. The Pinacoteca Gallery is the modern wing of the Vatican Museums and houses its most important artworks. Here you'll find paintings by Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. This many masterpieces in one gallery would draw lines around the block anywhere else in the world, but in the context of the Vatican Museums and at this hour of the morning, may be yours alone. 

In pre-pandemic days many Vatican tours included skip the line access to St Peter's Basilica. Unfortunately this has been impossible since 2020, based on changes to access and routes. Recognising the importance of this stop on your Rome vacation however, our guides will end your Vatican tour at a special spot overlooking the dome of St Peter's Basilica. Here you'll learn about the history and architecture of this incredible church and get tips on what to look out for during an independent visit. From there the choice is yours. Grab lunch inside the Vatican Museums and continue your exploration of these incredible palaces, or follow the dome to St Peter's Basilica. 

Entering before the crowds with an expert art historian guide, our *Pristine Sistine* (the original Walks tour) offers you the most personal, unforgettable, and intimate experience inside the Vatican Museums.