Exclusive After-Hours Vatican VIP Private Tour & Sistine Chapel

After-Hours Private Vatican Tour

Have you ever dreamt of being able to visit the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel without the crowds? Italy by Luxe can make this happen.

On our exclusive VIP tour, we arrange completely private openings of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel just for you.

We start our journey in the evening when the museums have been closed to the public. We will be greeted by the custodians who will have the keys to open the large doors to the Vatican Museums as you begin your private tour experience, which culminates in a private viewing inside the glorious Sistine Chapel.

Rooms of The Vatican and the Sistine Chapel Visited On The VIP Tour

In the Vatican Museum, we will visit the following: 

• The Gallery of the Candelabra
• The Room of the Tapestries
• The Room of the Maps

As part of this experience, we will also visit Raphael’s Rooms. The rooms, commissioned by Pope Julius II are four rooms painted by the master Raphael in the 16th century. We will view:

• The Room of Constantine
• The Room of Heliodorus 
• The Room of the Signature (segnatura) – home to one of Raphael’s most famous works, the School of Athens
• The Room of the Fire in the Borgo

The tour concludes with an exclusive tour of the Sistine Chapel, where you can really take the time to savor the majesty and magnificence of the masterpieces on display, including:

• The interior of the Chapel
• The world-famous frescoes and artworks by luminaries like Botticelli
• Sistine Chapel ceiling & The Last Judgment by Michelangelo

Our tours of Rome and the Vatican were wonderful. Our guides (Anna & Julia) were excellent and your arrangements for transportation from and to our hotel was wondeful. We got to see everything we wanted and more.

John G. Lipman ★★★★★

Exclusive After-Hours Access To The Vatican Museum Rooms

We will start our private 2-hour journey through the corridors of the magnificent museums – just you, your guide & a private Vatican custodian to accompany you on the journey.

The Vatican Museums were not originally designed as a museum space; instead, the museums are actually part of the private palaces of the Popes, hence you will be able to feel the majesty of the space as it was designed to be experienced. Privately. The silence of the corridors, the time & space to experience & understand the majesty of the works of art that grace the halls.

Private Sistine Chapel Tour

Finally, we will descend the private staircase and visit Michelangelo’s masterpiece: the Sistine Chapel.

Named after Pope Sixtus IV, the Sistine Chapel has always been a private chapel of the Popes as well as the space for the conclave (where Popes are elected by the Cardinals). Prior to Michelangelo’s ceiling, many Renaissance artists had a hand in the frescoes along the walls, including Botticelli, Perugino, Rosselli & Ghirlandaio. 

With your expert guide, you will receive a detailed explanation of the magnificent frescoes (something that is never allowed during normal opening times). From the greatest frescoes, including the Creation of Man to the Last Judgement, you will be able to reflect on Michelangelo’s work in the silence & reverence in which it was designed to be experienced.

My family and I enjoyed our experience with Travel by Luxe that they helped set up. The driver was professional, knowledgeable, and a very skilled. He made us feel comfortable and was ready to pick us up and take us to the next stop. He was patient and communicated very clearly! He ensured our outing in Rome was seamless. Our guide at the Vatican, was amazing. She was passionate very knowledgeable, and most importantly skilled at maneuvering through the Vatican. We did not feel rushed and she was patient with my parents who moved slower. Make sure to request Jessica for the guide at the Vatican. These two made our experience exceptional.

Dr. Lee Q. ★★★★★

VIP Vatican Tour Details

Availability: To be arranged with the Vatican Museums (Sundays are not possible; Friday evenings are only available between November – March)

Duration: 2 hours

Meeting point: At your Rome accommodation

Inclusions:

• Private opening of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
• Private officially-licensed guide
• Return private chauffeured Mercedes-Benz transfers from/to your centrally located Rome accommodation

Additional Private Opening Options:

Opening of The Sistine Chapel With The Official Keyholder

After meeting your guide & Mercedes-Benz driver at your centrally located Rome accommodation, you will be whisked to the entrance of the Vatican Museums, where at 6 am the doors will be opened by the Vatican’s official keyholder or ‘Clavigero’. You will accompany him through the museums to the Atrium of the Quattro Cancelli, where he will pick up the historic bunch of 300 keys, including the keys to the Sistine Chapel.

After this, you will be accompanied to the Sistine Chapel, where your guide will explain its magnificent frescoes or leave you in silence to enjoy one of the greatest artistic masterpieces in the world. 

Finally, you will head to the Cortile della Pigna for breakfast before continuing your private tour of the Vatican Museums prior to the general public opening time of 9 am.

For prices or to book a private viewing of the opening of the Sistine Chapel with the Official Keyholder, get in touch with our team by filling out the form below. 

We are already looking forward to planning our next trip with Travel by Luxe. I will never book international travel without them moving forward. I was so impressed with the level of care and attention to detail they provided. True old school VIP treatment. A unicorn in today’s world. At the risk of sounding cliché, I cannot thank them enough for making our special vacation truly a once in a lifetime experience! It was AMAZING!

Susan B. ★★★★★