VIP Semi-Private Vatican Key Master Experience | Opening the Sistine Chapel

Walk alongside the Vatican’s Keeper of the Keys and witness the lights turn on throughout the galleries on this exclusive VIP Key Master semi-private tour. This once in a lifetime experience will allow you to hold in your hand and turn the keys that unlock the doors of the Vatican’s halls, galleries, and the Sistine Chapel itself—all completely alone.

Once the private palace of the popes, the Vatican Museums welcomes 25,000 people every day. On this very special early morning tour, you will be able to enjoy the marbled halls, frescoed galleries, world-famous antiquities, and Renaissance masterpieces in almost total privacy.

Experience the vibrant color and artistic genius of the Raphael Rooms alone. Bask in the awe-inspiring magnificence of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the empty Sistine Chapel. Then, enjoy a delicious breakfast in the grandeur of the Pinecone courtyard.

Please note: due to the exceptional circumstances of this tour your group size will have a max of 20 people

• Enjoy a small group tour of the Vatican Museums hours before opening
• Flip on the lights to the Gallery of the Maps and learn its secrets from an official
• Admire the School of Athens in the vibrant Raphael Rooms in peaceful quiet
• Turn the key to the Sistine Chapel for an exclusive viewing of Michelangelo's art
• Enjoy a delicious breakfast in the Pinecone Courtyard

As the sun rises over the Eternal City, you will meet an official Vatican guide outside the Vatican Museums. Normally locked shut for another two hours, you will quietly enter the empty foyer to begin your truly exclusive VIP tour through the Vatican before the crowds arrive. 

Historically, the popes were from aristocratic families. Their role was both political and spiritual, and as God’s representative on earth, they outranked all the monarchs of Europe. The Apostolic Palaces – now the Vatican Museums – were the exclusive domain of the popes, their families, friends, and diplomatic guests. As such, they were designed to be both a lavish private residence and a prestigious royal palace. 

As you turn the keys and flip on the lights to each gallery, marvel at world-famous antiquities including the Apollo Belvedere and Laocoon; admire Nero’s monumental marble bathtub; wander through the serene Gallery of the Candelabra and see the iconic Diana of Ephesus statue.  

Walk by the hand-stitched Flemish tapestries, created according to Raphael school designs, originally meant to insulate the Sistine Chapel. Enter the dazzling golden Gallery of the Maps, showcasing accurate 16th-century frescoed maps of Italy.   

The Vatican’s treasure trove of art was curated by successive popes over many hundreds of years but owes much to the patronage of Pope Julius II. Known as the Warrior Pope, it was Julius II who commissioned Raphael to paint his private rooms, now known as the Stanza Rafaello, and Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, at the same time during the years 1508-1512. This created the most famous artistic rivalry of all time. 

Appreciate the vibrant colors and unique skill of Raphael, the painter of sweetness and light, as you look at the School of Athens. Stand in awe and wonder beneath the vast frescoes of Michelangelo, from the Creation of Man to The Last Judgment. 

Normally bustling with hundreds of people jostling for position, you’ll have this rare opportunity to enjoy both the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel completely devoid of crowds. 

After your sacred time beneath those frescoes, your guide will lead you to the open-air Pinecone Courtyard to enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet and some well earned espresso!

Please note: due to the exceptional circumstances of this tour your group size will have a max of 20 people

• Key Master access access to the Vatican Museums
• Semi-Private tour
• Official Vatican guide
• First look at the Sistine Chapel & Raphael Rooms
• Museum Highlights
• Pinecone Courtyard for VIP breakfast
• A group of no more than 20 people

• Due to the exceptional circumstances of this tour your group size will have a max of 20 people

• Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter

• There is no photography allowed inside the Sistine Chapel.

• Backpacks are not permitted in the Museum.

•  Everyone in your group, regardless of age, needs a government issued ID to enter the Vatican Museums.

All LivTours Semi-Private Group Tours are limited to 6 guests per tour guide. Our commitment to maintaining our uniquely tiny group sizes can sometimes be a little tricky, mathematically speaking. For example, we want to ensure that traveling families and friends can tour together so on rare occasions we may add one or two guests in order to not split groups. On that same note, you may also find yourself on tour with less than six people! We thank you for your understanding and flexibility.

By selecting Choose Dates Later / Buy as Gift at booking, any tour can be purchased without fixed dates. This is the perfect option if you want to purchase your tour as a gift for a loved one, or if you are in the pre-planning phase of your vacation. After booking, you will receive a Travel Voucher Code and full instructions on how to schedule your tours when ready. Once your travel plans are confirmed, you can easily use the Travel Voucher Code on the LivTours website to formally schedule your tours. You can find out more here.