VIP Vatican Breakfast and Guided Tour with Sistine Chapel Access
Description
Embark on an extraordinary journey at the Vatican with this morning tour that includes an American-style breakfast inside the Vatican's Courtyard. You’ll explore the Vatican Museums before they open to the general public so you can admire famous sights like the Sistine Chapel in a more intimate atmosphere before finishing with skip-the-line access to St Peter’s Basilica through a reserved entrance.
Tour Options
Itinerary
With our Early Entrance into the Vatican, you’ll explore the Vatican Museums before they open to the general public so you can admire the Sistine Chapel in a more intimate atmosphere before finishing with skip-the-line access to St Peter’s Basilica through a reserved entrance.
Begin with an American-style breakfast in the Vatican's Courtyard among the majestic views of the Vatican with unparalleled serenity before the public is allowed inside.
In the heart of the Vatican's Cortile della Pigna stands a notable bronze sculpture: Sfera con sfera (Sphere Within a Sphere) by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro. This captivating artwork depicts two fractured orbs resembling intricate machine gears, symbolizing the intricate and fragile nature of the modern world. Pomodoro began creating similar sculptures in the early 1960s, exploring the theme of complexity.
Then join your expert guide for a semi-private tour of the Vatican Museums. Saunter along our carefully designed route to admire exquisite centuries old art collections and archeological wonders.
The Vatican Museums' Gallery of Maps is a mesmerizing display of intricate cartography, spanning centuries. Immerse yourself in history through vividly detailed maps, capturing the beauty of geography and artistry.
From there, visit the Sistine Chapel – the Pope’s personal place of worship. Marvel at Michelangelo’s artistry as you immerse yourself within one of the world’s most significant landmarks.
Finally, your guide will avoid long lines to get you into St. Peter’s Basilica to explore one of the pillars of the Catholic church. Remain in St. Peter’s Basilica after the tour to experience more of this amazing church at your leisure, or step back outside St. Peter’s Square to admire Bernini’s clever optical illusion and the basilica’s heavenly facade.
St. Peter's Square, an iconic masterpiece in Rome, embraces visitors with its grandeur. Designed by Bernini, the vast elliptical space is encircled by a majestic colonnade, symbolizing the Church's embrace. The central obelisk and fountains add splendor, while the stunning façade of St. Peter's Basilica stands as a beacon of architectural brilliance, inviting pilgrims and tourists alike to marvel at the heart of Vatican City.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note that this tour is only available up to 60 days in advance, due to the nature of the tickets. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment!
- Saint Peter’s Basilica is subject to last-minute closures for religious ceremonies. When this occurs, we're happy to offer customers an extended tour of the Vatican Museums. While we endeavour to tell tour groups ahead of time if there are any planned disruptions to the Basilica's opening hours, this is not always possible and in these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
- On Wednesdays, due to the Papal Audiences, access to St Peter's Basilica is not possible in the morning.
- * Please note all participant names and date of birth are required at the time of booking in order to join this tour. If we do not receive this information, we will cancel the booking. Every customer is required to carry a valid ID that matches the name on the ticket, or an entry will be refused. Name changes are not permitted once the booking is confirmed.
- * Please be advised that this tour option is non-refundable, with no cancellations or date changes allowed due to pre-purchased tickets. It is mandatory to bring a valid ID or Passport for security checks, and entry will not be granted without proper documentation.
- A dress code is required to enter to the museums. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women.
Reviews(1,893)
Our guide, Sabina, was an expert at moving us through the crowds and keeping our group together while still providing amazing details about what we were seeing and adding a humourous touch to much of it.
It was exactly as described but better than expected! Completely stress-free. The meeting place was clear, the breakfast was delicious, but most importantly the tour was amazing. Our tour guide Oksana gave a perfect balance of information and history.
Our guide Christian was fabulous. He was attentive and informative and made the experience personal. he remembered the guest names and had a fabulous sense of humor. He even took the time to point out extra points of historical significance. you could tell that he was passionate about the historic significance of the things that he was sharing with us.
Paloma was so pleasant and very knowledgeable on all things Vatican. I can’t recommend her enough. This tour is well worth the money.
It was amazing the guide Flavia was brilliant couldn't have navigated the Vatican without her and we didn't have to wait in the Long que because we booked with the guide
My family and I enjoyed our tour immensely. We were a group of five including my 12-year-old daughter. The information shared with us was insightful, historically accurate, and added a flavour to the tour that was unique. Our guide Christian made an effort to know all of our names, ask my child and the other children wonderful questions and valued their thoughts and ideas. It was exceptionally hot outside, and Christian made a point of finding us shady spots to talk and offering us opportunities to weigh in on what we needed.
The unique opportunity to not only get to visit the Vatican but to experience breakfast within the grounds. The team send you information beforehand about where and when to meet so excellent communication. Upon arrival you wait for your allocated time to start. Making your way through the crowd your guide navigates you through security and inside the Vatican museum. From there you are guided into a courtyard where breakfast is served. Pancakes and honey, croissant and pastry before a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage with potatoes washed down with a pot of tea or coffee. After breakfast we are guided through part of the museum and heading to the Sistine chapel and finally to the basilica of st Peter. Along the way the guide passes on information about the sites we pass. The tour lasted approx 3 hours from entering the Vatican until the guide finishes in st peters. I liked the headphones given so you could still hear the guide even if they were 100 meters away. It was disappointing not to be able to spend free time in the museum but you got to make this up in the basilica. Another surprise was the toilet didn't have a seat and you had to hover. Overall it was an amazing experience
Christian was a fantastic guide. Awesome knowledge and navigated the crowds expertly.
Guide was very knowledgeable and the breakfast experience and St Peter's were amazing. Way too many people for the museum tour and the Chapel...felt like we were being "herded' in and thru and would rather have spent more time in the museum hallwys and sections vs standing outside in the heat listening to guide explain every detail about the 14 panels of the Sistine Chapel...which we had all of 10 minutes to actually see once inside. Crowds are expected in summer tourist season but I think guide could have managed our expectations a bit better.
Our guide was Aiko. She was great explaining Vatican tid bits, set a good pace and was very knowledgeable. The meeting spot was easy to find on the stairs next to the cafe. Aiko walked us straight to the security check point which helped bypass the long lines. She led us to the restaurant inside for the included American breakfast. Then we walked through the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, and though the tour normally ends at the Basilica, we had enough time that she was able to take us inside for additional time with her. Check the schedule for the Basilica, we had the chance to attend a daily mass inside. An experience not to be forgotten
