vatican city tour with breakfast

VIP Pristine Sistine Tour & Vatican Palace Breakfast

See the Vatican Museums without the crowds.

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

Verified guest reviews, 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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Exclusive Breakfast at the Vatican with Tour of the Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica

Take advantage our of Early Entrance into the Vatican and walk into the Papal courtyard in the silence of the morning to sit down for a beautiful spread of American-style breakfast in the same courtyard where the popes have entertained guests for centuries.
After breakfast, wander the galleries before the crowds and enjoy a closer view than the average visitor of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel , Last Judgement and much more. Finish your tour with a visit to the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica .
With an expert English-speaking art historian as your guide , small groups of no more than 20 people , headsets to ensure you hear everything, we can guarantee a great experience in the Vatican with this semi-private tour!

Tour Description

What's included.

Guided tour with expert, English-speaking guide
Group size limited to 20 people or less
Early entrance to the Vatican Museums
All tickets and reservation fees
Headsets so you can always hear your guide

Sites Visited

Breakfast in the Vatican's Courtyard
Vatican Museums
Sistine Chapel
Gallery of Maps
Gallery of Tapestries
St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Square

For the first time ever, City Wonders is proud to offer guests the opportunity to enjoy a banquet breakfast inside the Vatican's Courtyard before the crowd! We gain Reserved Early Access to the Vatican Museums before other groups so you’ll experience the Vatican as few people have ever seen it with this fully guided tour.

Your expert, English-speaking guide will lead you through quiet corridors to the beautiful Courtyard, where you’ll find a banquet fit for the Pope. Begin with an American-style breakfast in the Courtyard among the majestic views of the Vatican with unparalleled serenity before the public is allowed inside. Savor a delicious American and continental breakfast spread including cooked-to-order eggs, meats, cheeses, muffins, croissants, fresh fruits, cereals, and much more. You can even order a short stack from the Vatican's pancake chef! Your breakfast at the Vatican will be relaxed, giving you plenty of time to sit with a coffee or juice on the courtyard patio, soaking up the peace and quiet of this tiny state in the early morning.

Exclusive Entry to Vatican Museums

After breakfast, you’ll join your expert guide for a semi-private tour of the Vatican Museums . Thanks to our exclusive entry time, you’ll get started early – just after other tour groups are allowed to enter and before the corridors of the Museums get crowded. Once inside, you’ll have a good head start on everyone else and will stay ahead of the crowds for much of your journey.

As an expert in art history, your guide will be the perfect host for your journey through the Vatican; leading you through all the highlights of the Museums without having to walk the whopping nine miles covered by the Papal palaces. Saunter along our carefully designed route to admire exquisite centuries old art collections and archeological wonders.

The Masterpieces of Sistine Chapel

Of course, we won’t miss out on the big-name sights like the Gallery of Maps and the Gallery of Tapestries. 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. Beforehand you’ll be well prepared for the masterpieces that await. You’ll understand the techniques Michelangelo used to create these stunning frescoes (believe it or not, he didn’t actually lie on his back at all) and spot the incredible details and private jokes that he painted into the world’s most iconic artwork, getting the most from your time here.

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. Special access means we’ll gain direct entry from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica without having to leave the Museums, walk 20 minutes to St. Peter’s Square and queue up for an hour. With all that extra time to spare, you’ll have plenty of time to explore the Basilica* with your guide. They’ll explain the incredible work that went into the dome here (and how Bernini almost split the Basilica in half), point out incredible artworks within such as Michelangelo’s sculpture ‘Pietà’ and introduce to you what is probably the world’s most impressive altar. With so much to take in, you are also welcome to 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.

Starting the day with an exclusive breakfast at the Vatican and continuing on in a small group tour through the Museums, your Vatican experience will be memorable and intimate. With audio headsets for every guest and only 20 people or less per group, your guide will be easy to hear and interact with, ensuring that you get the very best from this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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Important Notes

Appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. Knees, shoulders and backs must be covered.
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.
Please note that from Monday 27th of May until the end of September the Michelangelo's Pieta' in Saint Peter Basilica will not be visible due to renewal works of the opera protective glass.
Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with 'Skip the Line'.
On Wednesday mornings St. Peter's Basilica may be closed to the public due to the Papal Audience taking place in St. Peter’s Square. Customers who wish to visit St. Peter’s Basilica are advised to travel on another day. Saint Peter’s Basilica is also 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.
Please note that in case of unexpected closures of some of the areas inside the Museums, the guide may have to modify the itinerary slightly.

Cancelation Policy

Please be advised that this tour 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. Thank you for your cooperation.

The tours meet at a location very close and convenient to the entrance of the Vatican Museums. Full details of the exact location are included on the confirmation voucher you will receive when you book your tour.

Only in the “Sistine Chapel First Entry Experience with Vatican Museums”, after the guide leaves you in the Sistine Chapel, you are allowed to stay inside the Museums and explore on your own. Please note that this is possible as long as you don’t exit the Museums. For the rest of the Vatican Guided Tours, you won’t be allowed to get back to the Museums once you gotten into St. Peter’s Basilica.

Please arrive at least 20 minutes before the start time of the tour.

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