VIP Key Master's Tour: Open The Sistine Chapel

Covid Update. Effective August 6, 2021, proof of Covid-19 vaccination (over the age of 12) or negative COVID test completed within 48 hours is required to enter sites on this tour. All those entering (over the age of 18) must provide photo I.D. matching the vaccination record/test results. For the full requirements please check here.

Just before the sun rises over Rome, a small group gathers for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Soon they will greet the Vatican Museum's Key Master - the individual responsible for opening the seemingly endless web of galleries filled with some of the world's most pristine works of art - including the Sistine Chapel.

Entering with a group of 20 (or less), our new VIP Key Master's Tour: Open The Sistine Chapel is the only tour of its kind. We are the only company Vatican City has invited to join their Key Master. As you pass through the Pope's palace, lights flicker on and illuminate works by Raphael, Michelangelo, and other Master artists. An official Vatican guide joins as well, adding color and character to these hallowed halls. Along the way, they will introduce you to famed frescos, marble sculptures, and artifacts of grandiose proportions. Void of the daily crowds, you will appreciate the time and space given in one of the world's most revered spaces.

A highlight, for sure, is the small wooden doors leading into the Sistine Chapel. It is here the Key Master graciously allows our guests a chance to turn the key and pry open the old doors, just as cardinals and popes have done for centuries. Beyond the doors the celestial figures of Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Perugino await your arrival.

After a few hours preparing the galleries for the daily flow of visitors (none who you saw!), you will enjoy an exclusive buffet breakfast in the famed Pinecone Courtyard - you've earned it after all your hard work!