VIP Vatican tour with exclusive breakfast experience and Vatican Museums

Have the Vatican to yourself on this exclusive, one of a kind early morning tour that opens closed doors for a buffet breakfast in the peaceful Pinecone Courtyard – before anyone else enters the Museums! A true exclusive privilege.

While the general public waits outside, you'll feast on an Italian-American buffet of pastries, meats, cheeses, hot food and pancakes made on the spot. In the beautiful Pinecone Courtyard, you'll experience a level of tranquility rarely seen by visitors to the Vatican. This is the Vatican Palaces as they were made to be seen – without the crowds.

After breakfast you'll follow your tour guide into the Vatican Museums. Only just opened to other tour groups at this stage (still closed to the public), the Museums will be quieter than they are throughout the rest of the day – and with only 17 people max per group, you'll have time and space to appreciate the art.

On your guided tour, your expert, English-speaking guide will show you all the best of the Vatican collection. You'll see ancient cartography in the Gallery of the Maps, visual illusions in the Gallery of the Tapestries and marvel at the Raphael Rooms. Raphael’s frescoes are said by many to rival the beauty of the Sistine Chapel. Of course, we won’t forget that highlight, as we visit Michelangelo’s world-famous ‘Last Judgment’ and ‘The Creation of Adam’ in the Sistine Chapel.

With Skip the Line Access you won't have to wait before the next leg of our Vatican adventure. Your guide will lead you through a separate entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica where they’ll give a guided tour of Michelangelo's Pieta and the incredible altar among other works in the world’s largest historic Basilica.

This tour is the first time in history that the Vatican Museums has allowed members of the public to enter so early – not to mention with a buffet breakfast – and City Wonders Tours is the only tour operator to offer it. Add to this early Museums access, small group sizes and a dedicated tour guide and you have easily the most relaxing way to see the Vatican Museums.