Friday night vatican museums tour including sistine chapel

During the months of May until October, the Vatican stays open on Friday nights for an extra-special viewing of its renowned museums and the Sistine Chapel, and you definitely don’t want to miss out. On this tour with an expert guide, you’ll see the best of the Vatican by night, including its incredible Renaissance art, the Gallery of Maps, Raphael's Rooms and, of course, the Sistine Chapel. This evening access is only possible for pre-booked groups, so book now to visit the Vatican without the daytime crowds!

Meet your guide near the Vatican Museums, purchase your entrance ticket (own expense) and head straight inside to begin your Vatican night tour without the hectic daytime crowds. Follow your guide through the Vatican's mesmerizing museum complex, comprising nearly 2,000 different rooms. Even if you had a whole day here, seeing it all would be impossible, so your expert guide will take the pressure off by showing you the must-see rooms and artwork!

As you explore this exciting labyrinth of galleries and apartments, see Egyptian relics and Etruscan artifacts alongside incredible Renaissance art by legendary Italian painters Raphael and Michelangelo. Highlights of your tour include the Gallery of Maps, home to 40 map frescoes that date back to 1580, and Raphael's Rooms, four interconnecting chambers adorned with paintings by Raphael and his pupils.

Finally, you’ll make it to the room you’ve been waiting for – the beautiful Sistine Chapel. After your guide explains the significance of this sacred Vatican site, you'll have roughly 15 minutes to walk around inside and gaze in awe. See Michelangelo's famous ceiling fresco, The Creation of Adam, as well as The Last Judgment, a colorful fresco that dominates one of the chapel walls.

Your tour finishes outside the Sistine Chapel, and while entry isn't permitted to St Peter's Basilica in the evening, you can spend as much time as you want in beautiful St Peters Square, where you can take nighttime Vatican photos without the usual daytime crowds!

Evening Vatican tours sell out fast, and only twenty Friday nights are available between May to October.