We were lucky enough to experience this once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we're excited to share with you what to expect. This exclusive tour from Take Walks is best for art-loving travelers or history buffs who want to enjoy the beauty of the Sistine Chapel in relative solitude.

Vatican Key Master’s Tour Overview

Rise at the crack of dawn and head to the Best Vatican City Tickets Tour Museums at 5:45am to meet the Key Master and your guide. It will probably still be dark outside, but that only adds to the interesting atmosphere. With a small group of no more than 20 people, you'll follow the Key Master and unlock the doors (and turn on the lights) to the galleries in the Vatican Museums.

Highlights of the Vatican Grand Master

This tour is like a cross between Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or Night at the Museum. There is something seriously magical about walking through the dark corridors of the Vatican and opening doors with hundreds of years old keys by torchlight. Don't miss the mesmerizing sight as the lights come on in the Map Gallery and the gold foil ceiling shimmers to life.

About your guide

Guides at the Vatican Museums must pass rigorous tests before they can offer tours, so you can be sure that your guide will be a complete expert when it comes to the museums and the Vatican in general. Our tour guide ("English Julia") was not only a licensed Vatican tour guide, but also worked as a tour guide for Take Walks. She was friendly and thoroughly entertaining, which we appreciated at 6am. Julia brought the Vatican and the famous artwork to life for the group and was full of interesting stories about Michelangelo, Raphael and more.

Stories and Anecdotes of the Vatican Museums

Our guide was full of interesting stories and anecdotes, but the story of the rivalry between Raphael and Michaelangelo was particularly interesting. It's incredible to imagine that these two famous artists worked in the Vatican at the same time, just rooms apart, but they didn't get along very well.

Raphael was friends with people in high places, so he got all the "interesting" commissions for a long time, until Michelangelo began work on the Sistine Chapel. One day, Raphael sneaked into the chapel and when he saw the masterpiece that Michelangelo had created, he swallowed his pride and decided to paint his 'madness' into his own work in 'Raphael's Rooms'.

Most memorable moment of the Vatican tour

We will never forget the indescribable atmosphere of walking in the footsteps of Michelangelo through pitch-black corridors led by torchlight. It's an incredible experience with so many "wow" moments, but perhaps seeing the lights come on in the Map Gallery and being almost blinded by the ornate golden ceilings and gorgeous maps was one of the most fantastic moments.

Who should experience the Key Masters Tour

Devoted history and art lovers will consider a tour of the Key Master one of the highlights of their trip to Italy, and possibly of their life. The best thing about this tour is being relatively alone inside the Vatican Museums with a guide explaining the context. This exclusive experience is one of the most expensive tours to the Vatican, so it is not recommended for travelers on a budget. But if you're one of those people who knows you'll gasp as you walk through each of the galleries, it's truly a priceless, once-in-a-lifetime experience.