In the early morning hours, when most of Rome is still asleep, a small group gathers for an exclusive tour inside Vatican City. This tour, the Key Master Tour, allows you to unlock the chambers and galleries of the Vatican Museums, long before any of the 22,000 daily visitors will pass through its doors. The tour culminates in the opening of the Sistine Chapel, and it was a bucket list activity for me in Rome. Read on for everything you need to know about this incredible tour and decide if it’s right for your next visit to Rome. My TLDR is that I can’t honestly believe this tour is open to the general public, and that if you can, you absolutely should do this walking tour!
The VIP Vatican Key Master’s Tour is offered a few times a week. The tour begins at 6 am, with a tour meeting time of 5:45 am. They will not wait for late arrivals, so set multiple alarms if you’re not a morning person! The tour is organized through a company called Walks of Italy, and can be booked on GetYourGuide. The meeting point is where a typical visitor will exit the museums, and during my visit, even at that early hour, there were already people lining up for when the museum opens at 8 am.
Just before 6 am, we were joined by an official Vatican guide, who accompanied us through the museum. They act as art historians, explaining the museum’s vast collections in great detail and making sure everyone has an amazing experience. Our guide gave us a broad smile and said, “Welcome to, in my opinion, the very best tour of the Vatican that we offer.” I got chills and knew we were in for something very special.
At exactly 6 am, the giant door creaked open, and we were greeted by a member of the security staff. A quick trip through a metal detector and a ride up a beautiful old elevator had us at the start of our tour.
Who are the Key Masters?
Gianni Crea is the clavigero, or key master, at the Vatican. He works with a team of 10 others who oversee nearly 3,000 keys. We were taken to their desks, where all 2,797 keys were laid out on giant rings.
We each got to hold a key ring, some of which were so heavy my younger son had a hard time lifting them! After passing around the keys, the key masters took them back for safekeeping and we proceeded to our first door.
Is the VIP Key Master’s Tour Good for Kids?
We brought our kids, ages 7 and 10, on our tour. They were the youngest people on the tour, but there were two other families in our group. The entire group, including the key master himself, were super welcoming and friendly toward the kids. Our kids were able to be respectful in the spaces, but you know your kids best and should consider the very unique small group experience you would be joining. It’s not for everyone, and small children likely won’t be interested in the art itself (my younger son quickly got bored, but enjoyed searching for animal statues once we made that into a game). My older son giggled at the stories about why the naked statues had their genitals chiseled off and had no trouble marveling at the art or keeping up with the tour.
To make things more interesting for the boys, I brought our Mission: Rome book with us, and it was helpful in keeping my younger son engaged. The tour does include a solid two hours of walking, so kids will need to be able to stay on their feet or be carried that long. The tour does not allow stroller access, and I honestly wouldn’t recommend it for toddlers and young elementary kids. There’s no way to leave the tour early, and unless your kids adore art and are ok with the super early start time, they may struggle to make it through the tour.
What You See and Do
The most amazing experience of the Key Master Tour is getting to unlock doors throughout the Vatican Museum. I’ve seen other reviews state that everyone in their group got to open a door, but our group was large enough that not everyone opened something. Our kids, as the youngest members on the tour, shared the honor of unlocking and opening the first door of the tour, which opened onto a courtyard with a stunning view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Gardens beyond.
This is not an exhaustive tour of the museums, and you will miss a lot of rooms, even on this guided tour. The tour hits a lot of the highlights, but you may want to stay back at the end and visit anything you particularly wanted to see.
Though you won’t see all the Vatican’s treasures, you will get access that no one else gets, like stepping behind the Laocoon sculpture to see an unfinished right arm, one of seven arms created to attempt to finish the statue before the original arm was found in 1903. When we finished peeking behind the statue, one of the most famous in the museum, security turned on the alarm that prevents visitors from getting too close. There really is no way to get a more exclusive experience at the Vatican.
Other highlights of this once in a lifetime tour were the gallery of the tapestries and the gallery of maps, which I loved about as much as the empty Sistine Chapel. At the gallery of maps, one member of our group turned on the lights. It is one of the most awe-inspiring spaces in the museum, and we all drew in a collective gasp as the room went from silent darkness to brilliant light. Getting to wander it alone, without hoards of people and guides with umbrellas, was a particular highlight for me.
While my husband didn’t get to unlock a door, I unlocked the Room of the Immaculate Conception, which is adjacent to the Raphael Rooms, another highlight of this tour. What I loved about this experience was that there were so many treasures hidden behind seemingly innocuous doors. The door I unlocked was smooth, plain wood, but behind it was a masterpiece telling the story of the Virgin Mary. Everything from the frescoes to the carved window shutters to the mosaic floors were stunning. I will never forget what a special experience it was to get the first look into the Room of the Immaculate Conception. This tour truly is the height of exclusivity, and I appreciated every moment of wandering the silent galleries before the crush of people entered.
Alone in the Sistine Chapel
On this early morning tour, we got to experience the Sistine Chapel in luxurious seclusion. I admit that I was so jealous of the tour member who got to unlock the Chapel, but interestingly, it is a very nondescript and unimpressive door.
The most interesting part about it is the handle, which is in the shape of an S for Sistine. Once she unlocked the door, we quietly walked in, not in total darkness, but with the lights off. Our guide gave us a moment of advance warning, and then they turned on the lights. There really is nothing like standing alone in the Sistine Chapel, before the guards or the groups or even the cleaners had arrived for the day.
We had a few minutes to soak in Michelangelo’s frescoes before the guards came in, and our tour guide ushered us to the seats lining the walls. She then unfurled the history of the room, the mastery of Michelangelo’s accomplishments, and the secrets of how they protect and maintain the priceless paintings. As we sat, the cleaning crew came in, sweeping and buffing the marble floors with barely a glance at the artwork surrounding them. I nearly laughed aloud at how mundane it all seemed, and how unfazed they were at it all.
As a former Catholic, I was moved by the history and importance of the Chapel, which is where new popes are elected. Along with St. Peter’s Basilica, it is undoubtedly the center of the Roman Catholic Church, and a space that inspired a lot of reverence in me.
Why Can’t You Film or Talk in the Sistine Chapel?
The absolute highlight of your tour is likely to be the Sistine Chapel, and the Keeper of the Keys tour is the only time when you might have a chance to take photos or videos in this hallowed room. Our guide explained to us that the number of people coming through the room each day, nearly 23,000, can cause serious damage to the fragile frescoes, even without trying. By talking, we release moisture and vapor into the air, which rises and damages the painting. Similarly, the flashes and heat created by photographing or videoing the painting can damage and darken the famous ceiling.
I think there’s a strong logistical element to this as well, though. Trying to maintain order and keep such a large number of people safely and quickly moving through the Sistine Chapel is much easier to do if filming and talking are not allowed.
Now, how do you get permission to take photos and videos? Our official Vatican tour guide told us that we were allowed to take photos and videos until the guards came in for the morning. It was incredible…we were there even before the guards, and were standing alone in the Sistine Chapel when the museums’ key master turned on the lights for the day.
End of the Tour
We ended our tour at a small gift shop, which felt a little tacky but was also convenient. The store was open only for us, as the museums themselves had not yet opened their doors. Many on the tour, myself included, wanted to bring home some souvenirs, and this was a quick way to do it without having to wait in line. This was also where the key master himself allowed us each to hold the actual key to the Sistine Chapel. It was a very special moment.
If you do want to buy something, what should you get? There are replica keys to the Sistine Chapel for sale only at the Vatican Museums, and I recommend one of these. I plan to tie a ribbon through mine and use it as a Christmas ornament. In addition, I let the kids pick a Christmas ornament, something we do in each place we visit. There are also rosaries, jewelry, and other mementos that you can only find within the Vatican.
And with that, the tour concluded and we were led to the same iconic ramp where we started our tour, free to explore or leave as we wished.
What to Wear and Bring
Due to the religious nature of the Vatican, all visitors (not just on this tour) are required to cover their knees and shoulders. This applies to visitors of all genders and ages. This was spelled out helpfully in the email updates we received from the tour operator, and it’s important to heed this guidance – they will not let you in if you do not comply. Note that covered does not mean “fancy,” and there were many people in very casual clothes on our tour. I wore a sleeveless dress with a cardigan and sandals. Adil wore pants and a collared short sleeved shirt, and the boys wore pants and tshirts.
You are allowed to bring small bags and small backpacks, but larger items can’t be accommodated. There were no restrictions on photography except in the Sistine Chapel, and I brought our DSLR camera without issue.
Downsides to the Keeper of the Keys Tour
I have to stretch here, I admit. I loved just about everything about the Keeper of the Keys tour, but there are some things to keep in mind.
It’s Expensive
Pricing is variable based on demand, but in late June 2024, we paid just under $500 per person for this tour. At the time of writing, tickets were selling for closer to $750 per person. It was the priciest tour of any that we did, and it’s obviously not feasible for all budgets.
Not Everyone Opened a Door
I’ve seen other reviews that said that everyone gets to open a door. Perhaps they had a different route and more doors to open, but on my tour of 20 people, not everyone got to open a door. I mistakenly thought that each of us would get a chance to unlock the Sistine Chapel, but just one lucky person gets to do that. It honestly wasn’t the most interesting of the doors to open, except for its symbolism, but I still wanted to do it 😀
It feels like if you’re paying up for the most incredible Vatican experience that they offer, that everyone on the tour should have a chance to open a door or flip on a light.
You Move Quickly
There’s a lot of ground to cover on this tour, as it is partially a practical matter of actually opening the museum for the thousands of people who will sweep through its doors later in the day. The museums are so large that you naturally miss a lot of it, and there isn’t time to linger at the exhibits that you do visit. I honestly liked the pace, because I can get overwhelmed by (or rather inoculated toward) too much art, and it was fast enough that my kids didn’t get too bored. But, if you are looking for a tour where you can stop and marvel in the silence, you aren’t really going to get that on this tour (or frankly any tour…this one would be the closest for that).
Is the Vatican’s Key Master Tour Worth It?
With zeal and almost too much enthusiasm, I say absolutely yes, the Key Master tour is 100% worth it. There is no more private tour, no more exclusive an option to explore the museum. Do not let the early access time scare you – this tour is absolutely worth waking up for. In 2 short hours, you will see the highlights of the Vatican Museum, unlock doors, turn on lights, hear stories and learn facts you couldn’t otherwise hear. You will be allowed to touch the actual key to the Sistine Chapel, the only one in existence. You will see parts of the museum that visitors typically do not get to access. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
Alternative Tours
If this one isn’t for you, there are a few other similar Vatican tours you might want to consider. These all have very flexible cancelation policies, which is super important to me when I am traveling.
- Private before-hours access tour – this one gets you through the doors before the general public, but doesn’t join the key master and sees more parts of the museum
- Private before or after hours tour – this Alone in the Vatican tour takes place either before hours (at 7:30 am) or after the Vatican closes for the day. This would have been the one I booked if the Key Master Tour had not been available
Useful Information
Here are a few other tips for making the most of your visit:
- There are no bathroom stops along the tour – make use of the bathroom break before the tour starts
- The concessions and restaurants in the museum complex will not yet be open when your tour ends. You may find yourself too hungry to stay and explore further, as we were. I would have liked to spend the entire day there, but the rest of the family was tired and ready to leave
- There is a post office in the basement of the Vatican Museums, and you can get a postcard or letter postmarked from there with a stamp from the Vatican. It’s of course the only place you can do this in the Vatican, but unfortunately, it won’t be open when your tour ends. Plan to stick around if this is important to you
- This tour does not visit St. Peter’s Basilica. If you want to visit the church, plan to go there immediately after the Key Master’s Tour ends
- The museums will get packed with individuals and tour groups pretty much the instant the doors open, so do not assume that you will have any additional peaceful time after the doors open, like we enjoyed at the British Museum
