The Sistine Chapel may be one of the most serene spots on earth, but it doesn't carry the same magnetism when tour-loads of schoolchildren come bounding through and guards grumble "No photo!" like an unending mantra.

 

Those who want smaller crowds and more time (at least 30 minutes) to gape at Michelangelo's fantastical interpretation of The Last Judgment on the chapel's ceiling can get VIP access to the Vatican on a private after-hours tour from Italy With Us (€350/$387).

 

Tours start with a Vatican security guard unlocking the doors and end with exclusive access to Raphael's Rooms and the maze of treasures that is the Vatican Museums.

 

Along the way, Italy With Us ensures an unhurried look at the Vatican's humbling beauty -- one so sought after it's booked out months in advance.

"We walked the length and breadth of the chapel, heads tilted back and mouths open, enjoying each discovery of a new perspective from which to appreciate the frescoes that arched above us and covered the walls. Only our footsteps broke the silence. We had the place to ourselves."

These tours are for those who want to see the chapel as it was meant to be seen: as a place for contemplation and prayer, the whole spiritual experience, preferably lying down so you can fully savor the view of the tremendous goings-on up on the ceiling."

Home to some of the most famous frescoes in the world, it’s no wonder around six million people flock to the Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel each year. But unless you enjoy staring at Michelangelo's masterpiece cheek-by-jowl with the rest of the crowd, go VIP and book a new private morning tour. Plus, with the installation of a new illumination system to highlight neglected features, there’s never been a better time to visit."

"…I joined a private Vatican tour run by Italy With Us one Saturday evening in April. Rolling up to the great bronze door of the museums an hour or so after closing time we were admitted to the cavernous ticket hall, which normally swarms with tourists…

‘Before hours’ tours show you the masterpieces without the crowds – and they’re not that expensive.

It seems a great privilege to walk through the galleries with only a few other people around. The fee isn’t ludicrous, either; a ‘before-hours’ tour, shared with up to 20 people, is £38 a head, while private tours for two are £135 each through Italy With Us.”

Italy With Us also offers a "VIP" tour, which gains admission to the museums at 8am, an hour before the normal opening time. This means you can visit the Sistine Chapel first, before the hordes descend. The two-hour guided tour with a group of about 20 costs €50 a head – a premium of £30 on top of the entrance price."

You inch about blindly, looking for foot-space as you try and manouvre yourself under one fresco and then on to another. And 2,000 other visitors are trying to do the same. I count as one of my blessings, to not have experienced the Sistine Chapel as I have described above, but instead, to have entered the chapel with only eight others, just as all other tourists were being ushered out."

"Tonia Maratea, our Italian art historian guide, was not only full of precise information but bubbled with the kind of enthusiasm that brought each piece we stopped at alive."

"How would you describe your experience of the famous frescos? Visit the Sistine Chapel the best way you can www.italywithus.com"

Stepping into the Sistine Chapel in the rear corner of the museum, any remaining twinges of doubt evaporated into sheer wonder. The colors, 500 years old, were shockingly vivid. The silence was palpable. And best of all, the floor to stroll around and admire it was wide open."

I’ve NEVER done a guided tour before.

“I'm put off by hordes of tourists bustling their way through a museum, straining to hear an umbrella-wielding guide. I tend to stick to buying a good guidebook and finding my own way around the highlights. But with Rome's ancient treasures tucked away in places you'd struggle to stumble across, a pocket paperback and a map just won't cut it. That said, I still didn't fancy being part of a 50-strong group. Thankfully, in Rome you don't have to.

Italy With Us provide a range of exclusive private and semi-private tours. They've been in Rome since 1998, offering tours of the Vatican, the Colosseum and lots more of the ancient city's remarkable ruins - all led by guides with extraordinary knowledge and passion.”