Dark Rome, an Ireland-based tour operator that organises walks and tours in Italy, is offering new VIP Vatican and Private Sistine Chapel tours for visitors to Rome.
The company is offering its clients access to a number of the Vatican’s special sites, escorted by a Vatican official, during a three-hour trip. In addition, Dark Rome is offering a special opportunity to visit the Sistine Chapel in a private, half-hour visit with a small group of people, prior to the chapel opening to the public.
The tour will also include access to certain locked rooms in the Vatican Museums, including the secret Niccoline Chapel, decorated with frescoes and gilded with gold, and the famous Bramante spiral staircase. The company is claiming that their tours will be along similar lines to the Vatican tours that are usually reserved for VIPs, world leaders and celebrities.
Dan Paulsberg, the company operations director, said, ‘We are proud to be the first company to offer this incredible tour of one of the world’s leading visitor attractions. In 2011, the Vatican Museums attracted around 5 million visitors, so our ‘skip-the-line’ access became a major benefit to travellers. Plus, since the Vatican is a living museum, the tour schedule and stops are ever changing and adapting, and visitors can repeat the tour with the possibility of enjoying other secret treasures.’
The three-hour tour is available on Monday and Saturday for the price of €220 per person, and includes an entrance ticket and the services of an expert guide.
