Dark Rome tour operator opens doors to a private viewing of rooms, chambers and chapels never seen before and offers a quiet look at the Sistine artworks

Until now, only celebrities and world dignitaries had access to several of the Vatican’s special sites escorted by a Vatican official who opens doors to private chambers, intimate rooms andrarely seen collections.

For the first time in history, Dark Rome,one of the largest operators of tours in the Vatican, is offering unprecedented accessto such sites with its three-hour VIP Vatican and Private Sistine Chapel Tour.

For 30 minutes, Dark Rome’s small group of 10 people or less and their guide are the only people inside the Sistine Chapel, giving their expert guide a rare opportunity to provide commentary within the world famous site.

Visitors have the opportunity to experience the Chapel just as the Pope experiences it during his private visits.

Under the escort of a Vatican official with all the keys, Dark Rome has also securedaccess to locked rooms of the Vatican Museums, like the Niccoline Chapel, a chapel frescoed from top to bottom by Fra Angelico and gilded with some of the first gold brought back from the New World by Christopher Columbus.

Another secret room is the stunning Bramante spiral staircase.

“We are proud to be the first company to offer this incredible tour of one of the world’s leading visitor attractions,” said Dan Paulsberg, operations director of Dark Rome.

“In 2011, the Vatican Museums attracted around five 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 is ever changing and adapting, and visitors can repeat the tour with the possibility of enjoying other secret treasures.”