vatican tickets no tour

How to get tickets to the Vatican and avoid the lines: 4 best ways

Learn how to get tickets to the Vatican and avoid long lines: four tried and tested ways to buy Vatican tickets for all budgets, with or without a tour.

Vatican City is one of the most visited attractions in Rome , its spiritual significance and magnificent art beckoning over 5M visitors per year.

Visiting the Vatican is easy and you can easily plan a day in Vatican City as part of a short stay in Rome.

however, as the name suggests, Vatican City is not one attraction but a city or, more precisely, a state, with several attractions, each with different access rules.

Of the several attractions in Vatican city, some are ticketed and some are not.

Today, we look at: the top attractions in Vatican City and the best ways to get tickets for the Vatican.

See also: is the Vatican a country? Fun and interesting facts about Vatican City

Please note: this post contains affiliate links, marked with a * Should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission.

Table of Contents

Top Vatican City attractions

The Vatican is not one attraction but a city,  albeit small, with a cluster of landmarks, with different access rules. 

The landmarks are close to one another but they are not all in the same place – to see them all, plan a the best part of a day.

There is no border control to enter the Vatican. You however need ID to enter the museums.

The main attractions in Vatican City are:

 St Peter’s square (Piazza San Pietro) 

Piazza San Pietro / St Peter’s square is free: you do not need tickets to enter, ou just walk in like any other square. 

The square is famous for being one of the most beautiful squares in Rome and for the stunning colonnade designed by master architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

You can read here >> all about St Peter’s Square in Rome

St Peter’s Basilica main floor (the church, where you also find Michelangelo’s Pieta’ and Bernini’s altar piece) 

At Peter’s Basilica is the main church in the Vatican and the biggest and most significant papal basilica, home to outstanding art and archtesture as well place of rest of Popes,

Access to St Peter’s Basilica’s main floor is free, no ticket needed.

Need to know: To enter the basilica you need to pass airport style security. This cannot be skipped, not even with a guided tour that promises you can ‘skip the line’. There is no such thing skipping security!

Read here >> all you need to know about visiting St Peter’s Basilica (including dress code)

See also: how to see Michelangelo’s Pieta’ in Rome

St Peter’s Dome 

Climbing to the top of St Peter’s dome is not form the faint of heart, with those stairs and those height; however, it is one of the most popular things to do in teh Vatican and can be great fun.

The views from the top are among the best views of Rome !

The climb to the dome is ticketed and tickets available on the day and in person only. No skip the line option. Usually it is at its least busy early in the morning

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are the main attraction at the Vatican for many and what most visitors have in mind when they say they want to visit the Vatican.

The Vatican Museums are a stunning and huge art museums and includes the Sistine Chapel which is part of them.

Need to know! The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are together ! The chapel is inside the museums so you cross the museums to get them.  You cannot get a ticket for the chapel only (but you can get express tours that focus on it, see below) .

Vatican necropolis (Scavi)

The Vatican necropolis is a limited access underground area where St peter’s is believed to be buries.

Only accessible in small numbers, this is an archaeological area you can visit by getting a permit and the guide from the ‘excavation’ office directly.

The necropolis is not not part of the standard tours. Request access here >>>  http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/prenotazione.html

Good to know : the necropolis is different from the so called grottoes, where the Popes are buries. The grotto is part of the Basic and accessible from it. The Necropolis is an ancient site below the basilica and accessible from a different entrance.

Vatican gardens

The Vatican Gardens are beautiful, landscaped gardens developing on the slopes of the Vatican Hill, at the back of the Basilica.

Open by reservation and guided tour only, they are open to visitors age 6 and up.

You can read here >> our experience visiting the Vatican Gardens

only at the time of writing, they are at the back of the basilica and ticketed separatley. Book direct >>  https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home

How to get skip the line tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

As you can see from the list above, the main part of the Vatican you need tickets for is the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel area.

There are several ways to get tickets.

before we dive into the, there are two important things to know:

>>> All Vatican Museum tickets are timed. You select date and time and go straight to the door, so basically all tickets are skip the line  as you don’t have to line up to buy them.

Don’t pay more to skip the line, you don’t need to! Skip the line is another way of saying you can get tickets in advance so you don’t need to stand in line at the ticket window: it is not a priority line that give advantage vs other ticket holders.

>>> All visitors need to pass airport style security . This line cannot be skipped.

>>> You must abide by the Vatican Dress code to enter the museum. You can find all info here >>> Vatican dress code and tips for getting ready for your visit.

Need to know : Vatican dress code rules are strict. The fact that some visitors report to have been allowed entrance with more revealing clothing or shorts doesn’t make this a rule: anything that doesn’t match the Vatican rules make you run the risk of being turned away. The rules apply to the Museums as well as the Basilica as they are the access route to the Sistine Chapel, which is a holy to the Catholic religion. The decision of the person at the door about the suitability of your attire is final and no reimbursement it foreseen if you are turned away. Best to stay as close to the letter of the rule as possible

How to get Vatican Admission tickets, entrance only, from the official site

The cheapest way to get skip the line entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel is by buying tickets from the Museums website directly.

Tickets come out 60 days before and are the cheapest option.

Kids under 6 are free, children 6-18 pay a reduced fee and there are concessions for specific categories listed on the website.

If you fall into one of the categories entitled to a discount, make sure you have proof with you as they will ask for it.

Buying Vatican Museum tickets from the museum website direct if is the cheapest option as you deal directly with the museums: no agency, no affiliates, no intermediaries.

Tickets sell out rather fast, so it is best book early.

Book direct >>> Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel Ticket office

How to get Vatican admission tickets when the official site is sold out

Another way to get skip the line admissions tickets for the Vatican Museum is by buying on ticketing platforms such as Tiqets.

Tiqets is more expensive than buying direct; however, they tend to sell out less quickly and they are a reliable ticket provider. A very good option if you want to get Vatican entry tickets without a tour guide.

Click here for >>> Vatican Tickets From Tiqets *

Another way to get Vatican tickets form the official site

Another way to get tickets from the official Vatican site direct is by opting for one of their entry ticket + meal option.

These options have a price that is in between that of simple entry and tour and can be a good option if entry tickets are sold you but you are not interested in a tour.

Book direct from the museum (choose your date and see what available options come up here ) >>  https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home

How to buy Vatican museum and sistine chapel ticket with a tour

Other Vatican ticket options are attached to tours.

There is an almost infinite list if tour provides offering Vatican Museum tours.

Out of the many, there are two I trust and recommend, LivTours and MariaclaudiaTours. In particular:

Early morning tour by LivTour  – this is a small group morning tour allowing you to enter the Museums and the Sistine Chapel before the general public so you get lower crowds.

This tour is for all ages and kids are allowed on it. However, it is not for kids as such Not for kids as such: I recommend it to all visitors with older kids or groups of adults.

Book via aff. link >>>  LivTour semi private Vatican morning tour*

Private Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel express tour by LivTours

The peculiarity of this tour is that it focuses on the Sistine Chapel rather than other parts of the museums and it is therefore perfect for visitors who want to get in and out quickly yet still enjoy the Chapel.

Good to know : while this tour is not for families as such, it is family friendly. Being private, your guide can adapt it to the pace of a family with a young child and this is why I recommend it to families visiting the Vatican with a baby or toddler as well as visitors with no children.

Book via aff. link >>  Private Vatican Museum and Sistine chapel express tour*

Kids’ tour by Mariaclaudia tours  – this is an excellent tour for families with kids age 6 to 11 and that can be adapted to teens. Game based, it is perfect for kids who do better with a scavenger hunt/play approach.

The tour is not suitable for kids under 6. Book via Facebook @mariaclaudiaTours or by email: mariaclaudiatours @ gmail.com

Tell her you found her on MamaLovesRome!

Kids’ Tour by LivTour – this is another perfect Vatican tour for families with kids, different to Mariaclaudia’s for the areas covered, which include the Egyptian wing of the Museum (usually a hit with kids!).

Most suitable for families with kids of primary school age and up but if you tell LivTours the age of your kids, they can adapt it to different ages.

Book via aff. link >>> Family Tour Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel by LivTours*

Last but not least, you can get a guided tour offered by the Vatican Museums themselves.

Guided Tours by the Vatican Museums are a good option of you are looking for a group tour and do not need any customisation.

There are several options including also early morning and after hour tour.

To see what is availabe on your date, go onto the museum ticket page >>  https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home  select desired date and number of participants >> see options.

Need to know:  these Vatican museum tours tend not to be accessible nor stroller friendly as they do not follow the accessible path.

I hope you found this quick guide about how to get tickets to the Vatican useful and got some good tips!

Remember: Additional info and lots of tips to visit the Vatican with kids are in my  Rome with kids ebook available on Amazon CLICK HERE  (also with tons more info and ideas to enjoy Rome with kids)

As well as on this MamaLovesRome website:

• How to visit the Vatican
• How to visit the Vatican with kids
• Visiting the Vatican at Christmas

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How to get tickets for the vatican: pin this.

My name is Marta, I am a travel-loving mama born and bred in that messy, wonderful, infuriating, awe-inspiring unbelievably beautiful city that is Rome. A classics graduate and professional travel blogger, on this site I share my insider tips to help you plan your dream trip to Rome, Italy.

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How to Buy Tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Written by: Kate Zusmann

A visit to Vatican City and its museums is one of the “must-do” during your trip to Rome. However, since there are always many tourists in the Eternal City , it is better to buy tickets to the Vatican Museums in advance.

Important things to know before purchasing Vatican Museum tickets

Is it necessary to buy tickets to the vatican museums in advance, can i buy tickets to the vatican museums at the box office on the day of the visit, what to do if there are no more tickets on the vatican museums website, what is the best time to visit the vatican museums, how long does it take to see the most important masterpieces in the vatican museums, do i need to buy a separate ticket for the sistine chapel, how to purchase the admission ticket at the lowest price.

Here I describe how to buy tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel online without endless queues and in a time-savvy way. The price of the ticket is 17 euro.  Languages in the Vatican online office are English and Italian.

You can book your ticket on the official website   www.museivaticani.va

First, you have to select the kind of ticket you want (usually “Musei e Collezioni” – Museums and Collections). If you plan to visit the Vatican Museums by yourself (without a big group tour), choose the “Singles” option. Try to plan your trip 1-2 days in advance. Moreover, if you visit Rome during the high season (May-September, Christmas holidays), there will be no slots available for your date if you don’t purchase tickets at least 1-2 weeks in advance.

Choose “Admission tickets”:

Now choose the best time appropriate for your visit. Again, the choice is huge: time slots are available every 15 minutes.

Reduced tickets info:

Fix price transfer from the Fiumicino Airport to Rome

Also, you can pre-book the audio guide (you can even do it once you are in the museums). There are ten languages available in audio guides: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Korean, and Portuguese.

Now time to fill out a form with personal data:

The website only accepts Visa and Mastercard

Finally, you will have to accept the Conditions and insert the security code. Then, click on the “Accept the Estimate and Proceed with the Reservation” button.

Once you have completed your online purchase, you will receive two e-mails:

• You have to confirm the payment
• An e-mail with the voucher for your ticket to the Vatican Museums. Print the first page of each ticket you purchased or save a PDF file on your smartphone.

During the day of your visit, come on 15 minutes earlier and show your voucher at the entrance of the Vatican Museums. Once you pass through security, you have to go to the left, where you will see the “cassa” and change your voucher into an actual ticket.

Don’t forget that the Vatican Museums open its door for free on the last Sunday of every month (if it is not a religious holiday). However, it works from 9 am to 2 pm only, with the last entrance at 12.30 pm. This option is attractive just if your budget is tight, but in another case, you should better avoid such days because of a massive crowd of people. There is a chance that you will stay in a queue so long that you don’t even get in by 12.30 pm.

Some specifics about discounts for the Vatican Museums tickets:

• Everyone aged from 6 to 18 years old (including 6 y.o. and 18y.o.) pays 8 euro instead of 17 euro
• There is a 50% discount for international students (not all universities)
• Members of the clergy also pay 8 euro instead of 17 euro

Children under 6 y.o, museum directors, journalists and academics, people with disabilities, and their companions go inside for free. However, there is no discount for seniors of any age.

If you purchase a ticket at a reduced price, you will need to show proof of eligibility for the discount. And if it turns out that the evidence is not eligible, you will have to buy a new-full price ticket, while your discounted ticket will not be refunded.

You can stay inside the museums as long as you prefer, before the closing time. On average, a visit lasts from 2 to 5 hours. The basic ticket does not include the audio guide or any other tour. So that, there is another option to buy a group tour with a guide for 27 euro or to reserve a private tour at dawn for 3-4 people on our website.

• You have a chance to change the date and time of your reservation by following this link tickets.museivaticani.va/support

If you can’t visit the Vatican Museums, there is no chance to return a ticket, but in theory, you can resell or pass-on to someone your ticket because documents are checked very rarely

Vatican Museums’ collections include paintings from some of Italy’s greatest artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio. Also, there is an extraordinary collection of Egyptian antiquities, including papyruses and mummies in their sarcophagi.

Many tourists visit the Vatican Museum to see only the famous Sistine Chapel without knowing what else to see there – it is a big mistake!

I urge you to read more about the Vatican Museums before attending it because there are many exciting things that you won’t see anywhere else in the world.

St. Peter’s Basilica is not included in the Vatican Museums’ ticket. It is a church, and there is no fee to go inside. It is closed on Wednesday mornings during the Papal Audience and reopens around 12-1 p.m. on that day. If you are on a group tour, there is a privileged passage directly from the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica.

Plan B – Last Minute Vatican Museums Tickets & Tours

If there are no more tickets on the official website of the Vatican Museums, you can purchase one on the website of our partners  www.tiqets.com

Undoubtedly, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit the Vatican Museums. It will be one of the most impressive adventures of your life.

Author: Kate Zusmann

For the last 10 years, I live in the Eternal City. Traveling, exploring new things, writing blogs, and shooting vlogs are my main hobbies, but the thing that I like even more is sharing my experience and thoughts with you! Explore Rome with Us :)

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NOTICE Vatican Museums and Castel Gandolfo Museum Complex

We inform you that from 1 July 2024 , new conditions for free admission, concessions and reductions will come into force for the following types of visitors ( group visits ): pilgrims, university students, primary and secondary (I and II grade) school students.

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Prices and Tickets

Discover the many types of ticket and check prices, reductions or special free entry reserved to different visitors. The entry ticket for the Vatican Museums entitles the visit to the Museums and Sistine Chapel solely on the day on which the ticket is issued. Tickets cannot be refunded. See also:

Full entry ticket

€ 20.00 (without online booking)

Reduced entry ticket

€ 8.00 (without online booking) € 8.00 + 5.00 (with “Skip the Line” booking on the official Vatican Museums website)

Reduced ticket Schools

€ 4.00 (without online booking) € 4.00 + 2.00 (with “Skip the Line” booking on the official Vatican Museums website)

Reduced ticket Students

€ 8.00 (without online booking) € 13.00 (with “Skip the Line” booking on the official Vatican Museums website)

Papal Palace and Secret Garden of Castel Gandolfo

Full entry ticket € 12.00 Discover and check the reductions reserved to different visitors:

Free entry Vatican Museums

• Last Sunday of the month (subject to the Calendar of museum openings/closures ).
• Children below the age of 7.
• Directors of museum institutions, managing boards and other bodies engaged in the protection of archaeological, historic and artistic heritage.
• All disabled visitors with certified invalidity of more than 74% . In the case of visitors who are not self-sufficient, free entry is extended also to a companion. Free tickets for disabled visitors and their companions cannot be booked online but are instead issued, upon presentation of certification of invalidity, directly at the “Special Permits” and/or “Reception” desks situated in the entrance hall of the Vatican Museums. The disabled visitor and an eventual companion are guaranteed priority Skip the line entry (without queuing in line). See Services for visitors with disabilities .
• Holders of the valid cards issued by the following institutions: Icom ( International Council of Museums ); Icomos ( International Council on Monuments and Sites ).
• University teachers in the fields of Archaeology, Art History, Architecture and Ethnology, as well as those from academies based in Rome, for holding occasional specialist lessons in the museum sectors related to their areas of teaching, upon written request to the Directorate of the Museums and Cultural Heritage. Should permission be granted, this does not authorise access to all the remaining display areas, which may be visited only upon purchase of a regular entry ticket for the Museums.

N.B. : If you wish to combine the free entrance to the Museums with the purchase of a guided tour or a restaurant service (Breakfast/Happy Hour/Lunch), please write in advance to [email protected] .

Full entry ticket “Skip the Line”

€ 20.00 + 5.00 (with booking on the official Vatican Museums website)

Reduced ticket Pilgrimages

€ 8.00 (without online booking) € 13.00 (with “Skip the Line” booking on the official Vatican Museums website)  

Reduced ticket University Institutes

€  8.00 (without online booking) € 13.00 (with “Skip the Line” booking on the official Vatican Museums website)

Reduced ticket Seminaries and Religious Colleges

Family tariff.

For the tours of the  Papal Palace and Secret Garden of Castel Gandolfo , parents with children can take advantage of the  Family  Tariff . The special reduced tariff is reserved to  families composed of a mother, father and at least two children (aged between 7 and 18 years and/or students up to and including 25 years of age with valid documentation) . The ticket is free for second and subsequent children, and children aged between 0 and 6 years enter free.

Free entry Papal Palace and Secret Garden of Castel Gandolfo

• For second and subsequent children, families composed of a mother, father and at least two children (aged between 7 and 18 years and/or students up to and including 25 years of age with valid documentation).
• All disabled visitors with  certified invalidity of more than 74% . In the case of visitors who are not self-sufficient, free entry is extended also to a companion. Free tickets for disabled visitors and their companions cannot be booked online but are instead issued, upon presentation of certification of invalidity, directly at the Ticket Office.
• Holders of the valid cards issued by the following institutions: Icom ( International Council of Museums);  Icomos ( International Council on Monuments and Sites ).  

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How to Buy Tickets for the Vatican Museums

This article may contain compensated links. See our full disclosure here

If you’re traveling to Rome, the Vatican Museums should be high up on your list of must-see attractions. And ensuring you have your Vatican tickets booked before you get there only makes the experience more enjoyable.

It’s a good idea to book well in advance. But, with all the options available, it may be hard to know where to start noting that the official ticketing site has limited availability, refunds can be difficult, and the booking process can be confusing.

So we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate buying tickets for the Vatican Museums and ensure a stress-free visit to this Rome itinerary staple. We’ll cover everything from when to book your tickets to recommended third-party sellers and frequently asked questions.

So, continue reading to discover how to buy tickets for the Vatican Museums.

Article contents

Editior’s note – In 2024 standard opening times are expected to move to 8.00am therefore early access tours will then be deemed first access tours. We recommend choosing this option and joining a tour where the guide has the knowledge and expertise to access the Sistine Chapel quickly if that is your focus

Vatican Museums Tickets and Tours Quick Links

If you’re in a rush and would prefer to get the details ASAP, have a look at this quick summary of our recommendations for the best Vatican tours .

• Vatican Tickets and Tours on Musei Vaticani (official booking site) > can be confusing to navigate, has limited availability, and getting refunds can be difficult.
• Vatican Tickets on GetYourGuide (official partner site) > booking policy is fairly flexible, and the site’s more user-friendly. That said, it’s slightly more expensive.
• Liv Tours > offers private tour options for small groups, with engaging, knowledgeable guides – Take advantage of our 5% off discount using the code – UNTOLDITALY.
• Take Walks Small Entrance Group or VIP Key Masters Tour > join a small group for a Sistine Chapel tour or join the key masters in opening the Chapel.
• Tiqets > their simple, easy-to-use website with a good cancellation policy but slightly higher ticket prices.
• Viator > industry-leading flexibility, user-friendly, and slightly more expensive due to the added convenience.

DISCOVER: more about the VIP Vatican Keymaster’s tour

Vatican Museum Tickets or Tour?

Should you go with a fully guided tour or just purchase entry tickets? An entry ticket is quite limiting as you walk through mostly unmarked galleries and leave having learned almost nothing.

To get the most value out of your visit, we recommend taking a tour instead. Taking this approach means you enjoy the full experience of the museum and its 20,000+ artworks with a knowledgeable tour guide. Guides can offer fascinating and lesser-known insights and answer any questions you may have.

Certain guided tours with partner companies also offer skip-the-line access and exclusive access to areas like the Sistine Chapel before they open to the public. 

What Does Your Vatican Museums Ticket Include?

The basic ticket to enter the Vatican includes:

• Access to the museums’ galleries, including the Sistine Chapel
• Access to the Vatican Gardens
• Access to the Christian Museum
• Access to the Profane Museum

Buy Tickets on the Official Vatican Museums Site

You can buy tickets directly from the official site, Musei Vaticani . But, navigating this site and booking tickets can be frustrating.

• Pros of booking on Musei Vaticani site – lower prices and various ticket options available.
• Cons of booking on Musei Vaticani site – the website doesn’t offer a pleasant user experience, and it’s mainly in Italian, making it difficult for non-speakers to navigate from the homepage. Obtaining a refund is quite challenging.

Vatican Museums Tickets via an Official Partner

Tickets sell out quickly on the Vatican website. Thankfully, there are a few other places to secure your tickets. Booking tickets to the Vatican through an official, trusted partner is the best way to ensure a secure experience and avoid scams.

• Pros of booking via official partners – Official partners offer easy, user-friendly sites and flexible cancellation policies. There are also a variety of tours and ticket options to suit your needs. Often, you’ll only be able to secure a ticket with a partner site.
• Cons of booking via official partners – tickets cost slightly more than buying Vatican Museum tickets directly from the official website, as you’re paying for the added convenience.

Recommended Vatican Museums Tours

The best way to understand the cultural context and appreciate over 500 years of art and history is to join a guided Vatican tour, as the exhibits are quite plain and hard to understand without one.

When considering which tour to book, consider which sites in Vatican City the tour will cover, the tour style, and the duration of your tour.

Official tour partners have to go through a rigorous examination process to obtain their licenses, so you can trust that you’re getting value for money on your tour. Below are some recommended options to consider. 

• Official Tours via Musei Vaticani – these last 30 minutes and allow a maximum group size of 10 people. Their €17.00 ticket only provides entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. 
• Liv Tours – This Rome-based company offers a Skip-the-line Highlights of the Vatican tour for groups of up to a maximum of six people. This semi-private guided tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel draws you into over 2,000 years of history, from antiquity to the Renaissance, ending in the early 17th century. 

You’ll learn fascinating tidbits and stories surrounding the artworks, such as the fresco maps and rich tapestries that adorn the Museum. Plus! Get 5% off with our code, UNTOLDITALY.

• Take Walks Skip the Line Vatican Highlights tour – This tour focuses on enriching visitors with captivating stories and anecdotes. Marvel at classical artworks by Michelangelo and Bernini, all while learning about their origins and history. 
• CityWonders – Offering a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican , their expert tour guides take you on a journey to experience the Vatican in all its glory. This tour takes you to the Pinecone Courtyard, with the interesting pagan symbol of fertility planted in its center. 

The tour guides will also lead you to the Gallery of Tapestries, where stunning displays of tapestries abound. Afterward, explore the rest of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel.

LISTEN: to our podcast on Tips and Highlights for visiting the Vatican Museums

Vatican Museums Tickets FAQ

Do you need to buy vatican museums tickets in advance.

Yes, you need to buy Vatican tickets in advance. It is no longer possible to show up on the day and stand in line to purchase tickets. All tickets purchased are effectively skip the line Vatican Museums tickets so the benefit is faster access. 

Do I Need a Separate Ticket to Visit St Peter’s Basilica?

No. A separate ticket is not required to visit St Peter’s Basilica which is free to enter however if you’d like to visit Michelangelo’s dome and the Necropolis you need to purchase separate entrance tickets. Note that it’s standard procedure for security to search your bags at the security checkpoint before you enter the church and this is not part of the ticketing system.

TIP: before entering the basilica, try to follow the dress code by wearing clothing that covers your knees and shoulders. 

When Do Vatican Museums Tickets Go on Sale?

Vatican tickets typically go on sale about two months in advance on the official site. But tickets are often sold out by that time, so it may help to look out for them earlier from official partners.

Can You Buy Vatican Museums Tickets on the Day?

There are no longer tickets available at the door – you must book them online. You can try to book your Vatican tickets online in the morning of your visit, although you may need fast fingers for that. Your best bet for last-minute tickets will be to take a look at trusted third-party providers.

What Are the Vatican Museums’ Opening Hours?

The Vatican Museums are open from 09:00 until 18:00, Mondays through Saturdays.  Opening hours in 2024 are expected to change to 8am. We will update this page as more information becomes available. The museums are closed on Sundays, except for the last Sunday of the month and on special occasions.

The museums also have extended opening hours until 22:30 from the 24th to the 30th of April and the 5th of May – the 28th of October.

What Is the Best Time to Visit the Vatican Museums?

The Vatican Museums can get busy and crowded. The best time to visit to avoid the crowds is usually on Tuesday, as this day tends to be the quietest.

Try to avoid the free admission on the last Sunday of the month unless you’re prepared for throngs of tourists.

Are There Any Discounts or Free Entry to the Vatican Museums

The last Sunday of every month is free, but it’s not a good time to visit as it’s usually very busy. That said, children between the ages of six and 18 have free admission to the Vatican Palace.

Employees — both in service and/or retired — of all Offices, Dicasteries, and other entities of the Holy See and/or Vatican City State are admitted free of charge (but only upon presentation of identity document).

Priests, seminarians, and novices are also admitted for free (upon presentation of valid documentation).

Do I Need to Print My Vatican Museums Tickets?

No. If you purchased a ticket from the Vatican Museums website, you don’t need to print it. Just show the voucher on your phone.

Is the Sistine Chapel Included in My Ticket to the Vatican Museums?

Yes, a regular ticket includes the Chapel, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, and the Borgia Apartments in Vatican City. So there’s no need to purchase separate tickets for the Sistine Chapel or any of the other mentioned sites.

Can I stay close to the Vatican?

Yes, here is our recommendation for the best hotels near the Vatican and we also recommend staying near The Pantheon if you want to be near the Vatican and Rome’s other top sites. Or, for other options, see our detailed guide on where to stay in Rome  to choose the best location for your trip.

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In a hurry? Left it too late? Don’t panic:

Get last-minute Vatican tickets here >

Otherwise read on…

The lines for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are notorious, and standing for often way more than an hour in the blazing summer sun can be miserable. Thankfully these days avoiding  really  long lines is very simple:

In order to guarantee that you’ll be able to skip the lines at the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, you must buy a skip-the-line ticket or city pass online.

Choose your ticket or pass below, but first choose what time to visit the Vatican – we recommend as early as possible in the day.

The best ways to skip the lines at the Vatican

1. get a vip early entrance and breakfast ticket.

With breakfast thrown in, this is without a doubt the most spectacular and pleasant way to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel .

You get to see the Vatican when it’s almost empty, way before the hordes arrive, and are escorted to the stunning “Pinecone Courtyard” for a sumptuous buffet breakfast buffet before touring the museums at your leisure without major crowds – and will even have the Sistine Chapel almost to yourself. Without any doubt this is the best time to visit the Vatican .

Book your tour now >

2. Buy a skip-the-lines ticket with audio guide

Enhance the regular skip-the-lines Vatican ticket with an audio guide for €26.40 per person here . This has many of the interpretive advantages of the guided option, but allows you to take your own time, skip parts, or linger over favorite pieces.

Get the ticket now >

3. Book a group guided tour

Book a group guided tour for €59 per adult. This tour is conducted by Rome Vacation Tips’ tour partner and we vouch for its incredible quality. Having low numbers allows you to chat with your guide, and the tour also grants you access to the ‘secret’ papal corridor from the Sistine Chapel directly into St Peter’s Basilica too, something only afforded to visitors with an official guide.

4. Use a Discount Card / Tourist Pass

The downloadable Rome Tourist Card not only includes the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, an audio guide to the Pantheon, a guided tour of St. Peter’s, but also entry into the Vatican Museums and Sistine chapel.

Warning: some tourist cards such as the Roma Pass do not include entry to the Vatican because Vatican City is a separate country to Italy!

See all Vatican discount cards >

5. Buy a basic ticket online ahead of time

Buy basic entry tickets directly online from the official Vatican ticket office . Basic entry tickets are €17 each (€8 concession) + €4 booking fee each, and are only valid for the date and time booked. The reason this is so far down our list is that we receive continual complaints that the site rejects non-Italian credit and debit cards. 

Locals’ tip: if seeking a reduced entry ticket for children between 6 and 18 years of age, you MUST bring their official ID (i.e. passport) to prove their age. If you’re a student you must bring an internationally recognized student ID.5

Check availability

Vatican museums key info

Opening hours Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 6 pm (last entrance at 4 pm) Sunday: closed (except the last Sunday of every month when the museums are free)

The museums are closed on the following days: In addition to most Sundays , 1 January, 11 February 19 March, 22 April, 1 May, 29 June, 14 & 15 August, 1 November, 25 & 26 December. See the best time to visit the Vatican Museums > Nearest metro:  Ottaviano (Linea A)

How Vatican Tickets work

Tickets on the official site are released every day for a date 60 days in advance of the visit date. Once they are exhausted for a particular day, there will be no more tickets available for that date until the day of the visit, at which point you must line up to buy them (not recommended). It is far easier to buy from a reseller , even though you will pay a few extra euro for the convenience. Note that for periods that straddle the new year, there may be extra delays in releasing tickets. 

If you’ve managed to buy a ticket, either from the official site or a reseller – rather than a guided tour – you will be emailed a voucher, that you then need to convert into a ticket. If you don’t have a printer, Vatican staff will inspect the PDF from your cellphone at the door. As long as they can scan the QR code you’ll be fine.

If you have booked a guided tour, your guide will take care of tickets for you. Note that you can’t get a discount from a guided tour if you’ve already bought a ticket.

Having this voucher will allow you to skip the long, long line and enter via the right-hand side of the entrance (see map) – where there may still be a line for security, but a much shorter one – after which you will need to verify your printout at the ticket booths to the left just after security (where there may be yet another – but relatively short – line).

Be warned though, at certain times of the year, e.g. around Easter, even the lines for people with tickets are slow due to security check requirements.

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Photo credit: AFP

Tickets in advance!

Because of ticket supply problems following the end of Covid restrictions, it is strongly advised that you  buy tickets and tours in advance to visit attractions in Rome.

Buy your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

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• Visiting the Vatican

Visiting the Vatican - Top tips you need to know!

By Elyssa Bernard

November 21, 2023

Planning on visiting the Vatican when you come to Rome?

Here's everything you need to know!

Visiting the Vatican - everything you need to know

Here is what you really need to know about visiting the Vatican:

• When to go ? (what time of year and time of day)
• What to see ? (St. Peters Basilica and the Vatican Museums, and much more!)
• Which should you visit first, the Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel) or Saint Peter's Basilica ?
• How to skip the lines for Saint Peter's Basilica ?
• How to get tickets/skip the line to the Vatican museums ?
• Can you just visit the Sistine Chapel ? 
• Can you see the Sistine Chapel without crowds ?
• How do you visit the Vatican Gardens ?
• How do you visit St Peter's tomb ?
• How to plan all your Vatican visits for your trip ?
• How to get to the Vatican ?
• Where to eat near the Vatican ?

The first time I came to Rome as an adult, I missed seeing the Sistine Chapel because I had no idea the Vatican Museums closed at 2pm (long before smartphones and Google, ahem.) 

It must have been a Free Sunday, when the Vatican Museums are open and free but with reduced hours.

Now that I live here, I go often to Saint Peter's Basilica , Saint Peter's Square , and the Vatican Museums .

I also helped thousands of our guests plan their visits in the 17 years we ran our B&B .

Based on years of first-hand experience, I know how to tell you what to do and what not to do.

You can avoid a stressful visit to the Vatican by reading my tips first!

QUICK FACTS ABOUT VISITING VATICAN CITY

• You don't need a passport.
• Vatican City is a separate state from Italy, with just over 500 residents.
• The two main places to visit are Saint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums (where the Sistine Chapel is.)
• The pope is head of Vatican City.
• The pope's church is not Saint Peter's Basilica. It is Saint John in Lateran.
• You can visit the Vatican, and you can stay nearby, but you cannot sleep inside the Vatican.

Visiting the Vatican - When to go

• There really is no "best day" for visiting Vatican City, i.e. when there are fewer people. The Vatican is Rome's most popular tourist destination and is pretty much always busy. You might consider Tuesday or Thursday as your best bets. Dates around a weekend can be a bit busier, and on Wednesday there is (usually) the Papal Audience , meaning even more crowds.
• In the mornings, many tour groups show up, including those offering early skip-the-line access. Also, people in general come early to try to "beat the line," so you may find the Vatican Museums much more crowded in the early morning than you expect, and  slightly less crowded in mid-afternoon.
• St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums tend to be even more crowded on Saturdays , when Rome fills up with weekend visitors.
• The Vatican Museum is closed Sundays, except for the last Sunday of every month , when they are free . This is the most crowded day you can imagine for visiting the Vatican Museums .
• On Wednesdays (except for  July , when the pope generally takes a break ), the pope holds an audience at St Peter's Basilica . In warmer months, it will be in Saint Peter's Square . In colder months, or if it's raining , it will be in an auditorium-type hall just to the left of the basilica. This means that the whole area will be packed due to all the people who attend the papal audience , many of whom visit the Vatican Museums after the audience.
• If you do visit Vatican City on a Wednesday , know that St Peter's Basilica will be closed until the papal audience is over (around 12-1pm.)
• As for time of year, winter low season months are best if you want to be more relaxed and find smaller crowds . This means most of December ( except  December 8 , and Christmas through the Epiphany, January 6 ), January and February . Believe it or not, it's just as crowded at to visit Vatican City between Christmas and January 6 as it is during summer.
• Here's  how and when to include visiting the Vatican in a 3-day itinerary in Rome .

IMPORTANT TIP :

To visit St Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, you must be properly dressed : no bare knees, midriffs or shoulders.

Sandals and jeans are fine.

Be careful when wearing knee-length shorts and skirts; the opinions of the Vatican guards as to what is acceptable may vary.

You may wish to bring a sarong or wear the kinds of shorts that have attachable legs, such as hiking trousers .

In a pinch, you will find plenty of vendors just outside the Vatican, who sell t-shirts or scarves.

No matter what season you visit Rome, here are 4 things never to leave at home:

Disclosure: If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site!

Visiting the Vatican - What to see?

The main things to see when visiting the Vatican are  Saint Peter’s Basilica  and the  Vatican Museums .

You can see one and not the other, although v isiting both in a single day is very do-able.

Looking for Michelangelo's masterpieces?

Michelangelo’s Pietà is inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican Museums.

Just try not to plan any other big visit like another museum or archeological site like the Coloseum  for the day you visit the Vatican, as you will be pretty exhausted.

Do you really want to visit the Vatican and Colosseum in one day? Here's how!

Or take the stress out of it by taking this "Rome in a Day" Tour with Vatican, Colosseum & Historic Center.

To get the most out of your visit to the Colosseum, take a VIP Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill.

St Peter's Basilica

Saint Peter’s Basilica  is a Renaissance-era church and by many standards, the world’s largest. 

The Vatican is a basilica but not a cathedral, as it does not have its own bishop.

The main cathedral of the “Bishop of Rome”, as the pope is called, is San Giovanni in Laterano , or Saint John in Lateran .

But the pope is head of Vatican City , where he resides.

It's a little confusing isn't it?

Anyway, just think of the Vatican as a huge church, with a lot to see inside.

Click here to read more about what exactly the Vatican is.

Click here to visit my dedicated page all about Saint Peter's Basilica and its history, and things to see and do there.

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St Peter's Dome

It's very much worth  visiting the basilica's dome , but you should know it can get a little crowded up there, and there are a LOT of steps.

The first level is 231 steps, but there is an elevator option. ( Someone in a wheelchair or with walking difficulties can take the lift to this first level.)

The second portion is another 320 steps, with no elevator option.

The dome gets narrower as you go up, so you will be climbing this part single file, and with the roof slanting over your head.

I say this as someone with a close relative with vertigo: you may want to avoid climbing the dome at the Vatican if you suffer from vertigo or claustrophobia.

But if none of that is an issue, then do it!

You'll love the views from up there, both of the church and of the surrounding city.

Visit my dedicated page all about Saint Peter's dome and how to climb it.

Michelangelo’s Pieta

My favorite piece of art inside of  St Peter's Basilica  is Michelangelo’s Pietà .

Actually, it may be my favorite piece of art in the world.

An exaggeration?

I can't help it...just look at it:

It’s on your right as soon as you walk inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

When I visited it with my mom, she cried, saying “look at her face, it’s just about a mother’s love for her child."

Unfortunately, someone wielding an axe once attacked it, and it’s now behind glass.

But you can still see it very well.

And take note of Mary’s face.

It’s really special when you see it in person.

Michelangelo Tidbit :

This was one of Michelangelo’s first major works.

He made it when he was only 22.

He was not sure people would know he did it, so he snuck in late one night and carved his name (Michelangelo Buonarroti) on Mary’s sash.

The Pietà is the only sculpture Michelangelo ever signed (or needed to sign.)

Vatican Grottoes - The Tombs of the Popes

Inside Saint Peter's Basilica, you can go down one level and see the area where some of the popes are buried.

Saint Peter is said to be entombed just underneath the church .

This is why many popes are also buried here. 

It's quite interesting to visit the popes' tombs , called the Vatican Grottoes   - there is a lot of history down there.

Don't worry, it's not dark or claustrophobic.

On the contrary, it's a huge open space full of light and lots to see (no photos allowed.)

To visit the Vatican Grottoes, get up close to Bernini's Baldachin and look for the entrance nearby.

It's free to visit the Vatican Grottoes.

You should make sure you are done visiting the basilica or have a plan to go back up, because the normal route through the grottoes has you exit the basilica entirely.

Not to be confused with St. Peter's tomb

When people talk about visiting the Vatican grottoes, they are referring to a place where you can see the tombs of many popes (as I wrote above.)

But this is not the same as visiting the  Vatican Necropolis , where St. Peter is said to be buried.

A  visit to Saint Peter’s tomb , also referred to as a scavi  visit, is a special and wonderful thing to do, and I highly recommend it. (" Scavi " means "excavations".)

It is a delicate archeological site, and they only take 250 people in per day, in 12-person tours at a time, so you must  book way in advance . (No photos allowed.)

NEW FOR 2024!

The archeological area of the Vatican Necropolis of Via Triumphalis is now open for visitors.

This is an ancient Roman burial site that is within the Vatican walls and before now was very difficult to get access to.

You can only enter as part of an official Vatican tour group, and tickets need to be purchased through the official website .

This is an entirely separate visit, so you will not have access to either St Peter's Basilica or the Vatican Museums.

Click here to watch my YouTube video about it and see what it's like!

The Vatican Museums

The second major site to visit at the Vatican is the Vatican Museums.

This is the part about Vatican City that will take most of your time and energy.

The Vatican Museum contains the world’s largest private art collection (and just imagine that much of the art they own is not even on display!)

They are called "museums" and not just singular "museum" because the museums were started in 1506 and have been added to many times over the centuries.

They now occupy many different buildings all connected to on another.

That's one reason there is so much to see!

You will see a lot of art inside the Vatican Museums, including paintings, sculptures, ancient artifacts, and much more.

I think the number one thing people want to see when they visit is the Sistine Chapel.

For more about the Vatican Museums and Sistine chapel, visit my dedicated pages:

• Visiting the Sistine Chapel
• Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel
• Visiting the Vatican Museums
• Vatican Museums Must Sees
• Vatican Museums Tickets
• Vatican Museums Tours
• Vatican Secret Rooms

More things you will see at the Vatican:

Besides the two main sites - the museums (Sistine Chapel) and the basilica, there are more things you will see when you visit Vatican City.

Look for these as you walk around:

St. Peter's Square

It would be easy to take Saint Peter's Square, Piazza San Pietro in Italian, for granted.

After all, if you're beelining to get into the basilica, you might be focused on the security queues and wondering how long you will have to wait.

But St. Peter's Square, also called Vatican Square, is worth visiting and enjoying by itself.

It's the only part of Vatican City you can visit without any tickets or queuing.

If you have very limited time , you may even decide that this is about as much as you want to see of Vatican City, since everything else involves queues and/or tickets plus an involved visit inside.

Click here to visit my page all about St. Peter's Square, its history, and what to see.

The Swiss Guard

You might spy one or more of the Swiss Guard at the gate to Vatican City.

The Swiss Guard wear different outfits depending on their duties, but they are all dressed in costumes originally designed in the early 1500s (although not by Michelangelo, an urban myth.)

The Swiss Guard have a specific duty to guard the pope's life and Saint Peter's Basilica.

They are the world's smallest army and they are very well trained.

You will not see the Swiss Guard at the Vatican Museums.

There, you will see Vatican Museums guards who dress in more modern attire.

The Leonine Walls

In the 9th century, Pope Leo IV had defensive walls built around Vatican City following the sacking by raiders of Old St. Peter's Basilica in 846.

You can still see those walls today in and around the Vatican, especially if you visit the Vatican Gardens .

You can also see parts of these walls surrounding Saint Peter's Square on the side where the security gates are, and along the way from the Vatican to nearby Castel Sant'Angelo .

Click here to read a more detailed yet brief history of the Vatican.

For more Vatican history, check out these dedicated pages:

The Vatican Post Office

Don't miss a visit to the Vatican Post Office if you want to mail any postcards. 

It's easier and more efficient than going to the Italian Post Office, and your mail will get there faster!

There is also a Vatican mailbox up on the roof ( Saint Peter's Dome ), and usually another post office in Saint Peter's Square .

More sites you can visit in Vatican City

Besides Saint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, there are some more sites you can visit in Vatican City.

You have to pay for these (and for the scavi and gardens, you must book in advance.)

You will find more details about each one on their respective dedicated pages:

• Saint Peter's Tomb (Vatican Necropolis or Scavi )
• Saint Peter's Dome
• Vatican Gardens

Which to see first - The Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel, or St. Peter's Basilica?

If you book a tour of the Vatican, usually this means taking a guided tour of the Vatican Museums , which ends with the Sistine Chapel .

Some tours include taking the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel into St Peters Basilica.

There has been some back and forth recently about whether the shortcut is available or not, but for now, it is once again the case that  you can only take the shortcut  from the Sistine Chapel to  St Peter's Basilica  if you are on a tour that  INCLUDES  the basilica.

The Vatican can, and does, change their mind frequently on this matter, so if it is important to you to be able to take this shortcut, I recommend booking a tour that ends in St Peter's Basilica to be on the safe side.

If you are on a tour that ends in the Basilica the decision is made for you.

But if you are taking a Vatican Museums tour that does not include the Basilica, or if you are visiting the Vatican Museums on your own, you'll have to decide what order to visit the museums and the basilica in, assuming you want to visit both on the same day, which many people do.

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How long does it take to visit the Vatican Museums?

To  visit the Vatican Museums  (where the Sistine Chapel is),  you need a purchase a ticket  (unless you  come on the Free Sunday .)

Once inside, even if you go quickly, you will need about 2 hours for this this visit.

If you are not able to take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to Saint Peter's basilica, you will exit the museums where you entered them.

This is about a 15-20 minute walk from Saint Peter's Square and the entrance to the basilica.

Click here to see a map of Vatican City and how far apart the entrances of the Museums and the Basilica are  (it opens in a new window.)

St Peter's Basilica Shortcut

You can only take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St Peter's Basilica if you are on a tour that INCLUDES the basilica.

The shortcut is open from 9:30 am - 5 or 5:30PM, and it's ONLY accessible to tour companies or private guides that you book OUTSIDE the Vatican Museums website.

The Vatican Museums does not have any ticket or tour that includes the shortcut.

This means that you won't have access to the shortcut during the  KeyMaster tour , the  Extra Time tour , or any other tour that does not specifically include the basilica.

If you book any tour of the Vatican Museums, you can check the details to see if it finishes in the  Sistine Chapel  or the basilica.

Click here to view a map of Vatican City  (it will open in a new page.)

How long does it take to visit Saint Peter's Basilica?

A visit inside Saint Peter's Basilica could take anywhere from 1-2 hours, not including the time you spend in line waiting to go through security (assuming you go through security in the front and do not take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel.)

To visit Saint Peter's Basilica, you do not need (nor can you buy) tickets, as it's free to go inside.

But you do have to wait in the line for security, which is airport-style - there is an x-ray machine to put your items in and you will walk through a metal detector.

And that can cause the queues to get pretty long.

Lately, the lines to get into Saint Peter's Basilica have been so long, they are looping back again around the square.

Wondering which tour to take of the Vatican Museums?

Visit my page about Vatican Museum tours to find out all the options!

If you book a Vatican Museums tour that does not allow you access to the Basilica, and/or you want to visit the Basilica separately, even on a different day, I'd suggest getting to Saint Peter's Basilica when it opens at 7 AM (if you want to avoid the line).

The lines are longest from about 10 AM - 5 PM, and in high season can be long throughout the day, even from 7 AM until closing!

Skipping the lines at Saint Peter's Basilica

The easiest way to skip the lines at Saint Peter's Basilica is to visit it using the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel (which currently is only available on booked museum tours that end in Saint Peter's Basilica).

There has been some back and forth recently about whether the shortcut is available or not, but for now, it is once again the case that  you can only take the shortcut  from  the Sistine Chapel to  St Peter's Basilica  if you are on a tour that  INCLUDES  the basilica.

As of now, you cannot do this  unless you are on a tour .

If you only plan to visit Saint Peter's Basilica , and not the museums, or you decide to visit these two sites separately, you can avoid the queues by following the tips in my video above:

• Come when it opens at 7 AM
• Come in Low Season
• Book a visit to Saint Peter's tomb
• Use the Pilgrims' entrance - reserved for prayer or attending mass or confession

Wondering where the bathrooms are at the Vatican?

Find out here .

Brief History of Vatican City eBook

The history of the Vatican stretches back thousands of years, and to know everything about this incredible micro-state would take a lifetime to learn.

With this eBook, discover the brief history of Vatican City - where it got its name, who built the basilica, where the Popes are buried and more!

Topics covered include:

• Details about the Vatican's origin , going back to the time of Ancient Rome
• The role important artists such as Michelangelo played in the creation of the Vatican as we know it today 
• How the Vatican came to be an independent city state within the boundaries of Rome

What else is included in this Brief History of Vatican City e-book?

• 50+ pages of information covering all areas of the Vatican's history
• Dozens of stunning and original photos showcasing the Vatican
• Insightful diagrams and drawings to help illustrate the more detailed elements of the Vatican's history
• + much more!

Look inside:

Only $8.99!

Skipping the line to get into the Vatican Museums

This may be the number 1 question I get about visiting Rome - How to skip the line for the Vatican Museums?

It's quite simple:

• You can pre-purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums through the Vatican's website . This means that you will not have to stand in the line waiting to buy tickets. You will, however, have to wait in a very short line of others like you, who have pre-booked tickets and have to pick them up. (The tickets you purchase in advance are more of a voucher, and they must be converted into physical paper tickets to enter the museums.) You also still need to go through security as everyone does. So you do not entirely skip the line, but your line will be much shorter.
• You can pre-purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums through a ticket reseller . There is usually a small surcharge for this but it can be worth it due to 1) Ease of use and/or 2) the possibility of finding tickets available here when tickets are not available on the Vatican Museums' website.
• You can purchase an Omnia Pass  or Turbo Pass .  These will also get you a tour with a guide from the Vatican Museums, as above. It’s not as simple as it sounds and you will need to be careful to understand what you are getting into. Click here to go to my page about the Roma Pass and Omnia Pass  or to this page about other Rome City Passes for more details about these passes.
• You can  book a tour of the Vatican Museums , either with a tour company or with the Vatican Museums themselves.  Your entry tickets are included in the tour, so you only have to go through the security line.
• If you book a visit to the Vatican Gardens , skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums are included!
• I do not recommend this at all, but if you have not booked tickets, and they are sold out online, and you find yourself arriving at the Vatican Museums, you will ALWAYS find touts selling you a skip-the-line ticket or tour. I don't recommend it because you cannot be sure they are legit, and if they are, you have no idea what kind of tour you are getting. I also just can't stand, in principle, to be so bombarded by these guys every time I am within a mile of Vatican City. But it can be a good option if it's your last recourse and the lines are crazy long. Just be aware that  only licensed tour guides may give tours inside Vatican City .

Visiting the Vatican Museums with a Guide

Most Vatican City tourism consists primarily of a visit inside the Vatican Museums, which always includes  the Sistine Chapel .

Some tours also include a visit or even a tour inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

You may expect a guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Basilica to last roughly three hours total.

To find out about the many different kinds of tours you can book, visit my page about Vatican Museum Tours , which breaks down your options between group tours, early access tours, semi-private tours and more.

Can you just see the Sistine Chapel?

No, you cannot just see the Sistine Chapel .

To see the Sistine Chapel , you must go through the entire Vatican Museums, which can take at least 2 hours if you tour it and see the highlights .

The Sistine Chapel is at the very end. 

That said, if you are interested in an "Express Tour" of the Sistine Chapel, you can book this tour that skips the line then beelines to the Sistine Chapel and finishes in Saint Peter's Basilica .

This tour is only 1 hour and 45 minutes and does not include a tour of the rest of the Vatican Museums.

You do still have to walk through them, but the focus of the tour will be the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica.

(If you are really pressed for time, you could peel off once you get to the basilica and just not finish the tour.)

is it worth taking the time to explore the museums?

I really do believe that visiting the Vatican museums  is absolutely worth doing in its entirety, even if you really only wanted to see the Sistine Chapel.

The  rest of the museums   are truly wonderful.

You have the Raphael rooms, the maps gallery, the floor-to-ceiling tapestries, papal apartments, Etruscan art, and  so much more.

Click here to visit my page about the top 10 Vatican Museums must-sees.

I highly suggest  taking a tour  to visit the museums. 

They will take care of getting your tickets.

But if you go your own without a tour, you could get the audio guide, or follow my instructions here for the best way to visit the Vatican Museums .

And you will have to book your tickets on your own .

If you are heading to the Vatican in the morning, as I said above, I suggest you visit Saint Peter’s Basilica first, and the museums later, because the queues for Saint Peter's Basilica have gotten so long (sometimes it's a 1-2 hour wait to get in!)

If you decide to go to the Vatican Museums first, just make sure to leave enough time to stand in line to visit Saint Peter's so that you get inside while there is still some daylight, so you can enjoy the sun coming through all the stained glass.

Here's a great Vatican Highlights Tour with St. Peter’s Dome Climb

Can you see the Sistine Chapel without the crowds?

Perhaps the easiest way to see the Sistine Chapel with fewer crowds is to come in really low season .

But we hardly have a low season anymore in Rome, and even when we do, somehow the Vatican is always still crowded.

So how can you see the Sistine Chapel without the crowds?

It is possible!

With the below tours, you will have a VIP, exclusive experience, and you'll get to enjoy the Sistine Chapel almost alone :

Open the Vatican Museums with the Key Master

On this exclusive tour with Walks of Italy , you will have true VIP access to the Vatican museums - literally accompanying the guard who opens all the doors to get the museums ready for visits.

You will accompany the Vatican Museums Key Master as you walk through the museums, turning on the lights, even inside the Sistine Chapel!

Watch my video to see what it's like:

How to plan all your Vatican trips during your stay

The typical way of visiting the Vatican is to spend half a day seeing the  Vatican Museums  and  Saint Peter's Basilica .

These are both easy to fit into a typical  3-day visit to Rome .

The perfect 3-day itinerary in Rome

Trying to figure out how to organize your visit to Rome? I've got the perfect 3-day itinerary for first-time visitors (or those who have not been here in a while.) It works for a 2.5 day visit as well.

In my 3-day itinerary, you'll see all the major must-see Rome attractions like the Vatican , Colosseum , Trevi Fountain , Pantheon , Piazza Navona , Spanish Steps , Castel Sant'Angelo , and much more.

And if you have more time, or want suggestions for extra/other things to do, you'll find that there too.

Visit my page with the best 3-day itinerary in Rome for first-timers .

I have found that often when people can get tickets to special things at the Vatican, like St Peters tomb (the Vatican Necropolis, or scavi ), the Papal Audience , or the Vatican Gardens , they often want to also visit the Vatican Museums on the same day.

Here's my advice for visiting Vatican City when you want to see more than just the Vatican Museums:

Including the Papal Audience

How to visit the vatican museums and attend the papal audience.

Papal Audience tickets  are not difficult to come by, and since it's "in the morning", many visitors assume it would be a good idea to go to the Vatican Museums right after the audience.

I don't agree.

If you are really short on time, then, you CAN go to the Vatican Museums after the Papal Audience.

It's just that this is going to make for a pretty exhausting day.

To go to the Papal audience, you need to get there by 8am to get a decent spot, let alone a seat.

The audience begins around 9:30 AM and finishes around noon.

You'll probably want to grab at least a snack or lunch somewhere in there .

This means going inside the museums from about 2 PM once you have made your way to the Vatican Museum entrance.

If you also visit St. Peter's Basilica after the museums (which is typical), that is a 3-4 hour visit.

And a very long day. (Also, if you want to climb the dome , you likely won't get there in time.)

My suggestion?

If you can break these visits up over two days, I would.

Attend the Papal Audience and then go inside Saint Peter's Basilica (and climb the dome if you want.)

Then on a separate day, visit the Vatican Museums and see the Sistine Chapel.

Including a visit to the Scavi (St Peter's tomb)

How to visit the vatican museums and also take a scavi tour.

At the end of the  scavi  tour (St. Peter's tomb), you wind up inside  Saint Peter's basilica .

So you will already see that.

You could also  climb St. Peter's dome  if you have time and energy.

Visiting the Vatican Museums takes easily 2.5 - 3 hours, and that does not include the time it takes GETTING there once you leave the basilica.

If you are coming to the museums from St. Peter's basilica, you need to factor in about 15-20 minutes' walk to the Vatican museums entrance.

This is after you've already done a 1.5 hour scavi tour, and spent time walking around one of the largest churches in the world.

So as you can see, adding the Vatican Museums makes it a pretty exhausting day.

If you need to do it all in one day, make sure to book your scavi tour first, then book your museums visit with at least 4 hours between visits.

Break this up over two days.

Book the scavi tour.

You have no control over when they will grant you tickets, so if you are lucky enough to get them, you can then book other things around that. 

Plan to see St. Peter's basilica (and climb the dome) on this day.

Then, book your Vatican Museums visit for another day. 

HOW TO VISIT ST PETERS TOMB, THE VATICAN MUSEUMS (SISTINE CHAPEL), AND ATTEND THE PAPAL AUDIENCE

You are definitely going to need two days.

First book the scavi visit  which is never on a Wednesday mornings anyway (the Papal Audience is on Wednesdays.)

Plan to  visit St Peter's Basilica  after that, since you will come out into the basilica after the tour anyway.

If you want to  climb St Peter's dome , you will do it on this day.

This is a pretty long and full day by itself.

Then, once you get your  Papal Audience tickets , book your tickets or tour of the Vatican Museums for after the audience (even if I said above I discourage doing all this in one day, at least if you don't include the basilica it's a little less tiring).

This will be a very full and long day also.

Ready to plan your trip?

Including a visit to the Vatican Gardens

If you want to visit the vatican gardens and visit the scavi (st. peter's tomb).

TWO Vatican Gardens

On this page, I'm referring to the gardens inside Vatican City , i.e. directly behind Saint Peter's Basilica.

There are ALSO papal gardens at the Pope's summer residence, the Apostolic palace at Castel Gandolfo.

To learn more about the gardens at Castel Gandolfo and how to visit them (it's easy!), visit my dedicated page here.

If you are able to get tickets to St. Peter's tomb ( scavi ) and also the Vatican Gardens , congratulations!

Here's how to include visiting the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's basilica as well.

First book the scavi visit .

Then book the Vatican Gardens tour on a different day, and plan to visit the Vatican Museums right after the gardens, as it's included in your ticket price with the gardens.

Visit St. Peter's Basilica after the scavi, again, on a different day from the Gardens/Museums.

If you want to do it all - visit the Vatican Museums, vatican gardens, papal audience, scavi tour and st peter's basilica and dome

How you plan your days fitting in these visits will depend on two things  - the Papal audience , which is always Wednesday morning 10am - 12pm (although you need to get there by no later than 8am); and the time of your scavi booking (which depends on the scavi office - you cannot control this).

Once you get those two bookings, the next difficult booking to get is for the Vatican Gardens . 

So book that one around the Papal Audience and scavi tour.

Note that tours of the Vatican Gardens are at 9am or 11am.

They are also not held on the morning of the Papal Audience.

I'd suggest you spread this over 3 days.

Or, to fit this into two (intense) days, try to do the scavi tour after the Papal audience, if you can get scavi tickets for the afternoon.

Then book the Vatican Gardens, Vatican Museums , and St. Peter's Basilica on a separate day.

(And climb St. Peter's dome once you are inside St. Peter's basilica if you like.)

How to Get to Vatican City

You have several options for how to get to the Vatican.

But the most important factor to consider is what you are visiting first.

Click here to see a Google map showing where the different entrances are for the Vatican Museums, Saint Peter's Square, and the scavi entrance . It will open in a new window.

How to get to the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums entrance is on Viale Vaticano .

If you plan to take a taxi , just tell the driver "Vatican Museums".

Visiting the Vatican Museums and arriving by Metro

Otherwise, the most common way to get there is by Metro.

Rome's metro red line A has two stops, equidistant from the entrance to the museums (about a 10-12 minute walk): Ottaviano and Cipro .

The Ottaviano metro stop is the first one you will come to if you are coming from Rome's center.

When you emerge from the metro station, you just need to follow the crowd towards Vatican City.

Once you see Michelangelo's bastions (walls), follow them to the right and you will come to the entrance of the Vatican Museums.

If you are visiting the Vatican museums from the opposite direction, or if you forget to get off at Ottaviano, or, better yet, if you want to get off at the next stop to get some fabulous pizza by the slice from Bonci's Pizzarium, then you will get off at Cipro stop. 

However, from this stop, you cannot see the same stream of people, nor can you immediately see the Vatican City walls, so you will need to navigate a little bit to find the walls.

Once you see the walls, follow them until you come to the entrance.

Visiting the Vatican Museums and Arriving by Bus

Another option for arriving at the entrance of the Vatican museums is to take a bus or buses.

Many buses will get you pretty close to the entrance of the Vatican museums.

These include the 492, 49, 23, and the 81.

How to Get to Saint Peter's Basilica and Square

The entrance to St. Peter's Basilica is on Saint Peter's Square .

This is about a 15-20 minute walk from the Vatican Museums, so if you are not visiting the Vatican Museums (or not visiting them first), and want to go directly to the basilica, you can still take the metro, but make sure to get off at Ottaviano, not Cipro.

From Ottaviano metro stop, St. Peter's Square is about a 10-15 minute walk .

Follow the crowds, but at the walls, do not make a right towards the museums, just keep going straight. 

Buses that arrive closest to St. Peter's Square include the 40 and the 64.

How to get to the Scavi/St Peter's Tomb

If you are visiting the Vatican for an appointment to see St. Peter's tomb, the fastest and easiest way to arrive is by taxi .

They can drop you right in front of the entrance where you need to go, which is at the Swiss Guard, to the left of the basilica as you face it.

If you take a bus, get the 64, as it drops you about a block away.

To take the metro , make sure to get off at Ottaviano, and give yourself about 20 minutes' walking time from there to get the the entrance of St. Peter's tomb.

Where to Eat Near the Vatican

There is no place to eat inside St Peter's Basilica or in St Peter's Square (there is a tiny snack bar on the roof of the basilica, which you can only access if you climb the dome .)

There are some cafés and fast-food options inside the Vatican Museums.

There are also fun dining options you can book, and combine with your visit to the Museums.

Otherwise, visit my page about lots of options for eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and aperitivo near the Vatican . 

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How To Get Vatican Tickets, Tours, And Passes — The Complete Guide + Tips

Planning a visit to the Vatican? This Vatican guide gives you the lowdown on how to get tickets to the Vatican, how to skip the line, and advice on what tours to take.

There are a lot of options and it can be confusing. Hopefully, this guide will give you all the information you need and give you ways to score Vatican tickets and tours.

The Vatican Museums are a bucket list item for most people visiting Rome. The Vatican offers stunning architecture, miles of art, and a rich history.

In fact, the Vatican holds one of the greatest art collections on the planet. And everyone wants to behold Michelangelo’s stunning Sistine Chapel frescos.

What you don’t want to do is wait in line. The Vatican is infamous for its infinite lines. Waiting in line when you’re in Vatican City is super frustrating. And it’s just a waste of valuable sightseeing time.

How To Get Vatican Tickets And Tours

Here are the various ways to buy and book Vatican tickets and tours. Working out which tickets you want can be tricky. So, I’ve laid out all your options.

1. Line Up To Buy Vatican Tickets At The Door

You can walk up and buy your Vatican ticket at the door. But this is NOT the option I would choose, unless you’re visiting in the dead of winter. Then, it may be doable.

The lines to enter the Vatican and the lines to purchase tickets at the tickets booths are typically extremely long. So winging it is not the best way to go.

The Vatican opens at 9:00 am and people start lining up at 7:30 am. If you don’t have a ticket, it’s better to go in the late afternoon.

2. Buy Vatican Tickets On The Official Website

A less stressful approach is to book tickets online. You can book timed entry tickets on the date of your choosing through the Vatican’s official website .

The cost is € 17 for a regular ticket, and € 8 for a reduced ticket (for children between the ages of 6-18). You can only book with a Visa or Mastercard.

If you are buying a reduced entry ticket for children, you must bring their official ID (passport) to prove their age. If you’re a student, you must show an internationally recognized student ID.

There’s also a € 4 surcharge for booking fees online, but that will give you skip the line access. You can bypass the queue and head straight to security.

I’ve waited in long lines at the Vatican. Trust me, it’s definitely worth it to pay more to avoid this situation at all costs.

In high season, tickets sell out quickly. So be organized and book your tickets weeks in advance.

After making your purchase, you’ll be sent a confirmation email including a PDF and a QR code. You can either print the ticket or display it on your phone when you arrive. You can add an audioguide either at the Vatican or as an add-on to your online ticket purchase.

3. What Does The Basic Vatican Ticket Include?

The basic ticket includes entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Entry to St. Peter’s Basilica is NOT included in a basic ticket. But it’s usually included on guided tours, which I discuss below.

The Vatican Gardens are not included in a basic ticket either. You have to book the gardens separately. Click here to book that ticket that includes the gardens.

Note that there is NO ticket just for the Sistine Chapel.

Once you exit the Sistine Chapel, you cannot reenter the Vatican Museums. So, make sure you’ve seen everything you want before you exit the museums.

Booking on the Vatican site might not be the best alternative for several reasons. First, you can only book a ticket 60 days in advance. That makes long term planning difficult.

Second, the Vatican website is clunky and slow. Sometimes your card is refused.

Third, these tickets are non-refundable. Fourth, if you’re late, you will forfeit your ticket. You’re only given a 15 minute window.

4. Buy Vatican Tickets Through An Online Reseller

A better option is to buy your Vatican Museum tickets through a reseller. I regularly use both Get Your Guide and Viator.

The sites are fast and easy to use. They accept many forms of payment that the Vatican does not, including PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Money.

The tickets from these resellers aren’t that much more expensive than the Vatican site itself. Plus, they’re a good option if the Vatican website is sold out or you want to book early.

Reseller tickets can usually be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance, if need be. I’ve had to cancel a couple tours recently, so this is a valuable benefit indeed.

Click here to book a Vatican ticket with Get Your Guide. Click here to purchase a Vatican ticket with Viator.

5. Buy Vatican Tickets through A Hawker

Know in advance that there will encounter plenty of people on the street and outside the Vatican walls harassing you to buy a ticket or tour from them. They are pretty aggressive.

Try to ignore them and move on. This is the worst option for getting tickets.

These would-be guides typically overcharge for tickets. Some of them are scam artists and scalpers.

Plus, they’re not always truthful. For example, they may tell you that, if you don’t buy their pricey ticket or tour, you will face long lines at both the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica.

The first part may be true. But the second part isn’t.

If you’re on a tour, you enter St. Peter’s Basilica directly from a door in the Sistine Chapel. So, you will not have to go through security a second time for the basilica.

Now, if everything else is sold out and you must see the Vatican, then you may have to pony up the outrageous sums these hawkers are charging for tickets.

6. What To See At The Vatican

So what is the Vatican exactly and what is in the Vatican Museums? Here’s what you can expect.

The Vatican Museums are the public art and sculpture museums in the Vatican City complex. They’re housed in former wings of the Vatican Palace. The Vatican Museums are one of the world’s most visited attractions, attracting millions of visitors annually.

There’s a museum path that takes you through the long corridors and wings of the Vatican Museums.

On the first floor, you’ll find the Vatican Pinacoteca, the Pio-Clementine Museum, the Chiaramonte Museum, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, and the Gregorian Etruscan Museum.

READ : Famous Sculptures of the Vatican Museums

On the second floor, you’ll find the Tapestries Hall, the Gallery of Maps, and the Raphael Rooms. The  Raphael Rooms  are four rooms, which were the pope’s personal apartments in the time of Julius II.

The finale is the Sistine Chapel, with the world famous  Michelangelo frescos . The chapel boasts some of the most famous paintings in the history of art. It’s a room of unrivaled artistic creation.

7. What Tour To Book For The Vatican?

Should you book a tour for the Vatican? It’s a completely personal decision.

You can DIY the Vatican with an audioguide or have an expert show you around. I’ve done it both ways many times.

But you may get a deeper understanding of the history and significance of the place with an expert guide. The guides lead you through and point out and describe famous masterpieces.

The standard tour is generally 3 hours and covers the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.

But the tours are widely variable. Make sure you pick one that covers everything you want to see.

You don’t want to be there, at the Vatican, and not see something that’s important to you.

That happened to me once when I inadvertently failed to book a tour that included the Raphael Rooms. I was disappointed.

You should also know that the Vatican Pinacoteca , or painting gallery, is not on most tours. This is despite the fact that it’s one of the world’s best small museums with masterpieces by Raphael and Caravaggio.

There’s even an exact replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta , which you can inspect up close. You can’t do that in St. Peter’s Basilica because the famous sculpture is set back behind bullet proof glass.

If you’re an art lover, you can’t miss the pinacoteca.

Here are your Vatican tour options.

You can pick a tour specifically tailored to your own interests, time frame, and museum going tastes. In general, I think the longer the better.

• a  2. 5 hour overview on a skip the line small group guided tour
• a  3 hour no  w ait tour that also includes the Raphael Rooms
• a 3 hour tour that includes the Cabinet of Masks
• a  3.5 hour tour Vatican visit with a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica
• a  3 hour Friday night tour of the Vatican
• a 3 hour tour of the Vatican Museums and the Vatican Gardens
• a  Vatican tour that includes a climb of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
• a  small group Sistine Chapel first entry experience (7:30 am) with Vatican Museums  
• a 4 hour early entry that includes a breakfast buffet

If you’re looking for a more personalized experience, you may want to book a private tour. For example, I think the Vatican Pinacoteca is fabulous. But isn’t included on the tours listed above.

Here are some private tour options:

• a  2-3 hour private tour of the Vatican
• a 3 hour private early entrance tour
• a 3.5 hour private tour that includes the Pinacoteca
• a 5 hour tour that includes the Vatican Gardens

If you’re taking a guided tour, you’ll access  St. Peter’s Basilica  from the back left corner of the Sistine Chapel. Once inside the basilica, you cannot re-enter the Vatican Museums.

So make sure you’ve seen everything you want to see at the Vatican before venturing into the basilica.

You can also book a guided tour of St. Peter’ s . Or book a guided tour that includes the basilica, a dome climb, and the underground grottos .

Alternatively, you can just purchase an audio guide and visit on your own. The audio tour takes about 1 hour.

Want to see the pope’s summer residence too? You can book an 1 1 hour guided tour that induces the Vatican Museums, the Vatican Gardens, and a visit to the spectacular Castel Gandolfo (16 miles south of Rome).

Lastly, another tour I highly recommend is the Key Master’s VIP Tour . It’s not cheap and you have to get up at dawn.

You’ll get to unlock the doors to the Vatican, including those to the Sistine Chapel. Witnessing the museum awaken, watching as the lights gradually illuminated the art, and having the Sistine Chapel all to yourself is profoundly moving.

Rome is famously bustling almost all year round, so the opportunity to explore these iconic spaces in solitude is extraordinary.

It’s important to note, however, that this exclusive tour comes with a high price tag. And while it’s not a completely solitary experience — the tour is shared with a group of 20 people, a Vatican guide, and the key master — it felt incredibly private.

It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that I believe every art enthusiast or Italy lover should experience at least once.

8. Ticket With A Papal Audience

Would you like to see the Pope? There’s a tour on Wednesdays that allows you to do just that

You’ll get the chance to see the Pope and pray with him. Pope Francis and the Cardinals will pass through the crowd to reach the stage and then greet and bless people in different languages, with hymns and homilies.

The Audience may be celebrated in the majestic venue of St. Peter’s Square or in the dedicated Nervi Hall.

Click here to score a spot for the papal public tour.

9. Vatican Pass

If you’re in Rome for a few days, you might consider purchasing the  Roma Pass . You’ll have full access to public transportation, admission to museums, and discounts on performance and exhibition tickets.

But this pass does NOT include entry to the Vatican. Vatican City is a separate country.

Thus, you may want to purchase the more comprehensive  Omnia Rome and Vatican Card . It consists of the Roma Pass and an Omnia Card. It’s essentially a comprehensive pass to both Rome and Vatican City.

Most importantly, it gives you skip the line access at the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Colosseum. (Here’s my guide to the Colosseum with must know tips for visiting.)

10. When To Visit The Vatican

Try to avoid going to the Vatican in the summer. It’s oppressively hot and crowded. You may just shuffle slowly down the Vatican path without seeing much, crushed by tour groups.

The Vatican is also incredibly crowded in December, especially the last three weeks.

Try to go during shoulder season in the spring or fall. The Vatican is quietest during November, January, and February.

Arrive early at the Vatican. Or, arrive after 3:00 pm when some of the tours have finished and people have dispersed.

As you might expect, the Vatican is busiest on Saturdays. It’s best to go mid-week between Tuesday and Thursday.

Or, if you don’t mind a nighttime visit, you can opt to go during the museums’ extended hours. During high season, the Vatican Museums are open until 10:30 pm on Friday night and until 8:00 pm on Saturday night.

11. Vatican Masterpieces and Hidden Gems

If you need more information, I’ve written many articles on the Vatican. These articles tell you what to see at the Vatican, including must see masterpieces and hidden gems.

They also tell you things like how to budget your time at the Vatican, how to get to the Vatican, etc.

Here’s the list:

• Masterpieces of the Vatican
• Guide to the Vatican Pinacoteca
• Guide to the Vatican’s Raphael Rooms
• Guide to the Sistine Chapel
• Underpants in the Sistine Chapel
• Guide to St. Peter’s Basilica
• 1 Day Itinerary for Vatican City
• Hidden Gems in the Vatican
• Famous Sculptures in the Vatican
• Guide to Castle Sant’Angelo

12. Hotels Near The Vatican

If you are prioritizing the sites in Vatican City you may want to book a hotel within walking distance.

The Hotel La Rovere is a good option. It’s a pretty boutique hotel in a 19th century building with stone walls and vaulted ceilings.

For a luxe stay, check out Gran Melia Roma . It’s a resort-type hotel on a hilltop overlooking the Vatican. it’s just a 7 minute walk to the St. Peter’s.

The Eden is a beautiful hotel just a stone’s throw from the basilica. It has luxurious interiors and good views.

Finally, the Hotel de Russie has a sleek contemporary look, with a fabulous pool and spa.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to how to get Vatican tickets and tours. You may enjoy these other Rome travel guides and resources.

• 8 ways to spend 1 day in Rome
• 3 day itinerary for Rome
• 5 day itinerary for Rome
• Hidden gems in Rome
• Best museums in Rome
• Archaeological sites in Rome
• Guide to the Borghese Gallery
• Rome’s secret palace museums
• Guide to the Capitoline Museums
• Guide to Palatine Hill
• Guide to the Roman Forum
• Guide to the Colosseum
• Walking tour of central Rome

If you want to know how to book Vatican Tickets and tours, pin it for later.

2 thoughts on “How To Get Vatican Tickets, Tours, And Passes — The Complete Guide + Tips”

very informative, concise article which gives overall view of how where to get tickets of what types. I found this useful

Thank you! I hope you have a terrific visit.

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Last Updated on March 27, 2024 by Leslie Livingston

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Vatican Museums tickets & St Peter's Rome fast track tickets

Skip the line tickets to the vatican museum & st peter's basilica.

Fast track tickets for the Vatican Museums in Rome are increasingly popular, as queue times can at busy times be over two hours. Fast-track tickets are for many a useful way of minimising queue time and giving you longer to spend on the tourist attractions you came to see.

These tickets are not guided and allow you to visit the Vatican Museums independently, on your own timetable. You can choose whether to book with or without an audioguide.

In addition on this page you will find guided tours to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with the skip the line entrance. It is free to enter St Peter's Basilica which has a different entrance, but you will have to queue and there are fast track tickets available to avoid this. We also offer fast-track tickets that combine St Peter's Basilica with the Vatican Museums on a fully guided tour.

You can use our detailed Vatican Museums page to learn more, but if you'd like to visit the Vatican Museums and avoid the queues, then pre-book and skip the line and enjoy fast, hassle-free entry.

Tickets & opening hours   Fast-track with tours   St Peter's Basilica tickets   St Peter's Basilica guided tours   Vatican & St Peter's combined   Do's & Dont's   Vatican Museums further info

Vatican Museum tickets, opening hours & time of visit

Where to buy vatican museum tickets.

You can no longer buy Vatican Museum tickets on the door, pre-covid you would need to be prepared in most cases for a very long wait. The queues at the Vatican are legendary and if you time your visit badly you might find your queue lasting for a couple of hours. The way forward now is to buy Vatican Museum tickets online beforehand. You can choose to get fast track Vatican Museum tickets, a guided tour or a combined tour. We have a selection of all these types of tickets below.

What do Vatican Museum tickets include

The basic ticket or open tour ticket gains you entry to the Museums and Sistine Chapel as an independent visitor. You will be free to explore at your leisure and discover the treasures on your own.

You can add an audio guide either on the day or often as an add-on to one of the online tickets. If you have a smart phone you can download this audio guide in the form of an app before your trip as part of your online ticket cost. As there is so much to see, an audio guide can be a wise investment, so that you can really appreciate and learn about what you are seeing.

You can also choose to take a guided tour which will be much more interactive with a knowledgeable guide leading the way and making sure you don't miss out on any hidden gems, something easy to do when you are on your own.

There are also combined tours that include St Peter's Basilica or even as part of a walking tour. You can also visit the stunning Vatican Gardens but this is only as part of a guided tour. The one featured on this page is a morning tour and includes a buffet breakfast.

Do I need to buy Vatican Museum tickets in advance

The answer used to be no. You could turn up on the day and as long as you were prepared to queue for however long it takes, you should be able to get in to the museum. The question then became do you want to take your chances in a queue or guarantee your ticket in advance and walk past any queue to your entry. Now it is essential to buy your ticket online first in advance. Tickets are limited to keep the amount of people within a safe number for social distancing, so if you want to see the Vatican Museum you must buy a ticket in advance. It is not uncommon in the peak season to find tickets sold out over two or more months beforehand.

Therefore it pays to plan ahead, by booking online in advance you can decide what time you want to visit, check the Vatican Museum is open on your preferred date and then relax. As most people visiting Rome for the first time will want to see the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica, it makes sense to book ahead and then plan the rest of your Rome trip around this.

Vatican Museums opening hours 2024

From Monday to Saturday 09.00 am – 07.00 pm  ( final entry 4.00 pm ) From 1 March 2024 On Fridays and Saturdays  extended opening hours until 8.00 pm ( final entry 6.00 pm )

Every last Sunday of the month (provided this does not coincide with Easter Sunday, 29 June Sts. Peter and Paul, 25 December Christmas Day, 26 December Feast of St. Stephen and 31 December Feast of St. Sylvester) 09.00 am – 02.00 pm ( final entry 12.30 pm ) Free entry

Top of the page

Vatican museums official tickets, fast track with optional tour or early vip access.

This facility provides fast track access through a reserved door into the Vatican Museums, allowing you to skip all the lines.

Meet your host in Vatican City or outside the museum entrance and head to a reserved entrance that guarantees you the fastest skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums.

Available every day except Sundays and holidays listed on the Vatican Museums calendar.

VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL FAST TRACK ADMISSION

• Fast track entrance throughout the day • Open every day except Sundays and bank holidays • Optional download audio guide to your phone

VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL WITH AUDIO FAST TRACK ADMISSION

• Fast track entrance throughout the day • Ticket & audio guide • Open every day except Sundays and bank holidays • Collect audio guide at museums

EXCLUSIVE ENTRANCE VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL BEFORE OPENING HOURS

• Likely to sell out • Enter 30-mins before opening • Enjoy the Sistine in the quiet • 2.5 hour tour • All entrances covered

FRIDAY NIGHT VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL TOUR

• Beat the crowds • Expert tour guide • 3-hr tour • Likely to sell out • Instant confirmation • Add on your own entrance ticket

SKIP THE LINE VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL WITH OPTIONAL LUNCH UPGRADE

• Hotel pick-up • Local guide • All entrances included • Several departures per day • Am/pm or full-day tour

St Peter's Basilica Rome tickets

Admission prices & opening.

We have a detailed explanation of the logistics of visiting St Peter's Basilica on our dedicated St Peter's Basilica page.

The good news in that its free to enter the main St. Peter's Basilica, though there are admission fees for a few parts.

It is a good idea to join the queue as early as you can. By 11am the queue is snaking all around St Peter's Square, if so budget on queueing for about 45 minutes.

First of all the dress code is strictly enforced at St. Peter's Basilica. No sleeveless clothing, shorts, skirts not covering the knee, or hats.

There is very little to explain what you are witnessing. A guided tour, audio guide or good guide book will enable you to make sense of what you are seeing.

St Peter's Basilica fast track entry with audio guide

Days of operation: not Wednesdays or Sundays.

Tour: audio guides available in Italian - English - Spanish - Portuguese - French - German - Russian - Polish - Japanese - Chinese

Departure times: many departures throughout the day

Meet at the ORP office in St Peter's Square and then skip the line to St Peter's Basilica with an audio guided tour of St Peter's included.

ST PETER'S SKIP THE LINE ADMISSION

• Audio guide in 6 languages download to your phone  • Every day, from 9 am until 3 pm • Children under 6 free

St Peter's Basilica guided tour with fast track entry

Tour logistics.

Tour: in English with your own personal headphones.

Departure times: Morning and afternoon

See the best of St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on a comprehensive 75-minute walking tour. Numbers are limited to 20 people on this St Peter's Basilica tour, ensuring you'll enjoy a more personalised experience.

Your small-group tour starts in St Peter’s Square, where you’ll meet your professional guide. Skip the lines with exclusive access through the Vatican.

After an introduction in the square, begin your small-group walking tour through St Peter’s Basilica, where your guide will point out to you everything you wanted to know: Michelangelo’s Pietà , the 91 papal tombs, and the statue of St. Peter for a blessing, which you traditionally rub for a blessing. You will end your tour of the world’s largest church with a view of the Swiss Guards in St. Peter’s Square.

Your tour finishes in St Peter's Basilica, where you can stay if you want to spend more time exploring this sacred place independently.

ST PETER'S BASILICA, DOME & UNDERGROUND GROTTOES GUIDED TOUR

• All entrance fees included • Climb the Dome • Visit the tombs • Local expert • Guided tour of Basilica

ST PETER'S FAST TRACK ENTRY TOUR WITH DOME CLIMB & PAPAL CRYPT

• All entrance fees included • Fully guided tour featuring the Papal Crypt • Climb the dome for an amazing view • Small group - no more than 15 • 2.5 hour tour

Vatican Museums & St Peter’s Basilica combined tour with fast track entry tickets

Days of operation: Monday to Saturday

Your knowledgeable guide will escort you into the Vatican Museums to explore the world's most extensive collection of art.

Highlights of the museums are Michelangelo's famous Creation of Adam fresco in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Rooms.

After taking in the Vatican Museums, you will walk over to St Peter's Basilica for a fascinating finish to your group guided walking tour stopping to admire magnificent St Peter's Square.

VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S HALF DAY WALKING TOUR

• Fast track entrance throughout the day • Fully narrated tour • Headsets • Free Wi-Fi at entrance • Add on your entrances

FASTER THAN SKIP-THE-LINE VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S TOUR

• No-wait access • Professional guide • All entrances included • Multiple departures available • Small group tour

EARLY ACCESS VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S TOUR

• All entrances included • Professional guide • Early morning access before the museums are open to the public • Private guide tailors commentary to you • Entrances to Vatican & Sistine Chapel included

VATICAN MUSEUMS & GARDENS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S

• Early access to the Vatican Museums & St Peter's • See the Sistine Chapel • Small group tour • Skip line pass to Vatican Museums and Vatican Gardens

Rome Tourist Card

The Rome Tourist Pass is a simple ticket pass that lets you see the three most popular attractions in Rome all with one ticket. You can visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica.

Please read the product description of the Rome Tourist Card on the website of Tiqets carefully when buying. We say this because in exceptional circumstances like Easter (when Rome is incredibly busy) the attractions may have to be adapted so that you get the best value possible. As tickets sell out for major attractions they are replaced by others. To be fair this is unusual and only ever occurs if demand is extreme, which after so long without travelling due to coronavirus, it currently is. So just be sure to read what you get for the dates you want to use the card on before buying.

This pass can save you money on buying individual tickets to each attraction and offers a few extra bonus discounts too. So, if you know you are going to visit all three attractions on your stay in Rome, then it can be a good money saving and ease of use purchase.

Key Features:

Priority access to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palantine Hill.

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket with 20% discount in the Vatican Museums online shop.

Guided tour of St Peter's Basilica with an official Vatican guide.

City Tour of Rome: Audio App Guide.

Self-guided Tour of the Pantheon Rome via Audio guide app.

10% discount on other attractions in Rome

ROME TOURIST CARD FOR COLOSSEUM, VATICAN AND ST PETER'S BASILICA

With the Rome Tourist Card you get tickets for three of Rome's biggest attractions plus some extra bonus discounts.

You will still need to book your entry times in advance and plan your days carefully, but if you are going to visit all three then it can save you money on buying equivalent tickets individually.

Do's and dont's of Vatican Museums

Clothing, what to wear – no sleeveless clothing, shorts, skirts not covering the knee, or hats. Even if you get through security, you will be turned away by the attendants at the door.

Pushchairs - permitted in the Museums.

Food and Drink - it is forbidden to consume food and drink (including alcohol) inside the exhibition halls.

Photography - it is forbidden to use flashlight photography inside the Museums and no photography at all in the Sistine Chapel.

Mobile phones - not permitted to be used inside the exhibition spaces and the Sistine Chapel.

Vatican Museums further information

Apart from the entrance queues the other issue for an informed visit is there is almost no information provided. You really need something to inform on what you are witnessing so a good guide book or an audio guide is a minimum if you want more than just a few photos.

Of course a guide is much better in a place like the Vatican Museums where there is so much to see. Your guide ensures you don't miss the highlights and makes efficient use of your time.

Brilliantly decorated and lined with masterpieces, the museums are brimming with treasures and history. Your guide will lead you through the best of the 2,000 rooms that stretch over almost nine miles, and share the stories and secrets contained within the Vatican's walls.

Highlight of the museums are of course Michelangelo's famous Creation of Adam fresco in the Sistine Chapel, a wonderful finale to your visit to the Vatican Museums.

You will also encounter another of Michelangelo's masterpieces, La Pieta, in St Peter's Basilica. Tours are also possible where you just visit the Vatican Museums or St Peter's Basilica.

If you prefer taking your time and exploring at your own pace independently we also have fast track tickets to the Vatican Museums or St Peter's Basilica that skip the tedious admission queues which can be very lengthy.

VATICAN FAST TRACK TICKETS & TOURS 2024

Visiting the Vatican Museums – All You Need to Know for a Perfect Tour

Visiting the Vatican Museums, one of the largest museums in Rome and also one of the most famous museums in Italy , requires some good planning. Being so popular, you will likely find a long line at the entrance. Being so old, you will definitely be overwhelmed about what to visit in the short time you can afford inside.

Being one of the main landmarks of Vatican City , this wonderful museum is pretty much always included in the private Vatican tours as well as the more generic tours of Rome .

I wrote this guide to visit the Vatican Museums to avoid as many surprises as possible and ensure a smooth tour. Here you will find important information regularly updated about visiting hours and closing times, ticket prices, and how to skip the line when visiting the Vatican Museums in Rome.

Table of Contents

Our tips and guide to visiting the Vatican Museums

Is it worth visiting the vatican museums.

The Vatican Museums enshrine five centuries of history and artwork donated to the popes by the world’s leaders, kings, and queens, as well as the pieces purchased and commissioned by the popes themselves throughout history.

Historical pieces like clothes and carriages and historical areas like the different popes’ apartments sit side by side with immortal artwork such as Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel and the frescoes of Raphael’s Rooms.

First and foremost, you need to accept the idea that you can’t just show up at the entrance of the Vatican Museums and get in straight away. There will be a long queue or it might even be closed, so if you haven’t done a minimum of planning, you might end up wasting time and missing one of the best places to visit in Rome .

Tickets for the Vatican Museums

From January 1st, 2024, the tickets for the Vatican Museums will be more expensive, priced at 20€ instead of the current 17€.

To fight the phenomenon of unauthorized ticket resales, the Vatican Museums will introduce nominative tickets and will start checking IDs at the entrance.

Skip the line

Nobody likes standing in line for hours on end, especially when there is an easy way to avoid this. While you can just turn up and buy your ticket, this is no guarantee that you will do it as easily as you think.

In Rome’s most famous landmarks , it’s of paramount importance to arrive with your ticket already purchased. There are many websites where you can buy your ticket to the Vatican Museums online, one of the most popular is Get Your Guide .

Join a tour

Alternatively, instead of just booking your entrance, you can join a private tour of the Vatican Museums. Along with the admission, a private tour includes a guide who will take you directly to the most famous spots you would probably miss if you were on your own or that you would have to look for.

A guided tour is more expensive than a single admission ticket but has the perks of saving you time and making your visit more complete with historical facts and anecdotes. We recently took a very exclusive private tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and loved it.

Check closing time…

Even though an art gallery, the Vatican Museums are closed on Sunday, except if it’s the last Sunday of the month when there is free entrance. The Vatican Museums also close on the main religious holidays when other museums are actually open, such as Easter Sunday and Monday, November 1st (All Saints’ Day), December 8th (Immaculate Conception), Christmas and Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve, December 31st.

… and the new opening hours

Starting January 1st, 2024, the Vatican Museums announced that they are going to extend their visiting time by two hours, one extra in the morning and one extra in the evening. So instead of opening at 9 am, it will open at 8 am, and instead of closing at 6 pm, the Vatican Museums will close at 7 pm. This applies to every day from Monday to Saturday.

From the beginning of March 2024 when the high season starts, the Vatican Museums will extend an extra hour on Friday and Saturday, closing at 8 pm only on these two days.

Follow the dress code

Again, even though visiting the Vatican Museums might just seem like entering an art exhibition, you need to keep in mind that they are located inside Vatican City. This means that you are expected to follow the Vatican dress code you would follow when visiting the Basilica of Saint Peter and its underground Roman necropolis .

What is not allowed in the Vatican Museums?

Large bags, backpacks, and suitcases are not allowed in the Vatican Museums and you will need to leave them in the cloakroom. Apart from these types of bags, among the obvious objects that are not allowed in the Vatican Museums are firearms, knives, scissors, and any sharp and dangerous object.

Are photos allowed in the Vatican Museums?

You can snap your pictures without using the flash everywhere in the Vatican Museums except for the Sistine Chapel and the frescoes of Michelangelo. It’s also not allowed to take videos, use selfie sticks, or use professional photo and video gear, including a tripod. Anyone visiting the Vatican Museums should be aware of these rules as there are staff and guards everywhere who will ask you to delete your photos.

Be mindful of the noise

This doesn’t apply to all the areas when visiting the Vatican Museums but only when you are inside the Sistine Chapel. Here, in fact, you will be asked to be silent or to speak by whispering so that the experience of your fellow visitors won’t be ruined when admiring Michelangelo’s masterpieces.

Check out our guide to eating near the Vatican!

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BEST Way to Visit the VATICAN: Early Access

Brandon Shaw Last Updated: December 8, 2022

If you’ve never been to Rome or the Vatican, the idea seems simple: buy a ticket to the Vatican Museums, head into the Sistine Chapel, and check it off your list. The reality can be very different—with long lines and large crowds. If you’re willing to get up early, though, you can beat the crowds and have an amazing experience! Here’s the best way to visit the Vatican.

Pro Tip:  Planning your visit to the Vatican in Rome? Bookmark this post in your browser so you can easily find it when you’re in the city. See our  guide to Vatican City  for more planning resources, our  top Vatican tours  for a memorable trip, and  how to visit the Vatican.

What is the Vatican?

The word Vatican is tossed around frequently, so let’s establish exactly what we mean and where you’ll be going when you visit the Vatican . Of the three possible options, the last two you are able to visit.

Vatican City

This refers to the entire Sovereign country, which is ruled by the pope. The land area that constitutes the Vatican City is approximately 100 acres and covers the entire area within the Vatican Walls. It includes the Vatican Radio tower, living quarters for the pope and other residents (around 900), the Swiss Guard, the Vatican Gardens, and the Vatican pharmacy. It also includes multiple buildings that aren’t within the walls and the pope’s summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. Most areas of the city are off-limits to tourists and guarded by the Swiss Guard.

Vatican Museums

This is a series of buildings within Vatican City. Inside the museums, you will find countless masterpieces by some of the most famous Renaissance artists the world has ever seen. Included in the Vatican Museums is the Sistine Chapel, so you’ll have to visit the Vatican Museums to see the Sistine Chapel. You can visit the museums by paying an entrance fee .

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is a church located within the Vatican City, first built in the fourth century over the gravesite of St. Peter. It has been and continues to be one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Christianity. The church is free to visit.

Pro Tip : Bear in mind there is a dress code for the Vatican when you enter St. Peter’s Basilica. Your knees and shoulders must be covered.

How Many People Visit the Vatican Museums Per Day?

According to Statista , in 2019 a whopping 6.9 million people visited the Vatican Museums. This means that on average, 22,000 people visited the museums per day! With that number in mind, you’ll have a better sense of just how many people you could be sharing your Vatican experience with.

This is why one of the best ways to see the Vatican is by taking an early access Vatican tour —to escape the crowds! As an official tour guide of Rome and the Vatican, I ‘ ve been present on days when the actual number topped 30,000 people in one day. Therefore, the chances of you getting into the Sistine Chapel without crowds is almost impossible…or is it?

Popular Vatican Tours

Best Selling Tour

Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel

This our most popular and longest-running Vatican tour to date. It enters the Vatican City & Museums an hour before the public opening and visits the Sistine Chapel as it opens. Admissions are included and our English-speaking guides do a wonderful job bringing the museums to life! Admissions included.

Exclusive Value

First Entry Vatican Gold Tour with Sistine Chapel

Only a select few tour providers can enter the Vatican Museums a full 90 minutes before the general public. As one of the first to enter the Sistine Chapel that day, enjoy the Vatican with only a few other groups inside. This, combined with your passionate English-speaking guide will make your experience very memorable. Admissions included.

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if a Vatican tour is worth it .

Is There a Line To Get into Vatican City?

There are actually three different lines to enter the museums, and which line you end up in depends on whether you’re entering by yourself or if you’ve decided to do a guided Vatican tour . Here are the three different entrances and who goes in each one.

Individual Line

This is the entrance you ‘ ll use if you haven’t bought a ticket in advance. This entrance doesn’t open until 9 am, so you won’t be permitted entry a t least until then.

This is the notoriously long line featured in people’s photos. In the high season, it’s possible to wait in this line for up to 3 hours to enter.

Vatican Accredited Line

Tour operators who are accredited by the Vatican Museums are allowed to purchase tickets that allow them entry from a different line in front of the museums. These skip-the-line Vatican tours fast-track visitors past the individual line to the security line, which everyone has to go through.

This entrance opens at 8 am. So, tour operators and their groups are allowed to enter the museums one full hour before the public. This is a great way to beat the crowds in the early morning. By the time you get to the Sistine Chapel with an 8 am entrance, you might find around 500 people in the Sistine Chapel, which may sound like a lot but it’s far fewer than an hour or two later.

The Early Sistine Chapel Tour Line

Taking an early Sistine Chapel tour, you enter 1.5 hours before the main crowds are allowed inside. This is the ultimate experience when visiting the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums — with no crowds at all! At this time, there is also no security line, so you basically enter immediately.

There will be moments on this visit when you won’t see any other groups, and it’s completely possible to have entire galleries to yourself. You get to visit the museums the way the pope does—empty.

Depending on the season, you could appreciate the Sistine Chapel almost entirely empty. And even in the high season, there won’t be more than 200 people in the chapel. Given its size, you will almost feel alone anyway. If your dream is to see the Sistine Chapel without crowds and still get the pricing of a small group tour (versus a private tour), then this is the only way to go.

What’s the Hype Over the Early Sistine Chapel Tour?

The Vatican has hand-picked a select number of tour operators (including us) who have been awarded a special privilege — entering the Vatican Museums at 7:30 am. All other skip-the-line Vatican tours enter the Vatican at 8 am.

While this 8 am entrance is still an hour before the general public, getting in at 7:30 am gives you an extremely exclusive experience —it’s the best way to visit the Vatican.

As one of the first groups to enter the Vatican Museums, you will get to admire the iconic works of art without other tour groups. You’ll also be one of the first to enter the Sistine Chapel , the main highlight of your tour.

You’ll get to experience the chapel the way it was meant to be experienced: in a quiet and spiritual manner without the noise and crowds.

Check Out Our Top Early Vatican Tours

Top Rated Tour

First Entry Detailed Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica

Limited to only a very select amount of tour providers, enter the Vatican Museums 90 minutes before the public and 30 minutes before other pre-opening tours. You will enter with only a handful of others on this truly VIP experience. Your fun, English-speaking guide will help you in creating special memories by telling fascinating anecdotes that will have you smiling and in awe at the same time. Admission Included

Starting at €99

Likely to Sell Out

Breakfast at the Vatican: Pre-Opening Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel

A VIP experience only available to a handful of people per day, join our Vatican Breakfast Tour. Start your morning in the Pinecone Courtyard where you can enjoy a meal in the Vatican’s picturesque square. After breakfast, skip the lines and see the Vatican before the public is allowed in. Your Expert English-Speaking guide will lead you through the Galleries and Sistine Chapel telling stories that will immerse you in the history and greatness of the Museums.

Starting at €97

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our  best Vatican tours to take and why.

Where To Stay in Rome

Rome has a rich cultural history and many iconic landmarks to explore. Plan where to stay in the magnificent Eternal City in the best neighborhoods.

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• Vatican Museums & Sistine
• Vatican Museums Skip-the-line tickets with audio guide

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tickets + audio guide

VATICAN MUSEUMS TICKETS - QUICK ENTRY + OFFICIAL AUDIO GUIDE. Includes all the open sections of the Vatican Museums and the   Sistine Chapel. The audio guide is a modern, simple, lightweight MP3 playe r that guides visitors along the entire museum route, letting them customize the tour to their own pace and interests. 

Every day, except Sundays and religious holidays. 

Flexible. After entering the Vatican Museums you can stay as long as you like until closure. The audio guide duration is about l3 hours.

+39 055 5321180 (Mon-Fri 8:30 am -6:30 pm/ Sat-Sun 8:30 am -4:30 pm)

The ticket includes booking to skip the line at the entrance. 

Entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel is only allowed to visitors who are appropriately dressed. Low-cut or sleeveless outfits, shorts, miniskirts, and hats are not allowed. 

Routes available for visitors with motor disabilities.

Electronic voucher can be shown on tablet or cell phone. The voucher image must be clear and legible for the scanner.  The voucher is sent by email.

Official audio guide with booking. Multiple languages available. 

Description of your booking

Your booking to the Vatican Museums lets you visit one of the most important, most popular museums in the world, cutting down on waiting time at the ticket office. Renting an audio guide often involves long waiting times. By booking in advance, you can pick your audio guide at the desk only for advanced booking. The cost of advanced booking is only €1.00. Available languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Russian, and Portuguese. Audio guide duration: approx. 3 hours The tour can be customized to meet specific visitor requests. You will immediately receive an email with a copy of your order. Your ticket will be emailed to you later. If you order after 6:00 pm, you will need to wait until the following morning to receive your or our email informing you when you will receive the ticket. You will still need to wait your turn to go through security at the metal detector. Please be as punctual as possible. Arrive at least 15–20 minutes ahead of your entry time. If you come late, you will lose the right to use the ticket and will not be eligible for any refund.

What is included

- Vatican Museums entrance ticket - Quick admission to the Vatican Museums - Admission to the Sistine Chapel - Official Audio Guide

What is not included

- Guided Tour - Admission to the Vatican Gardens

confirmed entrance time may not be always the same time you have requested; museum automatically confirms the closest available time on the same date if requested time is sold out. In case you want to point out some time restrictions (for example, no later than..., or not before than...) please write them in the form blank space. If no restrictions are pointed out, this means you are open to accept any different entrance time in the day you have requested, one hour before or later than the original requested time.

For example: you selected 11.00 am. No time restriction is pointed out. This means you will accept any entrance time between 10.00 am to 12.00 pm.

children 6 -17 years old and students 18-25 years old with valid International Student Card or a student identity document. If a reduced price ticket is purchased without the required documents, the visitor will be asked to make payment of a full price ticket so as to enter. The reduced ticket will not be refunded.

Children under 6 years old do not need any reservation nor any entrance ticket. Disabled people (over 74% disability with certification) do not need any reservation and pay just the audio guide. Price includes skip-the-line service 4.00 euros and on line reservation fee 6.00 euros.

Cancellation policy and changes

Vatican Museum tickets are non-refundable in any case and cannot be cancelled. This booking is in NO way refundable, even partially. This reservation cannot be modified in any way. Furthermore, it is not possible to modify the reservation in any way, nor the date, nor the time, nor the type of ticket, nor the name of the visitor. Please therefore pay maximum attention when booking.

Opening hours : from Monday to Saturday, from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. Last entrance time 3:30 pm. Closing : Sundays and religious holidays. Entrance can be booked every 30 minutes.

Instructions for entry are printed on the voucher that will be sent by email to confirm booking and vary based on the type of booking. Address : Viale Vaticano, Vatican City, Rome Metro:  line A, stop Cipro/Musei Vaticani

Useful Info

Backpacks, suitcases, or large bags may not be brought in the sites. The ticket allows you to access to museums only once. You must go through security checks at the metal detectors . The wait for these mandatory procedures cannot be avoided. Do not forget to bring a valid identification card or valid passport (one per person). Italy Travels cannot be held responsible for partial closing museum rooms, itinerary variations inside the museum, cancellations or entrance delays due to unexpected events, strikes or decisions taken by the museum direction or unexpected variations of the Pope movements which involve the museum buildings.

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Opinions of this experience, faq - all you need to know to visit the vatican museums.

How much time it takes a visit at the Vatican Museums?

To visit the Vatican Museums it takes at least 3 hours. Once inside the museum you can stay inside until the closing time.

In which times of entry it is possible to visit the Vatican Museums?

Vatican Museums are open from Monday to Saturdays from 09:00 am to 6:00 pm, the last bookable entry is at 3:30 pm.

In which days the Vatican museums are closed?

Vatican Museums are closed every Sundays and for public holiday days.

What happens on the last Sunday of the month at the Vatican Museums?

On the last Sunday of the month the museums are exceptionally open and entrance is free. Visits are possible from 09:00 am to 2pm, last entrance at 12:30.

Is there a Dress code for the Vatican Museums?

To visit the Vatican Museums it is necessary to be properly dressed. For this reason, sleeveless, low-cut clothing, shorts, miniskirts and hats are not allowed.

How long do I have to wait if I do not have the reservation?

The line for the entrance at the Vatican Museums is usually very long. We are not able to know precisely the waiting time, it may depends on the days and the period.

Is it possible to take photos and/or videos inside the Vatican Museums?

In the exhibition halls it is possible to take photos and/or videos without flash. Non- authorized professional equipment are not allowed and must be authorized from the museums.

Is it possible to take photos and/or videos inside the Sistine Chapel?

Inside the Sistine Chapel it is strictly forbidden to take photos and / or videos with or without flash.

Is it possible to talk inside the Sistine Chapel?

Inside the Sistine Chapel it is not possible to talk, official guides also do not have the permission to give explanations inside.

It is possible to eat inside the Vatican Museums?

Inside the exhibition halls it is not possible to eat. Along the museum path you can find many vending machines and refreshment points, snack bars, restaurants, a pizzeria and a self-service.

Is the Sistine Chapel included in the entry ticket?

Yes, in the simple entrance tickets for the Vatican Museums the Sistine Chapel is included.

Do I have to print the voucher for the Vatican Museums?

For the no-line entrance at the Vatican Museums it is possible to show the voucher from the mobile phone.

Do families visiting the Vatican Museums have any reductions?

No, there are no reductions for families.

Do I have to pre- pay the ticket to jump the line at the Vatican Museums?

Yes, the ticket must be paid in advance.

Is there an access for people with reservation at the entrance?

Yes, there is a reserved access for visitors with reservation, restricted by barriers and marked by a sign.

Are People older than 65 entitled to discounts or free tickets?

Visitors older than 65 years old need to pay the full ticket.

Are teachers entitled to any reductions for the Vatican Museums?

No, they do not have any reductions; they need to buy the full price ticket.

Are journalists entitled to gratuity?

Yes, they gain free ticket at the entrance if they present the journalist press pass. However, if they wish to jump the line they need to pay the full ticket, as the free entrance is considered only without reservation.

Are students entitled to any reduction for the Vatican Museums?

International students not older than 25 years old are entitled to a reduced ticket.

Which ticket do I have to purchase if I am under 18 years old?

Children under years old do not need any ticket and they are free. Visitors from 6 to 18 years old must book the reduced tickets.

Can I pay the tickets of the Vatican Museums with bank transfer?

Yes, when the date of the visit is not too near. The bank transfer takes 2 or 3 days to be effective and during the high season the availability of the museum may change rapidly. The order will be worked just when the amount of the bank transfer will reach the bank account.

How does it work reservation for schools?

Schools willing to reserve entrances for the Vatican Museum should contact directly the Vatican Museums.

Once that I did the order, how should I expect the tickets to arrive?

The ticket is sent per e-mail and can be shown directly from the mobile phone. The bar code on the voucher must be visible.

Can I reserve the ticket on line and pay it at the museum?

No, the ticket must be paid when reserved.

Once that I received the voucher it is possible to modify the date or the time?

Yes, it is allowed to do just one modification at the date or the time with a forewarning of 48 hours at least. The modification is subordinated to the availability of the places.

It is possible to cancel the reservation at the Vatican Museums?

Once that the voucher is emitted it is no longer possible to cancel the reservation.

How can I require a modification at my reservation?

To require a modification for the ticket or the tour it is necessary to send an e-mail to [email protected] in the due time specified on the voucher.

Can I change the type of the reservation?

No, if you reserved a ticket you will be able to modify just the date or/and the time. It is not possible to modify the type of the ticket from full to reduced nor it is possible to change the activity reserved, for example from ticket to guided tour. In this case it will be required to do a new reservation and the first one won’t be refunded.

It is possible to visit the Vatican Museums in the evening?

Yes, from April to October there are evening openings every Fridays.

How much does the evening ticket cost?

The ticket has the same cost of the ordinary ticket that permit the entrance during the day.

It is possible to visit the Vatican Museums during the evening with a guide?

Yes, by reserving a tour with a private guide.

What it is possible to see during the evening openings at the Vatican Museums?

All the halls opened by the administration and the Sistine Chapel.

It is possible to bring luggage, bags or backpacks inside the museum?

It is not possible to bring inside the Vatican Museums luggage that the museum does not consider proper. You can deposit your personal objects by the cloakroom, which is free for the visitors of the Vatican Museums.

When is it the cloakroom?

Ground floor, in front of the ticket offices.

How much is the cost for the cloakroom?

The service is free.

It is possible to bring pets inside the Vatican Museum?

It is not possible to bring any pets inside the Vatican Museum. The only exception is for guide dogs for blind people with certificate attesting support for therapeutic treatments.

How does it work the entrance for people with disability?

All visitors with certified disability superior to 74% can go directly at the tickets office with the disability certification and have free access.

Does the person accompanying the disable people have to pay at the Vatican Museums?

The people accompanying has free entrance just if the disable person is certifies as non self-sufficient.

Are there wheelchairs available at the museums?

Yes, it is possible to rent wheelchairs for free while stocks last.

It is possible to have a guided tour for the Vatican Museums?

Yes, it is possible to reserve guided tours or private tours. All our proposals are on line on our site. For special requests or large groups you can send an e-mail to [email protected] or call us at the +39 055 2670402.

How much does a guided tour at the Vatican Museums cost?

Fares may vary, on our site they are in any case updated. The cost of the guided tour varies belonging to the type and duration of the tour.

How much does a private tour at the Vatican Museums cost?

A tour in English with private guide of the Vatican Museums for two persons has a cost that starts from € 290.00 on. Rates are subject to variations based on seasonality, language and number of people. The price varies according to the number of participants, the language in which the tour takes place, if it takes place in holyday days or during the evening and to the duration. For any other information, please visit our website or call us at +39 055 2670402.

How can I visit the Sistine Chapel?

The Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums. You can visit it by purchasing the ticket for the Vatican Museums.

Can I visit just the Sistine Chapel?

Once inside the Vatican Museums, you can go directly to the Sistine Chapel by following the signs "Sistine Chapel - short path" which are situated along all the rooms.

Is there a ticket just for the Sistine Chapel?

No, the ticket is the same for the Vatican Museum.

Can I book a tour just for the Sistine Chapel?

Yes, it is possible to book a tour with a private guide that will focus just on the Sistine Chapel. In this case it is a special tour that it is necessary to require per e-mail to [email protected]

How can I visit the Vatican Gardens?

The Vatican Gardens can be visited with a tour by bus or a walking tour.

Is there a ticket for the Vatican Gardens?

There is a ticket that permits the visit at the Vatican Gardens.

Which kind of tour can I do at the Vatican Gardens?

It is possible to book a tour with ecological bus with multilingual Audio Guide, a group tour with a guide or a visit with private guide.

Where is the entrance for the Vatican Museums?

If you have the reservation for the Vatican Museum, it is necessary to entry from Viale Vaticano from the main entry of the Vatican Museum.

What is included in the tour of the Vatican Garden?

All the tours of the Vatican Garden include also the ticket to see the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, which can be visited once that the visit at the Garden is finished.

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The 5 best vatican tours of 2024.

Guided Vatican tours can make the experience less overwhelming and more enjoyable.

The Best Vatican Tours

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Key Takeaways

• Guided tours can help you make the most of your visit to Vatican City.
• Ticket prices can vary considerably depending on the tour group size.
• Anticipate crowds regardless of when or how you visit, as many tours offer early entry, after-hours and/or skip-the-line access.

One of the most famous landmarks in the world, Vatican City draws more than 5 million people each year, which means that no matter when you visit, you can expect massive crowds. Along with the crowds, the sheer size of this sovereign city-state in Rome can make a visit to Vatican City feel overwhelming.

If you're feeling intimidated by the experience, consider one of the following small-group Vatican tours, guided by local experts who can both explain the history of the Eternal City and help you navigate the crowds.

What a Life Tours – Skip-the-line Vatican Small Group Tour

Price: Adults from $87; kids from $82 Duration: 3 hours

One of the best tours in Rome , this small-group option includes skip-the-line tickets to all the museums as well as St. Peter's Basilica . Tourgoers are also given headsets so they can better hear their guide. Recent visitors praise the knowledgeable tour guides for helping them maneuver the museums, as well as ensuring guests are comfortable (finding a shady reprieve on a hot summer day, for example).

Tours depart from the What a Life Tours office ( Via Santamaura 14B ) at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. Tickets for children ages 5 and younger are free.

What a Life Tours also offers skip-the-line access that omits the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, as well as local food tours and tours of the Colosseum .

Check prices & availability on:

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Laura Itzkowitz April 17, 2024

The Roman Guy – Vatican After Hours Tour with Sistine Chapel

Price: Adults from $124; kids from $100 Duration: 2 hours

Instead of early entry, this tour offers after-hours access to the Eternal City on select weekends in the summer months. Tours depart at 5:30 p.m. from Caffé Vaticano . Guided by a local expert, you'll see the Vatican museums, galleries, Raphael Rooms and School of Athens before the tour concludes at the Sistine Chapel. Recent reviewers highly recommend this tour, pointing to the tour guides' breadth of knowledge and the ability to experience Vatican City with fewer crowds.

The Roman Guy offers a number of other local tours that include visits to the Colosseum and Catacombs of Rome as well as food tours (and tours that combine some or all of the above).

Liv Tours – Vatican & Sistine Chapel Small Group Tour

Price: Adults from $140; kids from $124 Duration: 3 hours

This intimate tour is limited to just six people, making the experience more personal and enjoyable. Your tour guide will take you to through the famous galleries, the Julius II apartments, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. Recent tourgoers say they could see a difference in this tour versus the other Vatican tours. They also note how kind the tour guides are.

Tours, which are available during a wide variety of time slots each day, start and conclude at Caffé Vaticano , right across the street from the entrance to the museums.

Other experiences offered by Liv Tours include a Jewish Ghetto & Travestere Tour, cooking classes and tours designed for kids.

Private Tours of Rome – Vatican and Sistine Chapel Private Tour

Price: Adults from $364; kids from $87 Duration: 3 hours

Explore the Vatican with a professional historian on this private tour. Recent travelers say they're so glad they chose to visit the Vatican on a private tour, noting how much they enjoyed hearing the guides' personal stories about the museums and the pope.

Tours depart from Viale Vaticano at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

If you're looking for a private tour of other attractions, Private Tours of Rome offers a variety of options. It also offers shore excursions, with pick up and drop-off at your ship in Civitavecchia.

Through Eternity Tours – Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum & Sistine Chapel: Essential Experience

Price: From $1,345 Duration: 6 hours

If you're short on time and/or prefer to see several Rome attractions at once, this jam-packed tour is a great option. During the six-hour excursion, you'll see the Colosseum, the Roman Forum , Trevi Fountain , Piazza Novana and the Pantheon before visiting the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square (and then moving on to other sites). This tour includes optional headsets and skip-the-line access at all ticketed attractions. Recent travelers say the tour guides make this experience especially fun.

This full-day tour starts at 9 a.m. in front of the Angelino "ai Fori" dal 1947 restaurant and concludes in St. Peter's Square. It's typically offered Monday through Saturday. While babies and toddlers up to age 2 are permitted free of charge, this tour is not recommended for children.

Through Eternity Tours offers a number of other guided experiences in Rome, including an Angels and Demons tour based on the bestselling book. The company also offers shore excursions and day trips to Tivoli, Florence and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Vatican is a sovereign city-state recognized under international law. Its government includes the pope and the departments of the Roman Curia that help him exercise his responsibilities.

In short, yes. Vatican City is considered an independent nation-state and is the world's smallest such entity.

Yes, and there are a variety of ticket options you can purchase on the Vatican's website . However, many travelers opt for a guided tour to see the highlights with the help of an expert. Plus, many Vatican tours include stops at other attractions in Rome.

All visitors must dress appropriately for a place of worship. Shorts, hats, miniskirts, sleeveless tops, low-cut tops and garments that show the knees are not permitted. Guests dressed inappropriately will not be allowed inside.

When choosing your outfit, remember to wear comfortable walking shoes . Any visit to Vatican City requires a lot of walking.

All visitors are required to go through a security check to enter the museums, and there are a variety of items that you may not take inside:

• Luggage: Bags, backpacks and the like must not exceed 40 x 35 x 15 centimeters (16 x 14 x 6 inches); if they're too big, they must be checked in the cloak room (free of charge).
• Umbrellas: If necessary, these can also be checked in the cloak room.
• Video cameras: Non-flash photography is permitted in all areas except the Sistine Chapel.
• Food and drink
• Weapons and firearms

The Vatican is easily accessible from different sections of Rome.

Metro: You can take the metro to either the Cipro or Ottaviano stop on Line A (orange line) to be dropped near the Vatican Museums.

Bus: If taking the bus, multiple routes drop off near St. Peter's Basilica.

Taxi: You can also opt for a taxi or walk into St. Peter's Square.

Additionally, there are parking garages outside of Vatican City if you want to drive there, though driving in Rome is generally not recommended, as there are many areas where driving is restricted and you could be fined. Traffic in Rome can also be brutal, especially during the summer. Plan to arrive at the tour departure point at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time.

The Vatican museums are open Monday through Saturday.

From March 2024 onward, hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The museums are closed on Sundays, with the exception of the last Sunday of the month and certain holy days throughout the year, including Christmas. Final entry to the museum is approximately two hours before closing.

St. Peter's Basilica opens at 7 a.m. year-round, closing at 6:30 p.m. in the winter months and 7 p.m. from April through September.

Be sure to check if there are any museum closures ahead of your visit.

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Vatican Museums

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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tickets

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Skip-the-line entry to Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Skip-the-line entry to St. Peter's Basilica

Expert local English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese-speaking guide

Audio equipment

Group tour of 25 or less

Guided tour of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Skip-the-line entrance to the Vatican Museums

Priority entry to the Sistine Chapel

Expert English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Romanian, and Polish-speaking local guide (as per option selected)

Group size (up to 25)

Entry to Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel

Hosted entry to Vatican Museums (optional)

Ticket redemption (optional)

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Vatican Museums Guide

Vatican tickets and tour options explained, vatican discount tickets, vatican tickets, guided tours, sistine chapel tickets, st. peter’s basilica tickets, why go for these tickets.

• Gain access to the Vatican Museums and explore the Sistine Chapel.
• These tickets offer skip-the-line priority access to the Vatican, allowing you to bypass queues. 
• The multilingual audio guide provides you with the necessary information regarding each attraction.

Recommended Experiences

• Skip the Line Tickets - Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
• Escorted Exclusive Skip The Line Tickets to Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel
• Exclusive Early Access Tickets - Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel
• These tickets come with a professional guide who will make sure that you do not miss out on any must-see attractions of Vatican City. 
• You will have access to the priority Vatican entrance , which will save you the hassle of waiting in entry lines.
• In addition to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, you will also have priority access to St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world.
• Skip the Line Guided Tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel
• Semi-Private Guided Tour - Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Why go for this ticket?

• Get entry to the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums
• Skip the long waiting lines and get priority access with your tickets

Recommended experiences

• A professional guide will show you around St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing you access to the holiest of Catholic shrines.
• These tickets come with fast track entry into St. Peter's Basilica through a dedicated entrance. 
• With your tickets, also get priority access and guided tours to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
• Exclusive St. Peter's Guided Tour with Dome Climb and Papal Tombs
• Guided Tour Of St. Peter's Basilica With Fast Track Entrance
• Entire Vatican City Guided Tour with St Peter's Basilica Dome Climb

Which Vatican Tickets Should You Go For?

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• The Bramante Staircase by Giuseppe Momo
• The Rotunda Room
• Raphael’s Transfiguration by Raphael
• The Papal Apartments
• The Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo

How many days are enough to tour Vatican City?

When was vatican museum founded / how old are the vatican museums, how much artwork is at the vatican museums, can i get to the sistine chapel from the vatican museum, is it worth visiting the sistine chapel, nearby cities to explore.

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Why Book Skip-the-Line Tickets to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel?

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Guided Tour

• From the world-famous Sistine Chapel to the extensive art collections of the Vatican Museums, uncover it all on this unforgettable tour.
• Discover the grandeur of St. Peter's Basilica, a sanctuary of faith and artistic beauty, with skip-the-line entry and self-guided exploration.
• Journey through centuries of history as an expert guide reveals the stories and secrets behind the art and architecture of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
• Behold the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, including the iconic ceiling and Last Judgment, showcasing the genius of one of history's greatest artists.
• Choose between local English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guides who will regale you with intriguing anecdotes.
• Skip-the-line entry to Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
• Skip-the-line entry to St. Peter's Basilica
• Expert local English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese-speaking guide
• Audio equipment
• Group tour of 25 or less
• Tip: Avoid booking on Wednesdays! Did you know the Pope speaks in St Peter's Square Wednesday mornings? Sometimes this results in last-min closures, so plan for another day if possible.
• The Vatican Museums offer free tickets for visitors with mobility impairments (with certified invalidity exceeding 74%). In the case of visitors lacking in self-sufficiency, free entry is extended to their companions.
• Please note: All guests must pass through airport-style security. During high season and peak hours, the wait time at the security check may be up to 30 mins.
• Compulsory Vatican dress code: Visitors must wear clothing that covers their knees, arms, and back.
• The experience is not accessible for wheelchair users, pram/stroller users, or baby carriages.
• The Basilica may be subject to last-minute closures. In the event that it is closed, the tour will be extended inside the museums.
• St. Peter’s Basilica may be closed on Wednesday mornings and afternoons as the Papal Audience takes place in St. Peter’s Square. If you’re considering visiting St. Peter's Basilica, please make plans for another day.
• These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour with St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Climb

• Commence your tour by climbing to the terrace of St. Peter’s Basilica, where you will uncover unmatched panoramic views of Rome from atop Michelangelo’s Cupola.
• Immerse yourself in the genius of the Renaissance on VIP Vatican tour, guided by experts with skip-the-line access.
• Discover the Basilica's Barocco charm and Michelangelo's Pieta. Then, witness Bernini and Michelangelo's Renaissance masterpieces at the Papal Sarcophagi.
• Pay a visit to the beguiling Sistine Chapel, and marvel at the cherished murals here, such as the painted ceiling and The Last Judgement by Michelangelo.
• Skip-the-line VIP access to Vatican Museums
• Admission to the Sistine Chapel
• Admission to the St. Peter’s Basilica
• Expert English-speaking guide
• Dome climb and visit to the Papal Sarcophagi
• Headsets (for groups of six or more)
• Reservation fees
• Transportation
• Food and drinks
• Visit to the Necropolis / St. Peter’s Tomb / Scavi
• Tips: Don't forget to look down as you ascend the dome. Through special windows, you can catch glimpses of the basilica's interior below, offering a unique perspective.
• It's recommended to wear clothing that covers their knees, arms, and back.
• The experience is not accessible for wheelchair users.
• Note that the following are not allowed on this tour: tripod, flash photography, knives, weapons, or sharp objects.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

• Make the most out of your visit and jump straight into the action. Skip the line with this guided tour, bypassing long queues at the Vatican Museums.
• Are you ready for the experience of a lifetime? The expert guides share stories and hidden symbolism behind artworks, adding a whole new dimension to your experience.
• With unforgettable masterpieces and exquisite art, explore a vast collection spanning centuries, from ancient artifacts to Renaissance marvels.
• Tour in the language of your comfort. Choose from English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Romanian, and Polish-speaking guides.
• Discover Michelangelo's awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel frescoes, including the iconic ceiling and Last Judgment, showcasing the genius of Italy's most renowned artist.
• Guided tour of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
• Skip-the-line entrance to the Vatican Museums
• Priority entry to the Sistine Chapel
• Expert English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Romanian, and Polish-speaking local guide (as per option selected)
• Group size (up to 25)
• Tip: Arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds.
• Please be dressed appropriately. Sleeveless blouses, miniskirts, shorts, and hats are not permitted.
• Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women.
• It is recommended to cover tattoos and any other similarly visible distinctive personal signs.
• Photography and the use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited in the Sistine Chapel.
• Luggage and/or large bags are not allowed inside the venue. You may drop off your bags with the free cloakroom service.
• Pets and other small animals are not allowed in the venue, with the exception of guide dogs.

Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Premium Small Group Guided Tour

• Elevate your Vatican experience with this exclusive, premium, small group tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Personalized attention and a fun-filled atmosphere await!
• Skip the crowds and embrace VIP treatment on this small group tour. Say goodbye to long lines and the hustle of larger groups.
• Dive deeper into history with expert storytellers. They bring the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel to life with captivating stories and intriguing anecdotes.
• Maximize your time and minimize the wait! This smaller group size allows for efficient navigation, giving you more time to soak in the masterpieces and create lasting memories.
• Beauty awaits you at every turn! With the help of a local expert, unveil the Vatican's best-kept secrets, and get ready to step into the world of Michelangelo.
• 2.5 - 5 hour guided tour (as per option selected)
• Skip-the-line entry to the Vatican Museums
• Entry to the Sistine Chapel
• Charismatic local expert
• English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German-speaking guides
• Intimate group size of 16 or less
• Tip: This tour ends inside the museums…so, why not make the most out of your visit and enjoy a coffee in the courtyard before leaving the site?
• Strict dress code: Sleeveless and/or low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, miniskirts, and hats are not permitted.
• On rare occasions, the Sistine Chapel closes without notice. If this happens, you will spend your full tour diving into the depths of the Vatican Museums.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Reserved Entry Tickets with Vatican Gardens Open Bus Tour

• Enjoy guaranteed access to the greatest of Vatican City attractions, spend less time waiting in ticket queues, and more time gazing at the natural and man-made treasures.
• Settle in a comfortable open-top bus and bask in the charming scenery of the Vatican Gardens which occupy roughly half the size of Vatican City.
• Enjoy the views of different landscaped gardens designed in Italian, French, and English styles as you tune into a multilingual audio guide to learn more about the beauty surrounding you.
• Later, immerse yourself in the immense collection of Renaissance masterpieces at the Vatican Museums.
• Gape at Michelangelo's incredible work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, along with other breathtaking frescoes.
• Vatican Gardens tour by open bus
• Skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums
• Entry tickets to the Sistine Chapel
• Multilingual audio guide onboard
• Free Wi-fi at the meeting point
• Audio guide for Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
• Tip: Start your visit with the Vatican Gardens aboard an open bus with an audio guide, then continue by visiting the Vatican Museums at your own pace.
• Please note the chosen time must be respected and latecomers will not be accommodated.
• The onboard audio guide is available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese.
• Strict Dress Code : Guests must wear clothing that covers the shoulders and knees.

Combo: Vatican Museums + Borghese Gallery Tickets

• This money-saving combo ticket offers a convenient way to admire two of the greatest art collections in the world at the Vatican Museums and Borghese Gallery.
• Get priority access to Vatican Museums and see priceless works of art from the Papal collections by Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, and Titian, amongst others.
• Sprawled across 54 galleries, the museums include the Gallery of Maps, Raphael’s Rooms, and more.
• The biggest highlight is the breathtaking frescoes that adorn the walls of the legendary Sistine Chapel.
• Enjoy an escorted entry to the Borghese Gallery in Rome and avoid the winding queues.
• Gasp at the amazing art collections curated by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Scipione Cardinal Borghese.
• Admire Caravaggio's iconic masterpieces like David with the Head of Goliath and Boy with a Basket of Fruit.
• Marvel at Raphael's The Deposition and sculptures like David and Apollo and Daphne.
• Stroll through the Villa Borghese and explore the gardens dotted with vibrant flowers in bloom.
• Skip-the-line tickets to the Sistine Chapel
• Escorted entry to the Borghese Gallery
• Tickets to St. Peter's Basilica
• Audio guide for Borghese Gallery (purchasable on-site for 5 Euros)

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Early Morning or After-Hours Skip-the-Line Tour

• Get priority access by skipping the line to the Vatican's top attractions and firsthand experiencing its renowned wonders such as central panels and the Last Supper.
• Make your way to the historical Sistine Chapel and marvel at the staggering collection of artworks by Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Ghirlandaio.
• Upgrade your stay with a delectable American breakfast in the Pinecone Courtyard. Upgrade and opt for a night tour of the museum as an alternative option.
• Choose between an early morning guided tour, ideal for a walk, or an after-hours guided tour where you enjoy the soft evening light and count on much smaller crowds than usual.
• Entry to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
• After-hours guided tour of Vatican Museums (optional)
• Early morning guided tour of Vatican Museums (optional)
• 30-min breakfast in the Vatican's Courtyard (optional)
• Group of 20 people or less
• Tip: Located in the Vatican Museums' exit area, this unique double-helix staircase was designed by Donato Bramante. Its innovative design allows you to ascend and descend without intersecting each other, creating a visually captivating architectural marvel.
• Note that tripod and flash photography are not allowed in this experience.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tickets

• Discover the Vatican Museums at your leisure with options tailor-made for you! Go solo with direct entrance, or skip long queues with hosted entrance.
• Explore masterpieces by Caravaggio, Da Vinci, and Raphael in the Pinacoteca, then marvel at Renaissance sculptures in the Pio Clementino Museum
• Walk in the footsteps of the Pope(s) as you explore the Gallery of Maps, Gallery of Tapestries, and Raphael Rooms at your own pace.
• Make your way to the crowning jewel of the Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel, and marvel at Michelangelo’s famed frescoes.
• Entry to Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
• Hosted entry to Vatican Museums (optional)
• Ticket redemption (optional)
• Booking and handling fees
• St. Peter's Basilica tickets
• Audio guide
• Tip: Watch out for the only painting by Vincent Van Gogh that graces the Vatican Museums - his very own rendition of The Pieta .
• The entrance to the Museums is timed. Be sure to select your activity starting time when booking. Once inside the Museums, you will be free to explore at your own pace.
• The use of mobile phones and photography is strictly prohibited in the Sistine Chapel.
• Please note that the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are separate sites from St Peter’s Basilica.
• For guests with documentation of disabilities and visible disabilities, entry is free along with an additional ticket for 1 companion.
• Guests opting for the hosted entrance tickets will need to meet the host at the designated check-in location. The exact meeting point will be shared on your ticket.
• Please note that this ticket does not include a guided tour. The host will only assist you to the entrance.

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How Long Are the Queues at the Vatican Museums' Viale Vaticano Entrance?

Wondering how long the queues at the Vatican Museum Viale Vaticano Entrance really are? Being an extremely popular destination, with millions of visitors every year, the Vatican Museums have queues that last hours. However, with skip-the-line tickets and strategic planning, you can appreciate the exquisite art and architecture of the Vatican Museums without any hassle and no wastage of time.

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How to get skip-the-line entry at the vatican.

There are two queues at the Viale Vaticano entrance of the Vatican Museums. Choosing the right queue on the day of your visit will help you breeze past the long lines and make your way into the museum.

If you have purchased your skip-the-line tickets online, head straight towards the queue, on the left-hand side when facing the entrance. This queue is reserved for those who have purchased tickets online. The wait time is usually only between 5-25 minutes, depending on the season.

The visibly longer queue you will see towards the right side when facing the main entrance is for those looking to purchase tickets on the spot. The wait times here can extend up to 2 hours during peak season. That's 2 hours you could be spending admiring Michelangelo's iconic ceiling in the Sistine Chapel instead of standing in line.

Plan Your Visit to the Vatican Museums >

Why You Should Skip the Line at the Vatican Museums?

• Avoid long queues: Each day, countless people gather in the holy city, so the wait times could be a few hours. Skip-the-line tickets allow you to race past the long lines and enter the museum directly.
• Save time: Avoid spending your precious vacation time waiting in a queue by getting skip-the-line tickets in advance. Instead, get inside, and spend all your time exploring the art and architecture of the Vatican Museums.
• Flexible options: Whether you're an early riser or prefer a late afternoon visit, skip-the-line tickets come in various options that fit your schedule. This means you can plan your visit and avoid crowds during peak hours.

Don't let long queues dampen your Vatican experience. Book skip-the-line tickets to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable visit.

How to Skip the Line at the Vatican Museums?

1. Buy Skip-the-line Tickets

The only surefire way to bypass the line at Vatican Museums is by purchasing skip-the-line tickets online. These tickets allow you to join the second queue and proceed directly to the entrance of the Vatican Museums.

2. Purchase Tickets Online

If you secure your Vatican tickets online and in advance, then you can bypass the queue in front of the ticket office and head straight to security. A small, unavoidable, but fast-moving line at the security, later, you will be inside the museums.

3. Visit During Early Hours

Visiting the Vatican Museums in the morning, as soon as it opens, is an excellent way to avoid crowds. Late-evening visits also allow for a quieter experience. Mid-morning to early afternoon tends to be the busiest period. Once the early wave of tourists lessens, the queue shortens down but is still pretty formidable.

However, if you have purchased your tickets online in advance, you won't be affected by the waiting lines, and you should be able to enter the museums easily. Remember to account for the time needed to pass through security when you plan your visit since the visitors are expected to undergo security checks to ensure the safety and preservation of the museum's collections.

4. Opt for Guided Tours

Guided tours allow you to gain a more in-depth understanding of the vast collection with the help of expert guides along with fast-track entry. These tours cater to those seeking a comprehensive and educational experience, along with the opportunity to ask questions and receive personalized attention.

Although guided tours can come at a higher cost, they may be the sole option during peak seasons since skip-the-line tickets frequently sell out due to high demand and do not have guides. Ultimately, a guided tour featuring skip-the-line access would be the ideal choice, to enter quickly and get full expert insight. 

Which Entrance to Use for Skip the Line Tickets?

The entrance for skip-the-line ticket holders is located at the Vatican Museums' main entrance, at the Viale Vaticano. This is also the entrance where you'll find the ticket office, information desk, and security checkpoint.

Follow the signs for pre-booked tickets and proceed to the priority queue. You can easily find the entrance as it is well marked, and the staff is always ready to help. There may be separate queues for different types of skip-the-line tickets, so make sure to check which queue to use.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vatican Museums Skip the Line Tickets

A. Yes, you can skip long queues by booking tickets to the Vatican Museums online. There are three ways to experience the Vatican — purchasing the tickets on the day of the visit, which could mean a wait time of 2-3 hours; using skip-the-line tickets that have been purchased in advance and will allow you to visit the museum within a specified time slot; or by opting for a guided tour. We offer a carefully curated selection of skip-the-line tickets and guided tours at the possible best prices.

A. While we strive to offer last-minute availability, it is highly recommended that you purchase skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican in advance as they tend to sell out 3-4 days ahead of time. However, if you're looking to visit on short notice, we do offer guided tour options with last-minute availability.

A. The cost of Vatican skip-the-line tickets depends on several factors, with prices typically starting from €28.5. However, these tickets tend to sell out in advance, and in the rare case of last-minute availability, prices can go up to €34. If you are willing to wait in line for 2 hours or more on the day of your visit, you can purchase tickets for €17. However, we highly recommend avoiding the queues by purchasing your tickets online. Additionally, we offer guided tours of the Vatican , starting from €45, which are highly recommended given the rich history of the site. Prices are subject to change, it is advisable to check real-time availability and prices by exploring our curated collection of experiences.

A. Booking skip-the-line tickets for the Vatican Museums offers several advantages: they help avoid the inconvenience of waiting in lines that can go up to 2 or more hours and enjoy immediate access to the museum following a security screening, saving you valuable time and allowing you to make the most of your visit.

A. Yes, when you purchase skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums online, you can select a specific time slot for your visit. This allows you to plan your day accordingly and ensures a seamless entry to the museums without waiting in long queues. Ensure to arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of the scheduled time to prevent any potential delays.

A. Vatican skip-the-line tickets are typically valid for the date and time slot you have chosen during the booking process. It is important to arrive on time for your designated entry time to guarantee entry.

A. Yes, there is a limit on the number of skip-the-line tickets to Vatican Museums available for each time slot on any given day. And, given the popularity of the attraction and the guaranteed long lines at the attraction, these passes tend to sell out 3-4 days in advance. We recommend booking your tickets as early as possible to secure a visit for your preferred date and time.

A. Skip-the-line ticket holders can join Queue 2 at the Viale Vaticano entrance of the Vatican Museums. This entrance allows you to bypass the regular ticket lines and proceed directly to the security check and entry point.

A. Yes, skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums include access to the Sistine Chapel, which is the last leg of our tour of the museums. The Sistine Chapel is one of the highlights of the museums and is a must-see during your visit, so make sure you save enough time to admire the iconic ceiling painted by Michelangelo.

a. No, skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums do not include access to St. Peter's Basilica. While they offer expedited entry to the museums, St. Peter's Basilica has its own separate entry and security procedures. However, you can easily access St. Peter's Basilica by booking specific tickets that grant access to the church. We recommend combining your visit to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica by opting for a guided tour that offers access to both iconic attractions.

A. Vatican skip-the-line tickets are only valid for a single entry on the selected date and time slot. Once you exit the museums, re-entry is not permitted with the same ticket.

A. Unfortunately, the Vatican skip-the-line tickets cannot be rescheduled or cancelled. It is imperative that you double-check your selected date and time before completing the purchase.

A. Audio guides are not included with skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums, but, they are available for rent at the entrance for an additional fee. The audio guides provide informative commentary that will help enhance your self-guided tour by offering insights into the artwork, its history, and its significance.

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