Vatican Museums tickets at a glance
The Vatican Museums are a chain of papal palaces and galleries filled with one of the world's great art collections: ancient sculpture, Raphael's frescoed rooms, the Gallery of Maps and, at the end of the route, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. You cannot visit the Sistine Chapel separately. It is always part of a Vatican Museums ticket.
A standard ticket costs €20 at the ticket desk. Booked online on the official site, it costs €25, with the extra €5 buying you a fixed time slot and the separate entrance for pre-booked visitors. In high season the walk-up queue can take hours, so in practice almost everyone should book ahead.
Which Vatican Museums ticket should you buy?
There are three ways in, and the right one depends on how much time you have and how much you want explained.
- Official entry ticket. Sold only on tickets.museivaticani.va. It is the cheapest pre-booked option, but popular time slots sell out days or weeks ahead. Beware of look-alike websites that copy the official design and charge much more.
- Skip-the-line ticket from a reseller. Useful when official slots are gone. You pay more than the official price, but you get a fixed entry time and often free cancellation.
- Guided tour. The best choice for a first visit. A guide steers you through kilometres of corridors to the highlights, explains the Sistine Chapel before you enter (guides must stay silent inside) and many tours continue directly into St. Peter's Basilica.
Early-entry tours that start before the museums open to the public are the most comfortable way to see the Sistine Chapel with fewer people. Compare formats in our Vatican tours guide.
Our picks: Vatican Museums tickets and tours
A ticket if you want to explore on your own, a guided tour for a first visit and early entry for quieter galleries.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Early entry: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's
The earliest time slot with a guide and groups of up to 10. The best way to see the Sistine Chapel before it fills up.
Check availability →
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel guided tour
A small-group tour through the main galleries to the Sistine Chapel.
Check availability →Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel ticket
Entry without a guide. Costs more than the official €25 booking, but often available when official slots are sold out.
Check availability →Vatican Museums tickets and tours
Skip-the-line tickets, early-entry and guided tours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, with live prices and availability.
Opening hours and closing days
The Vatican Museums are open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Last entry is at 6:00 pm, and visitors are asked to leave the halls 30 minutes before closing. On selected Friday evenings in the warmer months there are night openings, which must be booked in advance.
On Sundays the museums are closed, with one exception: on the last Sunday of each month entry is free from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (last entry 12:30 pm). The free Sunday does not take place when it falls on Easter Sunday, 29 June, 25 or 26 December or 31 December. Expect very long queues. If your time in Rome is short, a paid ticket on another day is the better deal.
Besides Sundays, the museums close on 1 and 6 January, 11 February, 19 March, Easter Monday, 1 May, 29 June, 14 and 15 August, 1 November and 8, 25 and 26 December. Extraordinary closures are announced on the official site, so check before you book. All times in one place: opening hours.
Highlights of the Vatican Museums
The route runs one way and is long. These are the rooms worth saving your energy for.
Pio Clementino Museum
The core of the ancient sculpture collection, with the Laocoön group and the Apollo Belvedere in the octagonal courtyard.
Gallery of Maps
A 120-metre corridor lined with painted maps of Italian regions under a gilded ceiling. One of the most photographed rooms in the Vatican.
Raphael Rooms
Four rooms frescoed by Raphael and his workshop, including the School of Athens. Arrive early, they get crowded fast.
Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo's ceiling and his Last Judgment at the end of the route. Photos are not allowed and silence is expected.
Sistine Chapel guide →Tips for a smooth visit
What security, the cloakroom and the route mean for your day.
Entrance
The entrance is on Viale Vaticano, along the Vatican walls, about 10 to 15 minutes on foot from St. Peter's Square. The nearest metro stops are Ottaviano and Cipro on Line A.
Getting there →Dress code
No sleeveless or low-cut tops, no shorts above the knee, no miniskirts and no hats. The same rule applies in the Sistine Chapel and the basilica.
Vatican dress code →Bags
Large bags, backpacks and anything staff consider unsuitable go to the free cloakroom. If you plan to continue into St. Peter's Basilica, do not leave anything there, you would have to walk back for it.
Not allowed
Tripods, selfie sticks and drones are banned. No food or drinks in the halls, and alcohol has to go to the cloakroom.
Vatican Museums tickets: frequently asked questions
How much are Vatican Museums tickets?
The full price is €20 at the ticket desk and €25 when booked online on the official site, which includes a €5 reservation fee. Reduced tickets exist for children, students and some groups. Resellers and guided tours cost more.
Do Vatican Museums tickets include the Sistine Chapel?
Yes. The Sistine Chapel is part of the museum route and cannot be visited on its own.
Do Vatican Museums tickets include St. Peter's Basilica?
No. The basilica is free and has its own entrance on the square. Some guided tours finish with direct access from the Sistine Chapel into the basilica.
How far in advance should I book?
For spring, summer and holidays, book as early as you can. Morning slots and Saturdays go first. Outside the peak season a few days ahead is usually enough.
When are the Vatican Museums free?
On the last Sunday of the month from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, unless it falls on a major feast day. Queues on free Sundays are very long.