Vatican Museums
Vatican Museums
4.5
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
With more than five miles of corridors, this vast complex of museums chronicles the history and accomplishments of mankind over the last 2000 years, featuring classic masterpieces such as Rodin's "Thinker" and the Sistine Chapel.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Vatican / Borgo
Frocked priests, colorful Swiss Guards, insistent souvenir shop owners, flag-waving tour guides, and pilgrims from around the world. This is the Vatican and Borgo, Rome's most recognized neighbourhood which acts as Vatican City's front yard. Aside from the souvenir boutiques and a few food spots, the only business conducted here is papal. In the daytime, the tiny medieval sector bustles with holy activity, as visitors vie for elbow room, or stand in line for a visit. Once the sun sets, the neighbourhood is transformed into a quiet and picturesque hamlet.
How to get there
- Ottaviano - San Pietro - Musei Vaticani • 7 min walk
- Cipro • 7 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- Emma SBasildon, United Kingdom200 contributionsTalking walking shoes, water and wee before you go in!We booked a tour with Italy Pass tour office (would not recommend). We got there about 5pm in October. The tour was good in that it meant we didn’t have to queue in the hot sun but lots of waiting around. But the Vatican itself… Book weeks in advance! Take decent walking shoes, wee before you go in and take plenty of water with you! Make sure you see what you want, you cannot go backwards. I regret not going round the gardens. So much to see, you could spend a day there! great if you love Art, but for us the novelty so wore off as you went through gallery after gallery after gallery. I’d say do you research, pick what you want to see and enjoy the experience. We’re animal lovers so we enjoyed the animal sculpture gallery. No photo in the chapel itself are allowed. Great views of the city through the window at sunset if your a photographer. Open until late when we were there.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 October 2023
- Melaney68Chesapeake Beach, Maryland11,360 contributionsBe prepared with these tips! Plan the earliest possible entry and pay to skip the line without a guideVisiting this museum takes planning, courage, and patience. 1) Go very early before the museum is so full that you can barely move. 2) Once you go through an area you must continue in the same direction. There is a constant flow of people. 3) Buy the skip the line ticket without a guide so you have freedom to spend time on your interests. 4) Use the bathroom and eat before you arrive. There are not enough bathrooms along the route of the tour and the food is terrible, overpriced, and there is not enough seating. 5) The Sistene Chapel is at the end of the tour. You will be herded in, told to remain silent, and cannot take photos. 6) Consider bringing a postcard to mail from the Vatican post office. It’s a fun souvenir that you can send to yourself!Visited August 2023Travelled on businessWritten 15 October 2023
- Iris G2 contributionsHighly recommendedThe Vatican Museums are really amazing! I didn't expect that tickets would be so difficult to buy before coming here. When I arrived in the morning, I found a lot of people queuing up. Fortunately, I bought skip the line tickets, which saved a lot of time. I really recommend it! Very highly recommended! What a great experience!Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 15 October 2023
- 1920s girlLondon, United Kingdom220 contributionsSpend a day here if possible as a lot to seeI think the pope owns most of eygpt and greeces antiquities!! What wealth the church has. A must see,to be honest I could have spent a day here. Sldid the self audio your for 8 euros which was very informative. The best part was the Michael angelo mural. It's very special and I did stay for a while in the room listening to the audio which is very informative.Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 20 October 2023
- Gillian T194 contributionsIncludes museums and Sistine Chapel but not St. Peter's SquarePlease note these tours do not include the Vatican City and St. Peter's Square. The Sistine Chapel is absolutely awesome. It is quite a long tour through the museum's. Only issue is that it is far too crowdedVisited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 October 2023
- KosherAndGlutenFreeNew Jersey294 contributionsToo many people to enjoy the museumThe only reason I did not rate this excellent was the hordes of people -there are so many people in the museum that you can’t just stop and look; you are being pushed along by the crowd. It is essential that you go with a tour group - the museum favors groups over individuals and makes it easier for tour guides to pass through. The Vatican Museums website sells out almost immediately and you almost have to buy tickets from a scalper or through a group tour. Be prepared to go through a metal detector. The Sistine Chapel is awesome.Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 24 October 2023
- BetteNagyNashville, Tennessee8 contributionsNight Vatican TourHad a guided night tour, which was great because the attendance is half what it is during the day. Sadly, you cannot tour St. Peter’s square and St. Peter’s Basilica at night. Very disappointed about that. Tour guide was great.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 October 2023
- brat0029North Mankato, Minnesota232 contributionsThe museums are worth your time beyond just the Sistine ChapelThe museums in the Vatican are huge and it's easily a full day (or multiple days) to see everything. The exit out of the Sistine Chapel into the Basilica actually limits how much you can see of the actual Vatican Museums because there are a lot of things to see after you exit the Sistine Chapel. Don't try to cram everything into one visit and just explore the entirety of the Vatican Museums. A highlight for us was the early Christian exhibit art, sculptures, and artifacts in a huge wing that nearly no one was in. The museums also included an ancient Egyptian collection, modern art (even a Dali), and even a museum dedicated to the South Pacific. The Raphael Rooms are another highlight and far better than I expected.Visited April 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 October 2023
- Geoff CLondon, United Kingdom464 contributionsNoisy and crowdedThis is a must if you’re in Rome, but be prepared for long queues and crowds. Remember to visit the museums, as well as the Sistine Chapel. They are fascinating in their own right. Two things stop me giving this 5 stars: (A) the crowds. At times it is hard to move. (B) the noise in the Sistine Chapel. Visitors are asked to be quiet, but the place was anything but. The place is so noise and crowded it is difficult to fully appreciate the chapel.Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 28 October 2023
- JJRT_travelsUnited Kingdom260 contributionsWell managed museum with loads to seeA unique museum with lots (too much?) To see. We booked in advance which was worth it to skip the queues. Audio guides were worth it. Cafeteria at the end was better value than expected.bVisited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 October 2023
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4.5
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Berniexx
wilmslow147 contributions
Jan 2020
My husband and I visited in January, I pre booked the entrance tickets via the Vatican official website and we opted for a 11.00am slot. Even in January the museum was busy but only took about 15 minutes to exchange our voucher for tickets and get through security. Every room in the museum was breathtaking from famous artists, beautiful paintings, sculptures, Roman artefacts and world history throughout. We followed the long route which eventually took us to the Sistine Chapel which was stunning and brought a tear to the eye. Unfortunately, can’t see that you would ever be able to avoid crowds at this beautiful place. We spent about 3 hours in the museum including the Sistine chapel but didn’t manage to see everything. There were many guided tours going on during our visit. We didn’t use a guide nor did we use the audio equipment. You are allowed to take photos without a flash in the museum. However, photos in the Sistine chapel is NOT Allowed So glad we visited as it’s always been on my bucket list. Highly recommend.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malgorzata
12,085 contributions
May 2019
An outstanding collection of priceless artifacts. The Vatican Museums belong to the most important and richest museums around the world. The collection of Roman classical art is particularly abundant, the chambers of the apartments of Popes Alexander VI Borgia and Julius II - Raphael's Hall - are also remarkable. The culmination of the museum tour is the contemplation of the Sistine Chapel. Exploring the Vatican Museums is a must if you’re visiting Rome. You can spend several hours there. The entrance fee is not excessive. If you want save your money I recommend entering on the last Sunday of the month, because admission is free. However, it can be even more crowded than usual.
Written 13 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Victoria Loughlin
Belfast, UK14 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We got the full experience tour with a guide of the Vatican museums, Sistine chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Our guide was called Serena, she was fantastic 10/10. Very knowledgable, friendly, informative, funny and engaging. She was fantastic. The first part of the tour was through the museum, it is huge with so many rooms full of art, tapestries, paintings, statues etc. Without the guide and her wealth of information we wouldn’t have enjoyed this half as much. There is no talking allowed inside the Sistine chapel so all tour guide info is given before you go in, using a very helpful digital screen with pictures etc so the guide can talk you through what to look for. It was very interesting, incredibly busy even for February but please listen to your guide and/or respect the numerous signs on the way in - no talking or photos inside the Sistine chapel! Our guide then met us at the back of the chapel and took us to St. Peter’s. She was brilliant at pointing out Swiss Guards etc going past us and again had so much knowledge about the exterior and interior of St. Peter’s Basilica. Once inside she showed us around, informing us of numerous items/areas inside. She directed us to the holy water font if anyone wanted to bless themselves, which we liked as we could bless our wedding rings, as we where on honeymoon in Rome. After the tour had finished Serena had advised us we could enter the underground area to see the crypt of the Pope’s, aswell as the dome of St. Peter’s (additional fee of €8 with no escalator or €10 with the escalator). We decided to do both the crypts and the dome and found both worthwhile. Even if you pay €10 for the escalator, this will take you up to the internal dome, however still includes 200 steps up to the outside dome (amazing 360 views and definitely worth it in my opinion). However please note the steps are up through quite a small, restricted area so it may not be for you if you are claustrophobic or have mobility problems. Overall the Vatican was so interesting and we definitely thought the guide ticket was worth it. Our guide Serena, as above, was fantastic. Thank you Serena. Just a little additional information, our hotel was near trevi fountain. We found it easier to get a taxi over to ensure we arrived in time for our tour (12 euro), however we just walked back as found this the best way to navigate Rome. There are so many sights at every corner, it seems a shame to miss it in transport. We stopped off for lunch along the way but approx 30 mins walk.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caroline LP
London, UK1,685 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
We will definitely have to go back as didn’t have enough time to see everything but what we did see was simply amazing. We didn’t need a guide as our daughter studied Latin, but would recommend a guide if you have no historical knowledge to get the full benefit. The Sistine chapel was hard to find with the map given, so if you haven’t a guide just ask the security guard to save time wandering about. Be prepared though when going to the Sistine chapel as it’s very busy!
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gloria K
Berlin, Germany156 contributions
May 2019
We bought our tickets for both the vatican museum and the sistine chapel in advance for a specific time slot in the Vatican's museum official website. We didn't have to stay long in lines but only for security check, which was already quite strenuous. We got a audio guide which helped us a lot otherwise you'd be just wondering and seeing everything without knowing its history.
Like the Louvre, the Vatican museum is gigantic so expect to spend minimum 4 to 5 hours in there and still you'll have to see everything quickly. If you enjoy art history it may be that a whole day is still not enough to see. We're definitely going back to visit this museum when we go back to Rome.
Like the Louvre, the Vatican museum is gigantic so expect to spend minimum 4 to 5 hours in there and still you'll have to see everything quickly. If you enjoy art history it may be that a whole day is still not enough to see. We're definitely going back to visit this museum when we go back to Rome.
Written 5 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel&Amy
Rotorua, New Zealand309 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Be prepared for an extremely long day and a lot of walking... but it’s totally worth it! Inside you’ll see some of the world’s greatest pieces of art by some of the world’s greatest artists. Rafael’s works were incredible! From sculptures, to paintings, maps, and indigenous art, you’ll see it all and you’ll surely be pleased. NOTE: we are non-EU students and we paid the reduced price - there was no trouble getting in (just make sure you take your student ID and ID that proves your DOB). Love love love. If you’re in Rome and you don’t see these museums then you’re truly missing out!!
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mpre53
Tampere, Finland60 contributions
Dec 2019
We visited on the first Wednesday in December. The line at the ticket booth? Literally, 3 people long. In the attached photo, my wife is the person in the centre, dressed in black. The museum is pretty much overwhelming. There's so much to see. Would a guide help? Probably, but we wanted to go through at our own pace.
The Sistine Chapel was similarly uncrowded. We were able to spend as much time as we wanted. We even found seats along the benches, which allowed us to just drink in Michelangelo's masterpieces on the ceiling and behind the altar.
I can guess that as you get closer to Chrismas, the dreaded crowds return. If you can plan a visit for early in the month, you should find a much less crowded experience.
The Sistine Chapel was similarly uncrowded. We were able to spend as much time as we wanted. We even found seats along the benches, which allowed us to just drink in Michelangelo's masterpieces on the ceiling and behind the altar.
I can guess that as you get closer to Chrismas, the dreaded crowds return. If you can plan a visit for early in the month, you should find a much less crowded experience.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Smokie24
Stafford, UK133 contributions
Feb 2020
We pre-purchased tickets and audio guides and would recommend this, as entry was fairly smooth, following instructions supplied before the visit. Still security to go through but this is understandable.
There are undoubtedly some superb rooms and sites, with beautiful art on display. However, the content of some rooms was slightly tedious, unless you have a great love of statues or Roman mythology.
The worst part of this visit was the sheer number of visitors allowed in at any time and the large number of guided tours. A few of the rooms nearer to the Sistine chapel were far too crowded and people using long selfie sticks (on sale everywhere in Rome) made conditions quite hazardous in places.
Finally, to save time, we ate at the self service cafeteria. At the time of our visit, the tables and floor were dirty but we had already bought food. The service was unhygienic (server copiously blew his nose and picked up food items without washing his hands) and the food was barely edible. (Coffee was OK). There are other food outlets which are probably better.
There are undoubtedly some superb rooms and sites, with beautiful art on display. However, the content of some rooms was slightly tedious, unless you have a great love of statues or Roman mythology.
The worst part of this visit was the sheer number of visitors allowed in at any time and the large number of guided tours. A few of the rooms nearer to the Sistine chapel were far too crowded and people using long selfie sticks (on sale everywhere in Rome) made conditions quite hazardous in places.
Finally, to save time, we ate at the self service cafeteria. At the time of our visit, the tables and floor were dirty but we had already bought food. The service was unhygienic (server copiously blew his nose and picked up food items without washing his hands) and the food was barely edible. (Coffee was OK). There are other food outlets which are probably better.
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bourlingueur
Albany, NY643 contributions
Nov 2019
The Vatican Museums are spectacular, but they are not easy to negotiate. First there is the enormous line outside that is not controlled in any fashion. There are endless hawkers who come up and try to sign you up for tours. There tactics are very close to harassment and they can be relentless. We had planned to just proceed through on our own, making our way to the Sistine Chapel and then down to St. Peter’s. I learned from the hawkers while we stood in line that individuals are no longer allowed to go from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s. In order to do this, you must be in a tour group. This is incredibly bad and it is shocking to me that Pope Francis has allowed the tour companies to obtain this monopoly!!!!! It is very time consuming to leave the Museums and walk all the way around to St. Peter’s Square and enter the Basilica. I was shocked, but I realized that for the amount of time that we had, we needed to purchase a tour. The tour guide that we had droned on and on and on and basically held us hostage, because we needed to be with him to go from the Sistine to St. Peter’s. Some in the tour group had to leave due to time constraints. The Museums were jammed with people and it was exhausting. I was surprised for a Monday in November that we were part of such a large crowd. I have visited the Vatican Museums multiple times and this was by far the least pleasant.
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Conners
22 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This place is HUGE! It definitely takes a whole day to get around if you want to make the most of it and see as much as possible we bought the skip the line ticket from the website for €17 each. Although we didnt get there until about 1pm and there wasnt any queues we didnt want to risk it. We walked straight in and went to the e-gruppi window to exchange our email for tickets. Food was reasonably priced inside and there was a good variety to choose from
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If I go on a guided tour of the Vatican and Sistine chapel, can I leave early? Is there an exit in the Sistine Chapel?
Written 29 September 2024
No it’s almost impossible to escape! Horrendous lines of awful huge tour groups!! Just escaped 🥲
Written 5 October 2024
I’m trying to buy tickets to th Vatican museums and Sistine chapel for late September - via the official Vatican website - but it seems they only release tickets a week at a time. Is that correct?
Written 26 August 2024
iirc the official site releases advance booking tickets every day for 60 days in advance.
Written 27 August 2024
I bought vatican entry tickets for my adult kids. Do I have to be present with them at the entrance?
Written 7 July 2024
Not if the tickets are in their name. My experience was they only checked the ticket with a scanner, but you never know...
Written 8 July 2024
Buongiorno, purtroppo non sono riuscita ad acquistare i biglietti per l'ennesima volta nemmeno da terze parti. Vorrei sapere uno se è possibile acquistare i biglietti in loco ma per il giorno seguente?
In secondo luogo, se questo non fosse possibile, pensate che arrivare tra le 6 e mezza 7 di mattina eviti di fare la coda chilometrica?
Written 22 May 2024
Noi abbiamo acquistato una settimana prima. Entrati ma visto pochissimo perché c’era talmente tanta gente al interno da soffocare. Militanti e ancora peggio nella cappella da non riuscire vedere molto. Ti sei perso nulla.
Written 6 October 2024
Virginia M
Pesaro, Italy
Il biglietto d'ingresso può essere acquistato con 18app? Se sì, come bisogna procedere? Perchè sul sito ufficiale non trovo nulla
Written 26 January 2024
Mi dispiace purtroppo non conosco questo metodo di pagamento
Written 28 January 2024
I know this was a long time ago, but wondering if you ever got your tickets? I just purchased mine on the vatican website and received the same message.
Written 20 January 2024
No one knows who you are trying to contact to ask this question. Questions are not linked nor will anybody be contacted to answer a specific question other than the generic reminder that Tripadvisor sometimes sends. Also, your question has no details whatsoever so I don't know how you expect someone to answer you unless you think we are all mind readers. For starters, what was the message you received when trying to buy tickets?
Written 20 January 2024
This topic is covered in the terms and conditions of purchase that you agree with when buying a ticket. If you are late, you will lose your entry time. You will then have to queue up in the day of visit ticket line and wait (those lines can easily be 1-2 hours long). Once you get to the front of that line, they may re-issue your ticket with a new entry time. In other words, don't be late unless you want to waste a lot of your time waiting in a line.
Written 17 January 2024
Com o ingresso e mãos posso sair do museu e depois retornar mais tarde?
Written 19 October 2023
I don't believe there is a ticket that would let you enter multiple times but you can reach out to the Vatican museums on their website. Their customer service is quick and responsive.
Written 20 October 2023
ViltÄ— K
Vilnius, Lithuania
Unfortunatelly, the official website is all out of tickets for the days I want to visit, is it possible to buy tickets at the same day at the museum without pre booking? Thanks in advance
Written 11 October 2023
Yes you can but the queue is ridiculous! On the day we visited it was taking around 4 hours wait to get to the ticket office ! That said there are ticket touts around selling ‘ beat the queue ‘tickets ( they are the reason all the tickets online are gone ) but I don’t know the prices they are asking .. Good luck !
Written 12 October 2023
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