Vatican Museums
Discover over 70,000 works of art at the famous Vatican Museums by virtuosos such as Raphael, da Vinci, Michelangelo and Bernini. Peruse our collection of Vatican tickets to enjoy skip-the-line entry, guided tours, or combo offers.Bestseller
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Pro tips to help you make a pick
The queues at the Vatican can be incredibly long. Skip-the-line tickets can be bought at the venue for €17, while the prices start at €27 online. However, the premium cost of online booking is worth it because it will help you save between 1-3 hours of waiting time, irrespective of when you visit.
The Vatican, with its intricate history at every corner, is one attraction where a guide can profoundly enhance the quality of your visit. Gain insights into the art, architecture, and stories behind the artworks as you explore. Want to explore at your own pace? Audio guides are the way to go.
Opting for an early morning tour of the Vatican ensures a serene experience, free from the afternoon crowds, allowing you to enjoy unhindered views of iconic art and architecture. Plus, the cooler temperatures make for a more comfortable exploration.
While entry to St. Peter's Basilica is free, the queues can be extensive. Purchasing guided tours allows direct entry with your guide. Please note that all visitors must go through a mandatory security check, which can take up to 3 hours.
The Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica operate on different schedules and have entry doors located 20 minutes apart. After touring the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, you must circle back for the Basilica so schedule your visit smartly.
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About Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums in Rome showcase masterpieces like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Raphael Rooms, and the ancient Laocoön sculpture, offering a journey through art history within the heart of the Vatican. The Gregorian Egyptian Museum with ancient artifacts, and the Gallery of Maps, are other highlights.
Of the over 70,000 artworks in the Vatican Museums' vast collection, only about 20,000 are exhibited to the public. The remaining pieces are hidden away, safeguarded for preservation, space constraints, and ongoing expert research, making them an unseen treasure trove of art history.
To protect Michelangelo's iconic frescoes from the 25,000 daily visitors, the Sistine Chapel boasts a state-of-the-art climate control system, installed in 2014. This modern marvel replaced the 1990s system, ensuring optimal preservation against humidity and dust with minimal noise and air disturbance.
The Vatican Museums' Gallery of Maps, a 120-meter-long frescoed masterpiece completed in 1583, showcases 40 detailed maps of Italy by Ignazio Danti. These maps, exceptional for their time, predate modern cartography by centuries and display remarkable geographical accuracy.
Giuseppe Momo's Spiral Staircase in the Vatican Museums, designed in 1932, is an architectural marvel. Its unique structure allows for separate ascending and descending paths without intersection, predating the discovery of DNA's double helix by over two decades.
The Sala Rotonda of the Vatican Museums echoes the Pantheon with its grand circular design and soaring coffered ceiling. At its heart stands a colossal bronze Hercules, and beneath lies Nero's massive porphyry basin, while above, an oculus opens to the sky, symbolizing both architectural brilliance and historical depth.
Why visit Vatican Museums?
Highlights
Plan your visit
Viale Vaticano
The Vatican Museums can be accessed using the entrance from Viale Vaticano. This is located on the north side of Vatican City and is the fastest way to reach the museums. You can purchase tickets to the museums at this entrance.
Via Della Conciliazione
St. Peter’s Basilica is located on the Southeast side of Vatican City and can be accessed from Via Della Conciliazione. This entrance will get you right into St. Peter’s Square.
- Visitors are required to leave the halls 30 minutes before closing.
- The Museums offer free entry on the last Sunday of each month, from 9am to 2pm (final entry at 12:30pm), provided this does not coincide with holidays like Easter Sunday, June 29 (Sts. Peter and Paul), and Christmas Day.
- In December, the Sunday opening with free admission will be exceptionally brought forward to the 24th to allow visitors to enjoy the Museums during the festive season.
Located along the museum itinerary, and are clearly signposted for visitor convenience. You will also find restrooms that are accessible to the disabled, and those equipped with baby changing facilities and a nursing room.
The Vatican Museums offer a complimentary cloakroom service, accessible from the entrance hall after the metal detectorVisitors are required to leave all luggage, suitcases, rucksacks, packages, and containers not suitable due to their size or nature in the cloakroom before entering the exhibition spaces.
The Vatican Museums offer a variety of audio and video guides to enhance the visitor experience by providing insightful commentary on the exhibits. They also offer video guides in American Sign Language for deaf and hard of hearing visitors.
The Vatican Museums offer various dining options, including a cafeteria, a self-service area, and a pizzeria. These venues provide a range of choices from quick snacks to full meals, catering to different tastes and dietary needs.
They have 18 defibrillators installed along the museum itinerary, with Guard Staff trained to provide emergency cardio-protective treatment. For severe cases, an ambulance transfer service to the nearest hospital is available. Volunteers from the National Confederation of the Misericordie & a medical-nursing unit is available daily during museum hours.
Facilities for changing babies and a nursing room for privacy are available along the museum itinerary.
The Vatican Museums feature a network of bookshops along the seven-kilometer museum itinerary, offering a wide selection of products from scientific publications, art catalogues, to reproductions of artworks, prints, stationery, multimedia products, as well as children’s books and toys.
Free wheelchair hire is offered (subject to availability), requiring a valid ID and deposit.
Wheelchair accessible ramps and elevators are available, making most museum spaces accessible. The Museums are also accessible to mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs, with traditional wheelchairs available for areas with space limitations.
The Guard Corps will show families with strollers the best itinerary to follow and the special lifts they can use for easy access to the various galleries.
Guide dogs for the blind are allowed, provided they are on a lead and muzzled. Advance notification is required for visitors bringing guide dogs.