Frequently Asked Questions about the Vatican Museums

To keep things smooth and stress-free, try to reach the Vatican Museums about 10–15 minutes before your ticket time. This gives you time for security checks and to get ready.

No, you can’t buy Vatican Museums tickets at the entrance anymore. Since January 1, 2024, all tickets must be bought online. This new system helps avoid the super long lines that used to form—some over 500 meters (0.3 miles) long!

Vatican Museums ticket prices vary depending on the type of tour and the sites you choose to visit. A self-guided ticket costs around €39, while a guided tour is about €116. If you’re looking for a more personalized experience, a private tour costs around €330. There’s also the Vatican Gardens tour, which costs €80.

No, you don’t need a separate ticket to enter St. Peter’s Basilica—entry is free for everyone. However, there may be long lines at the entrance, which you can avoid if you opt for guided tours of the Basilica.

Yes, you can book same-day tickets to the Vatican Museums, but they might sell out, especially during peak season from April to August. You can’t buy tickets at the door anymore – so opt for an online early morning or evening tour.

No, you can’t re-enter the Vatican Museums once you leave with the same ticket.
If you want to return, you’ll need to purchase a new ticket.

No, the Vatican Gardens are not included in a standard Vatican Museums ticket.
You need a separate ticket to visit the gardens, either through a self-guided bus tour or a guided tour. The standard ticket only gives you access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

To access the St. Peter’s Basilica Dome, you need to purchase the St. Peter’s Dome ticket. This ticket also includes access to St. Peter’s Basilica.

No, you can’t reschedule your Vatican Museums ticket after booking. Tickets are for a specific time slot, so if you need to change your plans, you’ll have to buy a new ticket.

No, the Vatican Museums do not offer refunds if you cancel your ticket. Tickets are non-refundable and are only valid for the specific date and time slots you booked.

Yes, children under 6 years old can enter the Vatican Museums for free and don’t need a ticket. They must be accompanied by an adult when visiting. Kids aged 6 to 17 years get discounted tickets.

No, you don’t have to pay extra to visit the Vatican Museums during sunset or peak hours. The Vatican Museums offer a standard ticket price, regardless of the time of your visit.

Yes, the Vatican Museums offer free entry on the last Sunday of each month. They are open from 9 am to 2 pm, with the last entry at 12.30 pm. Please note that there is no free entry on Easter Sunday, June 29 (St. Peter and Paul), Christmas Day, or St. Stephen’s Day.

If you miss your time slot for the Vatican Museums, your ticket is still valid, but you’ll probably have to wait in the regular line with everyone else. You lose your skip-the-line access and must wait for the next available entry.

Yes, combo tickets are available for the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum, and you can also visit multiple attractions in Rome. This combo ticket includes the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Vatican Museums, and Sistine Chapel.

Yes, the Vatican Museums offer guided tours. You can choose from various guided tours, including the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (optional Basilica), Vatican Gardens, St. Peter’s Basilica with the Dome, and the Vatican Grottoes and Necropolis.

Yes, you can book a private tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
With a private tour, you’ll enjoy a more premium experience, have a dedicated guide, and explore everything at your own pace.

You don’t need to print your ticket for the Vatican Museums. You can show your e-ticket on your smartphone at the entrance for a hassle-free entry.

The Vatican Museums are open to the public from Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 8 pm, with the last entry at 6 pm. The last Sunday of each month is free admission day, with the Museums opening from 9 am to 2 pm, and the last entry is at 12.30 pm.

The best time to visit the Vatican Museums is early in the morning before the big crowds, or later in the afternoon when it’s quieter. If you can, arrive before 8 or 9 am if possible. Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be less crowded, while weekends and Mondays are usually the busiest, so it’s best to avoid them.

Yes, you can explore the Vatican Museums at your own pace. You can buy skip-the-line tickets or join a guided tour, but you’re also free to walk through the museums on your own without feeling rushed.

Avoid bringing large bags (bigger than 40 x 35 x 15 cm) and umbrellas, sticks (except walking sticks), metal tools, knives, scissors, banners, or video cameras—if brought, they must be kept in the cloakroom. Firearms, laser pointers, amplified microphones, and other dangerous items are strictly prohibited. Flash photography is banned, especially in the Sistine Chapel. Only water in plastic bottles is allowed; food, drinks, and alcohol are not permitted.

Yes, the Vatican Museums are open on Thanksgiving Day. Since Thanksgiving is not a Catholic religious holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year, the Museums remain open as usual.

Yes, you can bring a backpack to the Vatican Museums, but if it’s larger than 40 x 35 x 15 cm, you must leave it in the cloakroom. This rule also applies to luggage, suitcases, and large rucksacks. They must be checked in before entering the Museums.

No, the Vatican Museums do not offer stroller rentals. However, they are family-friendly, and you are allowed to bring your own stroller inside the museums.

Yes, the Vatican Museums are wheelchair accessible, and you can access them from the cloakroom area. However, some parts of the Museums are not accessible to people with disabilities because of space limitations.

No, the Vatican Museums do not offer free WiFi to visitors for security reasons. There is no WiFi coverage anywhere inside the museums.

There is no parking at the Vatican Museums. Due to strict security and limited space within Vatican City, cars are not allowed inside. So, you’ll need to park nearby in Rome and then walk or take public transportation. Good options are Parking Prati at Piazza Unità, 62, Garage San Pietro, and Vespasian Garage.

Daytime visits let you see everything in natural light, and evening tours offer a quieter, less crowded experience. Both are perfect for enjoying the art and history of the Vatican.

Visiting the Vatican Museums takes around 2–3 hours, but it can be longer depending on your pace and interests. A guided tour lasts around 3 hours. If you want to explore the major galleries more comfortably, it’s best to set aside at least 4 hours.

The Vatican Museums are usually closed on Sundays, except for the last Sunday of each month, when they offer free entry. However, they stay closed if that Sunday falls on a major religious holiday such as Easter, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), Christmas Day (Dec 25), the Feast of St. Stephen (Dec 26), or the Feast of St. Sylvester (Dec 31). Besides Sundays, they are also closed on certain public holidays like January 1st and 6th, February 11th, March 19th, April 21st, May 1st, August 15th and 16th, November 1st, and December 8th.

Yes, the Vatican Museums have restrooms available throughout the museum. They are clearly signposted along the visitor route and are regularly cleaned by staff. Some restrooms are also accessible for visitors with disabilities and have baby changing facilities and a nursing room, which can be easily located on the Vatican Museums map.

Yes, there is a dress code for visiting the Vatican Museums. You should dress modestly, making sure to cover your shoulders and knees — sleeveless tops, short shorts, and miniskirts are not allowed. Also, hats and caps must be removed indoors.

Yes, photography is allowed in the Vatican Museums, but flash photography is not permitted anywhere. In the Sistine Chapel, photography of any kind is strictly forbidden.

To get to the Vatican Museums by metro, take Line A (the orange line) toward Battistini and get off at either Ottaviano-Musei Vaticani or Cipro stations. Both stops are just a short walk from the Museum entrances. You can also get off at Ottaviano-San Pietro if you’re heading toward the Via della Conciliazione entrance.

The must-see sites at the Vatican Museums are the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, the Pio-Clementine Museum, and the Belvedere Courtyard. Don’t miss the Vatican Art Gallery and the famous Spiral Staircase on your way out.

No, you cannot visit the Sistine Chapel without touring the Vatican Museums. It is at the end of the Museums (you must walk through the galleries to get to the chapel), and chapel entry is included in the ticket.

The Vatican Museums are home to many famous artworks. You can see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling and ‘The Last Judgment’, as well as Raphael’s Rooms, including ‘The School of Athens’. There are also ancient Roman and Greek statues like ‘Laocoön and His Sons’, and the beautiful Gallery of Maps. In the Vatican Art Gallery, you’ll find masterpieces like Caravaggio’s Deposition and Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished painting, St. Jerome in the Wilderness.

Yes, there are private areas inside the Vatican Museums that are usually closed to the public. These include places like the Bramante Staircase, the Niccoline Chapel, and the Cabinet of the Masks. These areas are only accessible through special tours or private access.

Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling using the fresco technique, applying pigments to wet plaster. He worked standing on a scaffold, not lying on his back as many believe. He painted in daily sections or giornatas, preparing fresh plaster each day and working quickly before it dried. He also used preparatory sketches and cartoons to transfer his designs onto the plaster.

No, Michelangelo did not see himself as a painter before working on the Sistine Chapel.
He was famous as a sculptor, known for masterpieces like David and La Pietà, and he resisted the commission at first because he considered himself a sculptor, not a painter.

St. Peter’s Basilica is a large church inside Vatican City, while St. Peter’s Square is the big open space directly in front of the Basilica. The Square serves as a gathering place for crowds during events like Papal Audiences, blessings, and as the entrance to the Basilica.

The Gallery of Maps within the Vatican Museums is notable for displaying 40 large, beautifully painted fresco maps of Italy, created between 1580 and 1583 by Ignazio Danti. The gallery spans approximately 120 meters (0.075 miles) and showcases regions, cities, and historical events with remarkable detail and accuracy for that period. Its vaulted ceiling is also decorated with frescoes about the Church’s history and the life of Emperor Constantine the Great.

While both the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms are renowned and significant in art history, the Sistine Chapel, particularly Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes, is more widely recognized. Raphael’s Rooms are still a major highlight of the Vatican Museums, but they often get a little less attention compared to the Sistine Chapel.

The Baldachin (also known as the Baldacchino) inside St. Peter’s Basilica is a massive bronze canopy constructed over the high altar and the tomb of St. Peter. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 1600s and symbolizes the connection between heaven and earth. It marks the most sacred spot in the Basilica and highlights the importance of St. Peter’s burial site below.

The Vatican Museums own about 70,000 artworks, but only around 20,000 are currently on display. The rest are stored for preservation or possible future exhibitions.

Yes, the Vatican has a Secret Archive that is not open to the public. The Vatican Secret Archive, also known as ‘the Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum’, holds centuries of documents, like papal letters, state papers, and other important records. It’s not completely ‘secret,’ as access is restricted mainly to scholars and researchers, and some of the most sensitive documents are seen by only a few people.

It took about 120 years to build St. Peter’s Basilica. Construction started in 1506 under Pope Julius II and was completed in 1626 during the reign of Pope Urban VIII. Many famous artists and architects, including Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini, contributed to its development over the years.

Yes, Michelangelo’s Pietà is located inside St. Peter’s Basilica. You’ll find it in a Chapel on the right-hand side shortly after you enter, known as the Chapel of the Pietà (Cappella della Pietà).

During World War II, the Vatican Museums safeguarded their artworks by moving many pieces to hidden, secure areas within Vatican City, including vaults and caves. Extra security measures were taken to protect treasures, and the Vatican’s neutrality during the war helped to protect the collections from damage or theft.

Yes, St. Peter is believed to be buried beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. His tomb is located beneath the high altar, in an area known as the Vatican Necropolis. It’s one of the most sacred places in the Catholic Church.

The name “Vatican” comes from the Latin word “Vaticanus”, which refers to the Vatican Hill where the city is located. In ancient times, “Vaticanus” was associated with prophecy and divination because the area was linked to fortune-tellers and oracles. Today, it means the place where Vatican City,  the home of the Catholic Church, is located.

The buildings that make up the Vatican Museums were constructed gradually over many centuries, starting mainly in the early 1500s during the Renaissance. Some parts, like the Belvedere Courtyard and early galleries, were built under Pope Julius II and later expanded by other popes like Pope Sixtus V and Pope Pius V. New halls, like the Gallery of Maps and Raphael’s Rooms, were added between the 16th and 18th centuries. Even today, parts of the Museums have been renovated or expanded.

The Vatican Museums are located inside Vatican City, a small independent country surrounded by Rome, Italy. The entrance to the Museums is on Viale Vaticano, just outside the Vatican walls.

The Vatican City is a sovereign country, and it is owned and governed by the Holy See (the supreme body of government of the Catholic Church). The Pope, as the head of the Holy See, has full authority over Vatican City and its properties, including the Vatican Museums.

The Vatican Museums are very large, covering about 43,000 square meters. St. Peter’s Basilica covers around 22,300 square meters, making it one of the largest churches in the world. The Vatican Museums stretch across about 7 kilometers (around 4.3 miles) of galleries. The Sistine Chapel is smaller, measuring about 40 meters long and 14 meters wide.

The entire walking route through the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, is about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles).

The Vatican Museums are managed and maintained by Barbara Jatta, who has been the director since 2016. She is an Italian art historian and the first woman to lead the Museums.
As director, she reports to the President and Secretary General of the Vatican’s Governorate, currently Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello and Monsignor Fernando Vérgez Alzaga. Ultimately, the Pope, through the Vatican’s Governorate, has the final say in major decisions.

The Vatican Museums have three main floors, with some sections having underground levels, such as the Vatican Necropolis (which is separate but nearby). Visitors mostly move horizontally through long halls and galleries, rather than climbing floors.

The Vatican Museums receive about 20,000 to 30,000 visitors per day, especially during the peak season.

The Vatican Museums were officially opened to the public in 1771 by Pope Clement XIV.
Previously, only artists, nobles, and scholars were permitted to admire the artworks in the Palazzetto del Belvedere.

No, the Vatican Museums are not the oldest museums in the world. The Capitoline Museums in Rome, founded in 1471, are considered the oldest. The Vatican Museums were established in 1506, making them the second-oldest.

The purpose of the Vatican Museums is to preserve and display a huge collection of art, antiquities, and historical artifacts collected by the Popes over the centuries. They also promote research and share the cultural and religious history of these treasures with the public. Many museum spaces were once private Papal residences, now open to the public for exploration.