Vatican Museums Opening Hours

The Vatican Museums are open Monday to Saturday, 9:00am to 6:00pm, with last entry at 4:00pm. They are closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of each month when entry is free (9:00am to 2:00pm, last entry 12:30pm). The Vatican Museums are also closed on New Year’s Day, 6 January (Epiphany), 11 February (Lateran Treaty), Easter Sunday, 23 April, 1 June, 29 June (Feast of Sts Peter and Paul), 14 and 15 August, 1 November, 8 December (Immaculate Conception), and 25–26 December.

The Vatican Museums’ opening hours are a critical detail to get right before booking your visit. The core Monday–Saturday window is standard, but the specific last-entry time (4pm, not 6pm), the Sunday closure, and the list of public and religious holidays when the Museums shut unexpectedly trip up many visitors each year. This page gives you a complete, accurate picture of every opening and closing time across all Vatican sites.

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Vatican Museums Opening Hours — At a Glance

Vatican Museums standard opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9:00am to 6:00pm (last entry 4:00pm). Closed on all Sundays. Open on the last Sunday of each month with free admission, 9:00am to 2:00pm (last entry 12:30pm). On extended-hours days (Fridays and some Saturdays in peak season), the Museums sometimes stay open until 8:00pm — check current schedules at the time of booking as these change seasonally.

Note: The Museums operate from 8:00am on mornings with early-entry tours (pre-booked via third-party operators). Extended Friday/Saturday evening hours apply during peak season (April–October) — confirm current hours when booking. See our early morning Vatican Museums tour page for pre-opening access options.

Vatican Museums — Full Holiday Closure List

The Vatican Museums close on the following dates every year: 1 January (New Year’s Day), 6 January (Epiphany), 11 February (Lateran Treaty anniversary), Easter Sunday, 23 April (Anniversary of the founding of Vatican City), 1 June (feast of the Republic of Italy — this closure applies to Vatican Museums specifically; confirm each year), 29 June (Feast of Sts Peter and Paul — patron saints of Rome; this is the most-missed closure), 14 August (Assumption Eve), 15 August (Assumption of Mary), 1 November (All Saints’ Day), 8 December (Immaculate Conception), 25 December (Christmas Day), 26 December (St. Stephen’s Day).

The 29 June closure (Feast of Sts Peter and Paul) is the single most-overlooked holiday — it is a local Roman public holiday, not an international one, and is consistently the date that catches visitors off-guard. If your Rome trip includes 29 June, check this carefully before booking.

Note: Free-entry last Sundays do not apply when the last Sunday coincides with Christmas Day or the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul (29 June). The Vatican also closes for unexpected papal events — always check museivaticani.va for closures within 48 hours of your visit.

Opening Hours for All Vatican Sites

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica Dome

Vatican Grottoes (beneath the Basilica)

Closed on Wednesday mornings during the Papal Audience. Free with Basilica admission.

Vatican Necropolis (Scavi Tour)

Requires a separate Scavi Tour ticket booked well in advance. See our Vatican Necropolis & Grottoes tickets page for details.

Vatican Gardens

Vatican Gardens access is only available via a guided tour or audio guide. See our Vatican Gardens tour page for options.

St. Peter’s Square

Open 24 hours. Temporarily closed during Papal Audiences (Wednesday mornings) and some papal events. The obelisk and Bernini colonnade are always accessible from the outside.

Last Sunday of the Month — Free Entry

The Vatican Museums offer free entry on the last Sunday of each month, open 9:00am to 2:00pm (last entry 12:30pm). No ticket is required, but queues begin forming before 8:00am and the Museums are extremely crowded throughout the day — the Sistine Chapel is at maximum capacity from opening. This is the single most crowded day of the museum year. The free Sunday is suspended when it falls on Christmas Day, the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul (29 June), or other major holy days.

For visitors on a tight budget who can tolerate large crowds, the free Sunday is a genuine opportunity. For anyone who wants to actually study the galleries or experience the Sistine Chapel comfortably, it is not recommended. A standard skip-the-line entry ticket (from €39) during a weekday morning is a far more practical and rewarding visit.

What Time Does the Vatican Museums Last Entry Close?

The last entry time for the Vatican Museums is 4:00pm for standard opening hours (9am–6pm), 6:00pm for extended-hours evenings (if open until 8pm), and 12:30pm on free last Sundays (when the Museums close at 2pm). Once inside, you can stay until closing time — there is no time limit on your visit after entry. However, guards begin clearing the Sistine Chapel approximately 30–40 minutes before closing.

The distinction between last entry time and closing time is important. If you arrive at 3:55pm on a standard weekday, you can get in — and you will have approximately 2 hours inside before staff begin closing the galleries. This is enough time to cover the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel if you move efficiently. For a full, relaxed visit, the 9am–11am slots are best. See our best time to visit guide for a complete breakdown by time slot.

Wednesday Note for All Vatican Visitors

The Papal General Audience is held every Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square (or the Paul VI Audience Hall in winter). This closes St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Grottoes, and several adjacent areas from 7:00am until 12:30pm on Wednesday mornings. The Vatican Museums themselves remain open on Wednesday mornings, but tour options that include St. Peter’s Basilica via the internal Sistine Chapel passageway are suspended until the afternoon. Plan accordingly — or take the opportunity to attend the Papal Audience itself. See our Papal General Audience ticket page for details.

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