Your Vatican Museums experience can be greatly influenced by some of the choices you make while booking your tickets. Here are some tips to help you plan better:
- Always book your tickets online. This way, you can avoid standing in the Vatican’s legendary long queues to buy tickets at the Museums’ counter, thus saving anywhere between 1-3 hours of waiting time
- Opt for a guided tour. Yes, there are audio guides available for self-guided tours, but you would be missing out on the insights you stand to gain from an expert’s perspective on the art, architecture, and history associated with the Vatican
- The best time to visit the Museums would be early mornings or late afternoons, but we suggest you opt for a slot close to the opening hours in the morning. The crowds are usually minimal at the start of the day, and you can explore the Vatican in peace
- While you can enter St. Peter’s Basilica for free, we suggest you book a guided tour ticket. This can help you skip the wait lines at the Basilica. You would have to, however, pass through a mandatory security check before entering St. Peter’s
- If you are planning to visit both St. Peter’s and the Museums on the same day, make sure you get your timings right. These attractions operate at different hours, and their entry doors are 20 minutes apart. Now that’s some walking!
- Until recently, you could exit from the Sistine Chapel’s North entrance and enter the Basilica. However, this passage has been closed till 2025. You need to, therefore, circle back to the Museum’s entrance, exit, and then make your way to the Basilica
- For an all-around experience, we recommend you book a ticket that includes the Vatican Gardens. Many tourists miss out on this attraction, which forms a trinity of sorts with the Museums and Basilica. The Gardens make up half of the Vatican in terms of ground space and are a veritable paradise of green!
- The Museums operate from Monday to Saturday and remain closed on Sundays—save for the last Sunday of each month. Entry is free on that last Sunday—though getting in would be nothing less than Herculean!
- The Vaticans follow a strict dress code across all three attractions at the Vatican—St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums, and the Vatican Gardens. Make sure you dress appropriately
- While some tickets offer a full refund if canceled 24 hours before the booked date, others don’t. Please check out the details before you book your ticket. Also, make sure you arrive on time; late-comers won’t be entertained at the Museums
Looking for the best tickets that’ll give you an up-and-close experience at the Vatican Museums? We recommend booking the guided tour ticket, the night tour tickets, and the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, and Vatican Gardens private tour ticket.
If you want to gain an audience with the Pope, we have the general Papal audience ticket and the private Papal audience ticket for a more intimate experience.
