Vatican Museums: What to See Between the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms

Every year, over six million people pass through the entrance of the Vatican Museums, ready to explore the seven kilometers of wonders winding through the heart of Vatican City. A journey through art, faith, and history that begins long before the famous Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms and continues through galleries, unique collections, and immortal masterpieces.

Visiting the Vatican Museums means getting in touch with centuries of beauty, from the power of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment to the refined geometries of the Gallery of Maps. But what should you really see? How to best organize the visit? Where to find the PDF map and what are the opening times and tickets available?

This guide will take you step by step inside the Vatican museum, one of the most visited and fascinating in the world.

What to See in the Vatican Museums: a Journey Through Papal History and Collections

Behind the walls of Vatican City lies a world of artistic wonders brought to life within the Renaissance palaces designed by Bramante. The Vatican Museums, as we know them today, were born thanks to the vision of Renaissance Popes, starting with Julius II, who initiated the collection by displaying classical statues in the Courtyard of the Statues, now known as the Octagonal Courtyard.

Over the centuries, new rooms and collections were added: in the 18th century, Popes Clement XIV and Pius VI created the Pio-Clementine Museum, one of the most important parts of the entire complex. The 19th century saw the birth of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, thanks to finds from Etruria, and the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, established in 1839 through the initiative of the Egyptologist Father Ungarelli.

This was followed by the Pio Christian Museum, dedicated to ancient Christian sculpture, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish Lapidary and the relocation of some museums from the Lateran Palace to the new building commissioned by Pope John XXIII were added.

For this reason, the history of the Vatican Museums is, in fact, a layering of art, archaeology, and faith that has given rise to one of the largest and most precious museum complexes in the world, safeguarding artworks and sculptures of priceless value.

Visiting the Sistine Chapel and Other Wonders of the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are not limited to the Sistine Chapel: on the contrary, they include an extraordinary network of galleries, rooms, and collections that tell centuries of art and spirituality. Among the unmissable stops is the Gallery of Tapestries, housing precious textile artifacts from the 16th and 17th centuries, and the spectacular Gallery of Maps, frescoed during the pontificate of Gregory XIII and restored in the Baroque era by Urban VIII.

Among the most evocative rooms are the Sobieski Room and the Hall of the Immaculate Conception, as well as the famous Raphael Rooms, frescoed between 1513 and 1521 on commission from Popes Julius II and Leo X. Each space is a world unto itself, but the Sistine Chapel grabs the attention of visitors worldwide: built at the behest of Pope Sixtus IV (not Sixtus IX), it represents the artistic and spiritual heart of the entire complex, dominated by Michelangelo’s majestic Last Judgment above the altar.

The path continues with the Borgia Apartment, the Vatican Picture Gallery, the Missionary-Ethnological Museum, and newer sections like the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Religious Art, inaugurated by Paul VI in 1973. That same year, the Historical Museum was born, moved in 1987 to the Papal Apartment of the Lateran Palace, where memorabilia, portraits, and documents relating to Popes and ancient suppressed pontifical offices are kept.

Visiting the Sistine Chapel is only part of a broader experience: every corner of the Vatican Museums deserves to be discovered with calm and attention, to fully appreciate the wealth of one of the most extraordinary places in world culture.

How to Visit the Vatican Museums: Rules and Useful Tips

The Vatican Museums are one of the most sought-after destinations in the world, and to fully enjoy the experience, it is important to know some fundamental rules before entering. The exhibition route is extensive and complex, and the steady flow of visitors requires good planning.

The best way to avoid long waits is to buy Vatican Museums tickets online, choosing the priority “skip the line” entry option. Some guided tours also include an audioguide or exclusive access to special sections of the Vatican museum.

What Is Not Allowed to Bring into the Vatican Museums

For security reasons and to protect the artworks, the following are forbidden:

• Alcoholic beverages and spirits (should be left at the cloakroom);
• Food and drinks of any kind (retrievable before closing time);
• Suitcases, large backpacks, packages, and containers larger than 40x35x15 cm;
• Large umbrellas, sticks, tripods, signs, and banners;
• Knives, scissors, and dangerous metallic objects;
• Selfie sticks and professional photographic equipment (without authorization);
• Use of flash, photography, and video recording inside the Sistine Chapel.

Decent clothing is mandatory: shorts, tank tops, miniskirts, or hats are not allowed.

Inside the Sistine Chapel, speaking or explanations are prohibited, even with radio systems. Guides may illustrate the meaning of the frescoes only on the external panels along the route.

What Is Allowed Inside the Vatican Museums

Although the rules are strict, there are various things visitors can do inside the Vatican Museums to enjoy a comfortable and inclusive experience.

• Use of mobile phones: allowed in all areas except the Sistine Chapel, where silence is required. However, limited use is advised to encourage contemplation of the artworks.
• Photography: photos can be taken of rooms and artworks with handheld cameras, without flash or professional equipment.
• Use of strollers: baby strollers are allowed throughout the museum route.
• Access with guide dogs for the visually impaired, equipped with leash and muzzle.
• Bring therapy support animals, certified for pet therapy. In both cases, it is mandatory to send a notice at least 24 hours in advance to: accoglienza.musei@scv.va

Remember: for a comfortable and stress-free visit, you can always purchase a ticket online with priority entry, avoiding queues at the entrance.

Opening Hours, Evening Openings, and Vatican Museums Map

Opening Hours

The Vatican Museums are open Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
The last entry is allowed until 4:00 PM, to allow a complete visit of at least 2 hours. If you also choose to visit the Vatican Gardens, the average duration increases to about 3 hours.

Evening Visits

During the summer months, it is possible to visit the Vatican Museums in the evening: every Friday, from early May until the end of September (excluding August), special night openings are organized, with limited entries and a more intimate and suggestive atmosphere.

Closed Days

The Vatican Museums are closed every Sunday, except on the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM (closing at 2:00 PM).
However, this does not apply on important religious holidays.

Official Closing Days 2024–2025:

• January: 1, 6
• February: 11, 22
• March: 19, 28
• June: 29 (Saints Peter and Paul)
• August: 15
• November: 1
• December: 8, 25, 26

It is always advisable to check the updated calendar on the official website before your visit.

Vatican Museums Route and PDF Map

The Vatican Museums route follows a marked itinerary allowing visitors to pass through the main sections and galleries up to the Sistine Chapel.
To better orient yourself, you can download the official PDF map by clicking on the link or the image.

Download the Vatican Museums Map in PDF

Vatican Museums Map

Tickets for the Vatican Museums: Costs and Useful Information

The entry ticket to the Vatican Museums also includes access to the Sistine Chapel and is valid exclusively for the selected day at the time of booking. Once issued, the ticket is non-refundable and cannot be changed. Some areas of the museum complex, usually not open to the public, can be visited by special request, through authorized tours.

Ticket Costs:

• Full price: €16
• Reduced: €8 (for students, teachers, and other categories)
• Schools: €4 (for organized school visits)

To avoid long waits, it is recommended to buy tickets online, choosing the priority entry option. This service is available on the official website or through authorized portals.

Reduced Prices and Free Entry to the Vatican Museums

Reduced tickets for the Vatican Museums are available for specific visitor categories. Here are details on reductions and free entrance:

Reduced Ticket:

• Young people aged 6 to 18 years.
• Students up to 25 years old with an updated International Student Card, university booklet or other document proving enrollment for the current year.
• University institutes: students up to 25 years old with a request letter on official letterhead, stamped and signed by the Dean or Rector. The reduced ticket is valid for one student and one teacher/escort every 10 students; additional teachers/escorts pay full price. No free entry is granted.
• Priests, religious men and women (with official documentation).
• Pilgrimages: free entry for the accompanying priest upon presentation of the celebret.
• Employees of the Holy See and Vatican City and their family members (spouses, children, parents, brothers, sisters) upon simple identification.

Reduced Ticket for Schools:

• Primary, middle and high schools (excluding universities) are entitled to a special reduced ticket upon presentation of an official letter from the Principal, with the school’s stamp and signature, specifying the number of students, teachers, and escorts.
• Free entry is granted for one teacher per 10 students; any additional teachers or escorts must purchase a full ticket.

Free Entry to the Vatican Museums

Entry to the Vatican Museums is free for the following visitor categories:

1. Free Entry Days:

• Last Sunday of the month: free entry from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM (closing at 2:00 PM).
• World Tourism Day (September 27): free entry.

2. Special Categories:

• Children up to 5 years old.
• Directors of museums, superintendencies and bodies responsible for the protection of archaeological, artistic, and historical heritage.
• Disabled visitors with disability certification over 74% and their escort (only if the visitor is not self-sufficient). Free tickets for disabled visitors and escorts cannot be booked online and are issued directly at the “Special Permits” counters or the Reception of the Vatican Museums, upon presenting documentation.

3. Other Allowed Categories:

• Authorized journalists from the Museums Directorate, upon recommendation from the Holy See Press Office or the Foreign Press Association.
• Holders of the ICOM card (International Council of Museums) and ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) updated.
• Donors of artworks, benefactors, and members of the “Patrons of the Arts” of the Vatican Museums.
• University professors of Archaeology, Art History, Architecture, and Ethnology. Occasional specialized lectures may be held in certain sectors of the museums, with prior authorization and a written request to the Museums Directorate. If the visit continues outside the sectors of competence, a new ticket must be purchased.

Where to Buy Vatican Museums Tickets

Vatican Museums tickets can be purchased in three main ways:

1. At the ticket office: direct purchase at the ticket office located at the entrance of the Vatican Museums.
2. Official website: visit the official website of the Vatican Museums to buy tickets in advance, with the option of priority entry to avoid long waits.
3. Specialized sites: some online platforms offer ticketing services for the Vatican Museums, with the possibility of skip-the-line.

It is always recommended to purchase tickets online to guarantee access and save time. Booking is particularly useful during peak periods.

Where the Vatican Museums Are Located

The Vatican Museums are located in Vatican City, in the heart of Rome, precisely on Viale Vaticano, just a few steps from the St. Peter’s Basilica.

Vatican Museums Contact

Phone: 06 69884676 – 06 69883145
For further information, you can directly contact the Vatican Museums call center phone number.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About the Vatican Museums