Vatican Museum Tickets And Tours

• Raphael Rooms: the famed frescoes of the Papal apartments of the Palace - open to the public! 

• Michelangelo's fresco "The Creation of Adam" in the Sistine Chapel: the iconic image of the birth of man symbolized by the fingers touching between Adam and God.

• The Galleries of Maps: the legendary painted maps of Italy frescoed on the walls in the Belvedere Courtyard. Don’t miss this stop on your Vatican museum tour. 

• Vatican skip the line tickets & Sistine Chapel: jump the queue and head straight inside to marvel at the wondrous art within the world’s most famous church.

• Spiral Staircase: one of the first things you come across on your Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tour is the impressive spiraling staircase designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1832.

• Gregorian Egyptian Museum: marvel at mummies of Pharaohs & Sarcofagi from Ancient Egypt. One of the lesser known places to visit in Vatican City!

• Vatican Historical Museum and the Portraits of the Popes: all the Popes from history will stare at you from the walls of this unique museum. 

• Papal Throne: or “Saint Peter’s Chair” this wooden relic is now encased in red marble, with a radiating mosaic sun behind & carved lion arms. The Papal Throne is a true masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and even more spectacular when seen on a Vatican museum night tour!

• Sala Rotonda: the miniature Pantheon room with ancient mosaic tiles & sculptures. 

Good news? Photography* is permitted in all of the Vatican Museums, apart from the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica *In order to protect the art, flash is not permitted.

Nothing compares to seeing the thick and perfectly preserved paint strokes by the Renaissance masters in person. Then again, there’s no harm in taking home a mini Raphael on your phone! 

• Laocoön and his Sons: this triumphal masterpiece of carved marble by the genius Bernini is truly a feast for the eyes (and the camera!).

• La Pietà: disobeying all the rules of geometry and ratio; this incredible sculpture by Michelangelo perfectly captures maternal love and tragedy. 

• The Entombment of Christ 1604: the dramatic shadows and bold colors of this Caravaggio masterpiece will stay in your mind (and phone memory) forever. 

Got a winner? Choose your best snap from one of the three most instagrammable spots listed above, post it on your IG, and tag #dotravelgram to be featured. 

• Timely & Wisely: Discounted Vatican Museum tickets (commonly misspelled as “Vatikan tickets”) are some of the most sought after in the world, so as soon as you know your dates, get online and grab your tickets! 

• Don’t be late: Do you want to see the famous frescoed ceiling and Renaissance artwork of the Sistine Chapel? If so, then it is essential you enter the Vatican Museums before 3 p.m to get there on time. 

• Short on time? If you want to hear the secrets and stories behind the historical collection, then it is highly recommended you book a skip the line Vatican tour. Your expert art historian will teach you how to “read” the paintings, a skill for life! 

• Meet the Pope: You are highly unlikely to “bump” into the Pope on your visit, but you can time your visit with one of the Papal audiences every Wednesday at 10.30 a.m. Tip: arrive early to get a good spot, security opens between 8 and 8.30 in the morning. 

• Save money: If you plan on visiting more than one attraction in the area, then save money with combination Rome Vatican tours and tickets. Book a 2-in1 Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tour, or get yourself a Rome Gold Pass for all-access (the Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, Castel Sant’Angelo & more!). Vatican Museum and Vatican Gardens tickets are a popular combination.

• Explore Rome: The small Papal state is next to the cosmopolitan capital city. Use this Rome Guide for time & money saving hacks. The Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo are also a wonderful excursion to add to your trip.

• Dress appropriately: You are visiting the Vatican, the most important Church in the Catholic religion, and one of the holiest places in the world. Dress with respect, no bare shoulders or skirts/shorts above the knee. 

• Avoid visiting Vatican City on the free Sunday: If you aren’t wanting to pay the Vatican tickets price, you can visit during one of the free Sundays, however, you will most likely struggle to see any of the artwork through the crowds. Free days also equal long queues! 

• Reserve a Vatican museum audio guide: The perfect opportunity for Vatican guided tours by yourself. Request your multilingual guide at the Vatican Museum tickets office or better yet, book it online for less hassle. 

• Do I need a guide? There are 1,400 rooms in the Vatican Museums with the space covering approximately 7 kilometers. A private guide will direct you to some of the museum’s best pieces and provide insight and background information to go along. There are also private Vatican tours available, that offer skip the line Vatican museums access allowing entry to the collections before Vatican opening hours. 

• Vatican Gardens: Don’t miss the chance to visit the “Pope’s Playground”, an oasis of serenity designed for meditation and prayer. The options for Vatican City Museum tickets that include entry to the papal gardens are limited. Buying Vatican city tickets in advance will avoid disappointment on the day!

• Vatican Museums Services: Toilets are clearly signposted and located throughout the Museums. There is a free cloakroom located past the security check, and you can also hire a wheelchair (subject to availability) from the cloakroom. First-aid can be found on site. 

Transportation Tip - Wondering how to get to the Vatican City Museum? 

• Metro: Line A to Battistini, Ottaviano, or Cipro Station. 
• Bus: No. 49 stops in the square in front of the Vatican Museums. The numbers 32, 81, and 982 stop at the Piazza del Risorgimento.
• Tram: No. 19 - a 500-meter walk from the Museums.