The Vatican Museums bring together the collections assembled by the popes since the 16th century: the ancient sculptures of the Pio-Clementino Museum, the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, the Pinacoteca, and the Sistine Chapel near the end of the route. They are open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm (last entry 6pm) and closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month, which is free from 9am to 2pm. A ticket costs €20 at the desk and €25 booked online with skip-the-line entry (prices checked in October 2026). Allow at least 3 hours for a direct route to the Sistine Chapel, and a full day to see the essentials. The entrance is on Viale Vaticano, along the walls of Vatican City, about 15 minutes' walk from St Peter's Square.
Highlights
The Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo painted the vault between 1508 and 1512, with the scenes from Genesis including the Creation of Adam, then the Last Judgement on the altar wall between 1536 and 1541. The side walls carry frescoes by Botticelli, Perugino and Ghirlandaio. Photos and videos are forbidden there, and silence is requested.
The Gallery of Maps
120 metres long, it displays 40 painted maps of the regions of Italy, made between 1580 and 1583 for Pope Gregory XIII from drawings by the cosmographer Ignazio Danti, beneath a vault entirely decorated with stucco and frescoes.
The Raphael Rooms
Four rooms in the apartment of Pope Julius II painted by Raphael and his workshop from 1508. The Room of the Segnatura holds The School of Athens, where Plato and Aristotle stand above a gathering of philosophers.
The Pio-Clementino Museum
Its courtyards and galleries display the great ancient sculptures of the collection, including the Laocoön group, found in Rome in 1506, the Apollo Belvedere and the Belvedere Torso, studied by Michelangelo.
The spiral staircase
Designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932, this double-helix staircase is walked down at the end of the visit, towards the exit. Seen from above, it is one of the most photographed views in the museums.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Book on the official Vatican Museums ticket office, the only official online sale: €25 full price and €15 reduced, including a €5 booking fee (prices checked in October 2026). The reduced rate (€10 at the desk) applies to 7-18-year-olds and to students aged 25 or under with proof of enrolment for the current year; entry is free for under-7s and for visitors with a disability of 67% or more, with priority access. Tickets are non-refundable. Dress code: no sleeveless or low-cut clothing, no shorts above the knee or miniskirts, no hats. Backpacks and bulky luggage, as well as medium and large umbrellas, must be left at the cloakroom, which is free. If you are going on to St Peter's Basilica, do not leave luggage at the museums' cloakroom. On the last Sunday of the month, entry is free with no booking possible (last entry 12:30pm): the queue is very long. In 2026, the next free Sundays are 25 October, 29 November and 27 December.
How to get there
Viale Vaticano, 00165 Rome. Metro line A (towards Battistini), Ottaviano or Cipro stations, 5 to 10 minutes' walk. Bus 49 (stop in front of the museums), 32, 81 and 982 (Piazza del Risorgimento), 492 and 990 (Via Leone IV); tram 19 (Piazza del Risorgimento).
Opening hours
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