Everything You Need To Know About Visiting Vatican City

The Vatican Museums offer an array of tours. To see all the options and their details, click here. Below are some of the most popular options:

Note: Sistine Chapel is within the museums and is included in the museum ticket price. It is not possible to buy a ticket just for the Sistine Chapel.

Museums

• Self-guided tour
• Guided tour
• Night tours (self guided or guided): € 32 (full entry), € 24 (reduced)
• Breakfast and self guided tour: € 35 (full entry), € 27 (reduced)
• Breakfast and early admission (self guided): € 65 (full entry), € 57 (reduced)

Gardens

Note: Vatican Gardens can only be visited with a guide. It is possible to visit the museums on the same ticket after the guided Gardens portion is over but it must be on the same day. However, the reverse is not true; it is not possible to visit the Gardens with a Museum ticket only.

• Guided tour: € 32 (full entry), € 24 (reduced)
• Open bus tour: € 36 (full entry), € 23 (reduced)
• Guided tour and the Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis: € 37 (full entry), € 29 (reduced)

Navigating the Museums

There are 26 museums (galleries/sections) in the Vatican Museums; Sistine Chapel is one of them. Below is a great map of the museum layout (courtesy of Rick Steves) that will help you plan your visit.

Although we did walk through all 26 museums, we did not have nearly enough time to spend in each as we would have wanted. We recommend visiting them all and finding your favorites. Here are some of ours:

Raphael’s Rooms

Gallery of the Candelabra

Another favorite museum to photograph was the Gallery of the Candelabra in the Pio Clementino Museum. This gallery is named after the massive marble candelabra that divide the gallery into six sections. Did you know that this gallery was restored as recently as 2016?! It is said to have been a challenging restoration and two essential elements put in place to ensure future preservation include a brand new lighting system and curtain placed for climate control.

Gallery of Geographical Maps

For two travel addicts, you can imagine how wonderful the Gallery of Geographical Maps were to us. It has a series of painted topographical maps of Italy based on drawings by friar and geographer, Ignazio Danti.

Kapil had to stand at the entry for a prolonged period of time just to get a split of a moment where someone’s head was not in the way to get this shot.

Sistine Chapel

A few things you should know about the Sistine Chapel:

• All of the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and The Last Judgment were created Michelangelo.
• One of the most fascinating part of Michelangelo’s work is that he did it in what is known as “buon fresco”, meaning he worked only on freshly laid plaster and each section was completed while the plaster was still fresh. He never returned to a section to add any details once it was dry. Can you imagine the level of artistry and pain?!
• However, there are frescos by Botticelli, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio and Roselli in the Sistine Chapel.
• It is the site of the Papal Conclave (even today).
• Although it is not a silent room, you are expected to speak in a tone of whisper.
• No cell phone usage, AT ALL! There are guards all over the room and they keep an eye out like a hawk. If you are seen with it, you will be asked to put it away. We have witnessed this a couple of times during our visit.

Photography

There are strict photography rules in place in the Vatican Museums.

• No flash photography
• No tripods/stands/professional equipments
• No selfie sticks
• No photography of any kind in the Sistine Chapel. Use of mobile phones are strictly forbidden in the Sistine Chapel.

Food and Rest

The museum does not allow you to eat or drink in the exhibitions. You are welcome to bring food and drinks with you but they would have to be stored in the cloakroom for the duration of your visit. However, there are several cafeterias, bistro, pizzeria and restaurant situated throughout the museums for you to take a break and satisfy your hunger.

If you are not hungry but your feet are begging for a rest, you will be happy to know there are plenty of relaxation areas with seats throughout the museums, including the various courtyards and square gardens.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Hours

Daily: 8:00am – 6:00pm (April – September), 8:00am – 5:00pm (October – March)

Tickets

Basilica Entrance: Free

Dome: € 8 (elevator and 320 steps), € 6 (551 steps)

Tip

Bring cash with you as the ticket office ONLY accepts cash!

Inside the Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is the second largest church in the world, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture designed principally by Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno and Bernini. It can feel very overwhelming upon entering and if you would like to learn more about the history of the church, pick up an audioguide at the information desk to the right of the entrance (near bag check area). Here is a great interactive map of the church to help guide you visually, even before stepping foot in it. Every inch of the Basilica is so grandiose that you cannot help but be in awe of it.

Dome

The dome is an absolute must see. Not only is the inside of the dome intricate but the 360º view from above is magnificent. A wonder if you can catch it during sunset (possible on winter nights). Unfortunately, by the time we finished the museum and got into the Basilica, we simply did not have enough time to head up to the dome. We are due to return just for that!

Did you know?

• Michelangelo designed the dome. After he passed away, Giacomo Della Porta, Michelangelo’s pupil, took over and raised the vault 7 meters.
• The largest gift shop in the Basilica (there are a few) is on the roof. It can only be accessed with a purchase to the cupola.
• The dome has been used as a model for later prominent buildings such as Saint Paul’s in London, Les Invalides in Paris and the Capitol building in Washington D.C.
• The Holy Door, is a door that is only opened for holy years (Jubilee years) and pilgrims who pass through them receive a plenary indulgence.

Tickets to the dome can be purchased on the right of the entrance to the basilica. Look for the sign marked “Cupola”.

Attending Mass

Note: There are no masses in English at the Basilica.

Mass services are held several times a day at the Basilica:

• Daily: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm & 5:00pm
• Sundays and Holidays: 9:00am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:15pm, 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 5:30pm

Everyone is welcome to attend mass. Just be aware that if you visit during mass times but are not looking to attend the service, there will be some parts of the Basilica reserved for prayers only.

St Peter’s Treasury

The treasury contains church ornaments, statues, papal robes and a striking art collection. Separate admission is required to access the treasury and can be purchased at the entrance of the treasury. No photos are allowed.

Vatican Grottoes

The Vatican Grottoes is an enormous underground graveyard and houses tombs of popes, kings and queens from the 10th century. It is discretely located, as a result, it is best to ask for directions at the information desk. The entrance to the Grottoes is free. No photos are allowed and silence must be observed when in the Grottoes.

Tip

Be sure to visit the Grottoes at the end because once you exit the Grottoes, you will be outside the Basilica. 

Restrooms

There are two restrooms inside the Basilica, one near the bag check area (lower right side of the facade of the basilica as you are facing it) and the other on top of the dome.

There are also two restrooms in St. Peter’s Square but be aware that if you exit the Basilica to visit either of these, you will have to queue up again to return to the Basilica. WE MADE THIS MISTAKE! The only restroom that can be used without exiting security is the one near the bag check area (or top of the dome).

Vatican Library

If you have read Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons or watched Tom Hank’s movie of the same name, then you may be curious about the Vatican Library. Unfortunately, unless you fit one of the following criteria and have proof with specific documentations, you will never be able to step foot inside what we can only imagine is a marvel:

• researchers and scholars with appropriate qualifications and/or relevant scientific publications
• teachers and researchers at Universities and other institutes of Higher Education;
• graduate students (laureati) who are pursuing research for a doctoral dissertation;
• in exceptional cases, undergraduate students who can demonstrate that they need to consult material which is available only at the Vatican Library.
• it is not open to High School students, nor, as a rule, to undergraduate University students.

St. Peter’s Square

St. Peter’s square (better known as Piazza San Pietro) is an enormous space at 1,000 feet long and 750 feet wide, where your eyes are instantly drawn to Bernini’s massive colonnades (on top are 140 statues of various saints) and the Egyptian Obelisk (amazingly how this Egyptian structure pops up all over European cities). There is great emphasis on symmetry in the square, so much so that when a fountain was built on the south side of the Obelisk by Modern in the 17th century, Bernini built another (matching) fountain on the north side of the Obelisk.

If you walk around the square, especially near the Basilica, you are sure to spot a Swiss Guard or two. In their brightly colored attire, they are hard to miss! The Pontificial Swiss Guards, although small in number (130) are highly trained Swiss military men who are between the ages of 19 and 30, at least 5’8″ tall and single, have been responsible for the safety of the Pope for over 500 years.

Depending on the time of day (and year), it can be crowded with people and shift your focus from the brilliance of the architecture to the noise of the people. But take a moment to block out the noise and let the massiveness of the square set in. Is it not just absolutely beautiful? Many hours could be spent just sitting on the steps of the colonnades and people watching. However, there is something greater you could attend if you happen to be visiting at the right time of the week.

Papal Audience

Papal Audience gives visitors a chance to see the Pope and to receive the Papal Blessing.

Hours

Wednesday: 10:30am (10:00am on extremely hot summer days)

Sundays: 12:00pm (when the Pope is in residence, he appears at the window to pray and bless the crowd in St. Peter’s Square)

Tip

Arrive early to go through security and find good seats.

Tickets

No ticket is required for Sundays.

Tickets are FREE for Papal Audience on Wednesdays and available without reservation from the Swiss Guards at the “Bronze Doors” located just after security at St. Peter’s Basilica. If you need less than 10 tickets, you can just pick them up here. Tickets must be picked up the day before the audience (Tuesdays, no sooner) between 3:00pm-7:30pm or on the morning of the audience between 8:00am – 10:00am.

However, if you would like to guarantee tickets or need more than 10 tickets, you will need to make reservations in advance by filling out this form and faxing it to the Vatican offices.

Pope’s Address 

The Pope greets the audience in several languages and gives small teachings and readings, predominantly in Italian but also in English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese and other languages. The Papal Audience concludes with the Pope praying (Our Father prayer in Latin) together with those in the audience. This prayer is normally printed on the back of the Papal Audience ticket. At the end of the prayer, as Head of the Catholic Church, the Pope imparts his Blessing upon the crowd which extends to loved ones who are sick and suffering and blesses any religious articles (e.g., rosary beads) people have brought with them for the purpose of the blessing.

Dos and Don’ts