Guide to the Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel: Hours, Tickets, Highlights

The Vatican Museums attract over 6 million visitors a year, making them one of the most visited cultural sites in the world.

Located in Vatican City, the museums house everything from ancient Egyptian relics to modern religious art—culminating in the iconic Sistine Chapel, famed for Michelangelo’s ceiling. 

This guide to the Vatican Museums offers essential tips for your visit, including its highlights, opening hours, tickets, and transport. It also provides practical advice on museum etiquette and crowd avoidance strategies.

Let’s begin!

Tickets for the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Ticket prices for the Vatican Museums vary based on the type of experience you choose, whether it's general admission, a guided tour, or a combo ticket. 

To help you select the best option, we've compiled a list of the top-rated entry and combo tickets/ city passes. Here are the best choices for your visit:

• Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tickets
• Vatican City Pass
• Combo: Colosseum + Vatican Museums Guided Tour
• Vatican Museums: Fast Track Ticket + Sightseeing Bus Tour

Do I Need a Guided Tour for Vatican Museums?

A guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel adds depth to your visit with expert commentary on the art, architecture, and hidden stories behind the masterpieces. Guides help you navigate the vast complex efficiently, ensuring you don’t miss key highlights or lesser-known treasures.

In addition to enriching your understanding, some guided tours offer access to areas closed to the general public or take place during restricted hours, allowing for a more intimate and less crowded experience. With curated routes and insider insights, a guided tour turns your visit into something truly memorable.

Recommended guided tours:

• Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel: Guided Tour
• Vatican: Early Entry to Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's
  
• Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour with Optional Basilica
• Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica: Full Guided Tour

Also interesting:

St. Peter's Basilica: Guided Tour + Dome & Vatican Grottoes Access

Highlights of the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are one of the most extensive and important museum complexes in the world. Home to over 20,000 works on display across 1,400 rooms and 13.6 acres, the collections cover everything from ancient civilizations to Renaissance masterpieces and modern religious art.

This section follows the official visitor route, guiding you through the museum’s highlights in the order you’ll encounter them. From ancient artifacts to the Sistine Chapel, here’s what not to miss.

Top 5 Must-Sees at a Glance

• Sistine Chapel
• Raphael Rooms
• Pio Clementino Museum
• Gallery of Maps
• Gregorian Egyptian Museum
• Picture Gallery (Pinacoteca)

1. First Floor – Entrance Area & Start of the Route

Gregorian Etruscan Museum: Founded in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI, this museum explores the pre-Roman Etruscan civilization.

• Intricate vases and ceramics
• Gold and bronze jewelry
• Sarcophagi and funerary objects
• Artifacts from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb

Chiaramonti Museum: A long corridor of Roman portrait busts and sculptures.

• Statues of gods and athletes
• Reliefs and friezes
• Roman sarcophagi

New Wing (Braccio Nuovo): Built in 1822 to display classical sculptures under natural light.

• Augustus of Prima Porta
• Statue of the Nile River
• Doryphoros

Pio Clementino Museum: Founded in the 18th century to preserve Greek and Roman antiquities.

• Laocoön and His Sons
• Apollo Belvedere
• Belvedere Torso
• Round Hall with mosaic floors and giant statues

2. Second Floor – Egyptian & Early Christian Collections

Gregorian Egyptian Museum: Opened in 1839 and dedicated to Ancient Egypt.

• Sarcophagi, mummies, and canopic jars
• Statues of Ramses II and Egyptian deities
• Hieroglyphs and Nubian artifacts

Christian Museum & Pius Christian Museum: Focused on early Christian art and relics.

• Decorated sarcophagi with biblical scenes
• Christian symbols, inscriptions, and mosaics

Gregorian Profane & Profane Museum: Showcasing Greek and Roman decorative arts.

• Classical statues and reliefs
• Mosaic floors from Roman villas
• Fragments of ancient temples

3. Main Galleries – Connecting the Buildings

Gallery of the Candelabra: Named for its monumental marble candelabra.

• Roman statues and decorative objects
• Ceiling frescoes and ancient mosaics

Gallery of Tapestries: Impressive 16th-century Flemish tapestries.

• Biblical scenes from the life of Christ
• Optical illusions that change with movement

Gallery of Maps: A 120-meter hallway of regional maps of Italy.

• 40 Renaissance maps painted between 1580–1585
• Vaulted ceiling decorated with vibrant frescoes

4. Raphael Rooms (Stanze di Raffaello)

Commissioned by Pope Julius II and painted by Raphael between 1508–1524. Highlights include:

• School of Athens – a Renaissance masterpiece
• The Mass at Bolsena and Liberation of St. Peter
• Fire in the Borgo and Parnassus

5. Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina)

The most famous stop of the Vatican Museums.

• Built by Pope Sixtus IV (1473–1481)
• Ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo (1508–1512), incl. Creation of Adam
• The Last Judgment (1536–1541) on the altar wall
• Wall frescoes by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Perugino

6. Final Rooms Before Exit

Borgia Apartment: Decorated by Pinturicchio under Pope Alexander VI.

• Six rooms with biblical frescoes
• Now home to works by Chagall, Dalí, and Kandinsky

Room of the Immaculate Conception: Frescoed by Francesco Podesti in the 19th century.

• Celebrates the 1854 proclamation of the dogma

Room of the Aldobrandini Wedding:

• Roman frescoes of a wedding feast (2nd century BCE)
• Rich mythological and domestic scenes

Picture Gallery (Pinacoteca): A treasure trove of paintings from the 12th–19th centuries.

• Raphael’s Transfiguration
• Leonardo’s St. Jerome
• Works by Caravaggio, Titian, and Fra Angelico

Where are the Vatican Museums Located?

The Vatican Museums are located inside Vatican City, an independent state surrounded by Rome, Italy.

• Address: Musei Vaticani, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Città del Vaticano
• Google Maps: Vatican Museums Location
• Map of the Vatican Museums

How to get to the Vatican Museums

Although Vatican City is an independent state, its transportation is seamlessly integrated with Rome's public transit network, ATAC. 

Here are the fastest ways to get to the Vatican Museums:

• By Bus:

Bus 49: Viale Vaticano/Musei Vaticani stop opposite the museum
Bus 492, 990: Via Leone IV/Via degli Scipioni stop and a 4-minute walk
Bus 31, 82, 982: Piazza del Risorgimento stop and a 7-minute walk

• By Metro: 

Metro A: Ottoviano stop and a 8-minute walk
Check the Public Transport Maps

Opening Hours of the Vatican Museums

Best Time to Visit the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are a popular destination throughout the year, but you can make your visit more enjoyable by considering season, day of the week, and time of day. 

• Arrive early (right at opening) for a quieter visit
• Late afternoons are also calmer and beautifully lit
• Off-season months (November to February) offer the most serene atmosphere
• Avoid weekends and holidays unless you’re visiting on the free last Sunday

Visiting Rules for the Vatican Museums

• Dress Code: Modest clothing is required. No sleeveless tops, short skirts, shorts above the knee, or offensive symbols/tattoos.
• Security Check: Sharp objects and metal tools must be left in the cloakroom. Prepare bags for screening.
• Bags & Luggage: Large bags, backpacks, and suitcases must be checked in. Don’t leave items if visiting St. Peter’s Basilica afterward.
• Prohibited Items: Umbrellas, walking sticks (unless needed), tripods, video gear, and banners must be stored.
• Food & Drink: No eating or drinking inside. Alcohol is prohibited.
• Families: Strollers are welcome. Elevators, baby changing stations, and nursing rooms are available.
• Pets: Only guide dogs are allowed with advance notice.
• Photography: Allowed (without flash) except in the Sistine Chapel. No tripods, drones, or selfie sticks without prior authorization.
• Phones: Keep phones on silent. Use is not allowed inside the Sistine Chapel.
• Smoking: Smoking and e-cigarettes are forbidden throughout the entire museum.

Traveler Tips for Visiting the Vatican Museums 

To make the most of your visit, consider these practical tips from those who have explored this remarkable monument:

• Book Tickets in Advance: Secure your tickets online to skip the long lines and enjoy a smoother entry.
• Arrive Early: Beat the crowds by arriving early in the day for a more peaceful experience of the museums and chapel.
• Use Guided Tours: Enhance your visit with a guided tour for insightful commentary and exclusive access to lesser-known features.
• Opt for an Audio Guide: Explore at your own pace with an audio guide that provides detailed information on the chapel's history and artwork.
• Dress Appropriately: Wear modest clothing, covering shoulders and knees, to show respect for the sacred space of the Sistine Chapel. 
• Respect the Art: Avoid touching or leaning on artworks to help preserve them for future visitors.
• Watch for Scams: Be cautious of individuals offering unsolicited services or selling items around the Vatican Museums.
• Explore Nearby Attractions: Extend your visit by exploring nearby sites like St. Peter’s Basilica and Castel Sant'Angelo.

Top Attractions Near the Vatican Museums

After visiting the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, you can explore several nearby attractions that offer rich cultural and historical experiences:

• St. Peter's Basilica: 13-minute walk. Marvel at the grand architecture of one of the holiest Catholic sites. >> Entrance is free.
• Museum Leonardo Da Vinci Experience: 16-minute walk. An immersive journey into the life, works, and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, through interactive exhibits and multimedia displays. >> Ticket information
• Castel Sant'Angelo: 20-minute walk. A historic fortress offering panoramic views of Rome. >> Ticket information
• Piazza Navona: 30-minute walk. A lively square featuring Baroque architecture and vibrant street performances.

History of the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums were founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, following the discovery of Laocoön and His Sons near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This sculpture became the cornerstone of a growing collection, initially displayed in the Octagonal Courtyard.

Over the 16th century, major additions followed, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling and Raphael’s Rooms, cementing the museums' importance during the Renaissance. The 18th and 19th centuries brought further expansion with the founding of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum and Gallery of Maps.