Vatican Tickets and Tours

Vatican City, accessible on foot from the centre of Rome, is the residence of the popes and the centre of Catholic power in the world. Its main attractions are St. Peter's Basilica with its Dome, St. Peter's Square and the Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel.

If you want to avoid the queues, which are literally the longest queues in Rome, make sure you buy your ticket in advance. Here are the types of tickets available to buy in advance:

Gain direct access to the impressive Vatican Museums, the Rooms of St. Raphael and the Sistine Chapel and spend as much time as you want in each of the rooms. Thanks to the skip-the-line tickets, you can enter the complex without having to go through the ticket office beforehand andtake the tour at your own pace. You also have the option of choosing an audio guide with your ticket, which will tell you the details of the main paintings and sculptures you will find along the way.

For just 30 euros you will have access to one of Rome's main tourist attractions, and booking your tickets in advance will save you headaches once you are there.

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With this option you'll have access to the Vatican Museums, where you'll be able to see, among other works, the marvellous Sistine Chapel. The advantage? It includes a ticket that saves you endless queues and you'll be accompanied by an expert guide who will help you contextualise everything you see.

Believe me: in a place with so many works, so much history and so much symbolism, you'll appreciate having some information about the main galleries, the main artists and the essential works so as not to be overwhelmed by the great amount of stimuli, corridors and art you'll find inside. With this tour you will walk through the main rooms and galleries of the Museums, learning the most relevant details of the most significant works of the Vatican Museums.

If you are one of those who do not enjoy tours in large organised groups, consider this option because it will allow you to be closer to the guide's explanations, to have a lighter pace during the visit and to have more freedom to ask questions, ask for recommendations, connect better with the guide, etc.

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Among all the Premium tickets you can find for the Vatican, if you have to seriously consider one of them, it is this early entrance with preferential access to the Sistine Chapel. This option allows you to visit it with a smaller capacity (before it opens to the general public and other tours) and, undoubtedly, enjoy it much more.

This type of ticket guarantees that you can see the Vatican Museums in general and the Sistine Chapel in particular with a small group and an hour and a half before the crowds flood the corridors. If you have to treat yourself on your trip, I advise you to take this one very seriously.

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I suggest two types of tickets with different prices:

• The most recommended is to buy the ticket that includes a guided tour in Spanish in group and it will cost you about 43 euros. But depending on the type of ticket you want to buy, the price will be totally different.

The good thing is that there are options for all budgets. If you want more details about ticket prices to access the Vatican, you can check my article about it here: Vatican Tickets Price 2023.

• A more premium option, which avoids the crowds, is the possibility to enter the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums before they open to the general public. This comes at a slightly higher price, but if you want to get the most out of the experience, you won't regret it. It costs around 60 Euros. You will be accompanied at all times by an expert guide and the silence that reigns in the galleries at that time of day is well worth the extra cost.

Finally, there are also packs that will allow you to save when visiting the Vatican and other attractions in the city. For example, in Hellotickets you can get the combined Colosseum + Vatican. In one day you visit both attractions with a specialised guide and the cost is about 90 Euros, which makes it a cheaper option than if you buy both visits separately.

Also check out the possibility of buying the Omnia Card and the Roma Pass, the city's tourist cards, which will give you access to other museums and monuments in addition to the Vatican at a reduced price.

The best option is to buy your tickets in advance and online so you can be sure that the option you buy includes access to the Vatican without queues or waiting. All the options you find in Hellotickets include it and it will be your great advantage when you visit the Vatican.

The long queues that form at the Vatican gates go around the walls that flank the Museums and are literally the longest queues in Rome. Waiting for hours in the sun to get into the Museums, Basilica and Sistine Chapel can become your worst nightmare if you get there without tickets and have to go through the ticket office.

Rome is such a touristy city with so many wonders to see, that a good option is to buy the city's tourist card, which will help you to visit the Vatican Museums because the entrance tickets are included in the price.

Omnia Vatican and Roma Pass

Also known as the Omnia card Roma, this card is often combined with the Roma Pass and is the best option for visiting the Vatican as it includes entry to the museums and other attractions.

Rome City Pass

This is Rome's VIP pass and gives you free entry to the Vatican Museums and other attractions such as the Colosseum. You can book the pass for 1 to 7 days and include transport or airport transfer for a supplement.

If you're thinking about visiting the Colosseum (it's actually a must-see), you should know that there is the possibility to buy a combined ticket for the Vatican and the Colosseum which will save you time and money, so it's really convenient. The price is cheaper than if you buy both tickets separately and you will skip the queues at both attractions, which makes the visit much more enjoyable.

Besides, you will have the opportunity to visit both monuments accompanied by an expert guide at all times who will make sure you don't miss anything of these two jewels in the Eternal City.

From experience, I can assure you that the two-hour queues outside (with long stretches in the sun) will take a lot of energy away from seeing the Vatican Museums. Bear in mind that, depending on what time you go, you may run the risk of being sold out, so I advise you to go first thing in the morning.

The first thing you need to know is that when we talk about general admission to the Vatican without queues, we are referring to the entrance to the Vatican Museums. Vatican City is free to enter (you don't need a ticket; it's like visiting another part of Rome) and access to St. Peter's Basilica is free.

But the Sistine Chapel and all the works and galleries of the Vatican Museums with some of the most famous works in the world are fee-paying and require an entrance ticket and, very importantly, sell out quickly as seating is limited and there are thousands of people wanting to go every day.

Yes, all tickets to the Vatican include a visit to the famous Sistine Chapel. In fact, despite the sheer size of the Vatican Museums, you will immediately notice that the Sistine Chapel attracts the largest number of visitors, as almost everyone stops in this room to see it.

To enjoy the Sistine Chapel at your leisure, you can always buy an early morning ticket to avoid the crowds.

Not always, but entry to St. Peter's Basilica is free so you won't have to pay if you don't want to. However, the queues are very long, so there is the option of paying to enter (with or without a guided tour) and skip the queues. Once inside, you'll marvel at its size and the quality of some of its works.

If you want to go up to the Dome of St. Peter 's you will have to pay a separate ticket, but you can buy it on the spot without booking and there are usually no long queues to get in. If you're in any doubt about whether or not to pay to go up to the dome, my advice is to take a breath and go up.

Halfway up you'll probably regret it (the narrow spiral staircase is quite a challenge), but when you get to the top the views will be worth it and you'll be able to file the experience as one of the highlights of your trip.

No. The Vatican Necropolis, located in the basement of St. Peter's Basilica, requires a separate entrance ticket. It is quite an interesting visit and will allow you to see the crypts and tombs of some historical Popes and St. Peter the Apostle. If you want to organise your visit, I recommend you do it in advance, as the capacity is quite limited and the demand is very high.

Admission to the Vatican is free or at a special rate for students under 25 and university students, members of religious schools or accredited pilgrims, the disabled, journalists and children under six years of age. Find out how to visit the Vatican at the best price or get discounts in this guide.

The opening hours of the Vatican Museums are, with few exceptions, from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. Please note that on Sundays the museum is closed all day for the Papal Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Square and on some holidays as well. The best time to visit is usually, as is common for all tourist attractions, early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Just keep in mind that tours that include a visit to St. Peter's Basilica after 14:00 hours do not guarantee access to the Basilica.

I tell you all about it in this detailed guide with all the schedules of the Vatican (the Museums, the Basilica, the ascent to the Dome...etc).

Depending on what you want to see in the Vatican, you will need at least three hours (two if you are rushing, but it is not worth it). I personally prefer to spend three hours on a leisurely tour of the Museums with a few things left to see from the collection rather than rushing through the entire museums in two hours to get the "check" that I have "seen" everything.

If you also want to stop at St. Peter's Basilica, go up to the Dome or enjoy walking around St. Peter's Square with its colonnade, the visit is inevitably longer and could take up to a whole day. It is important to plan what you want to see in the Vatican so that you can calculate how much time you need and enjoy your visit.

Yes, a guided tour is 100% recommendable: a collection with so much symbolism and historical context is much more enjoyable with an expert who can tell you anecdotes about its creator, its style or the reason for its historical relevance. There are different options for guided tours of the Vatican, depending on your time and budget.

For example, the most comprehensive and best value for money tour costs 38 Euros and will allow you to see the best of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. If you want to avoid the crowds, you can always choose the premium option to enter the Sistine Chapel first thing in the morning, before it opens to the general public, so you can enjoy the Sistine Chapel in peace and quiet in a very small, privileged group.

Vatican City is far from the centre of Rome, but that doesn't mean it's difficult to get to. There are several ways to get there, so choose the one that best suits your itinerary:

If you are going to buy tickets on the official Vatican website, please note that they are non-refundable and valid only for the day you choose. If you don't like to improvise during your trips, I recommend you to book this option of skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican at Hellotickets, as it allows free cancellation; this way you won't lose your money if any setback arises during your trip.

Ana's Traveller Tip

If you book your ticket in advance you will avoid queues of more than two hours.

Visiting the Vatican is an obligatory stop on your trip to Rome, but to get the most out of the day, it's a good idea to plan your visit a little. Here's what you should bear in mind when visiting the Vatican:

Cover up when you visit the Vatican

You can learn from your mistakes and I'm sure you know someone who, after planning their visit, has had to leave without visiting the museums or the basilica. In both of these places you must cover your legs and shoulders. No sleeveless, low-cut clothes, shorts, mini-skirts or hats are allowed.

Do you have to be covered up in the middle of summer? Let's see, common sense: take a scarf or long foulard in your backpack that you can wear to enter these places and that you don't have to wear all day. I assure you that prevention is better than cure.

How to avoid the crowds when visiting the Vatican

To avoid queues, you already know that you have to buy your ticket to the Vatican Museums in advance, but crowds will not be so easy to avoid... The only way to reduce them is to choose the first or the last timetable and not to go before or after a public holiday and, if you can, avoid the high season.

What to do with backpacks and luggage when visiting the Vatican

They are not allowed and queues can again form at the ticket offices. I recommend that you visit with the bare minimum, because after so many hours on your feet, even a packet of tissues can get heavy.

Is it worth paying for the audio guide for children?

If you are visiting the Vatican Museums with children, I recommend that you ask for an audio guide especially for them (recommended for ages 6 to 12). This way the visit will be less tiring for them and they will enjoy the works of art more.

Where to eat near the Vatican

This area, being quite touristy, may not seem at first sight to be the best part of Rome to stop for lunch or dinner. But that doesn't mean that the Italian capital is not still a gastronomic reference point, so even in the area around the Vatican you will find exquisite places to eat.

Prepare your palate and enjoy the best Roman dishes!

Ana's Traveller Tip

Carry a scarf in your backpack so you can cover your shoulders when you enter the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica.