Vatican Opening Times

The Vatican is on the "Travel Wishlist" of many visitors to Rome, and no wonder. The Sistine Chapel, the amount of art housed in its museums and its monumental St. Peter's Basilica are just some of the gems that await you in Vatican City.

The first thing to do is to buy your ticket to the Vatican in advance or book a guided tour of the Vatican with an expert guide. Secondly, check the opening hours to organise your visit to the religious capital of Christianity.

• Monday to Thursday: 8:30 am - 6:30 pm (last access to the Museums at 4:30 pm).
• Fridays and Saturdays: 8:30 am - 10:30 pm (last admission to the Museums at 8:30 pm)
• Sundays: closed

The Sistine Chapel is located inside the Vatican Museums, so in principle it will remain open as long as the Museums are open. If you want to visit the Sistine Chapel, these are the opening hours:

• Monday to Thursday: 8:30 am - 6:30 pm (last access to the Museums at 4:30 pm).
• Fridays and Saturdays: 8:30 am - 10:30 pm (last admission to the Museums at 8:30 pm).
• Sundays: closed

To visit St. Peter's Basilica, please take note of its opening hours:

• Summer opening hours, from April to September: open every day from Monday to Friday, between 7am and 7pm.
• Winter opening hours, from October to March, open every day from Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm.

Please note: for tours that include entry to the Basilica after 14:00 hours, access to the Basilica is not guaranteed.

The Dome of St. Peter's is located inside St. Peter's Basilica and is normally accessible as long as the Basilica is open. These are the opening hours:

• Winter opening hours (October to March): daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Summer opening hours (from April to September): from 8:00 to 18:00.

• Wednesday: 10:30 am. Entrance opens at 8 a.m. Early arrival is recommended in order to reserve a seat.
• Sundays: 12 noon (provided the Pope is in Rome that week). It is also recommended to arrive early to guarantee access to St. Peter's Square.

Here is a link to this article if you would like more details on how to attend the Papal Audience to see the Pope at the Vatican.

• During the week: 9:00 / 10:00 / 11:00 / 12:00 / 17:00
• On public holidays: 9:00 / 10:30 / 11:30 / 11:30 / 12:15 / 13:00 / 16:00 / 17:30

Please note that both the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are still places of worship in use, so they may close if during a religious holiday, on special dates such as Christmas or if a specific event takes place and a mass is to be celebrated inside.

In such cases, access to St Peter's Square may also be restricted for security reasons. Normally, these are the dates when the Vatican is closed:

• 1 January
• 6th January
• 29th June
• 15 or 16 August (depending on the calendar)
• 25th and 26th December
• Please also consult the annual calendar for the dates of Holy Week (especially Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday).