The Vatican Museums at a glance
The Vatican Museums are a group of galleries inside Vatican City, entered from Viale Vaticano in Rome. The collection goes back to 1506, when Pope Julius II put ancient sculptures on show in what was then the Statue Court. The Laocoön group, found that year, was bought for the collection. Today the route leads past antique sculpture, the Gallery of Maps and the Raphael Rooms to the Sistine Chapel.
One entry ticket covers the museums and the Sistine Chapel on the day of your visit. The museum entrance is on Viale Vaticano and is separate from the way into St Peter's Basilica. This site is an independent travel guide. It is not the website of the museums, the Holy See or any tour company.
What this guide covers
Everything you need to plan a visit, in one place.
You will find the current ticket prices and who pays less, the opening hours and the closing days of 2026, the rules for clothing and bags, and the Sistine Chapel with its photo ban. There are pages on the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps and the Pinacoteca, a route through the highlights, the free last Sunday of the month, early entry and breakfast options, the Vatican Gardens, and how to reach the entrance. The tour listings below compare guided visits and small-group options. St Peter's Basilica and its square have their own guide, see St Peter's Basilica, and the rest of the city is covered in Rome in one day.
Our picks: Vatican Museums tickets and tours
An entry ticket, a guided visit and an early-entry tour with a direct passage to St Peter's.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Early entry with a guide through all three sites
The earliest entry, an English-speaking guide, a direct passage to St Peter's and the reservation fees.
Check availability →
Museums tour with an official museum guide
Entry without the ticket queue, the museum ticket and a guide from the Vatican Museums.
Check availability →
Museums and Sistine Chapel entry ticket
Entry to the museums without the ticket queue, with the booking fee included. A guide, a St Peter's ticket and the dome are not part of it.
Check availability →Vatican Museums tours and tickets
Entry tickets, guided visits, small groups and early-entry options, with live prices and availability.
Plan your visit
Start with tickets and hours, then pick the pages you need.
Tickets and prices
Full and reduced prices, online booking and how to tell the official shop from resellers.
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday hours, last entry and the closing days of 2026.
Tours compared
Group tours, small groups and entry options, and what to check before you book.
The Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo's ceiling, the Last Judgment and the rules inside.
Raphael Rooms
Four rooms in the papal palace, including the School of Athens.
Gallery of Maps
A corridor of 120 m with 40 painted maps of Italy.
Pinacoteca
Paintings by Raphael, Leonardo and Caravaggio in 18 rooms.
Highlights route
From the Pigna Court through the ancient sculpture to the Sistine Chapel.
Rules, savings and getting there
The practical pages that save time at the gate.
Dress code
Covered shoulders and knees, bags, security and what you may not bring.
Free Sunday
Free entry on the last Sunday of the month, with shorter hours.
Early entry
Breakfast and pre-opening options, and what 08:00 really means.
Vatican Gardens
Guided visits and the open bus, booked separately from the museums.
Getting there
Metro, buses, taxi and the entrance on Viale Vaticano.
Best time to visit
Weather by month, days and hours, and how to use your time.
What you walk through
The museums are a series of collections along one long route.
The Museo Pio-Clementino holds the ancient sculpture and is named after Clement XIV and Pius VI. Its octagonal court belongs to the historic core of the collection, and it is where the Laocoön group stands. The Belvedere Torso, a marble torso of the 1st century BC signed by Apollonios of Athens, is in the Hall of the Muses. The Gregorian Egyptian Museum was founded in 1839 by Gregory XVI and has 9 rooms, including finds from Roman Egypt.
The Pinacoteca, the picture gallery, was built by Luca Beltrami for Pius XI and opened on 27 October 1932. It has 18 rooms and a stock of 460 paintings, although not every work hangs at the same time. The highlights page puts the main stops into one order.
A few things to know before you plan
The points that most often change a visit.
Prices in 2026
A full-price ticket costs €20 at the ticket office and €25 online, which includes a €5 reservation fee. Reduced tickets cost €10, or €15 online. Children under 7 enter free.
Tickets and prices →The museums do not close at 18:00
The regular hours are Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 20:00. The last entry is at 18:00, and the rooms begin to clear 30 minutes before closing.
Opening hours →The free Sunday is the last one
Entry is free on the last Sunday of the month, from 09:00 to 14:00, with the last entry at 12:30. It is not the first Sunday, and a few Sundays are excluded.
Free Sunday →08:00 is the normal opening time
An early slot at 08:00 is not a visit before the public. Early-entry products differ, so read what each one includes.
Early entry →The Holy Year has ended
The 2025 Jubilee closed on 6 January 2026. The normal rules for tickets and hours apply.
Check the rules →Photos in the Sistine Chapel
Photos and films are not allowed, and visitors keep silent. Phones stay in your pocket.
Sistine Chapel →More independent Rome guides
Separate guides from the same team, each focused on one part of a Rome trip.
St. Peter's Square and the Vatican
St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and papal audiences.
Rome in One Day
A realistic one-day route with the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Trastevere.
Roman Forum
The Forum and the Palatine in depth: tickets, route, temples and history.
Piazza Navona
The baroque square: Bernini's fountain, the stadium below and the lanes around it.
Spanish Steps
The steps, Piazza di Spagna, the sitting rules and the walk to Trevi.
Vatican Museums: frequently asked questions
How much does a ticket cost in 2026?
The full price is €20 at the ticket office and €25 online, because the online price includes a €5 reservation fee. Reduced tickets are €10, or €15 online. Children under 7 are free. See the tickets page for who qualifies for a reduction.
Is the Sistine Chapel included in the ticket?
Yes. The entry ticket covers the museums and the Sistine Chapel on the day you visit. There is no separate general Sistine Chapel ticket. Read more on the Sistine Chapel page.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 20:00, with the last entry at 18:00. The museums are closed on Sundays except the last Sunday of the month, and on a number of holidays. See opening hours for the 2026 closing days.
Where is the entrance?
On Viale Vaticano. You cannot enter the museums through St Peter's Square, and the basilica has its own entrance. The getting there page explains the Metro and bus options.
Do I have to cover my shoulders and knees?
Yes. Shoulders must be covered, and low-cut or sleeveless tops, shorts above the knee, miniskirts and hats are not allowed. Details are on the dress code page.
Is vatican-museums.org the official website?
No. This is an independent travel guide with no link to the Vatican Museums, the Holy See, the Vatican City State, any tour operator or any ticket reseller. The official online ticket shop is tickets.museivaticani.va.