The Vatican Museums end in the Sistine Chapel, and most visitors want to finish in St Peter’s Basilica next door. Plan around three things. The Museums are closed on most Sundays and on several church holidays. Tickets are timed and valid only on the day booked. And the dress code applies to everyone: covered shoulders and knees, no hats. A guided tour costs more than a ticket, but the best ones include the passage from the Sistine Chapel straight to St Peter’s, which is not sold to independent visitors.
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s: tickets and tours
Vatican tours compared
Five well-reviewed tours, from a classic group tour with St Peter’s to an early start in a group of six, all with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Prices checked on 5 November 2026; live prices in your currency are shown on each card.
Where available, you can reserve now and pay later. Payment dates and eligibility depend on the experience and the options shown at checkout.
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Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s guided tour
From €69A group of 20 or fewer, with small-group, semi-private and private options. From the Sistine Chapel the tour takes the Scala Regia passage into St Peter’s Basilica, except on Wednesday mornings, when the papal audience closes it, and on the two-hour Express option. Not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Meets by Caffè Vaticano, opposite the Museums entrance.
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Basilica tour on a budget
From €28.17The Raphael Rooms, the Borgia Apartments and the Sistine Chapel, then a staircase to St Peter’s Basilica (not on Wednesdays), in a group of up to 20, or up to 12 on the small-group option. A ticket-only option without a guide is also offered. Meets at Viale Vaticano 100.
Early-morning Vatican tour in a group of six
From €209Early entry to the Museums with the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Pinecone Courtyard and the Sistine Chapel, finishing in St Peter’s Basilica. A breakfast upgrade in the Pinecone Courtyard is available. Meets in front of Caffè Vaticano.
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in a small group
From €104The 7.45am option enters the Museums at 8am. St Peter’s Basilica is not included; you can visit it on your own afterwards, as entry is free. English and Spanish tours. Meets at Via Tunisi 4, opposite the Museums entrance.
St Peter’s Basilica, grottoes and dome climb
From €48.60A guided tour of the basilica and the grottoes, with the dome climb by stairs included. It does not skip the security line, and the Vatican Museums are not included. Groups of up to 25, or private. Meets at Largo del Colonnato 5, by the first columns of the colonnade.
Which Vatican visit should you choose?
Ticket only: the cheapest way in
Buy only from the Museums’ own ticket site: they warn about look-alike sites that charge more. A full ticket costs €20, plus €5 when booked online, and is valid only on the day and at the time you choose; tickets are not refundable. On your own, the Museums are a long one-way route, so download a map and decide which galleries you want before you go.
Guided tour with St Peter’s: the most popular choice
A three-hour tour covers the highlights, the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, and the best include a passage straight from the Sistine Chapel into St Peter’s, saving the walk back round the walls. That passage is not offered to independent visitors, so if you want it, book a tour that names it. On Wednesday mornings access to the basilica is restricted because of the papal audience in St Peter’s Square.
Early entry: fewer people in the Sistine Chapel
Early tours meet before 8am, when the Museums open, and give you the best chance of seeing the main galleries before they fill. They cost more, especially in small groups, but they are the closest you will get to a quiet Sistine Chapel.
St Peter’s Basilica and the dome
Entry to St Peter’s Basilica is free, and from 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 it opens every day from 7am to 7pm (7am to 8pm in summer); the dome is open 7.30am–5pm in winter. Climbing the dome is extra: €17 by the stairs or €22 with the lift, each including a timed basilica visit. The climb is 551 steps, or 320 if you take the lift to the terrace, and is not recommended for people with heart conditions, vertigo or claustrophobia.
Map of the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s
The Museums entrance is on Viale Vaticano, on the north side of Vatican City; St Peter’s Square is a walk round the walls to the south-east. Times are approximate walking times from the Museums entrance.
Getting to the Vatican Museums
- Metro: line A, direction Battistini, to Ottaviano or Cipro.
- Bus: line 49 stops in front of the Museums; lines 32, 81 and 982 stop at Piazza del Risorgimento.
- Tram: line 19 to Piazza del Risorgimento.
- Taxi: there is a rank in front of the Museums.
- St Peter’s Basilica is entered from St Peter’s Square, through the security checks in the right-hand colonnade.
Around the Vatican
1Vatican Museums entrance
startViale Vaticano: the entrance to the Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
2Ottaviano metro station
about 8 minThe usual metro stop for the Museums, on line A.
3St Peter’s Square
about 12 minBernini’s colonnaded square; security checks for the basilica are in the right-hand colonnade.
4St Peter’s Basilica
about 15 minFree entry, daily 7am to 7pm in winter; the dome climb is extra.
5Castel Sant’Angelo
about 20 minHadrian’s mausoleum by the Tiber, at the far end of Via della Conciliazione.
6Piazza del Risorgimento
about 6 minThe bus and tram hub between the Museums and St Peter’s.
Dress code and rules
The same dress code applies in the Museums and the basilica, and guards can refuse entry.
- Cover shoulders and knees: no sleeveless or low-cut tops, shorts above the knee or miniskirts, and no hats.
- The Sistine Chapel asks for silence. Photos, filming and phone use are forbidden there.
- Elsewhere in the Museums, personal photos are allowed without flash, tripods or selfie sticks. In the basilica, visitors are asked not to take photos.
- Large bags, rucksacks and umbrellas must go in the free cloakroom in the Museums. If your tour continues into St Peter’s, do not leave anything there: the Museums remind visitors going on to the basilica not to leave bags behind.
- St Peter’s has no luggage storage, so travel light.
Sundays, holidays and the free last Sunday
The Museums are closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of each month, when entry is free from 9am to 2pm (last entry 12.30pm).
- The free Sunday does not apply when it falls on Easter Sunday, 29 June, or 25, 26 or 31 December. The next free Sundays are 29 November and 27 December 2026 and 31 January 2027.
- Guided tours on free Sundays need a reservation.
- Closed on 8, 25 and 26 December 2026 and on 1 and 6 January 2027. On 24 and 31 December the last entry is at 1pm and the Museums close at 3pm.
Accessibility
Visitors with a certified disability of at least 67 percent enter free, with a companion if needed; these tickets are issued at the entrance desks, not online.
- Wheelchairs can be borrowed free from the cloakroom, subject to availability, against an ID and a deposit.
- A barrier-free route is offered with help from the guards.
- The basilica has ramps and lifts; the dome is not wheelchair accessible.
- Some group tours, including the first one above, cannot take wheelchairs or strollers; check before booking.
Mistakes to avoid at the Vatican
The most common mistake is planning the Vatican for a Sunday: on most Sundays the Museums are closed.
- Booking a tour that includes St Peter’s for a Wednesday morning: access is restricted because of the papal audience.
- Wearing shorts or a sleeveless top in summer. Bring a scarf or light trousers.
- Buying tickets from look-alike websites instead of the official ticket site or a tour.
- Arriving late: tickets and tours have strict entry times and late arrivals may not be admitted.
- Leaving a bag in the Museums’ cloakroom when your tour ends in St Peter’s.
Vatican Museums FAQ
How much are Vatican Museums tickets in 2026?
A full ticket costs €20, or €25 booked online. The reduced ticket, for ages 7 to 18 and students up to 25, is €10, or €15 online. Children under 7 enter free.
Are the Vatican Museums open on Sundays?
Only on the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free from 9am to 2pm, with last entry at 12.30pm. Other Sundays are closed.
Can you go from the Sistine Chapel to St Peter’s Basilica?
Many guided tours use a passage from the Sistine Chapel straight into St Peter’s. It is not offered to independent visitors, who walk back out and enter the basilica from St Peter’s Square.
Is St Peter’s Basilica free?
Yes. Entry is free and booking is not required; it is open daily from 7am to 7pm from 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 (7am to 8pm in summer). The dome climb costs €17 by the stairs or €22 with the lift.
What is the dress code at the Vatican?
Shoulders and knees covered, no sleeveless or low-cut tops, no short shorts or miniskirts and no hats, in both the Museums and St Peter’s.
Can you take photos in the Sistine Chapel?
No. Photos and filming are forbidden in the Sistine Chapel, and phones must not be used there. Personal photos without flash are allowed in most other galleries.
When are the Vatican Museums closed over Christmas?
On 8, 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 6 January. On 24 and 31 December they close early, with last entry at 1pm.
How long do you need for the Vatican Museums?
Tours of the Museums and the Sistine Chapel take two to three hours, and the three-hour tours usually end in St Peter’s Basilica. Allow more time if you also want to climb the dome.
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Spotted something out of date? Tell usSources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources on November 5, 2026. Prices and times can change, so confirm them when you book.
- Vatican Museums: opening hours (museivaticani.va)
- Vatican Museums: 2026–2027 opening calendar (PDF) (museivaticani.va)
- Vatican Museums: prices and tickets (museivaticani.va)
- Vatican Museums: reduced ticket (museivaticani.va)
- Vatican Museums: student ticket (museivaticani.va)
- Vatican Museums: useful advice and rules (museivaticani.va)
- Vatican Museums: services for visitors with disabilities (museivaticani.va)
- Vatican Museums: how to get here (museivaticani.va)
- St Peter’s Basilica: the Basilica (FAQ) (basilicasanpietro.va)
- St Peter’s Basilica: new opening hours (basilicasanpietro.va)
- St Peter’s Basilica: rules for the common good (basilicasanpietro.va)
- St Peter’s Basilica: entering the Basilica (basilicasanpietro.va)
- St Peter’s Basilica: the Dome (FAQ) (basilicasanpietro.va)
- St Peter’s Basilica: opening hours (basilicasanpietro.va)
- The Holy See: tickets for papal audiences and celebrations (vatican.va)
- The Holy See: information and Mass times (vatican.va)
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From prices are indicative. Choose your date and confirm availability, cancellation terms and the final total on the booking page. * Ratings and reviews are collected by Viator and Tripadvisor.
* “What travellers say” summarises recent reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor, covering every star rating (October 2026).