Are you looking for where to buy Vatican tickets? You are in the right place! I have been to the Vatican many times and have used all sorts of ways to get tickets, and here I will explain you everything you need to know.
If it is your first time in Rome, you really should not pass on the opportunity to visit the Vatican Museums – which, let me clarify, are actually in the Vatican City (a small independent state located in the center of Rome).
Packed with history and the masterpieces of Bernini, Michelangelo, and Raphael among others, these are also among the most popular museums in Rome, which means that they can get crowded with visitors and that getting tickets can be a bit of a hassle.
Visiting Rome soon? Don’t forget to buy your Vatican tickets ahead of your visit. Here are the best options to do so:
As you can see, there are a few ways of getting tickets to the Vatican Museums. In this post, I highlight the best available options so that can pick the one that best suits you. Continue reading to discover how to get Vatican Museums tickets.
How To Get Vatican Tickets
When you first try to work out ways of getting your tickets to the Vatican Museums, you may be a little confused. That’s because there are a few different ways to secure yourself a ticket to this top attraction.
For one thing, there are different attractions to see in the Vatican City itself: the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Gardens and St Peter’s Basilica, as well as the Vatican Necropolis. So working out what it is you’re buying a ticket for isn’t always obvious.
If it is your first time in the city, you will want to get tickets to the Vatican Museums, which also allow you to access the Sistine Chapel. St. Peter’s Basilica is free to access.
Make sure to read my post A Guide To Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica.
Way N. 1: Use the Vatican tickets official site
The best place to buy Vatican tickets online is the Vatican tickets official website: museivaticani.va. The site is available in different languages.
The price of tickets bought on the official website is as follows:
ADULTS – €25 (that includes the €5 online processing fee)
REDUCED – €13 (that includes the €5 online processing fee), available for visitors between the ages of 6 and 18.
FREE – Children up to 5 years of age and disabled visitors (proof of disability required) and one person accompanying them.
Audioguides cost €7 for adults and €5 for children.
Here’s the procedure to secure your tickets:
Once you get on the Vatican Museums page, click on the word “tickets” on the left sidebar. On the window that opens on the main page, select “Museums and Vatican Collections” and hit enter.
Another page will load, in Italian – switch to English before continuing. Then, select the date on which you want to visit the Vatican Museums, and the number of visitors. After you’ve done this, the site will show you a list of various different tickets and tours you can book.
This is the part that can be a little confusing and you will have to decide which Vatican tickets to buy. Indeed, as well as straightforward admission tickets to the Vatican Museums, there are also other tickets, such as for guided tours, tickets for lunch or breakfast at the Museums, and tickets for special events.
This is also the point at which you’ll find out whether or not your preferred date is available. Oftentimes, if you’re booking too close to the date you want to visit, it will be sold out. With this in mind, it’s best to try to book as early as possible.
Once you’ve found the ticket for you, on your preferred date, the next page will show you a list of time slots that you can opt for. Usually the morning slots are sold out pretty quickly, leaving only the late afternoon and evening options.
Vatican Museum tickets bought on the official site is that they are not refundable – so if for any reason you can’t make it on the day you are supposed to be visiting, you will lose your money. However, you can change the date or modify the name of the visitors in case you can’t make it. On the day of your visit, you have a 15 minute window to show up at the museums.
You can’t book skip-the-line Vatican tickets more than 60 days before your visit, so long-term planning may be a bit tricky.
Way N. 2: Get Vatican tickets on third party sites
If your time slot is sold out, the best way to book Vatican tickets is via a third-party site.
The only real difference with booking via a third-party site is that it’s usually a few euros more expensive than booking via the official Vatican Museums site. However, there are some benefits to paying that extra money.
Third-party booking sites are significantly more straightforward and user-friendly and won’t send you around in circles to find what you need to buy. They also allow you to buy tickets well ahead of the 60-day limit offered on the official website, which is perfect if you are an early planner like me.
Finally, third-party booking sites also offer last-minute tickets, at times even for the same day, which on the other hand is great if you left your planning to the last moments before your visit.
There are many sites you can get tickets from – I normally rely on GetYourGuide or Tiqets as I find their customer service better than most sites.
I recommend getting your tickets on GetYourGuide.
Tiqets is another site I recommend using to get tickets. They also sell last-minute tickets to the Vatican.
Tickets to the Vatican Museums bought on third-party booking sites – much like plain tickets bought on the official site – are not refundable.
Way N. 3: Go on a guided tour of the Vatican Museums
Guided tours of the Vatican Museums are a good option if you want more insight and information during your visit. You will learn about the significance of the exquisite artworks on show, as well as about the various Popes who have lived here.
Guided tours always come with Vatican Museum tickets included. You’ll meet your guide at a meeting point and will be walked to the main entrance and whisked through the gates and security checks.
There are, however, a lot of different options for guided tours. Some tours are private, some are group tours (and in that case you have the option of a regular and small group tour); there are kids friendly tours too.
There are also different options for timings – early access, late evening access, etc. – and different tours include different things.
For example, some tours of the Vatican Museums go to St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Gardens; others will only focus on the museums and the Sistine Chapel themselves.
I have taken countless tours of the Vatican, so here are my top recommendations:
My favorite tour of the Vatican is this early morning tour – it is operated by a local company. You will meet your guide at a place near the museums, walk there together and start exploring the grounds. The tour also goes to St. Peter’s Basilica.
I also like this Walks of Italy Vatican Museums later afternoon tour with Sistine Chapel which allows you to explore the sites late in the day, when the museum is about to close. The tour is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and lasts 3 hours, so perfect for a more in depth visit.
If you wish to explore the Vatican in-depth, I recommend this Vatican tour which also includes a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Dome. It’s a great option if you want to climb the tomb, which offers great views of Rome.
If you also want to visit the Vatican Gardens (which are stunning!), I recommend this thorough guided tour sold on Tiqets. It lasts 3 hours, after which you can continue exploring the Vatican.
I recommend this budget-friendly tour of the Vatican if you are looking out for your money – it’s not a small group tour though.
If you are traveling to Rome with your children, I recommend considering this kids-friendly tour – my cousin who has two kids tried it and they all enjoyed the experience.
Way N. 4: Get the Vatican City Pass
You also might want to consider getting a Vatican City Pass. This pass gives you skip-the-line tickets to access the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums.
It also includes a guided tour of St Peter’s Basilica (in English or French) by an official Vatican guide and an audio guide inside the museums and the Sistine Chapel.
What’s great about the Vatican City Pass is that you get to book your time slot for the Vatican Museums as soon as you purchase it, without having to go to any other site.
Another option would be that of getting the Rome Tourist Card, which in addition to the attractions included in the Vatican City Pass also includes admission to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and an option to choose a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, or admission to Borghese Gallery or Castel Sant’Angelo.
Like the Vatican City Pass, the Rome Tourist Card allows you to book your time slots for the attractions at the time of purchase.
Finally, there’s the option of getting the Rome Explorer Pass which allows you to pick up to 7 attractions to visit in Rome.
In the case of the Rome Explorer Pass, you will have to make separate bookings for each attraction you wish to visit on their official website.
Way N. 5: Get Vatican tickets at the door
Some readers have asked me “can you buy Vatican tickets at the door?” and the simple answer is yes. But let me elaborate.
There is a ticket office located right by the entrance of the museums. Getting tickets in person is the most budget-friendly option (you won’t pay for the booking fee applied to Vatican tickets online), but there is no guarantee that you will be able to get a ticket for the time you arrive.
Tickets may be sold out for the day and you may encounter the longest line at the counter: you may end up standing in line for a while only to find out that there are no more available tickets.
So, unless you are visiting Rome in the off season (but Rome doesn’t really know an off season!), I really don’t recommend winging it.
Beware of hawkers that occasionally stand right outside attractions in Rome, including the Vatican Museums. Needless to say, these tickets are overpriced compared to those you can get on the official site and third-party booking sites.
Useful Information
Vatican tickets official price
This is the official price of Vatican Museum tickets:
ADULTS – €20
REDUCED – €8, available for visitors between the ages of 6 and 18.
FREE – Children up to 5 years of age and disabled visitors (proof of disability required) and one person accompanying them.
Audioguides cost €7 for adults and €5 for children.
There’s a €5 processing fee to factor into your budget on top of the cost of the ticket.
Disabled visitors can get in for free but they can’t book their visit in advance. They need to go to the Special Permits or Reception desk in the entrance hall with a letter or certificate of invalidity to retrieve their skip-the-line ticket.
What’s included in your Vatican Museum tickets?
A ticket to the Vatican Museums includes admission to the Sistine Chapel, but not to St. Peter’s Basilica, which anyway is free to visit.
Tickets to the Vatican Museums don’t include admission to the Vatican Gardens, for which you have to book a separate guided tour.
This costs €45 in total and includes earphones, a bus tour throughout the gardens and the reservation fee, as well as admission to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, which you get to visit after the bus tour and after which you will exit the museum complex.
Vatican Gardens tours are available via the official website. When I visited I actually booked my Vatican Gardens tour on Tiqets. The main difference is that in the second case you will have a live guide to take you around the museums.
Make sure to read my post A Guide To Visiting The Vatican Gardens.
Can you buy Vatican tickets at the door?
Yes! As I have said before, this is also a possibility although the availability is very limited and there will be a line, especially if you visit in the peak season.
When do Vatican tickets go on sale?
Tickets to the Vatican Museums on the official site normally go on sale about two months in advance, but they are also the first ones to get sold out – in that case, you can use one of the official third-party resellers to get tickets for your preferred date.
Are Vatican tickets sold out? Here’s what to do!
Using a third-party booking site is how to get Vatican tickets when sold out on the official website. If nothing is available there, look for a guided tour that includes access to the museums.
I recommend getting your tickets on GetYourGuide.
Otherwise, I recommend this Vatican tour that also includes a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Dome.
Vatican Museums opening hours
The Vatican Museums are open Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (last admission at 4:00 pm). The museum is closed on Sundays, except on the last Sunday of each month when it is open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (last admission at 12:30 pm).
From the end of April until the end of October, the Vatican Museums stay open until 10:30 pm on Fridays (last admission at 8:30 pm) and until 8:00 pm on Saturdays (last admission at 6:00 pm).
The Vatican Museums are closed on 1 and 6 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 29 June, 15 and 16 August, 1 November, 8, 25 and 26 December.
Make sure to read my post What You Must Know About 29 June In Rome.
Don’t forget about the dress code
The crucial thing you have to remember when visiting the Vatican Museums is the dress code.
To fit the dress code at the Vatican Museums, shoulders must be covered; shorts or skirts need to stretch to fall below the knee (not above); and any other revealing clothing, such as low-cut tops or tops showing your stomach, are not allowed. That goes for men as well as women.
For more information, read my post The Vatican Dress Code.
Further Readings
These other posts may be useful in planning your visit to the Vatican:
- A Short Guide To St. Peter’s Square, Rome
- 33 Fun Facts About Vatican City
- 22 Best Hotels Near Vatican City
- Can You See The Vatican And Colosseum In One Day?
Pin It For Later!
Thank you so much for this site. I wasn’t sure where to buy the tickets for the Vatican Museum. I’ve been to the sistine chapel several times, but now I want to see the paintings and statues in the museum. However, I learned that the Nicholas V’s chapel with frescos of Beato Angelico are closed. Are they never opened for the public?
I thought they were open? I can try to get in touch with the Vatican Museums themselves to find out. The website doesn’t say anything about it being closed so I wonder where you got the information?
Thank you for your answer Claudia. I read it on several websites. I studied art and did some research about Fra Angelico in Florence. I very much was looking forward to this section in the Vatican Museum. Could you please get in touch with the Museum? I have a ticket for entering on wednesday October 5 at 12.00 o’clock. that is saying that it is a closed section of the museum.
And by the way: great section on your site about Raphael! I go to all the places where his work is between 3 and 9 October.
Alright, I called. It apparently is a “hidden museum” and there are some specific tours for visiting. I asked for more information and they suggested to send an email to ingressi.musei@scv.va – they said they would reply in English. Definitely let me know what they say!
Well, I got an answer. Unless you’re rich, it’s impossible to get access. You have to pay 17 euro a person, 4 Euro for pre-sales fee, 300 euro for opening of the area and 180 euro for the guide. All together 501 euro. I’m really disappointed about this, but what can I do? Perhaps in future there are other possibilities. Thanks for your help to phone the Vatican.
Oh I am so sorry. Last week I visited the Casa Romana del Celio – amazing place, if you have a chance. I wanted to take photos so I could write about it. They told me I needed special permission. And that I have to pay €80+VAT X3 for each photo I publish. So a post would cost me €1500. All this, to promote them. I decided not to write about it until they change this.
I saw the pictures of the Casa Romana del Celio and they are indeed amazing. I have no time left this year, but I decided to go back from now on every year. I hope to go there next year. I will continue to follow you so that I can see what you have discovered. Thanks again.
You should totally send me an email before you go and we can meet!!