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The lines for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are notoriously long, and standing for often way more than an hour in the blazing summer sun can be miserable. Thankfully these days avoiding really long lines for the Vatican museums is very simple:
In order to guarantee that you’ll be able to skip the lines at the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel, you must buy a skip-the-line ticket for the Vatican or city pass online.
Buy Tickets to The Vatican Today
Finding out the best way to buy Vatican City tickets can be surprisingly confusing, due to the ticket releasing constraints for official tickets to the Vatican. When you combine this with the sheer number of Vatican ticket resellers and tickets options available, the experience can certainly make you feel a little confused.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to buy tickets to the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel, so you can skip the lines and make the most of your time on vacation, then click below for the best skip the line options and tours.
The best ways to skip the lines at the Vatican
1. Get a VIP early entrance and breakfast ticket
With breakfast thrown in, this is without a doubt the most spectacular and pleasant way to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
You get to see the Vatican when it’s almost empty, way before the hordes arrive, and are escorted to the stunning “Pinecone Courtyard” for a sumptuous buffet breakfast buffet before touring the museums at your leisure without major crowds – and will even have the Sistine Chapel almost to yourself. Without any doubt, this is the best time to visit the Vatican.
2. Buy a Skip-the-Line Vatican Ticket with an Audio Guide
Enhance the regular skip-the-line experience by opting to buy a ticket to the Vatican that includes an audio guide, for only €26.40 per person. Choosing to buy this ticket to the Vatican has many of the interpretive advantages of the guided tour options, but allows you to take your own time, skip parts, or linger over favorite pieces. This is a popular option that allows you to immerse yourself within the splendour of the Vatican museums, and tailor your Vatican experience to match your preferences.
3. Book a group guided tour for the Vatican Museums
Book a group guided tour for €59 per adult. This tour is conducted by Rome Vacation Tips’ tour partner and we vouch for its incredible quality. Having low numbers allows you to chat with your guide, and the tour also grants you access to the ‘secret’ papal corridor from the Sistine Chapel directly into St Peter’s Basilica too, something only afforded to visitors with an official guide.
4. Use a Discount Card / Tourist Pass
The downloadable Rome Tourist Card not only includes the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, an audio guide to the Pantheon, a guided tour of St. Peter’s, but also entry into the Vatican Museums and Sistine chapel.
Warning: some tourist cards such as the Roma Pass do not include entry to the Vatican because Vatican City is a separate country to Italy! Be sure to check if your tourist card includes entry to the Vatican museums.
5. Buy a basic ticket for the Vatican online ahead of time
You can buy basic entry Vatican tickets directly online from the official Vatican ticket office. Basic entry tickets for the Vatican are €17 each (€8 concession) + €4 booking fee each. It is important to remember that any tickets to the Vatican are only valid for the date and time booked, so make sure you arrive slightly early so you can get in on time and don’t miss your slot. The reason that this option for buying tickets to the Vatican is so far down our list is that we receive continual complaints that the site rejects non-Italian credit and debit cards.
Locals’ tip: if seeking a reduced entry ticket for children between 6 and 18 years of age, you MUST bring their official ID (i.e. passport) to prove their age. If you’re a student you must bring an internationally recognized student ID.5Museum.
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Vatican museums key info
Opening hours
Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 6 pm (last entrance at 4 pm)
Sunday: closed (except the last Sunday of every month when the museums are free)
The museums are closed on the following days:
In addition to most Sundays, 1 January, 11 February 19 March, 22 April, 1 May, 29 June, 14 & 15 August, 1 November, 25 & 26 December. See the best time to visit the Vatican Museums >
Nearest metro: Ottaviano (Linea A)
How Vatican Tickets work
Official Tickets to the Vatican
Tickets for the Vatican from the official site are released every day for a date 60 days in advance of the visit date. Once they are exhausted for a particular day, there will be no more tickets available for that date until the day of the visit. If you don’t buy your tickets to the Vatican ahead of time, you must line up to buy them at the door, which is not recommended. Some tourists have found that they may wait all day in the queue, and not be able to visit the Vatican due to its high number of visitors per day.
It is far easier to buy from a reseller, even though you will pay a few extra euro for the convenience. Note that for periods that straddle the new year, there may be extra delays in releasing tickets.
Standard Vatican Tickets
If you’ve managed to buy a ticket to the Vatican, either from the official site or a reseller – rather than a guided tour – you will be emailed a voucher, that you then need to convert into a ticket. If you don’t have a printer, Vatican staff will inspect the PDF from your cellphone at the door. As long as they can scan the QR code, you’ll be fine.
If you have booked a guided tour, your guide will take care of tickets for you. Note that you can’t get a discount from a guided tour if you’ve already bought a ticket.
Having this voucher will allow you to skip the long, long line and enter via the right-hand side of the entrance (see map) – where there may still be a line for security, but a much shorter one – after which you will need to verify your printout at the ticket booths to the left just after security (where there may be yet another – but relatively short – line).
Be warned though, at certain times of the year, e.g. around Easter, even the lines for people with tickets are slow due to security check requirements.
Guided Tour Tickets
If you have booked guided tour tickets for the Vatican, your guide will take care of the tickets for you. Like with the standard tickets to the Vatican, you will need to go through the security checks before you’re allowed to enter. This shouldn’t take too long, so the wait will be minimal.
Note that you can’t get a discount from a guided tour if you’ve already bought a ticket.
Things to Know Before Your Visit to the Vatican
How Long Does It Take To See The Vatican Museums?
If you have bought a standard ticket to the Vatican, we recommend setting aside at least 3–4 hours for your trip so that you can fully enjoy the Vatican museums and immerse yourself in the atmosphere. Of course, on a standard ticket, you are welcome to stay and enjoy yourself for as long as you would like to.
If you have opted to go for tickets to the Vatican, that includes a guided tour, you can expect the full tour to take around 3 hours, which will include visiting the Sistine Chapel.
We recommend giving yourself at least 30 minutes for a leisurely stroll through Saint Peter’s Basilica, or an hour if you intend to climb to the top. If you want to exit the Vatican City via St. Peter’s Square, you should expect this to take an additional 15–30 minutes.
Dress Code For The Vatican
The Vatican City enforces a dress code reflecting its religious values. The dress code extends to both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. It requires both men and women to cover their knees and upper arms, prohibiting shorts or skirts above the knee, sleeveless tops, and low-cut shirts. Men must remove hats upon entry, while women may keep theirs on. Failing to comply with the dress code may result in being denied entry to the Vatican.
Buy Tickets to The Vatican Without the Hassle
If you’re looking where to buy tickets to the Vatican, but don’t want the hassle of going through the official site and hoping there are tickets left for when you want to go, then we can help.
Click below to easily buy your ticket to the Vatican, and start preparing for your trip to experience the beautiful Vatican City. And with options ranging from standard entry and audio guides, to guided tours and breakfast in the Vatican, you’re sure to find the best way to experience the Vatican for yourself.
