The Vatican Museums showcase one of the world’s most significant art collections, from ancient Greek and Roman sculptures to Renaissance masterpieces. Highlights include the Raphael Rooms and Gallery of Maps. Access: Yes
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Ticket type | Entrance used | Lines skipped | Security | Includes | Why pick this | Cancellation policy | Price from | Recommended experience |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Skip-the-Line Entry | Viale Vaticano (skip-the-line lane) | Ticket line | Mandatory | Museums + Sistine Chapel | Saves ~1–3 hrs wait • Explore at your pace | Free cancel up to 24h | €39.90 | Skip-the-Line Ticket |
Hosted Entry Ticket | Viale Vaticano (skip-the-line lane) | Ticket lines | Mandatory | Personal escort to the entrance, Museums + Sistine Chapel t | Staff escorts you inside • Hassle-free fallback when sold-out | Free cancel up to 24h | €70 | Hosted Skip-the-Line Ticket |
Guided Tour | Viale Vaticano (skip-the-line lane) | Ticket line | Mandatory | Museums + Sistine Chapel | Covers must-sees in 2–3 hrs • Headsets included | Free cancel up to 48h | €55 | Vatican Guided Tour |
Guided Tour + Basilica | Viale Vaticano (skip-the-line lane) | Ticket line | Mandatory | Museums, Sistine, Basilica | Secret passage to Basilica • Saves 2+ hrs queue | Free cancel up to 48h | €59.92 | Tour with Basilica Access |
Early Morning Tour | Viale Vaticano (skip-the-line lane) | Ticket line | Mandatory | Museums, Sistine | Enter before public • Quieter galleries | Free cancel up to 72h | €99 | Early Morning Tour |
Vatican Gardens Ticket | Separate Gardens gate → bus to Viale Vaticano | Ticket line | Mandatory | Gardens tour + Museums | Rare Gardens access • Panoramic bus ride | Free cancel up to 72h | €51.90 | Gardens + Museums Ticket |
Papal Audience Tour | St. Peter’s Square | None | Mandatory | Audience + guide commentary | See the Pope in person • Secured seating included | Non-refundable | €25 | Papal Audience Tour |
Private Tour | Viale Vaticano (skip-the-line lane) | Ticket line | Mandatory | Customized Museums + Sistine tour | Flexible pace & focus • Just your group | Free cancel up to 72h | €599 | VIP Private Tour |
Combo Tour (Vatican + Colosseum) | Viale Vaticano (skip-the-line lane) | Ticket line | Mandatory | Vatican + Ancient Rome | 2 icons, 1 booking • Can split across days | Free cancel up to 72h | €83.54 | Vatican + Colosseum Combo |
Step through the grand bronze doors on Viale Vaticano into the papal corridors once walked by popes. Begin your journey across 54 galleries spanning 7 km, starting with Egyptian sarcophagi, Greek statues like the Laocoön, and papal apartments painted by Raphael.
Take a breather in the Pinecone Courtyard, framed by fountains and papal gardens. In the Octagonal Courtyard, you’ll circle ancient masterpieces like the Apollo Belvedere, displayed in open air just as Renaissance artists studied them.
The path builds anticipation: walk the dazzling Gallery of Maps with frescoes of Italy, the ornate Gallery of Tapestries, and countless corridors that echo with centuries of history.
The climax of the visit. Stand beneath Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment. Silence is enforced, but the art speaks for itself — a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Descend via the modern Bramante Staircase, a double-helix spiral that makes the exit as photogenic as the journey itself.
The Vatican Gardens can only be seen on a guided ticket, offering a peaceful contrast to the galleries. Adventurers can climb St. Peter’s Dome (paid add-on) for unmatched views of Rome.
Standard entry takes 2–3 hours, but queues can stretch 1–2 hours outside. Skip-the-line or guided tours save precious time and add expert context that unlocks hidden stories along the route.
Booking window
Ticket types and entry options
Entrances and queues: Skip-the-line tickets bypass the ticket desk, not security, which still takes 10–30 minutes. The main entrance to the Museums is on Viale Vaticano.
What’s included
Guided vs. self-guided visits
Additional access
Policies
The Vatican Museums are just one chapter in Vatican City’s story — the world’s smallest independent state houses a constellation of treasures, take a look.
Laocoön’s twisted form is a roadmap of pain: his strained face, tense muscles, and furrowed brow capture raw, inescapable agony, marking a dramatic Hellenistic break from earlier Greek restraint.
The fragmented state of this sculpture became its strength, offering artists a timeless lesson in form, emotion, and the power of the unfinished.
Once part of a Roman fountain near the Pantheon, the pinecone was later moved to the Vatican, evolving from a pagan symbol of rebirth to a Christian emblem of immortality.
Unlike other galleries that simply display artifacts, the Sala Rotonda itself is a work of art, a near-perfect recreation of the Pantheon. Highlights include the red porphyry, a colossal basin believed to be from Emperor Nero's palace.
Raphael’s final masterpiece contrasts the divine and human elements, with Christ’s divine transfiguration and the disciples’ human struggle.
Raphael’s fresco celebrates philosophy and classical wisdom, featuring Plato, Aristotle, and other thinkers in a grand Renaissance hall. A harmony of intellect and beauty in one frame.
A corridor of painted geography — Italy’s 16th-century regions rendered in lavish fresco detail. The gilded ceiling is as breathtaking as the maps themselves.
Every 25 years, a monumental celebration unfolds—a time when history, tradition, and faith converge. The Jubilee is not just an event; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that renews hope and inspires millions.
Originating from centuries-old traditions, the Jubilee marks a period of renewal, forgiveness, and spiritual rejuvenation.
Beyond festivities, it’s a time for reflection, redemption, and community unity—a moment to reconnect with what truly matters.
With this event occurring only once every 25 years, the Jubilee offers unique experiences and exclusive celebrations that you simply can’t miss.
Know more about this celebration that only comes around every quarter-century.
Booking online guarantees entry, secures timed slots, and helps you avoid long queues. This is especially important during peak seasons when same-day tickets can sell out quickly.
Standard tickets cover access to the permanent collections and most temporary exhibitions. Special access rooms, like the Vatican Gardens or exclusive exhibitions, require separate tickets.
Yes, skip-the-line tickets let you bypass the general entry queue, but security checks are still mandatory. Some guided tours include faster entry into galleries as well.
Guided tours offer expert commentary in small groups with priority entry to the highlights. Audio guides are self-paced, available in multiple languages, and more affordable.
Yes, EU citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 can avail of reduced pricing on their tickets with a valid ID. EU and non-EU citizens under 18, as well as teaching staff, can enjoy free or reduced entry into the Vatican Museums.
No, most standard tickets only allow single entry. Once you exit, you cannot re-enter with the same ticket.
Expect to spend 2–3 hours if you focus on the highlights. A full visit, including breaks and slower exploration, can take around 4–5 hours. Guided tours will cover the essentials faster.
Yes, the Vatican Museums are family-friendly, with galleries accessible to strollers and special kid-oriented audio guides. Some exhibitions also offer activity trails and workshops for children.
Save up to 3 hours by bypassing the infamous Vatican ticket lines. Get guaranteed entry to explore the Vatican's treasures on your schedule.
Inclusions
Skip-the-line entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Hosted skip-the-line entry to Vatican Museums with ticket redemption (as per option selected)
Vatican Garden open bus tour (as per option selected)
Guided tour of Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel (as per option selected)
Booking and service charges
See all three Vatican must-sees: tour the Museums and Chapel, then enter the Basilica directly via a hidden passage, skipping hours of wait.
Inclusions
Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with skip-the-line entry
St. Peter's Basilica Access
Expert English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, or Japanese-speaking guide
Semi private tour with a max group of 10 (as per option selected)
Early morning tour with St. Peter's Basilica and Dome climb (as per option selected)
Headphones
Exclusions
Skip the long lines and uncover 500 years of Vatican history in just 2–3 hours with an expert guide through its legendary halls and the Sistine Chapel.
Inclusions
Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with skip-the-line entry
Expert English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide
Explore with a group of up to 20 people
Guided tour of Vatican Gardens (as per option selected)
Small group tour (as per option selected)
Nighttime tour (as per option selected)
Exclusions
Enter before opening hours for a quieter, crowd-free Vatican experience.
Inclusions
Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with skip-the-line entry
Entry to St Peter's Basilica (as per option selected)
Semi-private group of 6 (as per option selected)
Entry to St Peter's Dome (as per option selected)
Breakfast at Vatican Courtyard (as per option selected)
Expert English-speaking guide
Headsets
Exclusions
Learn about the world’s largest basilica and its history as St. Peter’s burial site with an expert guide and priority entry.
Inclusions
Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica & Papal Tombs
Expert English, Spanish, French, German or Italian-speaking guide
Dome access via elevator (as per option selected)
Exclusions
What to bring
What’s not allowed
Accessibility
Additional information
One ticket, two icons—skip the hassle of multiple bookings and experience the best of Ancient Rome and the Vatican with expert guides.
Inclusions Colosseum
Guided tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
Expert local English, Italian, Spanish, French or German-speaking guide
Timed entry to Colosseum
Vatican Museums
Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with skip-the-line entry
Expert & charismatic local guide
Exclusions Colosseum
Vatican Museums
Colosseum
Vatican Museums
A scenic open-bus Vatican Gardens tour before timed entry to the Museums and Chapel.
Inclusions
Vatican Gardens tour by open bus with a multilingual audio guide
Entry tickets to the Vatican Museums
Access to Sistine Chapel
Exclusions
Tour at a relaxed pace with fewer than 15 guests—for more personal guidance and deeper engagement.
Inclusions
Small group of up to 15 guests
Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with skip-the-line entry
Expert English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, or German-speaking guide (as per option selected)
Headsets
Exclusions
*Tour the Vatican on your terms with a private, customizable experience and exclusive Basilica access.*\
Inclusions
A once-in-a-lifetime Vatican moment—witness the Pope in person with guidance and context from an expert.
Inclusions
Guided tour of the Papal Audience experience
Pre-arranged Papal Audience ticket
Guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica (as per option selected)
Expert English or Spanish-speaking guide (as per option selected)
Headsets
What to bring
What’s not allowed
Accessibility
Additional information
You can cancel these tickets up to 48 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 72 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 48 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.