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Vatican Museums

The Vatican is located very centrally in Rome, so it is easy to walk to. Alternatively, the Ottaviano and Cipro stops on metro line A are both less than a ten-minute walk away. The best things to see in the Vatican are the iconic Sistine Chapel, the Rafael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, and the Hall of Muses.

Full entry when you don’t book online is €17, but there are various other deals; check them out here.

The Museums are closed on Sundays. They open at 8.30 am and close at 6.30 pm from Monday to Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, opening hours extend to 10.30 pm closing time.

After the incredible ancient Laocoon and his Sons was discovered in 1506, Pope Julius II put it on display for the people of Rome, slowly adding other masterpieces and treasures to the collection. Over the centuries, popes and benefactors have added enormous amounts of amazing works to the collection. 

Visitors are not permitted to wear sleeveless, low-cut garments, shorts that end above the knee, miniskirts, and hats. Visitors with any visible personal objects or personal signs, such as jewelry or tattoos, that can be considered offensive to Catholics may be denied entry.

Yes, there’s always some fascinating stuff on temporarily at the museums! Check out their webpage to see what aligns with your visit. 

The Vatican Gardens are gorgeous and worth a visit, but you need to book a separate ticket. The courtyards Fontana della Pigna (also called "The Pine Cone"), the library courtyard, and the Cortile del Belvedere are also open to the public and are incredibly beautiful.

Take the metro A line to Ottaviana; the stop is around an 8-minute walk away. 

So much of Rome is easily accessible from the Vatican Museums. The incredible Castel Sant’Angelo, was once a tomb for Emperor Hadrian, then a Papal residence, and now a great museum. The incredible Roman Pantheon is also less than a half-hour walk through the beautiful old center of the city across the Tiber to the east.

The Sistine Chapel is open daily from 9 am-4 pm but closed on Sundays.

The Vatican Museums are a collection of art and artifacts located within Vatican City in Rome, Italy. The Museums include over 70,000 works of art, ranging from classical sculptures to contemporary paintings. The Museums were founded in the early 16th century by Pope Julius II, who wanted to display the art and artifacts collected by the Catholic Church over the centuries. Many of these are Christian themed, but there is also a collection of historical artifacts, pagan and secular art, and sculpture. The collection has grown over time, with various popes and other donors adding to it.

Some of the most famous works of art in the Vatican Museums include the world-famous, iconic Sistine Chapel, famous for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo, and the Raphael Rooms, containing frescoes painted by the artist Raphael. Other notable pieces include the Apollo Belvedere, a Roman sculpture of the god Apollo, and the Laocoön and His Sons, a dramatic and terrifying ancient marble sculpture of a Trojan priest and his sons being attacked by sea serpents. In addition to the art and artifacts on display, the Vatican Museums include several galleries and halls, such as the Gallery of Maps and the Hall of the Muses. These spaces are decorated with ornate frescoes and sculptures and provide a glimpse into the history, culture, and wealth of the Catholic Church and, by extension, Western Europe as a whole. This is one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Italy, with almost 7 million visitors in 2019, pre-pandemic.