The Vatican Museums They bring together one of the most important art collections in the world. This huge collection, owned by the Catholic Church, was started by Pope Julius II in 1503 and has been expanded to become one of the most visited museums in the world with more than 6 million tourists a year.
During the visit to the interior you can discover great wonders such as the tapestry galleries and maps, the rooms of Rafael or the great jewel of the museum, the Sistine Chapel of Michelangelo.
We visited the Vatican Museums for the first time a few years ago on a trip to Rome in 6 days and recently we enjoyed them again when living a month in the eternal city, during which we wrote this travel guide to Rome.
Based on our experience, we tell you what are the best ways to visit the Vatican Museums, schedules, prices, as well as how to get skip-the-line tickets and guided tours in Spanish, so you can choose the option that most It suits your priorities.
Schedule
The Vatican Museums open from Monday to Saturday from 9 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon, taking into account that the last access is at 4 in the afternoon. Sundays only open the last of each month and in this case the entrance is free. The schedule for this day is from 9 am to 2 noon and the last access is at 12:30.
In addition to Sundays, there are several days of the year, coinciding with festivities, that the museum is closed. You can check them on the official website.
Vatican Museums Hours
How to get
To get to the Vatican Museums you have several options:
- Walking: If you are staying in the center or in the tourist area of Trastevere, we recommend you make the journey on foot since they are relatively close and the walk is very pleasant.
- Meter: The nearest stop is Cipro-Musei Vaticani on line A, located 10 minutes walk from the museum entrance.
- Bus: number 49 leaves you at the entrance of the museum. Other buses such as 492, 990, 23, 81 and 982 leave you very close to the entrance.
From San Pedro Square there are about 500 meters to the entrance of the Vatican Museums, located to the right of St. Peter's Basilica. During the trip you will find several posters indicating the way and also several guides that will try to sell you the fast pass or guided tours for more than 30 euros.
If you want to buy the entrance are prior reservation, you must continue walking to an area where you will see two lanes separated by a small metal fence. The lane on the right is for tickets with prior reservation or guided tours and the one on the left, wider, for those without a reservation.
Skip the line tickets, with queues or guided tour of the Vatican Museums
To enter the Vatican Museums, one of the essential places to visit in Rome, you have all these options:
- Tickets to the Vatican Museums without prior reservation: It is the cheapest option, with a price of 17 euros per person. Depending on the day of the week, Saturday and the days after the holidays are the worst days, waiting in line can exceed three hours and you will be in the open sky during the entire waiting time in line.
If you choose this option we recommend you approach one hour before they open in the morning or about 4 in the afternoon, last hour of access, moments in which if you are lucky, you can enter without long waits.
- Skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums or by prior reservation online: to enter the Vatican Museums without queues you have to book the ticket online on this official website.
The price is 21 euros and if you want audioguide, the total amount goes up to 28 euros.
Remember that with this option, you must print the ticket or have it downloaded to your mobile to pass control of the ticket.
Skip-the-line entrance to the Vatican Museums
- Guided tour of the Vatican: Visiting with a specialized guide is one of the best things to do in Rome.
This option allows you to know the interesting and sometimes dark history of the Vatican and its most prominent places, which we are sure, will surprise you.
The visit that includes St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, starts at St. Mark's Square and lasts more than 3 hours. With it, in addition to not missing any of the most important works and knowing its history, you will skip the long queues of access to the basilica and museums.
You can book here the guided tour of the Vatican in Spanish and it is advisable to buy it well in advance for its high demand.
If you also plan to visit during your stay in Rome, the Roman Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine it is preferable to book this offer that includes all this and the museums, skipping all the queues.
Another interesting option if you are on a Wednesday in Rome and that includes the guided tour of the Vatican Museums in Spanish, is to book this offer with which you can attend the audience of Pope Francis.
Maps Gallery
- OMNIA Vatican and Roma Card: It is the best card to save time and money on your trip to Rome. It allows you access without queues and free to places like the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, the Forum, the Capitoline Museums, the Castle of Sant Angelo, as well as public transport and the tourist bus.
With the OMNIA Vatican and Roma Card you also have fantastic discounts on 30 other tourist attractions in Rome. When you book the card you will be given a map and a guide with all the monuments and places that are included.
You can book here in advance the OMNIA Vatican and Roma Card and forget about the long lines.
More information in this post of the OMNIA Card and in this one about which one is better, OMNIA or Roma Pass ?.
Tips for visiting the Vatican
There are several rules to follow or tips that will facilitate the visit to the Vatican Museums.
- You cannot enter with mini skirts, or very short pants or tank tops.
- You can not take photos in the Sistine Chapel, or carry a tripod or take photos with flash.
- If you have to enter with a suitcase or large backpack, they have a cloakroom service, where you can leave them.
- There are two restaurants if you plan to extend the visit.
Raphael Stays
What to see in the Vatican Museums
If you are not an art lover, we recommend concentrating on the most interesting or most striking rooms in museums. At the entrance, if you have not booked the guided tour of the Vatican Museums in Spanish or the audio guide, you can take a brochure with the map that shows the recommended route.
We leave you the places that we liked most about the Vatican Museums in order of preference:
- The Sistine Chapel: It is the masterpiece of the great Michelangelo, who made between 1473 and 1481. Among the beautiful frescoes that decorate all the walls of the chapel you have to pay special attention to the image of The Creation of Adam and that of the Last Judgment.
- Maps Gallery: an impressive room full of cartographic maps of Italy painted in fresco.
- Raphael Stays: It is formed by 4 rooms beautifully decorated by Rafael and his disciples.
- The Bramante Staircase: Located at the end of the museum stands out for being double helix. From the top of the stairs you can take some fantastic photos.
- Tapestry Room: its walls are decorated by beautiful and large flamenco tapestries.
- Candelabra Gallery: You will find Roman statues copies of Greek originals and ancient chandeliers.
Bramante Staircase
Do you want to organize a trip to Rome?
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Book the best tours and excursions in Rome in Spanish here
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The 10 best tours and excursions from Rome
Rent your car in Italy at the best price here
The best offers of Flights to Rome here
The best hotels at the best prices in Rome here
Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here
Book the best tours and excursions in Rome in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Roma here
The 10 best tours and excursions from Rome
Rent your car in Italy at the best price here
