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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 09 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Rebecca Winke

This complex of museums, in the home of the Catholic Church, are mind-bogglingly opulent. They’re home to one of the greatest hoards of treasure, antiquities and art anywhere.

Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo’s extraordinary Sistine Chapel is arguably the world’s greatest masterpiece, and the start of the show here. No single artist before or after has ever equalled his powerful vision: the ceiling (1508-12), painted for Pope Julius II, surrounding the famous scene of God creating man, and the much darker, harrowing vision of the Last Judgement (1534-41).

Gallery of Maps

This astonishingly beautiful gallery, located on the west side of the Belvedere Courtyard, features a series of painted topographical maps of Italy, painted over three years by Danti in 1580.

Pio Clementino Museum

Housing Greek and Roman sculptures; most are copies of lost ancient originals, notably The Apollo Belvedere and Laocoon, which are the stars of the Pio Clementino Museum.

Two original spiral stairways designed by Bramante in 1505 are located on the other side of the museum can be tour by special arrangement.

Gregorian Profane Museums

Superb Etruscan, Greek and Egyptian works fill the Gregorian museums. Large marble fragments from the Athens Parthenon and mosaics from the Baths of Caracalla can also be seen.

The Pinacoteca

Paintings by Giotto, Leonardo, Titian and Caravaggio fill the Pinacoteca (art gallery) along with a single, rare work by Leonardo da Vinci depicting St Jerome in the desert. There’s also a room entirely devoted to Raphael, that includes his The Transfiguration.

Borgia Apartments

These wondrous papal apartments, frescoed by Raphael (including the School of Athens), take their name of Spaniard Rodrigo de Borja y Doms, who was elected as pope following the death of Innocent VIII. Consisting of six monumental spaces, today the Borgia Apartments house part of the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Contemporary Art.

Price from: £15
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Cipro-Musei Vaticani is the nearest metro station.

The queues at the entrance are horrendous; book a time-dated ticket online and print out a voucher. If you haven’t booked a ticket, get there before 9am when the ticket office opens and sprint straight to the Sistine Chapel to avoid the worst crowds (then work your way back through the museums).

Once you’re inside, there are four colour-coded itineraries taking in the most popular collections: the shortest (to the Raphael rooms and Sistine Chapel) takes 90 minutes. You can also book onto official guided tours in English or Italian of the main museum highlights, or the mystery-laden ‘Hidden Vatican Museums’. https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home

To get into the Vatican Museums, both men and women must have their knees and shoulders covered, no matter how hot it is. The dress code is strictly enforced. The sheer scale of the museums (over 7km in total length) can be exhausting; wear comfortable shoes.

When to do it

The museums are open all year round, Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday – apart from last Sunday of the month, when the museum is free. Wednesdays are the most crowded days, so avoid if possible.

If you’re doing St. Peter’s and the museums on the same day, visit the museums first as the wardens begin hurrying people round from mid-afternoon.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Skip the Line: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel with St. Peter's Basilica Access

Skip the Line: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel with St. Peter's Basilica Access

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Easy and FAST Skip the Line tickets or tours for timed-entry to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel. Meet us at a designated meeting point ...

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Skip the Line: Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & Raphael Rooms + Basilica Access

Skip the Line: Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & Raphael Rooms + Basilica Access

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Enjoy a classic Skip the Line tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Raphael's rooms. When available, benefit from Skip the Line Ac...

€35 | Rating 4.75 / 5 [436 ratings]

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Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica Entry skip the line

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica Entry skip the line

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Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tour with an expert friendly guide in a small group. Take advantage of your skip-the-line tickets and max...

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Skip-the-line Escorted Entrance Tickets to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Skip-the-line Escorted Entrance Tickets to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

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Thinking of visiting the Vatican, but worried about those notorious waiting lines? Make it easy on yourself and opt for our hassle-free fast...

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Mama Shelter

Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.8 miles]

An inspired new-wave vibe, pampering spa and hip on-site eateries, the energetic 212-room Mama Shelter is a modern bolthole in Rome’s starchy Prati neighbourhood.

Official star rating:

Hotel Indigo Rome – St. George

Rome, Lazio, Italy[1.2 miles]

A sophisticated and chic boutique hotel set on one of Rome’s most beautiful streets in the centre of historic Rome.

Official star rating:

Navona Palace

Rome, Lazio, Italy[1.5 miles]

A great value, sleek hotel in a former palazzo that blends old with new, in unbeatably convenient location near Piazza Navona.

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Hotel Locarno

Rome, Lazio, Italy[1.8 miles]

Period charm abounds at this 1920s art nouveau gem near delightful Piazza del Popolo and all the main attractions.

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Rome

Lazio, Italy

The Eternal City – 2,000 extraordinary years of glory, greatness and triumph – and decadence, murder and destruction – evidenced by some of the world’s most iconic, must-see monuments and museums.

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The Vatican

Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.2 miles]

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Vatican City is the world’s smallest sovereign nation-state and Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church. Within its borders are St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and Apostolic Palace, home to the Pope.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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The Pantheon of Rome

Rome, Lazio, Italy[2 miles]

A superbly preserved Roman shrine under an astonishing 43m dome, housing the tomb of Raphael. The Pantheon was originally a temple to the Gods, rebuilt by Hadrian in AD 118.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Doria Pamphilj Gallery

Rome, Lazio, Italy[2.3 miles]

A lavish treasure-filled palazzo housing paintings and furniture assembled since the 16th century by the Doria, Pamphilj, Landi and Aldobrandini families. Rome’s most impressive private art collection also includes works by Titian, Guercino, and Caravaggio.

Best for ages: 18+ | £10

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Walk the Papal Passageway

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