No, you can buy Vatican Museums tickets at the door for €20 on paid opening days. Online booking costs €25 and adds a set time with the official Skip the Line entry. Both tickets include the Sistine Chapel.
Updated Prices and rules Vatican Museums official site, read ; tour prices read
If you only need Museums and Sistine Chapel entry, compare every offer with the official €25 online ticket.
The answer
The Museums sell tickets at the door for €20. A booking is optional. The €25 online ticket includes the €5 fee for a set time and the official Skip the Line entry.
Your ticket includes the Museums and the Sistine Chapel on the same day. You do not need a separate chapel ticket. St Peter's Basilica has its own free entrance and needs no booking.
What to do: If your visit must fit a fixed day, book an available slot online. The €20 door ticket saves €5 if you can allow for a queue.
How far ahead
If you need a particular time, book once your date is firm. The official ticket cannot be refunded. Waiting makes sense if your plans may change and you can accept a different slot.
Check your date in the official Museums shop. If no suitable slot appears, try another date or check a hosted ticket or guided tour. Those options also depend on available places.
The ticket
| Ticket | Adult price |
|---|---|
| Last Sunday of the monthNext free date 29 November; holiday exceptions apply | Free |
| Reduced ticket at the doorAges 7 to 18; eligible students through 25 and religious visitors with documents | |
| Reduced ticket onlineSame eligibility; includes the €5 booking fee | |
| Full ticket at the doorMuseums and Sistine Chapel on the same day | |
| Full ticket onlineMuseums and Sistine Chapel; official Skip the Line entry |
Official full and reduced prices, read
Calendar
Closed and open days from the official Museums ticket shop, read . St Peter's has its own hours and does not follow this calendar.
The Museums normally open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 20:00. Last entry is 18:00. Holiday closures apply, and you must leave the halls 30 minutes before closing.
Most Sundays are closed. The last Sunday of the month is free except on specified holidays. The next free date is 29 November, with entry from 9:00 and last admission at 12:30.
On 10 November all sectors open at 9:00. On 4 December and 18 December the Sistine Chapel closes at 18:00, with last entry at 17:30.
Yes, the Museums sell door tickets for €20 on paid opening days. They include the Sistine Chapel. Last entry on those days is 18:00.
The only official online shop is tickets.museivaticani.va. Its €25 ticket includes the Sistine Chapel and the €5 booking fee.
Book once your date is firm if you need a particular slot. Official tickets cannot be refunded, so wait if your plans may change and your timing is flexible.
Check another date or a tour with an available place. Door tickets cost €20, but a sold-out online date gives you no guarantee of admission at the door.
The Museums ticket already includes the Sistine Chapel. It costs €25 online or €20 at the door; there is no separate chapel ticket in the official price list.
Yes, the €25 ticket includes the official Skip the Line entry. It costs €5 more than the €20 door ticket.
Tours
These options include Museums and Sistine Chapel tickets. The hosted option leaves you to explore on your own. The guided visits differ in length and group size; one also covers St Peter's.
What to do: If you want admission alone, use the €25 official ticket when a suitable slot is available. Choose a guided option if you want someone to explain the rooms.
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
From €52 against €25 for official online entry, with a host and audio guide app. You explore independently after entry; choose this if you want help getting in.
from €52 per adult
See the tourVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
A 2-hour English guided visit suits you if time is limited. Tickets are included from €72, compared with €25 for official entry on your own.
from €72 per adult
See the tourVatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica
The guide continues into St Peter's during this 3-hour English tour, from €99. Compare it with €25 for official Museums entry and a free Basilica visit if you prefer your own pace.
from €99 per adult
See the tourPrices in euro per adult, read : the usual lowest price of each option, without short sales. The booking page shows the price for your date. We add no fee.
Read next
The official shop, free days and reductions
The route, the rooms and the rules inside
The next free Sunday and its shorter hours
