How to Book Tickets to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel Online?

Today, we will learn how to buy tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel online on the official website, without intermediaries and queues. And queues at the box office always HAPPENED. During the peak season, people had to spend 3 -4 hours in line to buy tickets. However, in recent years, regular ticket offices have been closed, so there is no way to purchase tickets there.

As of 2nd May 2024, all ticket reservations are online only!

Of course, we will book in advance (3-4 weeks) at the official website tickets.museivaticani.va of the ticket office of the Vatican Museums.Other websites are agencies and charge you an additional commission for the service. Choose English and get to this page.

Step-by-step instruction

Click on Vatican Museum Tickets as shown by the red arrow in the screenshot above.

Select the date and the number of visitors in the Insert visitors number field. In our example, on January 10, the number of visitors is 2. Click on the yellow button CONFIRM.

We get to the page with ticket options, there are dozens of them, but you need the first one on the list – Admission Tickets, which includes admission to all 16 museums and the Sistine Chapel. Click on the BOOKbutton on the right side.

Choose the number of full and reduced tickets. For adults, the cost is 17 EUR. For children up to 18 years old inclusive, as well as for students from 18 to 25 years old with an international certificate, for example, www.isic.org – the entrance fee is 8 EUR.

For an independent visit, we recommend the second half of the day.

In our example, we are making a reservation on January 10th at 13:30 for 1 adult and 1 child. The total cost is 33 EUR = 17 EUR (adult) + 8 EUR (child) + 4 EUR * 2 is the reservation fee.

After choosing the time, an offer to buy an audio guide will appear – ignore it and press the PROCEED button at the bottom right.

A page with your booking will appear. Scroll down to the Manager data section.

Fill in the Manager Data section – enter the person who buys the ticket here. If you yourself go to museums, then you enter yourself, if you buy for friends, then also specify yourself. In the Participants List section, enter each visitor’s Last Name and First Name.

Scroll down, pass the “I’m not a robot” test, and tick I accept GENERAL PURCHASE RULES (MAIN RULES OF PURCHASE) and the second field, where you are warned that if the right to a reduced fee is not proven, you will have to pay the difference in ticket prices. Click the BUY button.

We get to the payment screen, carefully enter the data again, especially the email address, and click Pay.

Congratulations, you have successfully purchased tickets to the Vatican Museums!

Check your email

Immediately after the payment was made, I received a notification from system.epay@net.va that the transfer had been successfully completed.

This is what the letter looks like. If there is no such email, check your SPAM folder. In my case, after 5 minutes, the Vatican pigeons sent an email from Ticket Office online.

The booking code is in your email, and in the attached PDF file is the voucher for visiting museums, which you need to print. Congratulations!

As you can see, buying tickets to the Vatican Museums on your own is pretty easy. Unless I had to spend 10 minutes filling in the data, I will be glad to answer your questions in the comments.

What To Do if There are No Tickets for a Certain Date

Last Minute Tickets to the Vatican Museums

The Entrance fee to museums starts from 27 EUR. The option with an audio guide will cost 40 EUR. However, the sites also offer group tours. Regular skip-the-line tickets are simply called “Skip The Line.”

Or Last Minute Tickets – such a ticket for 34 EUR can be available even for the upcoming days.

Things to Know before Booking Tickets to the Vatican Museums

Below you will find answers to the most popular questions:

Artur Jakucewicz

Founder of Italy4.Me, Guide in Rome, Author

How much time do you need to visit museums?

You can spend the whole day in museums. Yes, most tourists have heard and go to museums just for the opportunity to see the Sistine Chapel, so an hour is enough for you. We advise you to plan a visit for at least 4 hours, and read at least about Raphael's stanzas and other information about museums beforehand - there really is something to see! But you need to prepare yourself and devote enough time to prepare. Especially if you do not take a private tour with a professional guide.

How to get into the Vatican Museums at night?

In 2024, the Vatican Museums will not have night visits as in previous years. From March to December, on Fridays and Saturdays, museum opening hours will be extended by one hour. See OPENING HOURS section below for details.

My plans have changed, is possible to return the ticket, or transfer/sell it to other tourists?

Yes, theoretically, it’s possible. Of course, they may ask to show the ID at the entrance, but in practice, this is rarely the case.

If I arrive early or late, will they let me in?

It is allowed to arrive at the museums 29 minutes earlier or later than the reservation time, but it is better to come at the exact appointed time.

What if I bought tickets by mistake for the wrong date or time?

Don't worry. You need to go to the section for changing reservations, enter your email, reservation number, and date of birth specified during booking - new tickets will be sent to your mail within 72 hours, and old ones will be canceled. Choose a new date and time, and wait for a new voucher in the email box.

What should I do if I haven’t received my tickets in the mail?

Check your mail again carefully, including the SPAM folder. If the tickets are still not there, then write to the official email of the Vatican Museums help.musei@scv.va

How to get to St. Peter’s Basilica after visiting the museums?

In the past, indeed, there was such an opportunity if you visited museums accompanied by a licensed guide. In 2022, unfortunately, you can get into the cathedral only through St. Peter's Square after waiting in a general live queue.

Do I need to print out the ticket?

Tickets do not need to be printed. Just show the e-ticket from your phone or tablet.

How to visit the Vatican Gardens?

Visiting the "gardens" is possible only by special bus. On the main ticket office page, select the Vatican Gardens or Vatican Gardens by open bus option.









You will be driven for 45 minutes on an electric bus along the tracks. The ticket costs 37 EUR, and after the gardens, you can stay in the museums for self-exploration. I don't recommend this option, as there is an amazing large park Villa Borghese free of charge and nice viewpoints.

Vatican Museums Official Opening Hours Calendar in 2024

Below are the official opening hours of the Vatican Museums in 2024.

If necessary, you can download the timetable in PDF format.

Sundays and Catholic holidays are highlighted in red – museums are closed these days. So, the dates of free entrance, the last Sundays of each month, are marked in green.

The dates marked in yellow mean that the museums will be open in the evenings. Entrance until 18:00 and closing at 20:00 are on Fridays and Saturdays from March 1 to December 28, 2024.

On other days, museums are open from 08:00 to 19:00.