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Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Tickets

Entrance to the Vatican Museums with sculptures above the door in Rome.
Visitors exploring the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museum, admiring detailed frescoes.
Vatican Museums gallery with classical statues and ornate ceiling.
Laocoön and His Sons sculpture in Vatican Museums, Rome.

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Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

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Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Skip long ticketing queues with direct entry or a dedicated host and explore the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, home to Michelangelo’s iconic The Last Judgment.

4.3/5

(45,589)

Mariella Coleman-Fucci

Mariella

Oct 2025
Verified booking
4/5
At the last minute my tour was changed. I made the resevation 2 months in advance. It was supposed to be a 2 hour tour starting at 10AM. I arrived at 9:30 to ensure I was there on time. I waited and waited for the skip-the line-guide who did not show up until 10:40 and told me my tour was changed to 11AM. I was told they notified me thru Whatsapp. However, I could not access it at the time because I had no internet service. It caused an inconveniece since I had made plans to meet friends for other tours starting a 12:30. Needless to say I was unable to meet for that second tour which was very disappointing. Once in the chapel, the tour guide was phenomenal. He was very informative and knowledgeble. However, I was disappointed with the late notification of the skip-the-line service.
Alexey Goral

Alexey

Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
We joined a small group and were guided directly into the Vatican Museums. After security and ticket scanning, the whole process took about 15 minutes, which was impressive considering the huge lines at 11:00 AM — we skipped them all. The museum itself is massive, more like a labyrinth of halls and galleries, with an incredible amount of people everywhere. The Sistine Chapel was almost overwhelming — we could only take a quick look, as the crowd was constantly being moved along by the staff. Personally, I don’t dive too deeply into art, so a brief look was enough for me, but for those who want to truly immerse themselves, the heavy flow of visitors can make it very difficult. We visited at the end of September, and overall the skip-the-line service was absolutely worth it.
Shane Wearen

Shane

Oct 2025
Verified booking
4/5
Bought the vatican garden, vatican museums and sistine chapel "skip the queue" tickets. Garden tour is short but nice, museums....too many, but still excellent. The artist rooms leading to the sistine chapel are awe inspiring, you can photo or video everything except the sistine.....DONT QUEUE!!! PREBOOK YOUR TICKETS!!! If you dont prebook you will be standing and queueing for two hours or more in the baking sun amid heavy traffic, being constantly harrassed by on the street tour guides. Be wise and be early and spend your short wait time sitting across from the vatican museum entrance enjoying an ice cream or a cool drink in the shade. The prebooked "skip the queue" ticket price is worth the avoidance of the queues alone.
    • Save 1–2 hours with timed entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel—no ticketing queues.

    • Explore the museums at your own pace, from classical sculptures to Renaissance frescoes in the Gallery of Maps.

    • End at the Sistine Chapel and witness Michelangelo’s iconic Creation of Adam ceiling.

    • Choose upgrades like hosted entry for personal assistance through the entry process or an audio guide in 12 languages for an insightful visit.

    • Want more? Add a scenic open-bus tour of the Vatican Gardens—normally closed to the public.

    • Skip-the-line entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

    • Hosted skip-the-line entry to Vatican Museums with ticket redemption (as per option selected)

    • Vatican Garden open bus tour (as per option selected)

    • Guided tour of Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel (as per option selected)

    • Booking and service charges

  • These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

  • 4.3
    45,589 reviews

    How do we collect reviews?

    These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.

    24.5K
    15.6K
    2.5K
    1K
    1.8K
    Guests from United States, France, Spain and over 10 countries have loved this experience

    What our guests say

    Mariella Coleman-Fucci

    Mariella

    Oct 2025
    Verified booking
    4/5
    At the last minute my tour was changed. I made the resevation 2 months in advance. It was supposed to be a 2 hour tour starting at 10AM. I arrived at 9:30 to ensure I was there on time. I waited and waited for the skip-the line-guide who did not show up until 10:40 and told me my tour was changed to 11AM. I was told they notified me thru Whatsapp. However, I could not access it at the time because I had no internet service. It caused an inconveniece since I had made plans to meet friends for other tours starting a 12:30. Needless to say I was unable to meet for that second tour which was very disappointing. Once in the chapel, the tour guide was phenomenal. He was very informative and knowledgeble. However, I was disappointed with the late notification of the skip-the-line service.
    Alexey Goral

    Alexey

    Oct 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    We joined a small group and were guided directly into the Vatican Museums. After security and ticket scanning, the whole process took about 15 minutes, which was impressive considering the huge lines at 11:00 AM — we skipped them all. The museum itself is massive, more like a labyrinth of halls and galleries, with an incredible amount of people everywhere. The Sistine Chapel was almost overwhelming — we could only take a quick look, as the crowd was constantly being moved along by the staff. Personally, I don’t dive too deeply into art, so a brief look was enough for me, but for those who want to truly immerse themselves, the heavy flow of visitors can make it very difficult. We visited at the end of September, and overall the skip-the-line service was absolutely worth it.
    Teresa McAree

    Teresa

    Oct 2025
    Verified booking
    3/5
    Marco was great guide! Kudos to him. He has knowledgeable and we could clearly understand his accent.. But.... there were two beggars who approached our group while we waited outside the Vatican. And no one gave them coins or looked them in the eye. Which is not what Jesus taught. Then we had a lovely tour through the Vatican - until we saw that the Cardinals had covered all the artworks' sexual organs, while also proclaiming that the human body is beautiful and natural. And then whe we came outside, there were plentiful plentiful plentiful shops and souvenir stalls and restaurants selling wares, many of them cheap and blasphemous. Jesus would be aghast. So your company did a great job but the Vatican tour itself is hypocritical and leaves a lot to be deserved.
    Shane Wearen

    Shane

    Oct 2025
    Verified booking
    4/5
    Bought the vatican garden, vatican museums and sistine chapel "skip the queue" tickets. Garden tour is short but nice, museums....too many, but still excellent. The artist rooms leading to the sistine chapel are awe inspiring, you can photo or video everything except the sistine.....DONT QUEUE!!! PREBOOK YOUR TICKETS!!! If you dont prebook you will be standing and queueing for two hours or more in the baking sun amid heavy traffic, being constantly harrassed by on the street tour guides. Be wise and be early and spend your short wait time sitting across from the vatican museum entrance enjoying an ice cream or a cool drink in the shade. The prebooked "skip the queue" ticket price is worth the avoidance of the queues alone.
    Daniela Inteleptu

    Daniela

    Oct 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    The Vatican Museums were awesome, I loved it! But the experience was its Headout was awful. We arrived there early and they said to us to come with 15 minutes before the time of the tickets. When we got there at 11:10(we had the entry time at 11:30) they said to us that they don't have the tickets, because we only made an reservation, maybe "if we are lucky" the can make us a "favour" and get us tickets for 13:30. I was very upset and tried to talk with them and after 10 minutes they gave us tickets for 13:30. We booked ticket for 11:30. But all the people waiting there was in the same situation. I will not buy again from them anything. We got inside at 13:30 but after I argued with them.
  • Skip the long lines and explore the Vatican’s artistic wonders on your own schedule with timed entry access.

    Getting started

    Arrive at the Vatican Museums entrance at your selected time and show your mobile voucher. You’ll bypass the ticket counter and proceed through a quick security check. From there, head straight inside—no need to queue for tickets.

    What to expect

    Vatican Museums

    Step into one of the world’s most iconic art collections, featuring treasures from ancient Rome to the High Renaissance.

    Gallery of Maps & other highlights

    Admire ornate tapestries, centuries-old sculptures, and masterpieces like the Gallery of Maps—each room more breathtaking than the last.

    Sistine Chapel

    End your visit inside the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s Last Judgment and Creation of Adam cover the walls and ceiling.

  • Vatican Museums

    Monday08:00am - 08:00pmlast entry 06:00pm
    Tuesday08:00am - 08:00pmlast entry 06:00pm
    Wednesday08:00am - 08:00pmlast entry 06:00pm
    Thursday08:00am - 08:00pmlast entry 06:00pm
    Friday08:00am - 08:00pmlast entry 06:00pm
    Saturday08:00am - 08:00pmlast entry 06:00pm
    SundayClosed

    Castel St. Angelo

    MondayClosed
    Tuesday09:00am - 07:30pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Wednesday09:00am - 07:30pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Thursday09:00am - 07:30pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Friday09:00am - 07:30pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Saturday09:00am - 07:30pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Sunday09:00am - 07:30pmlast entry 06:30pm

    Sistine Chapel

    Monday08:00am - 07:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Tuesday08:00am - 07:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Wednesday08:00am - 07:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Thursday08:00am - 07:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Friday08:00am - 07:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Saturday08:00am - 07:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    SundayClosed
  • What to bring

    • Wear comfortable shoes as the experience requires a fair amount of walking.

    What's not allowed

    • Strict dress code: knees, shoulders, and back must be covered for all guests.

    • When in Sistine Chapel, silence is mandatory and photography is prohibited. Guides will provide all necessary and interesting details before entry.

    • Luggage and/or large bags are not allowed inside the venue. You may drop off your bags with the free cloakroom service.

    • Pets and other small animals are not allowed in the venue.

    Accessibility

    • This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.

    • This type of visit cannot be booked online—tickets are issued in person at the Special Permits and/or Reception desks in the museum hall upon presentation of a certificate of invalidity. The Vatican Museums offer free wheelchair hire and free entry for visitors with mobility impairments (certified invalidity exceeding 74%) and a companion if required. Click here for the accessible route.

    Additional information

    • Names are mandatory for all the bookings. Double check the names at check out for a hassle-free entry and be sure to bring a valid Photo ID with you to gain entry.

    • The entrance to the Museums is timed. Be sure to select your activity starting time when booking. Once inside the Museums, you will be free to explore at your own pace.

    • If you've chosen the Vatican Gardens open-bus tour, your visit will begin with the garden tour, followed by entry into the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. The multilingual audio guide is available during the garden tour only—not for the museum and chapel visit.

    • Please note that the Vatican reserves the right to close the Sistine Chapel at short notice for institutional events

    • Although not included in these tickets, access to St. Peter's Basilica is free. Please expect long waiting times during peak season for both, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica.

    • If you’ve opted for hosted entry, keep in mind that the host is not a guide—they’re simply there to assist and escort you through the entry process.

    • Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.

    • Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the redemption point.

    • Please arrive at the redemption point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.

    Ticket redemption point

    • Please check your final voucher for the redemption point details and specific instructions.

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