The cheapest Vatican Museums ticket on GetYourGuide is the $32 Tours And Tours skip-the-line entry, which is non-refundable. The most-reviewed option is the Enjoy Rome guided tour at $55: 4.3 stars from 87,007 reviews. The official site, tickets.museivaticani.va, sells the full ticket at 20 euros plus a 5 euro online fee. For a first visit I’d book the Crown Tours guided visit at $66.
Tour
From
Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour
I compared all 10 Vatican Museums tickets and tours you can book on GetYourGuide right now. Two are plain skip-the-line entry tickets, and the other eight include a guide, with St. Peter’s Basilica as an included extra or an option on most of them. Prices are in US dollars and come from the listings, checked in November 2026. The buttons open GetYourGuide through affiliate links (more on that on my about page).
Vatican Museums Tickets at a Glance
This table puts the whole choice on one screen, so you can see what the money buys before reading the detail.
What
Details
Ticket types
2 skip-the-line entry tickets, 8 guided tours that include entry
Price range
$32 (skip-the-line entry) to $77 (guided tours of 2 to 3 hours with the Basilica)
Areas by type
Every product reaches the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel; St. Peter’s Basilica is included or optional on seven of them
2 hours (shortest tours) to a full day on the open tickets, which are valid for 24 hours
Address
00120 Vatican City (per Google Maps)
Google Maps hours
8 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday
The difference between Vatican Museums tickets is rarely the museum itself. It is the guide, the meeting point and whether St. Peter’s Basilica comes in the same booking. The sections below take them in turn.
Vatican Museums Admission Tickets
Vatican Museums admission tickets are almost always bundled with a guide here, and the most-reviewed of these Vatican Museums tickets is the Enjoy Rome tour at $55. It has 4.3 stars from 87,007 reviews, the largest count of the 10, and it lasts about 2 hours. The stop list runs from the Museo Pio Clementino and the Cortile del Belvedere through the Gallery of Tapestries and the Gallery of Maps to the Sistine Chapel, with St. Peter’s Basilica as an option. Guides speak Spanish, French, Italian, German and English, and you can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Enjoy Rome
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour
★4.3 (87,007 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The crowd favourite: 87,007 reviews at 4.3, about 2 hours with a licensed guide, Basilica as an option, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line access to the Vatican Museums
✓ Skip-the-line access to the Sistine Chapel
✓ Skip-the-line access to St. Peter's Basilica (if option selected)
✓ Free Wi-Fi at the meeting point
✓ Bathroom access
✓ Recharging station for your devices
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation
✕ Gratuities
Meeting point: Meet your guide at the Tours About office. Via Germanico, 8, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: Spanish, French, Italian, German, English
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“We had a fantastic time on our guided tour of the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica. Our guide Lilian was very friendly and knowledgeable. The fact we could skip the queues was a real bonus.” – GetYourGuide review
You meet at the Tours About office on Via Germanico, not at the museum door. One reviewer’s comment sums up what the guide is for:
“Despite huge crowds in the museum she made sure we could see and hear her.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
The 4.3 rating is middling for a tour, so with these Vatican Museums tickets I’d read the cancellation line and the option names before paying.
Skip-the-Line Vatican Museums Tickets
Skip-the-line Vatican Museums tickets from Crown Tours cost $66, and this is my pick among all Vatican Museums tickets for a first visit. It scores 4.7 from 19,499 reviews, the highest rating in the set, and the listing promises skip-the-ticket-line entry to the museums and the Sistine Chapel with a licensed guide and audio headsets. Select the right option and it adds skip-the-security-lines entry to St. Peter’s Basilica and a pre-reserved dome ticket with an elevator to the terrace. Duration is 2 to 4 hours depending on the option, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Crown Tours
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour
★4.7 (19,499 reviews)
2 - 4 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My pick for a first visit: highest rating of the set at 4.7 from 19,499 reviews, Basilica and dome as options, 24-hour free cancellation.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
✓ Skip-the-security-lines entry to St. Peter’s Basilica (available with select options)
✓ Pre-reserved Dome access with elevator to the Basilica terrace (available with select options)
✓ Licensed, professional tour guide
✓ Audio headsets to clearly hear your guide
✓ Staff assistance at the meeting point for a smooth start
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation
✕ Food & Drinks
✕ Gratuities
Meeting point: Meet us at the Crown Tours Office on Via Mocenigo, 15, located approximately 2 minutes away from the Vatican Museums. Head down the stairs that are located across the street from the large white marble Vatican Museum exit. Take the first left onto Via Sebastiano Veniero, keep walking straight until the end of the street, and then turn right; you will find yourself on Via Mocenigo. You will find the purple "Crown Tours" flags outside our office. Via Mocenigo, 15, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, English, German
Duration: 2 - 4 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Zara was very engaging . As returning guests with some knowledge about the exhibits we still learned a lot of new information. Pace was great and time flew by.” – GetYourGuide review
The meeting point is the Crown Tours office on Via Mocenigo, about two minutes from the museum exit. A reviewer wrote that the Basilica part of their November 2026 tour was removed because of a papal mass, so treat the Basilica as the part most likely to change on the day.
Vatican Museums Entry Tickets
Vatican Museums entry tickets from Brastours are the most complete of the guided options, at $77 for about 3 hours. Its included list names skip-the-line tickets for the museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica without any “if selected” condition. It adds a Sistine Chapel illustrated factsheet and official Vatican headsets, and its stop list names the Laocoon, the Gallery of Maps and Saint Peter’s Square. It scores 4.6 from 11,177 reviews and runs in English and Spanish only.
Brastours
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour
★4.6 (11,177 reviews)
3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The all-in guided option: museums, Sistine Chapel and Basilica tickets included, about 3 hours, 4.6 from 11,177 reviews, English and Spanish only.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Vatican Museums skip-the-line entry ticket
✓ Sistine Chapel skip-the-line entry ticket
✓ St. Peter's Basilica skip-the-line entry ticket
✓ Sistine Chapel illustrated factsheet
✓ Official Vatican headsets
✓ Free Wi-Fi at the meeting point
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting point: Meet at the Brastours Office. Via Santamaura, 28, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English, Spanish
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“It was awesome, stefania was amazing and really guided us through everything with energy and enthusiasm! Definitely recommend!” – GetYourGuide review
Among the Vatican Museums tickets I compared, only this one and the City Wonders tour include the Basilica without an option to select. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. Hotel pickup is not included, and you meet at the Brastours office on Via Santamaura.
Vatican Museums Tour
A Vatican Museums tour with an official Vatican guide costs $52, and it is the one listing where the guide comes from the museums rather than from a tour company. It scores 4.4 from 6,949 reviews, includes the skip-the-line entrance and the museum ticket, and runs in Spanish, French, English and Italian. It is non-refundable, and it does not include St. Peter’s Basilica. The listing also states that the route is not wheelchair accessible.
Vatican Museums Tour with Official Vatican Guide
★4.4 (6,949 reviews)
24-hour ticket
My pick: The official-guide option at $52: entry and a guide inside the museums, 4.4 from 6,949 reviews, but non-refundable and no Basilica.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line entrance
✓ Vatican Museums entry ticket
✓ Guided tour with an official guide of Vatican Museums
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Access to St. Peter’s Basilica
✕ Wheelchair accessible route
Meeting point: On the day of the visit go to the entrance of the Vatican Museums - situated in Viale Vaticano (30 minutes before the scheduled time).
After the security checks, go straight to the guided-tour meeting point, marked by a large sign reading ‘VISITE GUIDATE.’ 00120, Vatican City
Languages: Spanish, French, English, Italian
Duration: 1 day
Cancellation: This activity is non-refundable
“The guide complemented the visit and made it much more interesting than being on our own” – GetYourGuide review
The meeting point is the thing to understand. You do not meet outside. You go through security, then find a large sign reading VISITE GUIDATE, and one reviewer admitted what that cost them:
“The meeting instructions could be clearer, as the meeting point is inside the Vatican Museums and we initially waited in an unnecessary line.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Arrive 30 minutes before your time, as the listing asks, and ask staff for the guided-tour desk. Of the Vatican Museums tickets here, it is the one with the most awkward start. I compare every guided tour on my Vatican Museums tours page.
Vatican Museums Entry Fee
The Vatican Museums entry fee on the official site is 20 euros for the full ticket, and 25 euros if you add the 5 euro skip-the-line booking, per the official prices and tickets page. Reduced tickets cost 10 euros, or 15 euros with online booking. The Touristation ticket at $40 is the nearest match among the leftovers: skip-the-line entry to the museums and the Sistine Chapel, an escort from the Touristation Vatican office to the museum entrance, and options for St. Peter’s Basilica, a 3-hour Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour and a Vatican Gardens minibus tour. It scores 4.2 from 8,954 reviews, is valid for 24 hours, is non-refundable and is in English only.
Prices are the lowest per-person prices on GetYourGuide when I last checked; the final price depends on the date, time slot and age.
The gap between the official 25 euros and a $32 reseller ticket is small, so Vatican Museums tickets from resellers are not a rip-off by default. What a reseller adds is a host who takes you to the entrance and, on the guided tours, a route through the galleries. The 20 euro official ticket without online booking is the cheapest way in, but it is the one that puts you in the queue.
Vatican Museums Tickets Official Site
The official Vatican Museums tickets site is tickets.museivaticani.va, and it is the only official online seller, according to the museums’ own site, which warns that look-alike domains can charge much higher prices. Official tickets are valid only on the day they are issued, and the page says plainly that “Tickets cannot be refunded.” I could not read the booking screen itself, so I cannot tell you which dates are open.
What a reseller adds is a guide and flexibility, and these Vatican Museums tickets differ mostly in those two things. The City Wonders tour at $77 runs about 2 hours with an English-speaking guide and scores 4.6 from 10,439 reviews. The listing includes reserved priority access, the Sistine Chapel and, unless you pick a No Basilica option, St. Peter’s Basilica. The Basilica is not accessible on Wednesday mornings, and the dome climb is a separate on-site ticket. Cancel up to 2 days ahead for a full refund.
City Wonders Ltd.
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Basilica Tour
★4.6 (10,439 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: A guided alternative to the official ticket: about 2 hours, English only, priority access and the Basilica unless you choose the No Basilica option, 4.6 from 10,439 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Reserved priority access and guided tour of the Vatican Museums
✓ Access to the Sistine Chapel
✓ Access to St. Peter’s Basilica (not included with "No Basilica" options and not accessible on Wednesday mornings)
✓ Expert English-speaking guide
✓ Headsets provided to clearly hear your guide at all times
Not included / not suitable
✕ Dome climb at St. Peter’s Basilica, which requires a separate ticket purchased on site if available
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Transportation to/from the meeting point
✕ Food and drinks
Meeting point: Meet your guide at the bottom of the steps across the street from the entrance of the Vatican Museums. The steps are located right next to Caffè Vaticano on the corner of Viale Vaticano and Via Tunisi. Via Tunisi, 4, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 2 days in advance for a full refund
“Ricardo was very knowledgeable & a good guide. Highly recommend him.” – GetYourGuide review
Vatican Museum tickets online come down to two kinds of booking, and the Vatican Museum tickets online I found split exactly that way: an open ticket you redeem at an office, or a timed entry with a guide. The Tours And Tours skip-the-line ticket at $32 is the open kind. It is the cheapest here, scores 4.2 from 13,317 reviews, and is valid for 24 hours on its reserved time. The stop list is the longest in the set, adding the Pinacoteca Vaticana, the Gregorian Etruscan Museum and the Raphael Rooms. You redeem it at Via Germanico, 8, arriving 15 minutes early, and latecomers are not guaranteed skip-the-line entry.
My pick: The cheapest way in at $32: skip-the-line entry and a host to the door, 4.2 from 13,317 reviews, but no guide, no Basilica and non-refundable.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line access to the Vatican Museums
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line access to the Sistine Chapel
✓ Free WiFi at the meeting point
✓ Bathroom access
✓ Recharging station for your devices
✓ Host to accompany you to the entrance of the Museum
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation
✕ Visit to Saint Peter's Dome and Saint Peter's Basilica
✕ Tour guide
Meeting point: Please reach Via Germanico, 8 to redeem your ticket. Arrive 15 minutes before the starting time. The ticket is valid only for the reserved time. Latecomers will not be guaranteed an entrance with skip the line access. Once you're in the Museum you can explore until the closing time of the Vatican Museums. Via Germanico, 8, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German
Duration: 1 day
Cancellation: This activity is non-refundable
“Definitely well worth it money. It took only 10min to get to the museums.” – GetYourGuide review
A reviewer on this ticket made the case for booking ahead:
“The only way to visit the Vatican Museums are with a skip the line ticket, because you will spend around 4h in the museum if you want to enjoy it properly”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Once you are inside with these Vatican Museum tickets, you can explore until the museums close. It is also the only product here with no guide at all, so bring a guidebook or plan your own route.
Vatican Museum Review
The Vatican Museums are rated 4.6 on Google Maps from 213,531 reviews, and Wikidata records 1,612,530 visitors in 2021, a year of pandemic restrictions. The tour reviews tell the same story: packed rooms, long stairs, and guides who make the pace bearable. The Vivicos International Travel entry at $68 gathers that feeling. It scores 4.3 from 11,487 reviews and runs 2.5 to 3 hours, with a licensed guide for the museums and the Sistine Chapel and Basilica access if you select it. The Basilica is not guided: the listing says so.
Vivicos International Travel
Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums and Basilica Entry
★4.3 (11,487 reviews)
2.5 - 3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The honest-crowds pick: 2.5 to 3 hours, guide and headsets, 4.3 from 11,487 reviews, Basilica entry only if selected and unguided.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Sistine Chapel
✓ Professional Licensed Guide for the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
✓ Headsets so you can hear the guide clearly
✓ Team assistance at the meeting point for a smooth start
✓ Free Wi-Fi at the meeting point
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation.
✕ Guided tour of the Basilica
Meeting point: The meeting point is at the local partner’s office, Via Vespasiano 26. By metro (Line A), get off at Ottaviano — it’s only a 10-minute walk from the metro stop. Please note that St. Peter’s Square is not the meeting point. Via Vespasiano, 26, 00192 Roma RM, Italia
Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German
Duration: 2.5 - 3 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“This was a very enjoyable tour. Our guide Valentina was very knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic - exactly who you’d want to host this tour. Highly recommended way to see the Vatican area. Thanks.” – GetYourGuide review
One reviewer put the crowd problem bluntly, and I think it is fair:
“Do not visit the Vatican without a tour guide and skip the line tickets. The Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel are wall to wall people.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Vatican Museum Tickets Include Sistine Chapel
Vatican Museum tickets include the Sistine Chapel on every product I compared, because the chapel sits at the end of the museum route and not on a separate ticket. The wording differs: Crown Tours says skip-the-ticket-line entry to the museums and the Sistine Chapel, and the Real Barcelona Tours listing names the chapel twice in its stop list. This one, at $68, runs 2.5 to 3 hours with a licensed guide, scores 4.3 from 17,641 reviews, and offers optional skip-the-line entry to St. Peter’s Basilica. The Basilica guide is not included, and the meeting point is a local partner’s office on Via Vespasiano, a 10-minute walk from the Ottaviano metro stop. Saint Peter’s Square is not the meeting point.
REAL BARCELONA TOURS, S.L
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Basilica Access
★4.3 (17,641 reviews)
2.5 - 3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Sistine Chapel included, Basilica entry optional and unguided: $68, 2.5 to 3 hours, 4.3 from 17,641 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-line entry to the Vatican Museums
✓ Skip-the-line entry to the Sistine Chapel
✓ Optional skip-the-line entry to St. Peter’s Basilica (if selected)
✓ Licensed, expert guide
✓ Headsets to clearly hear your guide
✓ Friendly assistance team at the meeting point
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation
✕ Gratuities
✕ Guided tour of the Basilica
Meeting point: The meeting point is at the local partner's office.By metro (Line A), get off at Ottaviano. The Ottaviano metro stop is only a 10-minute walk to the office. Please note that St. Peter's Square is not the meeting point. Via Vespasiano, 28, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Mr. Zahir, was our tour guide. He was very polite went beyond. Very knowledgeable and definitely I would recommend this tour with him. The vehicle was very. comfortable” – GetYourGuide review
The data labels this product a ticket, but the listing includes a licensed guide, so I’d treat it as a guided tour. What no listing promises is time alone in the chapel, and I have no data on how busy it is at any hour.
Vatican Museum Tickets Student
Vatican Museum tickets for students are a reduced price on the official site, not a GetYourGuide category. The official page lists reduced student entry at 10 euros, or 15 euros with online booking, against 20 euros for the full ticket. Children under 7 enter free, and the last Sunday of the month is free for everyone.
On GetYourGuide I found no student price on any of the 10 listings, so I would not expect a discount on Vatican Museums tickets there. If you are on a budget, the cheapest guided option is the Tours About tour at $49. It runs 2.5 hours, scores 4.3 from 12,103 reviews and includes skip-the-ticket-line entry to the museums and the Sistine Chapel with a professional guide and headsets. It does not include St. Peter’s Basilica, and you can cancel up to 24 hours before.
Tours About
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour
★4.3 (12,103 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The cheapest guided tour at $49: 2.5 hours, entry and a guide, 4.3 from 12,103 reviews, no Basilica.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Sistine Chapel
✓ Professional guide
✓ Headsets
✓ Wi-Fi at the meeting point
✓ Bathroom access
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation
✕ St. Peter's Basilica
Meeting point: This activity has 2 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select. Via Germanico, 8, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Tour was amazing! Sort of packed but overall a very good experience” – GetYourGuide review
Vatican City is worth visiting if you care about Renaissance art, and the museums are the reason. According to Wikipedia, the collection holds roughly 70,000 works, of which about 20,000 are on display, and Wikidata gives 1771 as the opening year. Vatican Museums tickets are the way into that collection. Google Maps rates the museums 4.6 from 213,531 reviews, so the verdict from visitors is positive, if crowded.
My view, from the data and not from a visit, is that the museums need a plan. The route ends at the Sistine Chapel, and the reviews describe crowds on the way there. Timed Vatican Museums tickets and a guide are what make the visit manageable.
Opening Hours and Getting There
Google Maps lists the Vatican Museums open 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and closed on Sunday. The official hours page gives the same hours with final entry at 6 pm, and opens on the last Sunday of the month from 9 am to 2 pm for free. Book your Vatican Museums tickets for a morning if you can. The nearest metro station is Ottaviano, about an 8-minute walk by my estimate. My Vatican Museums opening hours and visitor guide has the day-by-day table, the closing dates and how to get there.
Which Ticket Fits You
Choosing between Vatican Museums tickets comes down to the guide, the Basilica and the cancellation terms. This table is built from the listings; the sections above hold the detail for each row.
Ticket
Kind
Price from
Duration
Areas
Best for
Tours And Tours skip-the-line
ticket
$32
valid 24 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms
Cheapest way in
Touristation skip-the-line
ticket
$40
valid 24 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica optional
Add-on options
Tours About guided tour
tour with entry
$49
2.5 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel
Cheapest guide
Official guide tour
tour with entry
$52
valid 24 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel
Guide from the museums
Enjoy Rome tour
tour with entry
$55
2 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica optional
Most reviewed
Crown Tours tour
tour with entry
$66
2 to 4 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica and dome optional
First visit
Real Barcelona Tours
tour with entry
$68
2.5 to 3 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica optional
Chapel focus
Vivicos International
tour with entry
$68
2.5 to 3 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica optional
Crowd-wise guide
Brastours tour
tour with entry
$77
3 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica
Everything included
City Wonders tour
tour with entry
$77
2 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica
Priority access
Near the Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums sit on the northwest edge of the Rome sights, and the walking times below are my estimates from straight-line distance, multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h. Most of the sights are a long walk or a short ride away. Your Vatican Museums tickets will not cover those sights. The Colosseum has its own page: Colosseum tickets.
Piazza Navona is about 29 minutes on foot, the Pantheon 34 and the Spanish Steps 39. The Trevi Fountain is roughly 41 minutes, the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II 45 and the Roman Forum 51. The Colosseum is about an hour away, so I’d take the metro or a taxi between the two.
How I’d Choose
Cheapest of the Vatican Museums tickets: the $32 Tours And Tours skip-the-line entry, if you accept no guide and no refund.
No queue and a guide: the Enjoy Rome tour at $55 for 2 hours, or Tours About at $49 for the cheapest guide.
First visit, best all-round Vatican Museums tickets: the Crown Tours tour at $66, with the Basilica option if you want it.
St. Peter’s Basilica in the same booking: the Brastours tour at $77, where the Basilica ticket is included as standard.
Flexible cancellation: any of the tours with 24-hour or 2-day free cancellation, and not the Tours And Tours, official-guide or Touristation tickets.
Add-ons: the Touristation ticket at $40, for its Big Bus and Vatican Gardens minibus options.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Vatican Museums tickets?+
The official site lists the full ticket at 20 euros, or 25 euros with the 5 euro online skip-the-line booking. On GetYourGuide, the cheapest ticket is the Tours And Tours skip-the-line entry at $32 and the cheapest guided tour is Tours About at $49. Tours that add St. Peter's Basilica run from $55 to $77.
Do Vatican Museums tickets include the Sistine Chapel?+
Yes. The Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums visit, and every one of the 10 products I compared lists Sistine Chapel entry. What changes is St. Peter's Basilica: it is an option on some tours, included on others, and absent from the Tours About, Tours And Tours and official-guide listings.
What is the best way to buy Vatican Museums tickets?+
For the plain ticket, the official site tickets.museivaticani.va is the source. I'd use GetYourGuide when I want a guide, a meeting point that takes me to the entrance, or the Basilica in the same booking. My pick for a first visit is the Crown Tours guided visit at $66: 4.7 stars from 19,499 reviews.
Are Vatican Museums tickets refundable?+
The official site says tickets cannot be refunded. Among the products I compared, seven allow free cancellation, from 24 hours to 2 days before, while the Tours And Tours, official-guide and Touristation tickets are non-refundable. Check the cancellation line on the card before you pay.
Is the Vatican Museum open on Sunday?+
Only on the last Sunday of the month. Per the official hours page, the museums are open from 9 am to 2 pm that day with last entry at 12:30 pm and free admission, except when it falls on Easter Sunday, 29 June, 25 December, 26 December or 31 December.
Is there a student ticket for the Vatican Museums?+
Yes, a reduced one. The official site lists the student ticket at 10 euros, or 15 euros with online booking, against 20 euros for the full ticket. It does not list a free category for students, so I would bring student ID and check the official page before booking.
Is a Vatican Museums tour worth it?+
I think so for a first visit. Reviewers across the tours I compared praise the guide's pace and knowledge, and several describe the museum as packed. A guide picks a route through that crowd and explains what you are looking at, which a plain ticket does not.
Is it better to buy Vatican Museums tickets online?+
I would. The official site charges 5 euros extra for the skip-the-line booking, and the resellers I compared all include a reserved entry. One reviewer on the Tours And Tours ticket wrote that you spend around 4 hours inside if you want to enjoy it properly, so spending extra time in a queue is a poor trade.
Every Vatican Museums ticket and tour I compared
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour★ 4.3
