Are you looking for Vatican Museums last minute tickets? Will you be in Rome soon and all the tickets are already sold out? Did you not know that tickets often sell out weeks or even months in advance?
Don’t worry! There’s still hope. It’s still possible to find tickets! You just need to search for Vatican Museums last-minute tickets outside the official website.
Go ahead and book your tickets already, or continue reading to learn more about Vatican Museums last-minute tickets.
How can I buy Vatican Museums last-minute tickets when it is sold out on the official website?
As you may have seen on the Vatican Museums official website, tickets often sell out weeks or months before the visiting date, and it is almost impossible to get a ticket last minute. You really need to book your tickets in advance. We recommend at least one to four months ahead of time, depending on the season.
However, the good news is that there are other sources to find and book Vatican Museums tickets. Some may even have tickets still available for your preferred visiting date.
There are dozens of different websites offering last-minute ticket and tour options. Sorting through all these pages can be overwhelming. That’s why TourScanner aggregates them all, so you can easily find and book your tickets.
If you don’t find any Vatican Museums tickets on TourScanner for your preferred date, then it must be completely sold out. However, your trip to Rome isn’t ruined! You can still visit the Vatican Museums by booking a guided tour.
How much do Vatican Museums tickets cost?
The Vatican Museums ticket prices vary depending on the purchase method, whether in person or online. Eligible visitors may also take advantage of free or discounted pricing options.
Additionally, visitors have the option to reserve tickets with or without a guided tour. For more information, read the complete guide on how to choose the best Vatican Museums tours.
Standard Vatican Museums tickets
You can also purchase standard tickets to the Vatican Museums in person at the ticket office on the day of your visit.
- Standard ticket price: €20
- Reduced ticket price (available for visitors under 18, students under 26 and members of a group on a pilgrimage): €8
- Children under 6, disabled visitors plus one companion and university professors of certain disciplines have free admission.
Skip-the-Line Vatican Museums tickets
To avoid waiting in line at the ticket office on the day of your visit, it is recommended that you purchase a Vatican Museums skip-the-line ticket online in advance.
- Skip-the-line ticket price: €25
- Reduced skip-the-line ticket price (available for visitors under 18, students under 26 and members of a group on a pilgrimage): €13
- Children under 6, disabled visitors plus one companion and university professors of certain disciplines have free admission.
Breakfast at the Vatican Museums tickets
Are you aware that you can indulge in a complete American-style breakfast at the Vatican Museums before commencing your tour? If you’re interested in relishing some heavenly pancakes, consider booking the breakfast and museum entry ticket.
- Standard ticket price plus breakfast: €45
- Reduced ticket price plus breakfast (available for visitors under 18, students under 26 and members of a group on a pilgrimage): €31
Lunch at the Vatican Museums tickets
Did you know you have the option to take an Italian lunch break while touring the Vatican Museums? There’s nothing like a generous serving of pasta to provide you with the fuel necessary to explore every section of the Vatican Museums.
- Standard ticket price plus lunch: €46.50
- Reduced ticket price plus lunch (available for visitors under 18, students under 26 and members of a group on a pilgrimage): €32.50 or €22 (full Italian menu or kids’ menu)
Vatican Museums Audioguides
For an additional cost of €7, or €5 for children under 12, you can supplement any of the aforementioned tickets with an audioguide. Audioguides are provided in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, German, Chinese, and Korean.
Vatican Museums Prime Experience Tickets
With the Prime Experience tickets, you are granted early admission to the museums with a guided tour and a complete American-style breakfast. If you desire the opportunity to savor some heavenly pancakes, consider reserving this ticket for early entry to the museums and breakfast.
- Standard ticket price plus breakfast and early entry: €73
- Reduced ticket price plus breakfast and early entry (available for visitors under 18, students under 26 and members of a group on a pilgrimage): €59
Vatican Gardens and Sistine Chapel tickets
It is not possible to purchase standalone tickets for the Vatican Gardens, nor are they included in the Vatican Museums ticket. You must book a guided tour of both the Vatican Gardens and the Sistine Chapel to explore the gardens.
- Standard ticket price: €45
- Reduced ticket price (available for visitors under 18, students under 26 and members of a group on a pilgrimage): €33
- All children under 6 have free admission.
Castel Gandolfo Papal Residence tickets
The Gardens of the Pontifical Villas are situated at Castel Gandolfo Papal Residence, 25 kilometers southeast of Rome, and are not technically part of the Vatican.
While this ticket doesn’t cover the train journey from Vatican City, it does include shuttle transportation to the sprawling 30-hectare gardens that offer picturesque views of Lake Albano. These gardens have functioned as the Pope’s summer residence for many centuries.
- Standard ticket price: €12
- Reduced ticket price (available for visitors under 18, students under 26 and members of a group on a pilgrimage): €5
- All children under 6 have free admission.
For an extra €8, you have the opportunity to combine this ticket with admission to the Apostolic Palace, which is a 33% discount off the regular rate.
Why should you book in advance?
Visiting the Vatican is one of the most popular things to do in Rome, with millions visiting it each year. It is also famous for its long waiting lines at the entrance. If you don’t buy your ticket ahead of time, you should expect to spend up to 2 hours waiting in line – or even longer in high season!
If you book your ticket in advance, you can skip the line and go straight to the security check. Yes, you will pay a small booking fee, but would you rather spend more time visiting the museums or wait in a long line under the sun?
What will I see during my visit?
The Vatican State is a country within a country, a city within a city—the smallest state in the world. It may cover only a quarter of a square mile and have a population of around 1,000 people, but it welcomes over five million visitors each year!
The Vatican Museums are full of historical and artistic treasures by some of the world’s greatest artists, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio and Titian.
It’s important to remember that the Vatican Museums house one of the largest and most extensive art collections in the world. To walk through every painting and sculpture would require you to cover over seven kilometers of ground!
The museums feature several renowned masterpieces, so it’s crucial not to overlook them.
- Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgement” are difficult to miss, covering extensive areas on the ceiling and main altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.
- The highlight of the Raphael Rooms is Raphael’s “School of Athens.” You can try to spot the well-known faces from the Renaissance and antiquity, including a self-portrait of the artist himself.
- In the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Caravaggio’s “The Entombment of Christ” is probably the most sought-after painting.
- Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished painting “St. Jerome in the Wilderness” is also on display in the Pinacoteca Vaticana. It is Da Vinci’s only artwork in the Vatican. These are just a few of the many famous examples in this vast collection.
As the name implies, the Vatican Museums consist of several different museums, all of which are accessible with your ticket.
- Sistine Chapel
- Raphael Rooms
- Pinacoteca Vaticana
- Gregorian Egyptian Museum
- Gregorian Etruscan Museum
- Pio-Clementino Museum
- Chiaramonti Museum
- Lapidary Gallery
- New Wing
- Gregoriano Profano Museum
- Lapidario Profano ex Lateranense
- Pio Cristiano Museum
- Christian Lapidarium
- Jewish Lapidarium
- Ethnological Museum
- Carriage Pavilion
- Christian Museum
- Profane Museum
- Room of the Aldobrandini Wedding
- Chapel of St. Peter Martyr
- Collection of Contemporary Art
- Borgia Apartment
- Niccoline Chapel
- Chapel of Urban VIII
- Room of the Immaculate Conception
- Room of the Chiaroscuri
There are also some special sections that are closed to the general public and open only for group tours.
- The Vatican Gardens
- The Villa Barberini and its gardens
- The Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo
- The Hidden Pontifical Villas
- The Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis
- The Carriage Pavilion
The Vatican Museums have a collection of over 70,000 paintings and sculptures, with only 20,000 currently on display. The collection dates back to the 16th century when Pope Julius II began contributing art to the legendary displays and creating the concept of museums.
The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica are the two most famous attractions in Vatican City. The Sistine Chapel features Michelangelo’s world-famous ceiling mural, while St. Peter’s Basilica is an impressive feat of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world.
Apart from the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, there are dozens of museums to explore in the Vatican, with contemporary and classical works of art by some of history’s best painters and sculptors.
Over 6 million people visit the Vatican Museums every year, making it one of the most visited art museums worldwide. It would take weeks or even months to explore all the works in the museums, but if you only have a day, don’t miss the masterpieces described below.
The Sistine Chapel
You can witness some of Michelangelo’s most timeless works within these walls. One of the most iconic pieces of the Sistine Chapel is “The Creation of Adam,” featuring God’s outstretched finger towards mankind. This masterpiece is only one part of a larger series of murals spanning 40 meters across the ceiling.
Directly in front of you, covering the entire altar wall, is Michelangelo’s incomparable fresco, “The Last Judgement.” With over 300 figures, this 14-meter high and 12-meter wide artwork depicts the Second Coming of Christ and is truly awe-inspiring.
This chapel continues to serve a centuries-old tradition as the site of the papal conclave. Here, cardinals gather to choose a new pope, and people from all over the world come to observe the color of smoke leaving the chapel’s chimney. Finally, when white smoke is seen, it signifies that a new pope has been elected!
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica, standing as the largest church in the world, is an impressive feat of Renaissance architecture, covering over 23,000 square meters. The dome, by law, is the tallest building in Rome, reaching an astounding height of 136 meters.
As you explore the basilica, you can appreciate not only its size and intricacy but also the frescoes and sculptures adorning the walls. Among them is Michelangelo’s “La Pietà,” a masterpiece he carved at the young age of 24.
Another highlight of the basilica is Bernini’s baldachino, a canopy located under the dome marking the burial site of Saint Peter. Bernini constructed four bronze columns that sit on marble plinths, reaching a height of 20 meters, to mediate the vastness of the church to the human scale, much like Jesus mediated the glory of God for humanity.
It’s important to note that St. Peter’s Square and the Basilica are inaccessible on Wednesdays until noon as part of a Vatican Museums tour due to the weekly Papal Audience. However, if you plan to visit on a Wednesday, you can still purchase separate tickets to attend the Papal Audience.
Overall, St. Peter’s Basilica is a must-see destination for anyone visiting Rome, offering not only architectural wonders but also a deep spiritual experience.
See also: Papal Audience Tickets, Tips & Schedule
The Raphael Rooms
The masterworks of Renaissance artist Raphael are divided into four grand rooms, each adorned with giant frescoes depicting mythological and historical events on the walls and ceilings.
The most famous of these paintings is The School of Athens. Raphael included a self-portrait and portraits of some of the greatest minds of his time and antiquity, including Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Plato, and Aristotle. Upon closer inspection, you can appreciate the intricate details and symbolism that Raphael incorporated into this iconic artwork.
Pio Clementino Museum
The Vatican Museums house an iconic artifact, the Belvedere Torso, which is steeped in history. Although just a portion of this first-century BC marble sculpture of a naked male has survived, its impact on Renaissance artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo is unmistakable.
By examining the male figures in their artworks, one can observe the influence of the Torso. For instance, the resemblance between Saint Bartholomew in Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” and the Torso is striking.
The Pinacoteca
The Pinacoteca Vaticano features an array of renowned paintings, including Leonardo Da Vinci’s sole creation on display at the Vatican Museums—an unfinished painting named “St. Jerome in the Wilderness.” Visitors can find this masterpiece in Room IX.
But “St. Jerome in the Wilderness” is just one of several timeless works of art present within the gallery. Other masterpieces that visitors can appreciate include Bellini’s “Pietà,” Raphael’s “Madonna of Foligno,” and Caravaggio’s “The Entombment of Christ.”
These exceptional paintings can be viewed in the Pinacoteca, which offers visitors an opportunity to experience the richness of the Vatican Museums’ collection.
Borgia Apartments
Pinturicchio, whose nickname refers to Bernardino di Betto’s diminutive size, was tasked with creating the frescoes and designs for the six chambers within the apartments that were once occupied by Pope Alexander VI, also known as Rodrigo de Borja.
Nowadays, the majority of these rooms feature the Vatican Collection of Modern Religious Art. Among the remarkable pieces on display are Vincent Van Gogh’s “Pieta,” Salvador Dalí’s “The Announcement,” and August Rodin’s “The Thinker.” These artworks offer visitors a glimpse into the diversity of the Vatican Museums’ collections.
The Belvedere and Pine Courtyards
The Belvedere Courtyard may appear as a single open space at first glance, but it is, in fact, divided into two terraces – the lower Cortile del Belvedere and the upper Cortile della Pigna.
The upper terrace derives its name from a magnificent four-meter-tall bronze pinecone that sits within a vast niche in the Vatican’s wall. This pinecone was once part of a Roman fountain that dates back to the first century AD. Dante Alighieri, in his Divine Comedy, used this pinecone as a point of reference to describe the size of a giant’s head, stating that it was “as long and large as the pinecone of Saint Peter’s in Rome.”
Located on the western side of the Belvedere Courtyard, the Gallery of Maps is distinct from other galleries in the Vatican Museums. Rather than depicting religious or historical scenes, it showcases a geographic theme with a series of paintings illustrating various regions of the Italian peninsula.
Vatican Gardens
The Vatican Gardens are not officially part of the Vatican Museums, but visitors can book guided tours that include the gardens along with their visit to the rest of the Vatican. These tours are the only way to explore the gardens, as independent visits are not permitted.
The Vatican Gardens cover an impressive 23 hectares, roughly half of the Vatican. According to legend, the gardens were established using soil from Mount Calvary, where Jesus Christ and thousands of early Christians were crucified.
Pope Francis granted the public access to the Vatican Gardens in 2014, making it a relatively new opportunity to explore this more secluded area of the Vatican. The gardens are home to an array of fountains and statues, but one of the main attractions is the collection of shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This collection has been gradually growing since the early 20th century, with countries from around the world contributing to it over time.
Travel tips
- When should I visit? If you can avoid the summer months, your visit will be slightly less crowded.
- What time during the day is best to visit? The best time to visit the Vatican Museums is either early morning or late afternoon, as it tends to be less crowded. You can read the complete guide about the best Vatican Museums early access tours.
- Will I need a guide? It certainly helps to navigate the tens of thousands of paintings and sculptures on display! A guide will help you make the most of your time and will provide engaging historical context for what you see.
- Buy a skip-the-line ticket online in advance. This will allow you to skip the long waiting lines and proceed straight to your visit.
- Attend the Papal Audience. It takes place at 10:30 AM on most Wednesdays and lasts 90 minutes to 2 hours.
- Visit the Sistine Chapel in the early morning or late afternoon.
Enjoy your visit to the Vatican Museums. We hope this guide will be helpful in making the most of your visit! Divertiti! ?⛪