The Vatican City is one of the world’s most famous and must-see sites. This tiny country within the Italian capital, Rome, is the worldwide headquarters of the Roman Catholic church. It’s an incredibly popular place to visit with so much to see, making it super important to plan your visit before you go.
If you’re wondering what to know before visiting the Vatican Museums, this guide has been created to lead the way. Covered here is practical information such as opening times, getting there, and what to wear. We also share our six top tips for visiting the Vatican, so you can make the most of every moment.
Next up is a brief rundown of the Vatican highlights, before moving onto the matter of doing it yourself versus organised tours, and frequently asked questions. By the end of this article, you’ll be primed and ready to take on the likes of the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s dome, Michelangelo’s masterpieces, and much more!
🏆 Best Vatican + Vatican Museum Tours
Practical Info for Visiting the Vatican
Vatican opening hours
Monday to Saturday
- 8am to 8pm (last entry 6pm)
Wednesday
- Though the Vatican museums are open on Wednesday mornings, St Peter’s Basilica is usually closed until around 12.30 while the Pope addresses the public in St Peter’s Square.
Sunday
- Last Sunday in the month 9am to 2pm (last entry 12.30pm), unless this is one of the following: Easter Sunday, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29th June), Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or New Year’s Eve.
Vatican dress code
As the worldwide headquarters of the Catholic church, the Vatican has a strict dress code. You may be refused entry if you don’t comply with this, so please do take it seriously.
Cover your shoulders, midriff, and knees, and avoid offensive images or slogans, low cut or sleeveless tops, mini skirts, shorts, hats, and flip flops.
How to get to the Vatican
Metro
- Take Line A towards Battistini, and alight at Ottaviano or Cipro
Bus
- Catch bus 49 to the Musei Vaticani stop
Tram
- Board tram 19 and get off at Piazza del Risorgimento
How long to spend at the Vatican
Allow three hours or more to tour the museums of the Vatican City.
Top 6 Insider Tips for visiting the Vatican
Plan ahead
Often, you cannot simply just decide to visit the Vatican on a whim. It’s a very popular place, and sometimes tickets can be sold out for the whole month. So as soon as you know you want to go, get those tickets and tours booked.
That way, you can plan the rest of your time in Rome around when you’ll be heading to the Vatican. Though at times people do get lucky when booking late, that isn’t generally the case.
Time your visit wisely
The Vatican City can attract up to 20,000 visitors in a single day. So unless you actually like contending with big crowds, you don’t want to get there at midday. The queues to get in can be very long indeed, especially during the peak summer season and around Christmas.
Between Monday and Saturday, the Vatican is open to visitors between 8am and 8pm. We recommend arriving before 8am if you can, so you can make the most of your time without having to hurry.
If you can’t manage an early start, try later in the day, when the crowds will have dispersed somewhat. The museums are open until 8pm, but remember the last entry is two hours before this. Most people spend around three hours there.
Choose your day carefully
On Wednesdays, the Pope addresses the crowd in St Peter’s Square. St Peter’s Basilica is therefore closed until around 12.30pm, so do keep this in mind if you want to visit midweek. Many people also head to the museums once they’ve seen the Pope making his speech, so they can get packed.
As it’s the weekend, Saturday is always a busy day at the Vatican. Another day that’s best avoided, if you can, is Monday. This is because many other museums in Rome are closed on Mondays, making more people flock to the Vatican museums. Also, if you’d like to combine the Vatican with another museum on the same day, then Mondays are best avoided.
Sundays are very hit-and-miss. While entry is free, the Vatican is only open on the last Sunday of each month, between 9am and 2pm.
And it isn’t open to tourists at all if that Sunday happens to be Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, Easter Sunday, or 29th June (for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul). As entry is free and the opening hours are short, expect the Vatican to be very busy on these Sundays.
The best days to head to the Vatican are Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday.
Don’t try to do it all
You won’t be able to see everything the Vatican has to offer during your initial visit, so plan carefully if certain sights are musts. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and The Pietà sculpture, both by Michelangelo, are unmissable for most tourists. Seeing St Peter’s Square for real, rather than on a TV screen, can also be very special.
Taking an organised tour is the best way to max out every moment, and ensures you don’t waste any time wandering around aimlessly. With around 1,400 spaces comprising chapels, rooms, and galleries spread over a 110 acre site, it is very important to prioritise.
To climb or not to climb
Do you want to ascend the dome at St Peter’s Basilica? It’s well worth doing so for magnificent views over the city. As well as getting up close to the majestic dome itself.
But all this beauty comes at a price. There are just over 550 steps in all, so it’s a rather arduous climb. Some parts are also steep, narrow, or have low ceilings. The climb is therefore not recommended for anyone with mobility issues, a heart condition, or problems with heights or when encountering small or enclosed spaces.
If you are able to tackle the climb, the views of Rome from the dome are spectacular, and ensure the effort you put into getting up there is soon forgotten.
Know what to wear
What to wear when visiting the Vatican is more important than you might think. Though it is of course one of Rome’s top tourist attractions, remember that it’s also a religious site.
To comply with the clothing rules for visiting the Vatican, avoid low cut and sleeveless or cropped tops and dresses, shorts, mini skirts, and hats.
Also avoid any garments with offensive slogans or images. Ideally, make sure your shoulders and knees are covered up. Do note the individual guards’ opinions can differ on what is or isn’t acceptable.
If you do get caught short, you’ll find vendors just outside the entrance selling scarves, t-shirts, and so on.
Wear flat, comfortable shoes or sandals, as you’ll do a lot of walking. Flip flops are not suitable.
What to See at the Vatican
Most people want to see the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica when visiting the headquarters of the Catholic church in Rome. Doing both in one day is realistic, though adding in another major site – such as the Colosseum – will probably be too much.
As well as climbing the dome, you can find Michelangelo’s Pietà inside the Basilica. It’s also possible to descend a level to the Vatican Grottoes, so you can see where many Popes have been laid to rest.
The Vatican museums are really the star attraction at Vatican City. They’re housed in a collection of interconnected buildings, which are home to the biggest private art collection on the planet.
The Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums, so you will need a ticket to enter it. Michelangelo’s world-famous painted ceiling can be found here. The museums also offer an incredible array of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and other artefacts.
Don’t miss St Peter’s Square when visiting the Vatican City. You’re likely to have seen the Pope addressing the crowd from here on TV countless times. No ticket or queueing is required for Piazza San Pietro, either.
If you want a unique souvenir, pay the Vatican Post Office a visit so you can send yourself a postcard with a Vatican stamp!
DIY or Organised Tour?
Once you’ve decided to go ahead with visiting the Vatican, you should book your tickets or tours as soon as possible. Particularly during summer, the festive season, and on weekends.
So should you simply buy entry tickets and show yourself around, or take a guided tour? While wandering at will can be fun, it’s a big site, and therefore easy to miss the highlights if you don’t have a plan in mind.
When I went to the Vatican, I took a Take Walks tour, and was really glad I did. It’s called the VIP Key Master’s Tour. Accompanied by an official Vatican guide, you follow in the footsteps of the Key Master as they open up the museums and galleries for the day. This includes the Sistine Chapel, with its famous frescoed ceiling by Michelangelo.
We also visited other highlights of the Vatican during the tour, including the Pinecone (or Belvedere) Courtyard, and a number of the best galleries and rooms housing breathtaking works of art.
This tour really is the best way to see the Vatican as the sun comes up. Experiencing this holy place without the crowds is a truly magical experience – whether you’re religious, agnostic, or an atheist.
Vatican FAQs
Do I need a passport to get into Vatican City?
Though the Vatican City is technically a separate country, you won’t need your passport to get in.
Can I stay in Vatican City?
There is no accommodation for tourists within the Vatican City. So while you can stay overnight in Rome, you cannot actually spend the night within the Vatican City.
Are there restaurants in Vatican City?
The Vatican museums have six places where you can eat, including a self-service canteen, cafes, a pizzeria, and a bistro within the iconic Pinecone Courtyard.
What Will You Do During Your Vatican Visit?
When in Rome, you cannot miss the Vatican. Though you could simply pay St Peter’s Square a quick visit for free, the museums are so worth it – and you’ll have to enter those anyway to see the Sistine Chapel. Which is of course stunningly beautiful; yet there is so much more to the world’s biggest private art collection than that.
Whether it’s a guided sunrise tour with the Key Master or you’re doing it yourself, everyone should see the Vatican at least once in a lifetime!
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