The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel: a first-timer's guide

Why go

Few places hold so many masterpieces in one building: the Laocoön and the Belvedere Torso that inspired Michelangelo, Raphael's School of Athens, Leonardo's unfinished Saint Jerome and, finally, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Last Judgment. Even the corridors are works of art, from the Gallery of Maps to the Gallery of Candelabra.

Tickets and timing

Buy tickets on the official Vatican Museums website, which offers timed entry and guided tour options. Many resellers and street touts sell the same tickets with large mark-ups, so compare carefully. The museums are generally closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month when entry is free and crowds are intense, and they close on many Catholic holidays. Check the official calendar before you choose a day. In busy months, the first entry slot or the last two hours before closing are the calmest times, and Wednesday mornings can be quieter while many visitors are at the papal audience.

The route

From the entrance you climb to the Pinecone Courtyard. The main route then runs through the **Pio Clementino Museum** of classical sculpture, the **Gallery of Candelabra**, the **Gallery of Tapestries** and the **Gallery of Maps**, then into the **Raphael Rooms** and down through the modern religious art collection to the **Sistine Chapel**. Signs point the way to the chapel, but you can branch off to quieter sections such as the **Pinacoteca**, the **Egyptian Museum**, the **Etruscan Museum** and the **Carriage Pavilion**.

The Sistine Chapel

The chapel is where cardinals elect a new pope. Michelangelo painted the ceiling between 1508 and 1512, and the Last Judgment on the altar wall more than twenty years later. Photography and filming are not allowed inside, and guards ask for quiet. Sit on the benches along the walls if there is space and give your eyes time: start with the Creation of Adam near the centre, then follow the story back to the Separation of Light from Darkness above the altar.

Pacing yourself

The full route is several kilometres with stairs. There are cafés, a self service restaurant and toilets inside, and benches in many galleries. A guided tour helps first-timers understand what they are seeing; an audio guide or a good book works for independent visitors. Families should plan breaks and pick a few rooms to focus on.

Practical tips

Cover shoulders and knees. Large bags, umbrellas and tripods go to the cloakroom, and you collect them on the way out, which is why most people leave through the main exit and the Bramante staircase. Expect airport style security. If you arrive without a ticket in busy months, the queue can stretch along the walls for a long time. Ignore anyone who tells you the museums are closed or full and offers a special tour: confirm at the official entrance or on the website.

Food and breaks nearby

You cannot re-enter the museums once you leave, so eat before you go in or use the cafés inside. Afterwards, the streets of Prati just north of the walls have far better food than the restaurants facing the exit. Pizza by the slice, a covered market and old fashioned coffee bars are all within a ten minute walk, and our places to visit list names the best.

Accessibility

The museums have lifts and step free routes to most major areas, including the Sistine Chapel, and wheelchairs can be borrowed at the cloakroom. Ask staff at the entrance for the accessible route, and check the official site for current arrangements before you go.