London Toolkit 
Paris Toolkit Vatican Museums tickets & St Peter's Rome fast track tickets
Skip the line tickets to the Vatican Museum & St Peter's Basilica
Fast track tickets for the Vatican Museums in Rome are increasingly popular, as queue times can at busy times be over two hours. Fast-track tickets are for many a useful way of minimising queue time and giving you longer to spend on the tourist attractions you came to see.
These tickets are not guided and allow you to visit the Vatican Museums independently, on your own timetable. You can choose whether to book with or without an audioguide.
In addition on this page you will find guided tours to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with the skip the line entrance. It is free to enter St Peter's Basilica which has a different entrance, but you will have to queue and there are fast track tickets available to avoid this. We also offer fast-track tickets that combine St Peter's Basilica with the Vatican Museums on a fully guided tour.
You can use our detailed Vatican Museums page to learn more, but if you'd like to visit the Vatican Museums and avoid the queues, then pre-book and skip the line and enjoy fast, hassle-free entry.
Vatican Museum tickets, opening hours & time of visit
Where to buy Vatican Museum tickets
You can no longer buy Vatican Museum tickets on the door, pre-covid you would need to be prepared in most cases for a very long wait. The queues at the Vatican are legendary and if you time your visit badly you might find your queue lasting for a couple of hours. The way forward now is to buy Vatican Museum tickets online beforehand. You can choose to get fast track Vatican Museum tickets, a guided tour or a combined tour. We have a selection of all these types of tickets below.
What do Vatican Museum tickets include
The basic ticket or open tour ticket gains you entry to the Museums and Sistine Chapel as an independent visitor. You will be free to explore at your leisure and discover the treasures on your own.
You can add an audio guide either on the day or often as an add-on to one of the online tickets. If you have a smart phone you can download this audio guide in the form of an app before your trip as part of your online ticket cost. As there is so much to see, an audio guide can be a wise investment, so that you can really appreciate and learn about what you are seeing.
You can also choose to take a guided tour which will be much more interactive with a knowledgeable guide leading the way and making sure you don't miss out on any hidden gems, something easy to do when you are on your own.
There are also combined tours that include St Peter's Basilica or even as part of a walking tour. You can also visit the stunning Vatican Gardens but this is only as part of a guided tour. The one featured on this page is a morning tour and includes a buffet breakfast.
Do I need to buy Vatican Museum tickets in advance
The answer used to be no. You could turn up on the day and as long as you were prepared to queue for however long it takes, you should be able to get in to the museum. The question then became do you want to take your chances in a queue or guarantee your ticket in advance and walk past any queue to your entry. Now it is essential to buy your ticket online first in advance. Tickets are limited to keep the amount of people within a safe number for social distancing, so if you want to see the Vatican Museum you must buy a ticket in advance. It is not uncommon in the peak season to find tickets sold out over two or more months beforehand.
Therefore it pays to plan ahead, by booking online in advance you can decide what time you want to visit, check the Vatican Museum is open on your preferred date and then relax. As most people visiting Rome for the first time will want to see the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica, it makes sense to book ahead and then plan the rest of your Rome trip around this.
Vatican Museums opening hours 2024
From Monday to Saturday
09.00 am – 07.00 pm (final entry 4.00 pm)
From 1 March 2024
On Fridays and Saturdays extended opening hours until 8.00 pm (final entry 6.00 pm)
Every last Sunday of the month
(provided this does not coincide with Easter Sunday, 29 June Sts. Peter and Paul, 25 December Christmas Day, 26 December Feast of St. Stephen and 31 December Feast of St. Sylvester)
09.00 am – 02.00 pm (final entry 12.30 pm)
Free entry
Vatican Museums official tickets, fast track with optional tour or early VIP access
This facility provides fast track access through a reserved door into the Vatican Museums, allowing you to skip all the lines.
Meet your host in Vatican City or outside the museum entrance and head to a reserved entrance that guarantees you the fastest skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums.
Available every day except Sundays and holidays listed on the Vatican Museums calendar.
VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL FAST TRACK ADMISSION
• Fast track entrance throughout the day • Open every day except Sundays and bank holidays • Optional download audio guide to your phone
VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL WITH AUDIO FAST TRACK ADMISSION
• Fast track entrance throughout the day • Ticket & audio guide • Open every day except Sundays and bank holidays • Collect audio guide at museums
EXCLUSIVE ENTRANCE VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL BEFORE OPENING HOURS
• Likely to sell out • Enter 30-mins before opening • Enjoy the Sistine in the quiet • 2.5 hour tour • All entrances covered
FRIDAY NIGHT VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL TOUR
• Beat the crowds • Expert tour guide • 3-hr tour • Likely to sell out • Instant confirmation • Add on your own entrance ticket
SKIP THE LINE VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL WITH OPTIONAL LUNCH UPGRADE
• Hotel pick-up • Local guide • All entrances included • Several departures per day • Am/pm or full-day tour
St Peter's Basilica Rome tickets
Admission prices & opening
We have a detailed explanation of the logistics of visiting St Peter's Basilica on our dedicated St Peter's Basilica page.
The good news in that its free to enter the main St. Peter's Basilica, though there are admission fees for a few parts.
It is a good idea to join the queue as early as you can. By 11am the queue is snaking all around St Peter's Square, if so budget on queueing for about 45 minutes.
First of all the dress code is strictly enforced at St. Peter's Basilica. No sleeveless clothing, shorts, skirts not covering the knee, or hats.
There is very little to explain what you are witnessing. A guided tour, audio guide or good guide book will enable you to make sense of what you are seeing.
St Peter's Basilica fast track entry with audio guide
Days of operation: not Wednesdays or Sundays.
Tour: audio guides available in Italian - English - Spanish - Portuguese - French - German - Russian - Polish - Japanese - Chinese
Departure times: many departures throughout the day
Meet at the ORP office in St Peter's Square and then skip the line to St Peter's Basilica with an audio guided tour of St Peter's included.
ST PETER'S SKIP THE LINE ADMISSION
• Audio guide in 6 languages download to your phone • Every day, from 9 am until 3 pm • Children under 6 free
St Peter's Basilica guided tour with fast track entry
Tour logistics
Days of operation: not Wednesdays or Sundays.
Tour: in English with your own personal headphones.
Departure times: Morning and afternoon
See the best of St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on a comprehensive 75-minute walking tour. Numbers are limited to 20 people on this St Peter's Basilica tour, ensuring you'll enjoy a more personalised experience.
Your small-group tour starts in St Peter’s Square, where you’ll meet your professional guide. Skip the lines with exclusive access through the Vatican.
After an introduction in the square, begin your small-group walking tour through St Peter’s Basilica, where your guide will point out to you everything you wanted to know: Michelangelo’s Pietà, the 91 papal tombs, and the statue of St. Peter for a blessing, which you traditionally rub for a blessing. You will end your tour of the world’s largest church with a view of the Swiss Guards in St. Peter’s Square.
Your tour finishes in St Peter's Basilica, where you can stay if you want to spend more time exploring this sacred place independently.
ST PETER'S BASILICA, DOME & UNDERGROUND GROTTOES GUIDED TOUR
• All entrance fees included • Climb the Dome • Visit the tombs • Local expert • Guided tour of Basilica
ST PETER'S FAST TRACK ENTRY TOUR WITH DOME CLIMB & PAPAL CRYPT
• All entrance fees included • Fully guided tour featuring the Papal Crypt • Climb the dome for an amazing view • Small group - no more than 15 • 2.5 hour tour
Vatican Museums & St Peter’s Basilica combined tour with fast track entry tickets
Days of operation: Monday to Saturday
Your knowledgeable guide will escort you into the Vatican Museums to explore the world's most extensive collection of art.
Highlights of the museums are Michelangelo's famous Creation of Adam fresco in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Rooms.
After taking in the Vatican Museums, you will walk over to St Peter's Basilica for a fascinating finish to your group guided walking tour stopping to admire magnificent St Peter's Square.
VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S HALF DAY WALKING TOUR
• Fast track entrance throughout the day • Fully narrated tour • Headsets • Free Wi-Fi at entrance • Add on your entrances
FASTER THAN SKIP-THE-LINE VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S TOUR
• No-wait access • Professional guide • All entrances included • Multiple departures available • Small group tour
EARLY ACCESS VATICAN MUSEUMS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S TOUR
• All entrances included • Professional guide • Early morning access before the museums are open to the public • Private guide tailors commentary to you • Entrances to Vatican & Sistine Chapel included
VATICAN MUSEUMS & GARDENS, SISTINE CHAPEL & ST PETER'S
• Early access to the Vatican Museums & St Peter's • See the Sistine Chapel • Small group tour • Skip line pass to Vatican Museums and Vatican Gardens
Rome Tourist Card
The Rome Tourist Pass is a simple ticket pass that lets you see the three most popular attractions in Rome all with one ticket. You can visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica.
Please read the product description of the Rome Tourist Card on the website of Tiqets carefully when buying. We say this because in exceptional circumstances like Easter (when Rome is incredibly busy) the attractions may have to be adapted so that you get the best value possible. As tickets sell out for major attractions they are replaced by others. To be fair this is unusual and only ever occurs if demand is extreme, which after so long without travelling due to coronavirus, it currently is. So just be sure to read what you get for the dates you want to use the card on before buying.
This pass can save you money on buying individual tickets to each attraction and offers a few extra bonus discounts too. So, if you know you are going to visit all three attractions on your stay in Rome, then it can be a good money saving and ease of use purchase.
Key Features:
-
Priority access to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palantine Hill.
-
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel skip the line ticket with 20% discount in the Vatican Museums online shop.
-
Guided tour of St Peter's Basilica with an official Vatican guide.
-
City Tour of Rome: Audio App Guide.
-
Self-guided Tour of the Pantheon Rome via Audio guide app.
-
10% discount on other attractions in Rome
ROME TOURIST CARD FOR COLOSSEUM, VATICAN AND ST PETER'S BASILICA
With the Rome Tourist Card you get tickets for three of Rome's biggest attractions plus some extra bonus discounts.
You will still need to book your entry times in advance and plan your days carefully, but if you are going to visit all three then it can save you money on buying equivalent tickets individually.
Do's and dont's of Vatican Museums
Clothing, what to wear – no sleeveless clothing, shorts, skirts not covering the knee, or hats. Even if you get through security, you will be turned away by the attendants at the door.
Pushchairs - permitted in the Museums.
Food and Drink - it is forbidden to consume food and drink (including alcohol) inside the exhibition halls.
Photography - it is forbidden to use flashlight photography inside the Museums and no photography at all in the Sistine Chapel.
Mobile phones - not permitted to be used inside the exhibition spaces and the Sistine Chapel.
It is forbidden to touch works of art.
Vatican Museums further information
Apart from the entrance queues the other issue for an informed visit is there is almost no information provided. You really need something to inform on what you are witnessing so a good guide book or an audio guide is a minimum if you want more than just a few photos.
Of course a guide is much better in a place like the Vatican Museums where there is so much to see. Your guide ensures you don't miss the highlights and makes efficient use of your time.
Brilliantly decorated and lined with masterpieces, the museums are brimming with treasures and history. Your guide will lead you through the best of the 2,000 rooms that stretch over almost nine miles, and share the stories and secrets contained within the Vatican's walls.
Highlight of the museums are of course Michelangelo's famous Creation of Adam fresco in the Sistine Chapel, a wonderful finale to your visit to the Vatican Museums.
You will also encounter another of Michelangelo's masterpieces, La Pieta, in St Peter's Basilica. Tours are also possible where you just visit the Vatican Museums or St Peter's Basilica.
If you prefer taking your time and exploring at your own pace independently we also have fast track tickets to the Vatican Museums or St Peter's Basilica that skip the tedious admission queues which can be very lengthy.
VATICAN FAST TRACK TICKETS & TOURS 2024
