Sistine Chapel Tickets & guided Tours 2025
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One of the highlights of the Vatican is the world-famous Sistine Chapel. Built between 1473 and 1483, the chapel is still used in part today as an important meeting room for the Catholic Church.
This includes the election of a new pope, the so-called conclave. However, the popular chapel is an absolute landmark, with breathtaking paintings on the walls and ceiling that are considered masterpieces of the Renaissance.
Some of the best artists of the time were commissioned for this work, including Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Perugino.
So it’s no wonder tickets for the Sistine Chapel are hugely popular. It is important to know that the chapel is located within the premises of the Vatican Museums.
Therefore, admission to the Sistine Chapel is always combined with a visit to the popular museum. Due to the high demand for tickets, it is advisable to buy them online in advance.
You can buy admission tickets, guided tours, and all other purchases directly via our website, Rome Tickets.
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Who’s writing here?
Hi there, fellow adventurers!
I’m Allie and I travel to Rome a lot! ♥️
Allie
Sistine Chapel Tickets (skip the line):
The Sistine Chapel is visited by more than 7 million tourists annually, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Eternal City. The queues at the entrance can be correspondingly long.
Buying a skip-the-line ticket allows you to skip the queue and gain direct entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
Especially in high season and during the vacation season, the Skip-The-Line offer saves you an average of 2 to 3 hours of waiting time, which allows you to explore other things to do in Rome instead.
Admission & guided Tour of the Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums
- Admission Sistine Chapel & Vatican
- Fast-track admission: Skip-the-line
- Duration of the tour: 2-3 hours
- Licensed Vatican Guide
- Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica (if option selected)
- Headphones included
A guided tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, is particularly recommended for first-time visitors.
With the help of a professional tour guide, you can explore various areas of the museum in a structured way and learn more about the most important works of art in this highly interesting place.
For children in particular, an entertaining guided tour is often more exciting than simply walking through the various halls. Interactive stories and activities particularly arouse children’s interest.
Sistine Chapel Tickets with guided Tour:
- Skip-the-line admission to the Sistine Chapel
- Skip-the-line admission to the Vatican Museums
- Use of the special input -> skip queue
- Access to the Vatican Gardens (if option selected)
- Audio guide in the Sistine Chapel (if option selected)
- Audio guide in the Vatican Museums (if option selected)
For art lovers, the museum and its rich history offer an incredible amount to explore. Given the abundance of works of art, you may find that you only notice some works more specifically on your second or even third visit, which should certainly come as no surprise to anyone, given the sheer number of artworks.
If you are particularly interested in the development of Roman art and culture, you will definitely get your money’s worth. Whether a guided tour is appropriate for you depends entirely on your interests, level of knowledge, and goals for the visit.
Long lines in front of the city’s attractions are very tiring, especially in hot summer temperatures. Although skip-the-line tickets are slightly more expensive than regular tickets, they are much more convenient.
However, if you would rather save some money instead, you should still opt for a one-way ticket and accept the long waiting time.
Please also remember to bring your identity card or other identification document so your admission ticket can be assigned.
You can show your skip-the-line ticket to the security staff on-site, either on your cell phone or as a printout. However, you will still have to pass through the security check, where your bags will be checked for dangerous items.
If you would like to explore a popular museum without a tour, you can buy a ticket with an audio guide. This is available for a small surcharge and, of course, in several languages.
During your tour of the gigantic museum complex, you will receive exciting information on the most important exhibits.
What visitors say...
Buy a Rome Tourist Card and save money:
Admission (and skip the line) for:
- Sistine Chapel & Vatican
- Colosseum, Forum Roman & Palatine Hill
Guided tours included:
- Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica with an official guide
Further advantages:
- Digital audio guide for the Colosseum
- Digital audio guide for the Pantheon
- Digital offline maps and navigation
- Save 10% on your next booking!
Address:
Città del Vaticano 51, 00120 Vatican City
Recommended exploration time:
3 hours
Transportation:
Subway stop: Cipro-Musei Vaticani, line A
Opening hours:
Monday – Saturday: 9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. (last admission: 4.00 p.m.)
Fridays open until 21.00
Sunday: closed (except the last Sunday of each month)
Days off:
- 01. & 06.01.
- 11.02.
- 10.04.
- 01.05.
- 29.06.
- 15. & 16.08.
- 01.11.
- 08./ 25. / 26. / 31.12.
Nearby:
St. Peter’s Basilica (0.5 km / less than a mile)
Castel Sant’Angelo (1.1 km / less than a mile)
Opening hours of the Sistine Chapel
The opening hours of the Sistine Chapel depend entirely on the opening hours of the Vatican Museums. You can visit the Sistine Chapel between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The last admission is always at 4:00 p.m.
Apart from the last Sunday of each month, the Sistine Chapel is closed on Sundays. This also applies to the following public holidays:
- 01. & 06.01.
- 11.02.
- 10.04.
- 01.05.
- 29.06.
- 15. & 16.08.
- 01.11.
- 08. / 25. / 26. / 31.12
What is the best time to visit the Sistine Chapel?
Die Sixtinische Kapelle zählt zu den beliebtesten Touristenhighlights im Vatikan. Wer dem Besucherandrang möglichst entkommen möchte, besucht die Kapelle in den Vatikanischen Museen am besten zu folgenden Zeiten:
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most popular tourist highlights in the Vatican. If you want to avoid the crowds as much as possible, it is best to visit the chapel in the Vatican Museums at the following times:
The best time to visit the Sistine Chapel is early in the morning, immediately after it opens (9.00 a.m.) -> Ideally, you should buy an online ticket in advance, which will get you inside the museum much faster
The number of visitors is particularly high in the high season and on weekends! Weekdays out of season are much less busy, which means you can avoid huge crowds at the entrance to some extent.
Lunchtime is also often a good time to visit the Sistine Chapel, as many tourists have lunch in the city.
Shortly before closing, the crowds die down as many visitors have already left the museum -> Disadvantage: You are under considerable time pressure, and the Sistine Chapel is at the end of the Vatican Museums.
Dress code when entering the Sistine Chapel
Admission to the Sistine Chapel is subject to certain rules. Please observe the prescribed dress code:
- Please avoid revealing, transparent, and provocative clothing, as this is a religious site
- Shoulders and knees should be covered as much as possible (no sleeveless shirts, tank tops or strapless dresses)
- Do not wear hats, caps, or beanies
- Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside the Sistine Chapel
Enjoy free admission to the Sistine Chapel
Admission to the Sistine Chapel generally costs money. The money from the entrance tickets is used primarily for the upkeep of the museum and the preservation and maintenance of the magnificent works of art.
What many visitors to the Sistine Chapel don’t know, however, is that admission is free on the last Sunday of every month. Be aware that some tourists know about this and that there can be particularly high visitor numbers these days.
However, if you want to save the entrance fee and visit Rome towards the end of the month, you should plan accordingly.
The Vatican Museums - A Mecca for Art Lovers
The Vatican Museums contain more than 70,000 works spread over a distance of around 7 km. These include works of art from classical antiquity, including Roman, Greek, and Etruscan art, oriental antiquities, early Christian and medieval works from the 3rd—14th centuries, and art objects from the Renaissance dating to the 19th century.
The most famous work in the Sistine Chapel is Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco, “The Creation.” He is said to have spent four years on this work.
In the center of this incredible work of art is “The Creation of Adam,” which measures 4.80 x 2.30 on its own.
The painting of the “Last Judgement,” located above the high altar, was also the product of Michelangelo’s genius. It dates from 1536 – 1541 and measures an incredible 13.7 x 12.2 meters.
Like the stunning frescoes, the chapel’s architecture is considered a Renaissance masterpiece. In addition to the beautiful, high dome, there are magnificent mosaics to discover.
Editor: Allie Hartmann
Hey and welcome to Rome-Tourist!
My name is Allie and I travel regularly to Rome, Italy.
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