How long is the wait at the Vatican?

Due to the high number of enthusiastic tourists, the Vatican attracts queues that are often in excess of three hours. You can spend less time waiting and more time admiring your favourite artistic pieces with a skip-the-line admission ticket.



People Also Ask

Vatican City is one of Italy's most popular tourist sites; home to Catholicism, the Pope, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica, the historic site attracts millions of visitors each year. Unfortunately, with this popularity comes long queues and potential overcrowding.

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The best ways to skip the lines at the Vatican
  1. Buy a skip-the-lines ticket with audio guide. ...
  2. Book a group guided tour. ...
  3. Use a Discount Card / Tourist Pass. ...
  4. Get a VIP early entrance and breakfast ticket. ...
  5. Buy a basic ticket online ahead of time.


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You can simply walk inside. However, if you wish to enter the attractions inside, such as the Vatican Museums, you would need to buy tickets.

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The best days to avoid are the weekends and Mondays. But Tuesday to Friday are your best days to go to avoid the crowds.

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Most tourist groups show up in the morning in hopes to beat the crowds, but it usually works against them. In fact, you can find the Vatican Museums a bit less crowded during the afternoon hours.

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The best time of day to visit the Vatican is as early as possible. See Vatican opening hours in “key info” on this page. Visiting the Vatican early in the morning gives you the chance to view the marvels of ancient and Renaissance Rome – and the peerless Sistine – without being shoved and crowded.

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Skip the line Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tickets are highly recommended and in my opinion absolutely worth the few extra euros, especially if you are visiting during high season. How long does it take to see the Vatican and Sistine Chapel? 2 to 4 hours is the average visit to the Museums and St. Peter's.

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The Vatican has a dress code that some travellers might not be aware of when visiting. Luckily if you're planning on wearing jeans to the Vatican, you definitely can! When you plan to visit, it's best to keep your knees and shoulders covered. And for footwear, you will need flat shoes, not flip-flops or casual sandals.

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Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.—when tour groups are lunching and cruise ship crowds are fewer (Mondays and Saturdays tend to be packed)—are good time slots. “I have been to the Sistine Chapel at 2 p.m. in September and been with only a few other people,” says Zac Cady, of Context Travel.

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What shoes to wear at the Vatican. There are no special rules about shoes at the Vatican and you can wear closed shoes or sandals. While there is no specific rule about wearing flip flops at the Vatican, it is good practice not to. Flip flopr are impractical for the location, often noisy and considered too casual.

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The Vatican decrees that “low cut or sleeveless clothing, shorts, miniskirts and hats are not allowed“, but as some of this is open to interpretation depending on your perspective, it's worth examining the rules in a little more detail!

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To enter Vatican City, you don't need a passport or Visa or even tickets for the attractions inside. You can simply walk inside. However, if you wish to enter the attractions inside, such as the Vatican Museums, you would need to buy tickets.

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The Vatican Museum is closed Sundays, except for the last Sunday of every month, when they are free. This is the most crowded day you can imagine for visiting the Vatican Museums. On Wednesdays (except for July, when the pope takes a break), the pope holds an audience at St Peter's Basilica.

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Vatican City is inside Rome and is the smallest country in the world. When you're staying in Rome, it's worth making a trip to see Vatican City. You will only need about a day to see the attractions at Vatican City. You can even see the main attractions in just half a day if you can't set aside a day!

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The answer is yes! The Vatican City does not shut down after a certain time, or lock visitors out, so you are free to walk around the square at any time. However, it is worth noting that all the Vatican museums and St. Peter's Basilica will not be accessible after nightfall, and you may be disappointed by this.

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Monday is one of the busiest days for the Vatican Museums as they are closed on Sundays. A lot of people don't know about the closure day of the Vatican Museums and they leave the Vatican City tour as (the best and) the last on the check-list. Therefore, since early morning you will find people queuing at the entrance.

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