But reaching what many consider the holy grail—The Sistine Chapel—often requires standing in three- to four-hour lines then working your way through the labyrinth that is the museums themselves.
People Also Ask
The Sistine Chapel is located inside the Vatican Museums. So in order to visit it you need to buy a ticket to the Vatican Museums. As we said, given the large turnout that the museum has, it is recommended to book a skip-the-line ticket for the entrance. In order to avoid the lines there are many solutions.
The best time to visit the Sistine Chapel is around 1:00 pm on weekdays or early in the morning by queuing up before opening. To enjoy the visit with fewer people we recommend: not to go on the last Sunday of the month (when entrance is free);
The Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums within Vatican City. That means you'll need to purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums in order to see the Sistine Chapel.
If you are seen using any of these things, guards have the right to confiscate your camera or phone, and request the immediate cancellations of any video or photographic material produced.
In terms of seasons, the Sistine Chapel is always busy and the flux of tourism follows the high tourism season in Rome. In general, Saturday and public holidays are the busiest, the time around Christmas and Easter being the busiest of all.
Visitors to the Sistine Chapel are asked to observe absolute silence. It is absolutely forbidden to use a mobile phone in the Sistine Chapel and it is strictly forbidden to take photos and film inside the Sistine Chapel.
In order to guarantee that you'll be able to skip the lines at the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, you must buy a skip-the-line ticket or city pass online. Choose your ticket or pass below, but first choose what time to visit the Vatican – we recommend as early as possible in the day.
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.
The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are visited on one ticket. You will enter the Sistine Chapel through the Vatican Museums, so if you only want to see the Sistine Chapel, you will have to walk through the Vatican Museums first.
The dress code for the Vatican Museums is strict but easy to respect. Low-cut or sleeveless dresses, miniskirts, shorts and hats are not allowed. To cover knees and shoulders you can buy plastic cloaks to wrap around. Inside it is preferable to wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers.
Arriving at mid-dayWith ticket lines often snaking around the walls, it's best to get there early. The Vatican Museums opening times are 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and we recommend getting there when the doors open – if not a bit earlier to allow for delays.
You have to be dressed appropriately to gain entry to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Vatican Gardens. Visitors are not permitted to wear sleeveless, low-cut garments, shorts that end above the knee, miniskirts, and hats.
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!