How to Visit the Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel attracts millions of visitors, pilgrims, tourists and art lovers every year. Undoubtedly the quality, perfection and difficulty in the elaboration of its spectacular frescoes make it a work worthy of admiration. If you are in Rome, prepare your visit to make the most of one of its major attractions. Take note!

The most economical option

Rome Vatican and Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Tickets

Explore the Vatican's artistic jewel and museums without queues

Book your tickets to tour the best of Roman architecture and art. Save time and money and explore the wonders that Vatican City has to offer its visitors, such as the impressive Sistine Chapel, at your own pace with an audio guide.

From $54 at Hellotickets

If you are in Rome and have not yet visited the Vatican, or if you want to do it again but without having to deal with queues and waiting, this is the ideal option. This complete ticket will allow you to access the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums and the Rooms of St. Raphael. You will be able to take as much time as you want to visit each of these spaces and you will have an audio guide to learn in detail about their history.

Recommended if... you want to visit Rome's iconic attractions without worrying about long lines and waits due to crowds of visitors.

Even if you like to improvise during your travels, I encourage you to plan your visit and book your tickets to the Sistine Chapel in advance: booking your tickets well in advance and online will allow you to skip the lines, which can be kilometers long.

Keep in mind that currently the capacity is quite restricted, the groups of guided tours are also smaller and find tickets or guided tours for the day and time that best suits you will be much easier if you book in advance. In addition, buying online you can compare prices, schedules and rates and even have free cancellation if you have any unforeseen event during your trip.

Other options for saving on your visit to the Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is undoubtedly one of the great attractions of the city of Rome, but so is the Colosseum. And I don't think you want to leave the Eternal City without visiting either of these two key points, so there is an option for you to buy the combined ticket to the Colosseum and the Vatican and save time and money on both visits.

You will be able to skip the queues to access both monuments and you will also be accompanied by a guide at all times, who will explain the most important things you should not miss in each place.

Tickets to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums can be purchased at the ticket office (which I do not recommend, because you can encounter endless queues) or online, in advance on sites like Hellotickets, ensuring your admission.

Estimated prices are:

• Adults: 36€ (regular) and 45€ (with audioguide)
• Children from 6 to 17 years old: 21€ (regular) and 31€ (with audioguide)
• Students: 25€ (regular) and 32€ (with audioguide)
• Children under 6 years old: free
• Disabled visitors (74%) + caregiver: free of charge

Like any self-respecting work of art, the Sistine Chapel is best appreciated and enjoyed with an expert guide. In addition to accompanying you through the immense corridors and giving you a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, he or she will explain what you will see in the Sistine Chapel and why it has become one of the most valued works of art in the history of art in the world.

You will make better use of your time and you will know where to look so as not to get lost among so many details. The difficulty of its elaboration, the history behind its creation or the relevance of the depth, the colors used and the perspective employed in the work are just some of the comments that will make you take a great memory of your visit to the Sistine Chapel.

In addition, you can take the opportunity to throw to the guide all the questions you have, curiosities that you want to reveal and recommendations to continue enjoying your visit to the Vatican.

If there is one thing that can spoil your visit to the Sistine Chapel, it is the large number of visitors that can accumulate inside. Fortunately, access and capacity are now more limited, which will allow you to enjoy its beauty with more tranquility (and of course, with total security).

Even so, it is always best to avoid the central hours of the day and try to access early in the morning if you are an early riser or late in the afternoon, when many international tourists are already thinking about dinner. Keep in mind that during weekends and holidays there is usually a greater influx of people, so if you are going to be several days in Rome, try to visit the Sistine Chapel during the week.

One of the great tricks to visit the Sistine Chapel to get the most out of it is to join a Premium guided tour that takes place early in the morning, before the Chapel itself opens its doors to the general public. You'll pay a little more than for regular guided tours, but the tranquility and silence of walking through the Vatican Museums at that hour is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

• The Sistine Chapel is open daily at 8:30 am.
• From Monday to Thursday it is open until 6:30 p. m. (although the last access is allowed only until 4:30 p.m.).
• On Fridays and Saturdays the hours are more extended, as it is open until 22:30 (with the last access of the day at 20:30).

When does the Sistine Chapel close?

Although the Sistine Chapel is open every day of the week, please note that there may be religious celebrations during the year that limit access to the Chapel during certain hours or on certain days. In addition, there are certain key dates in the calendar during which the Chapel remains closed. Take note:

• Easter Day
• St. Peter's Day (June 29)
• Christmas Day (December 25)
• December 26th**(St. Stephen's Day**)

Although it is allowed to take photos without flash in almost all the galleries of the Vatican Museums, photos in the Sistine Chapel are not allowed. You should know that there are security personnel controlling that visitors do not take pictures**(with or without flash**) because the main priority is to maintain the delicacy of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Chapel.

Honestly, I don't recommend you to keep an eye on your camera or run away from the guards' gaze to take pictures. The grandeur of the place deserves your full attention and you will find thousands of high quality photos on the internet that will allow you to have a souvenir of the Chapel or see its details whenever you need to.

The Sistine Chapel, as its name suggests, is a religious chapel and is therefore considered a place of worship. To access it you will have to comply with the appropriate dress code (shoulders, knees and necklines must always be covered during the visit).

If you are in Rome during the summer season and the heat prevents you from wearing long sleeves, I recommend that you take with you a scarf, foulard or sweatshirt that allows you to cover your shoulders - keep in mind that inside the Vatican Museums it is not as hot as in the street, so do not worry about the high temperatures of the city-.

In addition to proper attire, you will also have to keep quiet during your visit to the Chapel and, as mentioned above, photography is not allowed. In this guide full of tips for visiting the Vatican I give you some interesting recommendations.

The first thing that will catch your attention is that the Sistine Chapel is a large open room 40 meters long and 13 meters wide. Along its walls, but especially in its spectacular vault you can see more than 300 different figures represented in several frescoes that will leave you with your mouth open.

These frescoes represent different stories of the Old Testament, but undoubtedly the image that captures all eyes is that of the Creation and the Last Judgment. The best recommendation to appreciate all the details is to try to move around the room and contemplate the works from the different angles of the Chapel.

The colorfulness, realism, proportion and perspective of the images, as well as the dynamism they transmit, will capture you from the first moment. Around the Chapel there are several benches but their use is not allowed to avoid crowds. Take as much time as you can to appreciate this unique work of art.

If you visit with a group on a guided tour you will have about 15 to 30 minutes to wander around at your leisure and it will be enough time to absorb the highlights of the works. Still, you could spend hours in the Sistine Chapel, not because of its size - it is a relatively small room compared to other galleries within the Vatican Museums - but the level of detail in its frescoes is impressive.

If you have purchased tickets to the Vatican Museums and are touring them on your own, you will be able to stop a little longer, but keep in mind that seating inside the Chapel is limited so it is possible that after about 30 minutes (always depending on the number of people inside) you may be asked by security personnel to move on to the next rooms.

You should know that even if you visit it with a guided tour, during the visit you will not be able to receive the instructions of the guide, as it is mandatory to remain silent, so before entering the Chapel they will explain to you which are the details that are worth paying more attention to in order to get the most out of the visit.

You should definitely complete your visit to the Sistine Chapel by visiting the main galleries of the Vatican Museums. To get here you will have had to either buy the Vatican Museums ticket or join a guided tour. Take advantage of the investment and soak up the art in the main rooms, such as the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps or the impressive Gallery of Statues and Hall of Busts.

In addition, there is also a Gregorian Egyptian and Etruscan Museum if you are interested in this period of Art History. On your way through the Museums, you can also see the famous spiral staircase that welcomes you to the site, as well as a landscaped square where you will find a small kiosk with tables to have a drink outdoors and be able to regain strength before or after the visit.

While you are in the Vatican City, you should not miss St. Peter's Basilica and the spectacular ascent to the Dome of St. Peter for the best views of Rome. If you are left wanting more, you can read my article on what to see and do in the Vatican so you won't leave a corner of this special place in Rome untouched.