Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel

Before we get into the tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel, let´s start with a couple of facts about the Sistine Chapel that you may not already know:

Did you know…?

• At first, Michelangelo was hesitant to accept this enormous assignment and was paranoid that it was actually an elaborate trip set up by his artistic rivals.
• The now-iconic image of the grey-haired and grey-bearded God on the 12,000-square-foot ceiling was the first of its kind. Previously, artists avoided creating an image of God in human form, and thus created a human/divine archetype that still persists to this day. 

Perhaps now you’ll look at the world’s most famous chapel a bit differently when you go there. In the meantime, here are some tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel that will maximize your experience. 

If you want to brighten your visit to the Sistine Chapel with more fun facts, you can take a small-group guided tour, the Pristine Sistine Chapel Tour. Led by a local expert, they  will regale you with colorful historical anecdotes and give you a real insider’s view of the world’s most famous chapel. And, big bonus: you get early-access when you’re on this small-group tour. 

Note on restorations 

You may have heard the news out of Vatican City: Michelangelo’s masterpiece, “The Last Judgement,” taking up the entire back wall of the Sistine Chapel, is currently going through a restoration that began in January 2026. 

But have no fear. The renovation culminates in March, just in time for Holy Week (hopefully), and shouldn’t put a damper on your visit to the Vatican Museums. 

Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel

Strategize the right day to visit the Sistine Chapel

Unlike booking a flight or going to Disneyworld, there is no ideal day of the week to go to the Sistine Chapel within the Vatican Museums. That said, weekends see a swell of visitors, and Wednesday is the day the pope gives his audience, which also means larger crowds. 

When the pope does a papal audience in St. Peter’s Square, for example, as many as 80,000 people turn up. When he does an audience in the Pope Paul VI Audience Room, there is usually an attendance of 6,000 people. Either way, Vatican City and its attractions swell on audience days. So, if your schedule allows, try to plan for Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday for fewer crowds. 

The last Sunday of every month is free admission to the museum. It may sound alluring, but it’s also the most crowded day of the month. 

Visit in the afternoon

The logical way of thinking about visiting a popular attraction is to get in line as early as possible to beat the line. Right? Not necessarily in this case. The fact is, a majority of Vatican Museum visitors think this way. Morning between 9 am and noon is also the time when most tour groups go to the museum. 

But … if you go in the afternoon, about two hours before the last entry is allowed, the crowds will have thinned out a bit. That said, if you opt to take a small-group guided tour, you get skip-the-line access in the morning anyway. So, if you want to go in the morning, this is the way to do it. 

If not Michelangelo, then Raphael

If you’re not satisfied seeing Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” behind scaffolding,  there’s another reason for you to get excited about: the famed Raphael Rooms, painted by the eponymous painter during the same time Michelangelo was working in the Sistine Chapel. Raphael’s iconic creations were just restored in 2025, so you’ll be able to see the iconic “School of Athens” and other murals the way they were meant to be seen. 

So, if you do come while “The Last Judgement” is behind scaffolding, one of the tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel is to make sure you spend time exploring the very freshly restored Raphael rooms. 

The “secret” shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s

One of the best insider tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel is actually a tip for how to take a shortcut from the Chapel to St. Peter´s Basilica. This is because the Sistine Chapel is the last room in the Vatican Museums before having to exit. The main exit takes you out onto the street. However, if you take the exit to the far right, there’s a shortcut that leads right to St. Peter’s Basilica. No walking back to St. Peter’s Square. No waiting in the long security line. 

The rub, though, is that while this passageway used to be a common way to travel between the two sites, these days it can depend on your luck as there is sometimes a security guard at the door prohibiting access. That is, unless you’re on a small-group guided tour. Our Pristine Sistine tour of the Vatican Museums takes you through this “secret” shortcut passageway, which passes a staircase designed by Bernini, and deposits you right into St. Peter’s Basilica.

FAQs – Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel 

What are the opening hours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel?

The Vatican Museums are open from Monday to Saturday, 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, with final entry at 6.00pm. The Museums are closed on Sundays, but the last Sunday of the month, they are open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm for free, as long as the Sunday does not fall on Easter Sunday, 29* June, Christmas Day , 26 December  or New Year’s Eve. Before you go, be sure to check the Vatican Museums website. 

How do you book tickets or a guided tour? 

Expect a line. A very long line. The one thing you can do to prevent this is to book your tickets online in advance. That way, you’ll at least be able to skip the ticket line. The other way is to book a guided tour where you’ll get skip-the-line access and have a guide who will provide you with a wealth of insider information. For tickets, see the official Vatican Tickets site. For a guided tour, see Skip the Line Vatican Tours for fast-track entry.

Are there any rules and regulations for visiting the Sistine Chapel? 

There are. Before entering, hats must be removed. Bare shoulders should be covered up. Short skirts and short-shorts are forbidden. Once inside, silence is encouraged and photography—flash or not—is strictly forbidden. Also, leave your selfie stick at home that day; they’re also not allowed. 

When is the best time to visit Rome and Vatican City? 

Like a lot of cities and regions in Europe, June through August are often the most crowded months. It doesn’t help that a lot of Europeans take their vacations in August, which means the workforce in restaurants, cafes, and hotels slows down as the tourists increase. Winter months can be chilly and grey but have many fewer tourists. The optimum time to go would be April and May or September and October. 

Whatever time of year you end up in Rome, the best way to get the most out of your visit to Vatican City is to take a small-group guided tour. The superlative options include the Pristine Sistine tour or the VIP Key Master’s Tour: Open the Sistine Chapel. On both tours you’ll be walking shoulder-to-shoulder with an expert Roman guide who will offer valuable insights. Plus, skip-the-line access! The guide will also offer plenty more tricks and tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel, and other famous sites while you’re there. 

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