Prices & hours
Sistine Chapel tickets and opening times
Sistine Chapel tickets are sold as Vatican Museums tickets: 20 euro full price for an adult, plus a 5 euro fee if you book online. The museums open Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 17:00, and close on most Sundays. Everything below is checked against the official Musei Vaticani booking site.
TL;DR
Adult ticket
20 euro + 5 euro online fee
Reduced
8 euro + 5 euro (ages 6–18, students under 25)
Hours
Mon–Sat 08:00–19:00, last entry 17:00
Free
Last Sunday of the month, 09:00–14:00
Ticket prices in full
All prices are set by the Vatican Museums and include the Sistine Chapel. There is no cheaper chapel-only option and no way to buy at the chapel door.
| Ticket type | Price | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Full adult | 20 euro (+5 euro online) | Anyone aged 19 and over |
| Reduced | 8 euro (+5 euro online) | Children aged 6–18; students under 25 with a valid student card |
| Children under 6 | Free | Must still be included in the booking |
| Visitors with disabilities | Free | Plus one accompanying person; documentation required |
| Guided tour with chapel entry | From 40 euro | Official museum tours, briefed before the chapel |
| Friday evening opening | 28 euro (+ booking fee) | Seasonal, usually April to October |
| Last Sunday of the month | Free | Everyone, 09:00–14:00, no online booking |
Opening times
The Sistine Chapel keeps the same hours as the Vatican Museums, and the chapel itself begins clearing 30 minutes before closing.
| Day | Opening hours | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 08:00–19:00 | 17:00 |
| Friday (seasonal evening) | 19:00–23:00 | 21:30 |
| Saturday (seasonal evening) | Selected dates, 19:00–23:00 | 21:30 |
| Most Sundays | Closed | – |
| Last Sunday of the month | 09:00–14:00, free entry | 12:30 |
Closure dates to plan around
The Vatican Museums close on around a dozen religious and civil holidays each year. The regular list includes 1 and 6 January, 11 February, 19 March, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, 1 May, 29 June (Saints Peter and Paul), 14 and 15 August, 1 November, and 8, 25 and 26 December. The chapel also closes at short notice for papal ceremonies and, during a sede vacante, for conclave preparations — explained in our article on how a conclave works inside the Sistine Chapel.
How to book, step by step
- Go to the official ticket office at tickets.museivaticani.va. Ignore lookalike resale sites charging 45 euro or more for the same entry.
- Choose Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, then pick a date. Slots open roughly 60 days ahead.
- Select an entry time. Slots are 15 minutes wide and you must arrive within them.
- Add reduced tickets only if every named visitor can show proof of age or student status.
- Pay by card. Your PDF ticket arrives by email with a QR code.
- Show the QR code on your phone at the pre-booked entrance on the left of the main doors.
Which ticket should you buy?
| Option | Cost | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard online ticket | 25 euro | Most independent visitors | You navigate the route yourself |
| Walk-up ticket | 20 euro | Off-season, weekday mornings in January | Queues of 60–120 minutes in high season |
| Official guided tour | From 40 euro | First visit, limited time | Fixed pace, larger groups |
| Friday evening opening | 28 euro | Summer visitors avoiding heat and crowds | Fewer galleries open, seasonal only |
| Free last Sunday | 0 euro | Budget travellers with patience | No booking, very long queues, shorter hours |
Ticket questions
Do you need to book Sistine Chapel tickets in advance?
Booking in advance is strongly advised. Pre-booked visitors enter through a separate priority line, while walk-up queues on Viale Vaticano regularly exceed one hour between April and October. Online tickets cost 5 euro more but the time saved is usually worth it.
When is the Sistine Chapel free to visit?
The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are free on the last Sunday of every month, from 09:00 to 14:00 with last entry at 12:30. Free Sundays cannot be booked online, so arrive by 08:00 to avoid queues that often run for more than two hours.
Is the Sistine Chapel open on Sundays?
The Sistine Chapel is closed on most Sundays because the Vatican Museums close. The exception is the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free from 09:00 to 14:00. The museums also close on around a dozen Catholic holidays each year.
Once your slot is booked, read the practical visiting information for the Sistine Chapel and our month-by-month guide to the quietest times.
Book direct
The only official seller is the Vatican Museums ticket office. Resellers bundle the same 20 euro entry into packages costing 45 to 90 euro.
Queue times by hour
- 08:00–09:00
- Busiest entry surge; pre-booked lines still move
- 10:00–13:00
- Peak crowding in the chapel itself
- 14:00–15:30
- The quietest window on most weekdays
- 16:00–17:00
- Thin crowds, but you will be moved on near closing