Of course you have to visit the Vatican when in Rome! We bought a guided tour, mainly for the queue skip element. The tour was a little shorter than we'd thought and I think that we would have preferred to take in the museum at our own pace. I really don't think I'd recommend a tour and I haven't heard positive things about them since my visit. Regardless, the Vatican is a truly amazing place to visit. The Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica are both breathtaking to see. - The painted Chapel ceiling was the real highlight for me. It is very high security at the Vatican so be prepared for this. - Certain areas do not allow photography. For example, in the chapel. read more

I went in the summer and like other 2 star reviews, extremely long lines-- to enter. We had "skip the line" ticket, had to walk 30 minutes to external office to get ticket (like easter egg hunt). Inside, it was totally crowded, staff was rude, always herded in lines. No directions made it unclear where to go next. I didn't see anything noteworthy, just old sculptures. Other museums in other cities are much better. Inside the pope's church, also disorganized/overcrowded treated with disrespect by ordinary security staff (watching for what?) even though we were just taking pictures. We paid $33 each for this? If you want to go I suggest everyone go in the winter. This& rome itself is dirty& totally overrated. Other cities are much better. read more

Overwhelming, exhausting and exhilarating. This is an absolute must when visiting Rome. Best is the map room and, of course, the Sistine Chapel. Just note, there are no photos allowed in the Sistine Chapel but you could sneak a few as long as your phone is on silent and hidden . You'll need to book your tickets online. At €16 it's a bargain for what you get to experience. Unfortunately, it's not included in the Roma Pass so you'll have to pay extra. Lines are long as expected and the crowds will take away from the experience a bit but you'll still be glad you came. read more

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Woah! Every wall, window, door, corridor was filled with detail. I also managed to take a photo of Michelangelo's artwork on the ceiling wall where it was prohibited! The statues were beautiful. DaVinci's golden time globe was quite something. I gave this exquisite place one less star from 5 due to the occasional long wait and the crowdedness. Didn't like the rush of tourists, especially the younger students who seemed somewhat apathetic. So if you're visiting, come real early as I was advised. Other than the breathtaking artwork inside, there was the famous spiral staircase that affords a photo opportunity, especially if you're a photographer. The gift store was awesome... I had to send a postcard to my mom from their post office also to see to it that it was actually mailed from the Vatican, which, indeed, it was! read more

Buy your tickets online, head there right when it opens, skip all the lines because you enter the pre-booked ticket line and no one will be there. Right when you enter at 9:00 a.m. run through the entire museum and go to the sistine chapel (it's located at the end). This way you will have the entire sistine chapel to yourself no shoulder to shoulder crowd and you'll actually enjoy your time. After reenter the museum, just tell the guards you want to go back in, not exit, and you can go back through and take your time through all of the various rooms. read more

Book a night tour if you can; the line for this museum is hellish in the daytime. I'm glad we chose the 7pm slot because it was much more relaxing to walk around this lovely place when your experience isn't being pushed around by the crowd. Whatever you do, book online and print your ticket. Majority of your Rome trip shouldn't be standing and waiting in lines. read more

This place is awesome you definatively need a guide to much to learn...many shops right outside an its connected to the vatican... get ready to walk lots.. n dont forget to go to the dome read more

Two days wasn't enough... this is the most stunning museum in the world. Follow the other posters' advice to ensure a great experience. Also, the cafe serves pretty decent and inexpensive coffees and doesn't charge extra to sit down - a definite bonus when you've been running around this immense museum all day. read more

I don't know anything about art, so I booked a guided tour from a travel website. It is overcrowded because Italy/Rome is just one of the most popular travel destinations, so you can't really fault the actual museum for the crowd issue. I enjoyed the museums a lot, but I also went during a less crowded time. It was really mind-blowing and it's quite large. You may end up spending around three hours in the museums because there's just a lot to see. If you are to go, please try to go during a time that is less crowded and maybe off season! read more

What a beautiful site to see! You can not go to Rome and Not see the Vatican, we booked our Tour with City Wonders which included the Sistine chapel, the Vatican, and St. Peter's Basilica. Lucia was our tour guide and she did an amazing job! I definitely recommend requesting her if you can. read more

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Correction: Happy Hour is held weekly on Fridays from April to October. See official website.

It's been over 20 years since I've been here. It's just as beautiful as ever! So organized and even though it's high tourist season - they have a great system that keeps the museum from being over crowded. read more

Plan to spend half a day here so you're not rushed going through all the exhibit rooms. Also, I would recommend booking your scheduled tour ahead of time through the official Vatican group (sorry forgot their name), as the lines can get very long for those without a reserved schedule. We had a 9:00am schedule, and didn't get to the Museum gate until around 9:20 and our "escort" practically just walked us up to the gate, in through the security bag check, and then gave our museum tickets once we got inside and we were on our own. Audio guides are available for rent for 7€. Bring your own headset/ earphones as they sell the earphones for 1,50€. Or you can check the schedule for a guided tour for 8€ (+ticket price). We got a 3-Day Omnia Card- which allowed us to get a scheduled time into the Vatican Museum + Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Cathedral. Also includes a 3-day Hop On Hop Off bus (Yellow Roma Bus) and the Metro (train) & more. read more

Musei Vaticani - Museums Near Me - Rome, RM

What a beautilful museum!!! We have a private tour and the art work was breath taking. The information that we learned and knowledge that we were standing where decisions were made that shaped the modern world was overwhelming. The gift shop on site was very affordable and going in May ment we had smaller crowds but still great weather. I can't wait to go back. read more

The museum is huge you can easily spend the day there. I would suggest booking a tour so that you can skip the line to get inside. Plus you don't want to miss all the history inside. Remember they do not permit any photographs in the Sistine Chapel. The room will get full. Find a place to sit on the bench around the room and look up in amazement. read more

Musei Vaticani - A few shots from inside the Sistine Chapel. I had special permission to take photos inside. - Museums Near Me - Rome, RM

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The world famous Vatican Museum! I love the history and the art and everything they have on display here. But I guess, so does the rest of the world. They try to accommodate everyone and that's where it starts going downhill. At 9AM there's already a huge line outside. Huge, as in around the block huge. Luckily we got tickets online, which I HIGHLY recommend. But there are still lines to go through security. And when we walk in, there are hoards of people. Tour groups and individuals just everywhere. I like that the museum has a guide to show you a route so you don't miss too much, but after a couple rooms, I felt like we were cattle being moved along a maze. I did not get to enjoy and read about all the art. Everyone's main goal was to get to the Sistine chapel. After about 2 hours of being pushed along, we reach the end and I finally can breathe and relax. I do recommend coming here, but just be prepared for the crowds. read more

If you can deal with lines and crowds as far as they eye can see, then take the time to visit the Vatican museums. Do not bother with waiting in line and absolutely do not buy tickets off anyone in the street! Plan ahead and book a tour - I've done both guided and non-guided and was equally happy with both. This place is HUGE and filled with countless, priceless works of art. When we visited, there was also an Egyptian exhibit which I found fascinating. Everyone is shuffling through trying to get to the main attraction: the Sistine Chapel. Whether you take the long way or the short way is up to you. Either way, it's worth it - again crowded, but try to find a quiet spot and just stare at the ceiling. Keep in mind that you must be covered to enter the Vatican. I've read reviews where people went in shorts or skirts and weren't turned away, but I've read many others where they were - so just don't risk it and wear long pants/dress, and ladies bring a shawl to cover up. Talking and photos are not permitted in the Sistine Chapel! One thing to keep in mind - there are two doors to get out of the Sistine Chapel - the one to the left is the exit to leave the Vatican. The door on the right leads to St. Peter's - it is not clearly marked to make sure you go to the right! The line to get back into St. Peter's is ridiculous, so learn from my mistake! read more

One of the greatest if not the greatest collection of art anywhere that I have seen. Art in multiple media from the Greek and Roman periods, through Medieval and Renaissance. The entrance is not from St. Peter's, so check out location and times. I personally would allocate a whole day for the museum itself and strongly recommend a good guidebook or a downloaded audio tour on your phone so that you can go at your own pace. read more

This is probably worst experience I've had in all of Europe. You stand in line outside only to be herded as sheep once you enter the museum. There is a set route, and as you shuffle painstakingly slowly up the rather uninspiring hallways, you are endlessly assaulted by elbows and hip checks of your fellow tourists. The Vatican is obviously way more concerned with making the most money off of this museum, than in the safety and well being of the visitors, as there were 0 water fountains, and perhaps 2 bathrooms for the duration of the quickly walked 1.5hour tour. My girlfriend and I couldn't help but remark on the fact that, this was a bad place to die, seeing as how there were no fire escapes, emergency exit signs, and all the hallways were way over what would be considered a safe fire capacity. Do not recommend. read more

The Vatican museum is a definite must see in Rome. Just be prepared to wait in line for about 2 hours! There were so many people in line even in the morning and in late February (not even peak season yet) We opted to join a tour so we don't have to wait in line. The Sistine chapel is amazing, except it's too crowded! read more

Musei Vaticani - The garden inside the Vatican - Museums Near Me - Rome, RM

The Vatican Museum is unlike anything that I have ever experienced before. We were told repeatedly that the line is 1-3 hours long to get in and that it was best to get our tickets beforehand or through a company that has people hanging around outside that can 'help you'. We walked right up to the counter with zero wait and got right in. No problems and no wait. We visited in mid January though. We were lucky! The museum is laid out and sectioned off for major traffic flow. you can only go 'one way' in a lot of areas. And it feels like all traffic flows to the Sistine Chapel. When you first walk into the museum, you start in the Egyptian era and move to contemporary art. There's a long and winding path to get you from Egypt to contemporary times. This path is FULL of art. There's so much to see. It seems that every square inch of this museum is a work of art. There's art on the ceilings, walls, floors, in every room, in every corner, outside, inside, everywhere. There's no possible way to take it all in during one visit. Take a camera and plan on taking a lot of pictures (you can take photos in all rooms except the Sistine Chapel). One of my favorite places was the map room. It's a large corridor with hand painted wall maps. The ceiling is painted and sculpted with historical stories. You could spend a few days just in this one room. The Sistine Chapel is what people pay the money to see and it's the last stop on the museum path. You can't take any photos in this particular chapel for some reason. Silence is a must too. They do have lots of gift stands/shops along the museum route to pick up rosary beads blessed by the Pope and other art books. They have a Sistine Chapel book in assorted languages too. Take some time in the Sistine though. There's seats along the walls, if needed. It's truly amazing that this work of art is in pristine shape today. It's vibrant and so detailed. After the Vatican Museum (allow 3-4 hours), head to St Peters Basilica (allow ~2 hours). If you are an art buff, plan a full day, at least. read more

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Like everyone else, I highly recommend purchasing tickets online ahead of time, especially if you're going to be in Rome during the summer months. You won't want to stand in those crowded lines in that heat. Pictures are NOT allowed in the Sistine Chapel. This place is definitely a must when in Rome! read more

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While I struggle to find the right words to describe our experience at the Vatican Museum, one word keeps popping up in my mind: Overwhelming. It's all almost -too much-. The museum is absolutely packed with major art everywhere you look. There is no rest for your eyes. The floor is an intricate, detailed, marble masterpiece, the ceiling is painted in a riot of colors and patterns and scenes of heaven and earth, the walls are packed with art from floor to ceiling - paintings, tapestries, maps, sculpture .... It is a spectacular collection. There are many highlights, but if I had to choose just one, I'd choose the Raphael Rooms. It was such a treat to see "The School of Athens" and "The Deliverance of Saint Peter". The museum is configured to lead you to The Sistine Chapel for the climax of your museum experience. Right before you get there (through a series of unassuming hallways and a couple of flights of stairs) you'll pass by several galleries full of modern art. It was a shock to see work by Salvador Dali, Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico there. I didn't expect that! The Sistine Chapel itself was a bit of a letdown for me. Oh, it is grand, unbelievably grand, but it is also dark ... and crowded ... and loud. You hear the constant clatter and beeps of cameras going off and guards yelling "No photos!" and "Shhhhhhhh!", all to no avail. You'll need binoculars if you want to get a good look at anything, and even then it will be difficult to see because it is dark. oh well. This counts as a Must See. Buy your tickets ahead of time and be prepared to be overwhelmed. read more

When in Rome you must see the Vatican. Pay the extra to gain a tour. Go early because the lines are intense as the day goes on.

Amazing!! If you are interested in looking at history of the Vatican and many other important artifacts I highly recommend this museum. If you are able to get tickets ahead of time do so, otherwise you will be stuck in line for a very long time--and if you don't, I suggest you start making the line very early. Michelangelo's painting in the Sistine Chapel is a definitely worth it. The museum is crowded and it takes some time to get to the main event and you cannot take pictures of the painting but nevertheless I recommend this place! read more

Visiting that museum won't fill up your "check-in" list, it will be much more than just photographs and listening to the guide. The best part that I really appreciated was the Hall of Maps. It's simply fascinating to see how accurate some of maps were, and how ***ked up others were :) People were not different in ancient Rome haha :) read more

The Vatican Museum gets 4 stars because the collection includes many amazing pieces of art, the buildings are architecturally stunning and it's home to the freakin' Sistine Chapel. But the experience itself wasn't actually all that pleasant. We purchased our tickets in advance and visited with a wonderful private tour guide, and so we were able to skip the unbelievably long lines to get inside. But once inside, I was surprised at how uncomfortable the museum is -- there are no water fountains, benches or spots to rest through most of the museum, which is problematic in such a large museum. And there are so many tourists that you can couldn't move through the museum quickly if you wanted (or needed) to. The Sistine Chapel is a masterpiece, but the space was packed wall-to-wall with visitors. Of course, this is still a must-visit. But for God's sake (ha, ha) put some benches in, Catholic Church. Some of us can't walk miles without taking a quick break. read more

What can one say when looking up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling, knowing that you're in the same room where grand master Michelangelo worked for years? I couldn't and still can't say anything. The whole museum is amazing, the mosaics, the paintings. An absolute must go when in Rome! read more

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Picture going somewhere and trying to find one piece of work for 3 hours and not having no idea that it is at the end of the museum. I am going to give this 4 out of 5 stars because once you visit the famous work of Michael Angelo you will be at awe. Is it worth? I think it is, its just not worth going through again. Please beware of street tour guides that will literally triple the actual price of entrance for their profits. I believe I paid 8 euros for being a student and someone offered to get me a tour for 34 euros (cheapest price). read more

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Man the museums in Europe are breathtaking! So how does the Vatican stack up compared to other museums like the louvre or Versailles? First off the line in the morning is crazy. We spent about 2 hours waiting to get in off season on a Thursday. If I had known I would have paid the extra 4 euros and book it online. Not too much when the ticket is about 18 euros and other museums are more expensive. Now for the exhibits, it is beautiful. So many religious and historical art pieces. Unfortunately it's so crowded that you're walking like sardines in a can touching shoulder to shoulder. It gets really crowded when you get closer to the Sistine chapel. Once you get to the Sistine chapel, I was a little bit let down. It's pretty small but the frescos are amazing. The museum also had the garden and the famous philosophers painting by Rafael. Overall, if you're visiting rome you owe yourself to visit the Vatican museum. It stacks right up there with the louvre and Versailles. read more

Ok, who in their right mind is giving this place less than 5 stars?? Do you not like art? History? Culture? If you are in Rome, you SHOULD/MUST visit this site. I'd highly highly recommend that you book a tour. Not only do you get to skip the line, but the tour is much better when you know the story and history behind it. For example, if you look up at the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, at the famous Michelangelo painting, you'll see a panel with God's "behind." Apparently it's the one and only depiction of his derriere as no other artists are bold enough to paint it. There's also a guy who's private parts are being bitten by a snake. According to my tour guide, the man judged Michelangelo's paintings poorly and was such met with Michelangelo's revenge by putting him in an unfortunate situation, at least in his painting. These are just some of the fun facts that I would've never known had I ventured the place on my own. The tour was 3+ hours and it was so worth it! Also, please remember to tip your tour guide as they work really hard herding a group around while trying to educate you. Onto the actual site, it is MASSIVE and every inch is covered in amazing art. Always remember to look up at the ceiling as there are some beautiful paintings there as well. The artwork alone is stunning! The Basilica is so grand and is littered with amazing statues. It's truly an overwhelming site. Although my SO and I are not religious, going to the sites and learning about the history made us feel spiritual, at least for the day. There are SO MUCH to see and so much to learn and I felt that with the 3+ hour guide, it still wasn't enough time to admire it all. I left the place in awe and feeling overwhelmed. No trip in Rome, or Italy for that matter, would be complete without visiting this memorable site, that is the Vatican City. Fun fact: VC is its own "country" so you can say you've been to another country on your trip! read more

This was spectacular!!! A definite must see while in Rome!!! So much to see. You want to do the better than skip the line tour though. Otherwise you will be line forever.... The sistine Chapel was the best with the descriptions prior to entry into the area!!! Huge area!! read more

Coming to Rome without stopping at the Vatican? Mamma mia, terrible idea. I am not Catholic (or even Christian) but cannot get enough of the history at the Museo Vaticano. A few tips and thoughts... 1) The AC sucks in the summer. They say that using AC would damage the paintings. But leaving the windows open doesn't? That can't be right. 2) The School of Athens will captivate your heart, soul, brain, imagination...IT IS THE COOLEST. Go and love it and say hi to it for me. 3) The shushers in the Sistine Chapel need to go. I was not talking much when I was there, but with such a sacred character comes ooh-ing, ahh-ing, and, oh, that's right...people explaining what you're seeing! The constant shushes were inappropriate and only added to the decibel level...which was not very loud to begin with. I know the Sistine Chapel is important, and I surely think that if people were yelling or getting to a disrespectful noise level that that wouldn't be OK. Still, it's such a great opportunity to have stuff pointed out, since it's such an artistic triumph (with plenty of behind-the-scenes drama!). So let people talk about it at a respectful volume. 4) Paintings are amazing, but don't overlook the sculpture garden. 5) The more private of a tour you can get, the fewer lines you'll have, the more you'll learn, and the happier of a camper you'll be! read more

A must see while in Rome. Highly recommend reserving ticket online in advance through the Vatican website. You pick a date and time and then print out a reservation that allows you to skip the line and head in. After passing through the metal detector you go to the online reservation desk to pay in cash for you ticket. It was much faster this way. There is a fee of 5 Euros to do this. The museum probably has something of interest for everyone. I really enjoyed the mosaics. Wear comfortable shoes! Go first thing in the morning and get ahead of the group tours to be able to see things better and without the crowd. Off season is most likely also much better- less people! read more

One of the premiere museums in all the world, it is a must for anyone in Rome. I would strongly encourage you to reserve an entrance time in order to skip the long lines. Once in, I would also encourage getting an audio tour so you know what you're looking at. Alter that, spend a few hours going through everything, with the finale being the Sistine Chapel. read more

A must see. Get fast track tickets to avoid waiting in the line to get in without having to do a tour. The art is amazing. What little Egyptian artefacts was on display is all in better shape than anything I saw while I was in Egypt. Wear shoes you can stand and walk around in for a few hours. No shorts or bare shoulders allowed! read more

Recommend getting a guided tour, costs about $60 (50 some euros), but it'll only take you about 2.5 hours to see the museum and St. Peter's cathedral. The Sistine Chapel is breathtaking read more

If the history is not enough to draw you then come for the sake of the art! You can walk around all day being amazed by the masters attention to detail and unparalleled story telling. read more

The museum here is beautiful with of course an extensive history. Make sure that you dress properly when coming to visit the city Vatican for tourist attractions. Since almost next door to this museum is the infamous cathedral and any place of worship will inspect your clothing attire. The food prices of their cafeteria was quite reasonably priced as opposed to being out in Rome by the Coliseum/Forum area. read more

Unbelievable collection of ancient Roman history and other artifacts. One of the best in the world period! You could spend a week here learning, studying and appreciating the artwork and collection at the Vatican. They claim to have 5 million visitors a year so be prepared for long lines and smelly BO people in summer! This was the only downside! We booked in advance a pre-tour at a set time. It was a bit confusing as it is not well indicated but when arriving instead of going into St Peters Square on the right, you must walk a kilometre on the right side following the lines around the right wall of the Vatican. We almost missed our tour and were fortunate to make it on time! Just follow the hordes of people walking to the tours! You will see lots of your regula Roma merchants selling their cheap souvenirs and everything craptacular quality of fridge magnets and pope/Vatican momentos! read more