Sistine Chapel Tickets
To get tickets for the Sistine Chapel, you buy a Vatican Museums ticket, because the official entry ticket covers the museums and the chapel on the day it is issued. Sistine Chapel tickets are not sold on their own, since the chapel is the last room on the museum route. This page shows what the ticket costs, which timed options exist and where to book.
Why is there no Sistine-only ticket?
There is no Sistine-only ticket because the chapel sits at the end of the Vatican Museums route, so one entry covers both. The official prices page says the entry ticket entitles you to visit the Museums and the Sistine Chapel solely on the day the ticket is issued.
Wikipedia counts 24 galleries on the visitor route, with the Sistine Chapel the last room visited. You cannot reach the chapel without walking through the museums, and you cannot split the visit over two days on one ticket.
So the answer to "does the Vatican museum ticket include the Sistine Chapel" is yes. The same ticket also answers searches for Sistine Chapel entry, admission, reservations and "vatican chapel tickets". They all lead to one product, which you can compare in full in our guide to vatican museum tickets.
- Included: the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, on the day the ticket is issued.
- Not included: St. Peter's Basilica and its dome, which have their own entrance.
- Refunds: the official site says tickets cannot be refunded.
What does a Museums + Sistine Chapel ticket cover?
A Museums + Sistine Chapel ticket covers the whole museum route and the chapel at its end. The chapel is a hall in the Apostolic Palace, and its fame rests on Michelangelo's ceiling and The Last Judgment.
Michelangelo painted the ceiling between 1508 and 1512 for Pope Julius II. He returned between 1535 and 1541 to paint The Last Judgment, according to Wikipedia.
The ticket does not cover St. Peter's Basilica. If you want the church on the same trip, plan it as a separate step or pick a combined product such as the one on our page about Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica tickets.
For a full list of what the museum ticket covers and leaves out, see what a Vatican Museums ticket includes. For the wider set of entry types in this hub, start at Vatican Tickets.
Ready to see prices? Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket, from $36See times →Which skip-the-line and early options exist?
You can add skip-the-line entry on the official site for 5 euros (about $6) on the reduced ticket, or book a listed entry ticket with a time slot. You do not have to, but a timed slot removes most of the queue uncertainty.
One traveler on a skip-the-line listing wrote that the museums take around four hours to enjoy, and that without a skip-the-line ticket you should add at least two or three hours of waiting. That is a personal estimate, not an official wait time.
On timing, the museums open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, with final entry at 6:00 pm, per the official hours page. An early slot leaves you the most hours before closing. A visitor on a map review described buying tickets on the spot around 17:00, waiting 30 to 40 minutes and then rushing through the galleries before closing.
Arrive inside your slot. One listing warns that latecomers are not guaranteed skip-the-line access. Our guide to Vatican skip-the-line tickets compares the timed options in more depth.
- Entry ticket with a dedicated entrance, audio guide optional.
- Entry with a host who escorts you from a meeting point to the door.
- A guided group tour with headsets and priority chapel entrance.
How much do Sistine Chapel tickets cost?
The official full ticket costs 20 euros (about $22) without online booking, and the reduced ticket costs 10 euros (about $11). Booked tours that include the chapel run from about $36 to $71, and the one guided group tour listed costs more.
Dollar figures use the ECB reference rate of 2026-11-06 and are rounded. Prices change, so confirm them before you pay. For the full breakdown, see the Vatican Museum ticket price for 2026.
Is the Sistine Chapel free? Only on certain terms. Entry is free on the last Sunday of the month, subject to the museum calendar, for children below 7, and for disabled visitors with a certified invalidity of at least 67 percent. The last Sunday has shorter hours, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm with final entry at 12:30 pm.
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Official full ticket | 20 euros (about $22) | Museums and Sistine Chapel, no online booking |
| Official reduced ticket | 10 euros (about $11) | For eligible visitors; plus 5 euros for Skip the Line |
| Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket | from $36 | Entry ticket to the museums and the chapel |
| Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket | from $53 | Skip-the-line entry with a host at arrival |
| Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour | from $60 | Museums, chapel and basilica in one tour |
| Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour | from $71 | Guided visit including the basilica |
Where do you book Sistine Chapel entry?
Book Sistine Chapel entry on the official museums site or through a listed tour, and pick your date first. The Vatican Museums say the only official site for buying tickets online is tickets.museivaticani.va. They warn that look-alike domains may charge significantly higher prices, so check the address before you pay. Our page on the Vatican Museums official ticket website explains how to tell it apart.
If you prefer a ready slot, these listings include the museums and the chapel: Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket (from $36), Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket (from $53), Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour (from $60) and Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Basilica Tour (from $71). Each is a third-party product, not the official ticket office, and sets its own terms.
Before you pay, check that the date is not a closed day. Regular closures include Sundays other than the last Sunday of the month, and 1 and 6 January, 11 February, 19 March, 6 April, 1 May, 29 June, 14 and 15 August, 1 November and 8, 25 and 26 December.
- Choose a day the museums are open.
- Pick the official ticket or a listed option, and compare what each includes.
- Read the meeting point and arrival time, then save the voucher on your phone.
Questions visitors ask
What is the Sistine Chapel official tickets website?
The Vatican Museums state that the only official site for buying tickets online is tickets.museivaticani.va. Look-alike domains may charge much higher prices, so check the address before you enter payment details.
Do you need tickets for the Sistine Chapel?
Yes, unless you qualify for free entry. The chapel is part of the museum route, so you enter with a Vatican Museums ticket. Entry is free on the last Sunday of the month and for children below 7.
Can you buy a ticket for the Chapelle Sixtine or Sixtijnse Kapel?
Yes. The chapel is the Cappella Sistina, and the Vatican Museums ticket is the one you need under any name. The same ticket answers searches in French, Dutch and other languages.
Is a Vatican and Sistine Chapel ticket the same as a St. Peter's Basilica ticket?
No. The museum ticket does not include St. Peter's Basilica, which has a separate entrance. One listed tour does combine the museums, the chapel and the basilica, from $60.
Does a reseller ticket count as official?
No. A listed tour is a third-party product with its own price and terms. It is not the official ticket office, and the official site states that its own tickets cannot be refunded.