5 Mistakes to Avoid When Visiting the Vatican: Tips From My Visit
Note as of May 9: The Conclave is over and there is a new Pope! However, the Sistine Chapel will still be closed for a few more days.
I made a rookie mistake on my first solo trip to Italy: I showed up to the Vatican without a ticket, fully convinced I could just waltz right in. Spoiler alert: I could not. The line? Over two hours long. In the middle of August. Under the blazing Roman sun. It was simply not happening.
So when I made it back to Rome a few years later, I wasn’t just ready for a Vatican visit—I was determined. Honestly, it might’ve been the main reason I planned on coming back to Rome rather than exploring somewhere new on my ever-growing list of places I want to visit in Italy.
And after finally getting inside? I can confidently say: the Vatican Museums is an absolute must for anyone who loves art, history, and jaw-droppingly beautiful ceilings.
| ⌛ Planning your trip to Rome at the last minute? Here are my quick picks on what to do & where to stay! 🍷 Top Rome Experiences: 1. Colosseum & Roman Forum Skip-the-Line & Tour 2. 4-Hour Evening Food Tour of Rome with 20 Tastings 3. Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket 🏨 Best Rome Hotels: 1. Nerva Boutique Hotel (lovely unique stay near the Colosseum) 2. The St. Regis Rome (ultra-luxury in a palatial setting) 3. Pope’s Suites (budget yet elegant suites near the Vatican) ✈️ Flying in? Book an airport transfer with Welcome Pickups — they’ll greet you at the airport, help with bags, & bring you into the city, all pre-booked! |
Whether you’ve got one fast-paced day in Rome or a few dreamy ones, the Vatican is a “yep, this is essential” kind of spot.
But take it from me: you’ve got to plan ahead. Otherwise, you’ll be sweating it out on the cobblestones while everyone else is inside marveling at Michelangelo.
Now don’t get me wrong—I’m all for spontaneous gelato runs and accidental discoveries down cobbled alleyways. But when it comes to Vatican City? This is one of those times when a little prep goes a long way.
Still tweaking your Rome itinerary? Keep reading for the top mistakes to avoid when visiting the Vatican—because proper planning is a tad bit more reliable than divine intervention.
Table of Contents
No Time? My Top 3 Vatican Tour Picks
This post goes into extensive detail about what to expect when visiting the Vatican and how to make the most of it.
But maybe you just want to skip all that and have a tour guide figure that all out for you? Here are my top Vatican tour recommendations in case you want to outsource all the planning!
#1 BUCKET LIST PICK
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Alone in the Sistine Chapel: VIP Entry
✔️20 people max in the Sistine Chapel – your group will be the only ones!
✔️Enter before opening or after closing
#2 MID-RANGE PICK
Vatican Early Access Tour with Breakfast
✔️ Enter before main hours for ticket-holders (but not before VIP)
✔️ Free breakfast included!
#3 BUDGET PICK
Vatican Highlights Tour
✔️ Most affordable tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
✔️ More frequent availability than standalone tickets, which sell out a month in advance
Mistake 1: Not Buying Your Ticket in Advance
One of the classic first-timer slip-ups in Rome? Not booking tickets in advance for the big-name sights—think the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, and basically anywhere that makes it onto a “top 10” list (psst: check out my post on the Colosseum if that’s on your list too — there are a few key details that are super important!).
Rome isn’t just popular — make that wildly popular. And with crowds to match, those ticket lines? Absolutely brutal. We’re talking potentially hours of waiting, only to risk not even getting in before closing time. Not exactly what you envisioned on your Rome Pinterest board.
When it comes to the Vatican Museums, you’ve got two options:
- Book your ticket online for a specific date and time (either stand-alone or tour)
- Take your chances and buy at the door.
Guess which one I recommend? (Spoiler: it’s not Option 2.)
Sure, buying online means you’ll need to lock in your plans and dates more rigidly, as these tickets are often non-refundable.
But this trade-off is worth it—no lengthy lines, no nail-biting last-minute stress of whether or not you’ll make it to the ticket office with enough time to spare, and a much more relaxed entrance to the Vatican.
On the visit where I actually planned my visit and booked a tour? I literally waited less than a minute to enter, besides a few minutes for the airport-style security queue.
Just one heads up: in peak season, those coveted time slots (especially the early mornings or specialty tours like the VIP entry, which caps at 20 people) can sell out weeks in advance.
Similarly, tickets without a tour also sell out weeks in advance, because tour companies buy large swaths of tickets to then re-sell to their attendees.
When it comes to buying a la carte tickets, it’s certainly a good way to save money — but in exchange, you’ll need to plan well in advance.
Take for example, this screenshot below, which I took on May 8. The next tickets are nearly a month later! And even then, you don’t really have your full choice of days for nearly 6 weeks.
Vatican Tours and Tickets I Recommend
Skip the Line Tickets
On a budget but still want to save your sanity (and your precious time in Rome)? Skip-the-line entry tickets are hands-down the best value option for visiting the Vatican Museums.
Sure, you won’t get the deep-dive commentary that comes with a full guided tour, but what you do get is total freedom to explore at your own pace—and to focus on the museums and galleries you’re actually excited about.
This particular ticket includes priority access through a dedicated entrance just for GetYourGuide visitors, so you can breeze right past the long general admission line and start your tour on the right foot.
The base ticket covers your timed entrance slot (€20) and audioguide rental (valued at €8), plus the €5 fee for booking online — for a total of €33 (~$36 USD)
It’s the same price as booking via the Vatican website, but GetYourGuide has way more availability for morning and other ideal time slots (I had to go 2+ months in advance, all the way in mid-July, to find a single morning time slot!)
Small Group with Tour Guide
Another option—and the one I personally went with—is booking a small group guided tour, which helps you get the context (both art-wise and historically) of a place as important and potentially overwhelming as the Vatican Museums.
Personally? I’d rate my experience 8/10, as I had a few nitpicks about it. While our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and really passionate to share details I never would have picked up on my own, I found the pacing a bit slow.
We spent a decent chunk of time in the Vatican courtyard, talking through the history and learning about the Sistine Chapel’s imagery (since you can’t talk once you’re inside). With any guided tour, the pace is set by the guide, not you, so there’s not as much time to wander as if you had bought your own tickets.
Personally, I would’ve loved a bit more time to actually roam the museum rooms at my own pace. That said, I do have raging ADHD and it’s really difficult for me to stand still and listen for more than 5 minutes (I do better sitting, but that wasn’t an option with how the tour was structured).
But looking back and thinking about it, the museum is super overwhelming in terms of the sheer quantity of art there is to absorb, so I do think the added context outweighed the small problems I had with the pacing.
Mistake 2: Not Exploring Alternative Entry Tickets
Aside from the regular entry ticket that gives you access to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, you have many other options, including a few with some serious perks (at serious prices, however.)
Make sure you understand the available options to find the one that best suits your interests and budget. Many people make the mistake of thinking there is only one entry ticket and miss out on interesting opportunities for visiting the Vatican!
Alternative Tours of the Vatican Museums
Key Master’s Vatican Tour
This ultra-exclusive key master’s tour is one for the history nerd’s bucket list! You’ll join the actual Vatican key master for a special access tour which is strictly limited only to 20 lucky people just a few times per month. One of you may actually get to turn the key yourself!
This means you’ll actually have a few special moments alone in the Sistine Chapel — a feat nearly as holy as the site itself — right after it is opened by the key master!
This tour takes place from 6 AM to 8 AM, before the Vatican officially opens, so you can be sure you’ll enjoy the Museums in utter peace and quiet, like no one else can.
Of course, since the group size is limited to 20 people per day, availability is limited, and the cost is a bit eye-watering. To be almost completely alone in the Sistine Chapel, it’s hard to think of anything more special than that, and for art history lovers, that’s an experience that’s hard to put a true price on.
Alone in the Sistine Chapel: Vatican After Hours Tour
While not quite the same as the Key Master tour, with the Alone in the Sistine Chapel tour you’ll be the next group of people to see the Sistine Chapel if you choose the morning tour (6:45 AM to 8:45 AM).
Alternately, if you’re more of a night owl, you can choose the evening tour (7:30 PM to 9:30 PM) and also enjoy alone time in the Vatican Museums after it closes, and be the last ones to see the Sistine Chapel before it closes for the day.
This tour is not cheap, but it significantly cheaper than the Key Master tour (about $300 cheaper!) for a fairly similar experience in terms of having the museum and Sistine Chapel to yourself; the only thing you miss is the actual key master experience and the significance of getting to open the chapel and handle the keys.
This tour is very exclusive and only available a few times per month, like the Key Master tour, so be sure to book this in advance if it’s on your bucket list. However, given the high price tag, it’s understandable if you want to select a more affordable option.
Check out Alone in the Sistine Chapel (AM and PM) tour options here!
Early Entrance Tour with Breakfast
For a small group experience (max: 18 people) this Vatican early entrance tour is a fantastic option that’ll avoid some of the peak crowds! While it’s not exactly as exclusive as the above tours, it’s about a quarter of the price!
On this tour, you’ll get to see the Vatican Museums with a tour guide before the museum is technically open to the public, avoiding the worst of the crowds… which is especially important in high season. I couldn’t believe how crowded it was when I visited in early March, but Rome really has no low season anymore.
This tour includes a buffet breakfast spread with a full-on breakfast selection, including American breakfast favorites like eggs and pancakes (which may be a welcome change after many lighter Italian and continental-style breakfasts… sorry, cornettos, you’ll never be breakfast in my eyes).
Vatican Necropolis Tour
Did you know that there is a necropolis under the Vatican? You can tour this underground wonder only with a licensed guide. However, tours are hard to come by as this archaeological site is limited to only 250 visitors a day (meanwhile, 25,000 people a day visit the Vatican, so only 1% of those get to see the necropolis!)
You’ll have to contact the Ufficio Scavi in order to book a tour, and it’s rather old school: you can reach out by fax or by email via the contact information on their website here. No online ticketing options here.
This entry is separate from any entrance ticket to the Vatican Museums, so you’ll want to book that separately, which you can do via this booking portal.
Note that this is different than the St. Peter’s Basilica Grottoes, which are also underground but a separate site with different attractions.
Mistake 3: Planning Your Visit at the Wrong Time
Although the high season officially runs from June to August, the city welcomes hundreds of thousands of tourists already from mid-April and well into October.
And with the Christmas holidays also attracting many visitors, that leaves Rome with only a couple of months that can truly be considered low season! Even then, there’s an argument to be made that Rome can’t really be thought of having any proper low season with how popular it is, especially in 2025 which is the Jubilee year.
For your best shot at fewer crowds at the Vatican Museums, I suggest visiting Rome between November and March, excluding the Christmas period.
These are inconveniently also the rainiest months, so if you want to try your luck, be prepared for bad weather! You may be lucky and get lots of sunny days and moderate temperatures, which was my experience in March 2024…. but don’t get your hopes up.
Your second-best choice is to visit the Vatican in late spring or autumn. Crowds will be fewer than in the summer or over Christmas, but the weather will be much nicer. Late April and early May could reward you with lovely weather and slightly fewer crowds, while October is often still warm and not unbearably busy.
Aside from the month you visit, the day and time you visit also contribute to just how crowded the Vatican Museums will be.
However, if truth be told, you’ll never really find a time when you can enjoy the museums completely crowd-free unless you pay $500+ USD for the VIP tour experience. That being said, you should still carefully choose the day and time for your visit.
Saturdays and Mondays are the most crowded, since the museum is closed on Sunday. Mondays are surprisingly busy despite being a weekday as most other museums in Rome are closed on a Monday, so those working with a jam-pac ked museum schedule often take advantage of the Vatican’s differing opening hours.
There are also a small handful of closure days to be aware of; you can look at the 2025 schedule here.
To avoid huge crowds, choose your entry time wisely. Early mornings may mean being among the first people to enter during the opening hours… but this is also the most popular time, so it will get crowded very soon.
Unless you choose the early access ticket (like this breakfast tour or the VIP options), it may be better to visit in the afternoon. Early morning tickets are also the first to go when booking online, so that should give you a hint.
The opening hours are from 8 AM to 8 PM, with the final entry allowed at 6 PM. You do need a minimum of 2 hours to enjoy the museum (and I’d honestly recommend entering no later than 5 PM, as 3 hours will allow you to feel less rushed).
Bonus tip: Unless you really want to see the Papal Address, I would suggest not visiting the Vatican on a Wednesday morning, because it gets super crowded and claustrophobic!
Mistake 4: Not following the dress code
Fun fact: if you stroll around the entire Vatican Museums, you’ll end up walking around 7.5 km or 4.5 miles! And even if you don’t visit every room of the museum, you will still walk and stand for at least two hours, sometimes three with a guided tour.
So probably rather obviously, wearing appropriate walking shoes is crucial to enjoying your Vatican visit! Opt for comfortable sneakers or walking sandals if you’re visiting in summer. Also, avoid wearing new shoes that you didn’t break in yet. You don’t want to find yourself walking around in pain halfway through your visit!
Also, don’t forget that the Vatican is a religious site and as such, it has a strictly-enforced dress code.Imagine booking your visit two months in advance for mid-July, arriving at the entrance, and being denied access because you are wearing inappropriate clothing! This rookie mistake could cost you your chance at visiting the Vatican.
All visitors must “dress appropriately”, meaning that shoulders and legs must be covered. This requirement may be easy to forget hot summer day, but all the same, you must follow the rules. You can still wear a tank top and bring a scarf or something to cover your shoulders. If you want to wear shorts or a skirt, ensure they aren’t above your knees.
Finally, if you are wearing a hat, you will have to remove it when entering the museum or church out or respect!
Mistake 5: Forgetting to Factor in Meals
Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about breakfast or lunch — you don’t want to get hangry or tired while visiting the Vatican!
The visit can be very long and time-consuming, so remember to plan it according to your meal schedule. It’s a good idea to start your visit right after eating, so you don’t need to stop at the overpriced cafeteria.
Another option is to book a visit that includes a meal, like the early morning access ticket with breakfast.
Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016, visiting 75+ countries in total. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. As a former educator, she merges her writing and educational experience to encourage ethical, sustainable travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and TBEX. Her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
