Vatican Opening Times
The spectacular visit to the Vatican is probably one of the main reasons that bring you to the Eternal City. Take note of its opening hours to organize your visit.
Inside the Vatican Museums | Corey Buckley
The Vatican is on the "Travel Wishlist" of many visitors to Rome and no wonder. The Sistine Chapel, the amount of art in its museums and its monumental St. Peter's Basilica are just some of the jewels that await you in the Vatican City.
The first thing to do is to buy your ticket to the Vatican in advance or book a guided tour of the Vatican with an expert guide. Second, check the opening hours to organize your visit to the religious capital of Christianity.
Vatican Museums opening hours
- Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (last access to the Museums at 4:30 p.m.)
- Fridays and Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. (last access to the Museums at 8:30 p.m.)
- Sundays: closed
Sistine Chapel opening hours
The Sistine Chapel is located inside the Vatican Museums, so in principle it will remain open as long as the Museums are open. If you want to visit the Sistine Chapel, these are the opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (last access to the Museums at 4:30 p.m.).
- Fridays and Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. (last access to the Museums at 8:30 p.m.)
- Sundays: closed
St. Peter's Basilica opening hours
To visit St. Peter's Basilica, please take note of its opening hours:
- Summer hours, from April to September: open every day from Monday to Friday, between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm.
- Winter hours, from October to March: open every day from Monday to Friday between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm.
Important: for tours that include entrance to the Basilica after 2:00 pm, access to the Basilica is not guaranteed.
Timetable for the ascent to the Dome in St. Peter's Basilica
The Dome of St. Peter's is inside St. Peter's Basilica and is normally accessible as long as the Basilica is open. These are the schedules for ascents:
- Winter hours (from October to March): every day from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
- Summer hours (from April to September): from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Schedule of the Papal Audience on Wednesdays and the Angelus on Sundays
- Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. Access opens at 8 a.m. It is recommended to go early in order to reserve a seat.
- Sundays: 12 noon (provided the Pope is in Rome that week). It is also recommended to arrive early to guarantee access to St. Peter's Square.
I leave you here linked this article in case you want to have more details on how to attend the Papal Audience to see the Pope at the Vatican.
Mass schedules at the Vatican
- During the week: 9:00 / 10:00 / 11:00 / 12:00 / 17:00
- Holidays: 9:00 / 10:30 / 11:30 / 12:15 / 13:00 / 16:00 / 17:30
When the Vatican closes
Please note that both the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are still places of worship in use, so they may close if during a religious holiday, special dates such as Christmas or if a specific event occurs and a mass is to be celebrated inside.
In such cases, access to St. Peter's Square may also be restricted for security reasons. Normally, these are the dates when the Vatican is closed:
- January 1
- January 6th
- June 29th
- August 15 or 16 (depending on the calendar)
- December 25th and 26th
- Also consult the annual calendar for the dates of Holy Week (especially Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday).