Pinecone Courtyard → Pio-Clementino Museum → Gallery of the Candelabra → Gallery of Tapestries → Gallery of Maps → Raphael's Rooms → Sistine Chapel.
What to see at Vatican Museums: from Raphael's Rooms to the Sistine Chapel
The Vatican Museums bring together centuries of art, from ancient Greek and Roman sculptures to Renaissance frescoes and papal collections. The main visitor route takes you through sculpture galleries, ornate corridors, and Raphael's Rooms before reaching Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
Follow the main route to discover the highlights, or use the collections below to see what each part of the museum has to offer.
Follow the main route
Explore by interest
- Ancient sculpture: Pio-Clementino Museum and Chiaramonti Museum.
- Renaissance art: Raphael's Rooms and Pinacoteca.
- Famous frescoes: Raphael's Rooms and Sistine Chapel.
- Ancient civilisations: Gregorian Egyptian Museum.
- Modern art: Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art.
What's included in a Vatican Museums ticket?
A standard Vatican Museums ticket gives you access to the permanent collections open on the day of your visit, including its sculpture galleries, Gallery of Maps, Raphael's Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel. You can explore these areas independently at your own pace or choose a guided tour of the Vatican Museums for more context.
However, not everything within Vatican City is part of the museum admission. The Vatican Gardens require a separate tour reservation, while St. Peter's Basilica has its own entrance and admission arrangements. Here's a breakdown of what you can access.
Ticket access and booking options
| Area | Access | Best access |
|---|---|---|
Permanent galleries | Included | Vatican Museums admission |
Raphael's Rooms | Included | Vatican Museums admission |
Pinacoteca and Egyptian Museum | Included, subject to opening and availability | Vatican Museums admission |
Sistine Chapel | Included | Vatican Museums admission |
Vatican Gardens | Separate tour reservation = | Vatican Gardens tour |
St. Peter's Basilica | Free general admission; separate entrance | Basilica visit |
St. Peter's Basilica dome | Separate paid access | Dome tickets |
Walk through the Vatican Museums: what you'll see
1/7
Pinecone Courtyard
Access: Included with standard admission.
Where in the visit: At the beginning of the museum visit, after the entrance.
The Pinecone Courtyard is an open-air courtyard that offers your first glimpse of the Vatican Museums' collections. Its name comes from a monumental ancient bronze pinecone, originally part of a Roman fountain.
At the center stands Sphere Within Sphere, a contemporary bronze sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro. Its intricate design reveals a smaller, complex structure inside a larger sphere.
Don't miss: The monumental bronze pinecone and Sphere Within Sphere.
Time here: Around 10–15 minutes.
Pio-Clementino Museum
Access: Included with standard admission.
Where in the visit: Near the beginning of the main route, after the Pinecone Courtyard.
The Pio-Clementino Museum brings together some of the Vatican's best-known Greek and Roman sculptures. Its galleries and courtyards display ancient works that influenced generations of Renaissance artists.
Look for Laocoön and His Sons, depicting a Trojan priest and his sons fighting sea serpents, alongside the Apollo Belvedere and Belvedere Torso.
Don't miss: Laocoön and His Sons, Apollo Belvedere, and the Round Hall.
Time here: Around 30–45 minutes.
Gallery of the Candelabra
Access: Included with standard admission.
Where in the visit: After the Pio-Clementino Museum, along the main route towards the Renaissance galleries.
Named after its monumental marble candelabra, this gallery combines ancient Roman sculptures, decorative objects and elaborate architectural details. Its vaulted ceiling and marble decorations make the corridor an attraction in its own right.
Look along both sides for sculptures of mythological figures and animals, displayed between the gallery's distinctive marble columns.
Don't miss: The monumental marble candelabra and the painted ceiling.
Time here: Around 5–10 minutes.
Gallery of Tapestries
Access: Included with standard admission.
Where in the visit: After the Gallery of the Candelabra and before the Gallery of Maps.
The Gallery of Tapestries is lined with enormous woven scenes depicting episodes from the life of Christ. Created by Flemish weavers from designs by Raphael and his workshop, these tapestries were produced in the 16th century.
Look closely at the figures, expressions, and details woven into each scene. The intricate shading and perspective make the scenes appear almost three-dimensional.
Don't miss: Look closely at the biblical scenes and the intricate details woven into each tapestry.
Time here: Around 5–10 minutes.
Gallery of Maps
Access: Included with standard admission.
Where in the visit: After the Gallery of Tapestries and before Raphael's Rooms.
The Gallery of Maps is a 120-meter-long corridor lined with 40 painted maps of the Italian peninsula and its territories. Commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in the late 16th century, the maps were created under the direction of geographer Ignazio Danti.
Each map depicts a different region, with coastlines, cities and geographical features rendered in remarkable detail. Look up, too: the vaulted ceiling is covered in elaborate decorations and biblical scenes.
Don't miss: The regional maps along both walls and the richly decorated ceiling.
Time here: Around 10–20 minutes.
Raphael's Rooms
Access: Included with standard admission.
Where in the visit: Towards the latter part of the main route, after the Gallery of Maps and before the Sistine Chapel.
These four rooms were decorated by Raphael and his workshop for Pope Julius II. Their walls and ceilings feature elaborate frescoes exploring religious, philosophical, and historical themes.
The most famous is The School of Athens, which brings together ancient philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, in an imagined gathering. Other rooms depict significant events from Christian history and the lives of saints.
Don't miss: The School of Athens in the Room of the Segnatura.
Time here: Around 15–25 minutes.
Sistine Chapel
Access: Included with standard admission.
Where in the visit: Towards the end of the main route, after Raphael's Rooms.
The Sistine Chapel is famous for Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes, including The Creation of Adam, and The Last Judgment behind the altar. Its side walls feature Renaissance frescoes by artists including Botticelli and Perugino.
Don't miss: The Creation of Adam, The Last Judgment, and the side-wall frescoes.
Good to know: Photography and filming are prohibited, and visitors must remain silent.
More to explore if you have extra time
The main route covers the Vatican Museums' best-known highlights, but there's much more to see beyond it. If you're particularly interested in painting, ancient civilisations or modern art, consider adding one of these collections to your visit.
Pinacoteca, for Renaissance paintings
Access: Included with standard admission
Explore paintings spanning the medieval period to the 19th century, including works by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio. Don't miss Raphael's Transfiguration and Caravaggio's The Entombment of Christ.
Gregorian Egyptian Museum, for ancient history
Access: Included with standard admission
Discover ancient Egyptian sculptures, sarcophagi, funerary objects and inscriptions. The collection offers a glimpse into ancient Egyptian culture and its influence on the wider Mediterranean world.
Chiaramonti Museum, for classical sculpture
Access: Included with standard admission, subject to gallery availability
Walk through a long gallery of Roman portraits, statues, reliefs and architectural fragments. It's particularly interesting if you want to explore the breadth of the Vatican's classical sculpture collection.
Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art, for something unexpected
Access: Included with standard admission, subject to gallery availability
Discover how artists interpreted religious themes through modern art, with works by Van Gogh, Matisse, Chagall and other 19th- and 20th-century artists.
How to explore the Vatican Museums
You can explore the Vatican Museums independently or join a guided tour. The right choice depends on how much context you'd like and how you prefer to experience the collections.
Option A: Explore independently
A standard admission ticket lets you follow the museum route at your own pace. It's a good choice if you enjoy discovering artworks yourself, already know what interests you or want to spend longer in particular galleries.
Option B: Join a guided tour
A guided tour adds context to the collections, helping you understand the stories behind classical sculptures, Raphael's frescoes, and Michelangelo's work. Choose a small-group or private experience if you'd prefer a more personal visit.
The story behind the Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums trace their origins to 1506, when Pope Julius II acquired the ancient sculpture Laocoön and His Sons and placed it on display in the Vatican. This collection grew over the centuries as successive popes added sculptures, paintings, and artifacts from different civilizations.
Today, the museums bring together centuries of collecting, artistic patronage, and papal history.
Experiences beyond the Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums are just one part of Vatican City. If you'd like to explore further, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Gardens offer two very different experiences, each with its own access arrangements.
Vatican Gardens
Access: Separate guided tour reservation required.
The Vatican Gardens cover a large part of Vatican City, with landscaped lawns, fountains, sculptures and historic buildings. Unlike the museum galleries, they're not open for independent visits.
Some tours combine the gardens with Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel admission, while others offer a dedicated garden experience.
Worth adding if: You enjoy landscaped gardens, papal history and quieter surroundings, or have already explored the main museum collections
St. Peter's Basilica and the dome
Access: Separate from the Vatican Museums. General Basilica entry is free; the dome requires paid access.
St. Peter's Basilica is one of Vatican City's most significant landmarks, known for Michelangelo's Pietà, its monumental dome and richly decorated interior.
You can visit the Basilica independently or join a guided tour. Some authorised tours offer access through a passage connecting the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica, but this isn't available with standard museum admission and should be confirmed for the specific tour.
Worth adding if: You want to experience the Vatican's religious and architectural heritage beyond its art collections.
Frequently asked questions about Vatican Museums
No. The Sistine Chapel is accessed through the Vatican Museums, and there is no separate standard admission ticket just for the chapel. You'll need a Vatican Museums ticket to visit it.
Yes. You can visit both on the same day, but they have separate entrances and access arrangements. Some guided tours offer a connection between the Sistine Chapel and Basilica, subject to availability and operational conditions.
#
No. The museums comprise multiple collections and galleries, and the route you follow may depend on the day's operational arrangements. Some areas may also close temporarily for restoration, events or other reasons.
Your visit follows the designated visitor route, so you shouldn't assume that you can freely move backwards and revisit every gallery. Check the current visitor arrangements if there's a particular collection you want to spend more time in.
Yes. Vatican City is an independent city-state that contains several landmarks, including the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Gardens. The museums are one attraction within it, with their own admission and visitor entrance.
Not necessarily. Some galleries or collections may close temporarily for restoration, maintenance, or special events. The available route and access can change depending on museum operations.
More reads
Exploring the Vatican Museums with a guide
Compare guided, small-group and private tours, and discover what a guide adds to your visit.
Do you need skip-the-line tickets?
Understand how priority entry works, what different ticket options include and whether it's worth booking ahead.
Plan your Vatican Museums visit
Find opening hours, entrance information, visitor rules and practical tips to organise your visit.
