The Vatican Tickets

The Apostolic Palace: Papal residence in Vatican City

4.3(130.6K Ratings)

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Apostolic Palace






From happy customers

Loved by 35 million+
Stephanie Cordova
CA

Stephanie

Canada
Jul 2025
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Paulina was a star! In the heat and in the crowds she led our group through the Vatican museum, Sistine chapel and led us to St Peter's Basilica (where she did pre instruction as she cannot guide there. Our family learned a lot we would not know without the tour.
Kimberly Liberty
US

Kimberly

United States
Jul 2025
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Our guide Marta was very knowledgeable and nice. She was a great storyteller and gave great background throughout the tour in each area. The tour was good and I would recommend them. We had a very nice time on this tour and it went to all the spots we wanted. The description is accurate on what you get with the tour. I only have one suggestion - and that is during times with extreme crowds, it is important to ensure that all of the group is accounted for. My husband and I (and another girl we didn't know) were separated during the tour in a critical area to short cut into the Sistine Chapel. The group was given 15 minutes there, but because we were lost and took the long way, buy the time we got there, we were rushed and didn't get the time the rest of the group had. Please make sure to keep the group together. I do understand it is very hard because of the crowds, so this situation alone would not keep me from taking this tour with this tour group again as everything else in the tour was great.
Jennifer Lomas
US

Jennifer

United States
Jul 2025
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+1 more

We toured all the major areas and some of the gardens including the Sistine Chapel in about 3.5 hours. The flow through the Vatican was well thought out, some areas were more congested than others, but nothing unexpected or uncomfortable for such a popular destination.
Christine Carole White
US

Christine

United States
Jun 2025
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We had skip the line tickets so it was only 20 min wait. We saw the museum, had lunch in the garden and visited the Sistine Chapel.
Hunter Brabham
US

Hunter

United States
Jul 2025
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As someone with no base knowledge besides that the Vatican is the home of Catholicism. This was a great way for me to learn about all of Vatican City and the history of it. I would have been wandering around aimlessly without my tour
Georg Allgaier
DE

Georg

Germany
Jul 2025
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The insight into the beautiful, otherwise inaccessible Vatican Gardens was a highlight of my trip to Rome and the museums are also extremely interesting. The only thing was that the tour could have lasted a little longer / gone a little slower / possibly with getting off at exciting places. Admission to the museum was also uncomplicated and quick, without long queues. A recommendation!
Sandra Cerri
IT

Sandra

Italy
Jul 2025
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+1 more

We purchased online tour of Vatican gardens +entrance Vatican Museums (without guide). Very nice staff who greeted us and guided us until we boarded the bus......tour very nice, they provided us with earphones for a recorded guide who showed us The beautiful gardens Exciting and unique the tour inside The Vatican Museums.Definitely the "highlight" was being able to skip the endless lines for entry...especially on these particularly hot days.Experience to be repeated for sure!
ABDEL AGUILAR
PA

Abdel

Panama
Jun 2025
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I really liked the cordiality of the guides and the simplicity of the tour, along with the information provided. We started a few minutes after the agreed time, but it was still excellent.

Top things to do in Rome

What is the Apostolic Palace? 

Situated in Vatican City, to the northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica, is the Apostolic Palace is known as the official residence of the reigning pope.

Not to be confused the ​Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, the former summer palace of the Pope; the Apostolic Palace is the formal residence of the Pope. The palace comprises over 1000 rooms, excluding which there are several Papal Apartments, the ​Vatican Library, a few Catholic Church’s government offices as well as numerous private and public chapels among other buildings.

Apart from being the Pope’s formal home, the Apostolic Palace consists of several administrative offices which are used to administer the function of the Vatican State. Perhaps the most important part of the Pope’s home is the fact that it has become a tourist-facing component in Rome. The several gardens, fishponds, attractive museums, library, and natural conservatories, to name a few, are amongst the few outstanding features that the Palace is known for and is a spot to be explored. The palace is also otherwise known as the Papal Palace, the Vatican Palace, the Vatican Palace, and also the Palace of the Vatican.

Plan your visit to the Apostolic Palace

Apostolic Palace Timings

You can visit the attractions of the Apostolic Palace between 8.30am and 4.30pm. The Vatican is not functional on Sundays.

Best time To visit

  • Off-seasons are a very good time to visit, with less heat and no chaos. 
  • Wednesdays are quite packed at the Vatican Palace as a lot of tourists head to attend an audience with the Pope. But it is a great time to visit the museums.
Detailed timings of Vatican

The Palace is situated within the Vatican City walls.

  • By Train: From the Roma Termini station take the RE 12524 towards Civitavecchia or RE 4134 towards Pisa Centrale and alight at St. Pietro.
  • By Bus: Take bus 40 or 64 from Roma Termini. Bus 40 stops at Piazza Pia, and bus 64 stops at Terminal Gianicolo or Holy Spirit Hospital.
  • By Metro: Take Line A to the Ottaviano-S. Pietro station. From here, it’s just a 5-minute walk to St. Peter’s Square.
  • By Tram: Take line number 19 to Piazza del Risorgimento.
Directions to the Vatican
Vatican Tickets
  • Standard Entry Tickets: With these tickets, you can enjoy access to the Vatican Museums & the Sistine Chapel.
  • Skip-the-line Tickets: Bypass long queues and enter the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel with these tickets. Depending on the ticket, you might even enjoy access to St. Peter’s Basilica.
  • Guided Tours: A ​guided tour will allow you to skip the lines with an expert guide.
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Apostolic Palace Rules
  • They follow a strict ​dress code. If you are not dressed appropriately, you will be denied entry.
  • Video cameras, umbrellas, banners, signs, and sharp objects like knives, are not allowed inside.
  • Phones must be kept in silent mode. The use of phones is forbidden in the Sistine Chapel.
  • Visitors are allowed to take photographs for personal and domestic use only. Photography is prohibited in the Sistine Chapel
Detailed rules & regulations

Structure of the Apostolic Palace

Arranged around the Courtyard of Sixtus V, the Apostolic Palace is a series of self-contained buildings consisting of a recognized outer structure.

Sistine Chapel at Apostolic Palace

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is the best known amongst the Palace chapels and is named in honor of Sixtus IV. The Chapel is well-known for being a venue for the gathering of the College of Cardinals, used for the election of each successive Pope. Here, the cardinals elect a successor to the traditionally first pope, St. Peter, who is traditionally buried in the crypts near St. Peter’s Church. The Chapel is famous for its frescoes by various Renaissance artists during the era.

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Raphael Rooms at Apostolic Palace

Raphael Rooms

The Raphael Rooms are a suite of reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace, which is now a portion of the Vatican Museums, in Vatican City. These rooms are popular for their frescoes, done by a team of artists who were guided under Raphael.  Commonly known as the Stanze, situated above Alexander’s Borgia Apartments, the Raphael Rooms were the apartments intended for Pope Julius II. He decided to redecorate the interiors of the rooms entirely, possibly to outshine the apartments of his predecessor.

Borgia Apartments at Apostolic Palaces

Borgia Apartments

The Borgia Apartments consists of a suite of rooms that were for the personal usage of Pope Alexander VI. The apartments were decorated lavishly with frescoes and used iconic themes from medieval encyclopedias, to add meaning and to celebrate the divine origins of Borgias.

The rooms are a part of the Vatican Library and Museums. Currently, these rooms are used for the Vatican Collection of Modern Religious Art, by Pope Paul VI in 1973.

Clementine Hall at Apostolic Palace

Clementine Hall

The Clementine Hall, also called the Sala Clementina, was created in the 16th century in honor of the third Pope, Pope Clement I, by Pope Clement VIII. Just like the other apartments, the Clementine Hall also consists of numerous large collections of artifacts and frescos, that make the Clementine Hall a famous structure in itself.  It is used by the pope as a reception room and sometimes as a site of various ceremonies and rituals. It is in the Clementine Hall that the body of the pope lies for private visitation by officials of the Vatican until it is moved to St. Peter's Basilica or the Basilica of San Giovanni.

Who lives in the Vatican Palace?

Pope at the Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace is home to the Pope and numerous officials involved in religious and administrative functions. It functions similarly to a state residence, managing the Vatican's various responsibilities.

Can visitors go inside the Vatican Palace? 

Visitors can explore parts of the Apostolic Palace, including the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, and Borgia Apartments. Some areas like the Sala Regia and Cappella Paolina are not open to the public.

Plan your visit to Vatican Museums

Paintings inside Vatican Palace

Pinacoteca , Apostolic Palace

The paintings in the Sistine Chapel are the most prominent works of art in the Apostolic Palace.

You can spot The Vision of The Cross (in the Hall of Constantine) and The Fire in the Borgo in the Raphael Rooms.

The Pinacoteca room houses notable works such as The Crucifixion of St. Peter.

Book Tickets to Sistine Chapel

Apostolic Palace of Vatican | Site of administrative functions of the Holy See

Apostolic Palace

Apart from being home to the Pope, the Apostolic Palace serves many functions. The Palace is used for performing several administrative meetings of the Vatican in terms of political, social, and economic aspects as a State. The palace has within it beautiful gardens, museums, a library, and more. Hence, this structure has become one of the top tourist attractions in the city of Rome, Italy.

Due to its dual nature as being the home to the pope as well as the site of administrative functions of the Holy See, it has assumed the same stature as the White House. It is a space that exercises various economic, political, and social responsibilities as a State. The term Apostolic Palace has, hence, come to be used as a metonym for the papacy itself, and not just the physical building.

History of the Apostolic Palace

Construction of the Apostolic Palace began between 1471 and 1605. It evolved from an earlier papal residence built by Pope Symmachus to serve as an alternative residence to the Lateran Palace.

Pope Eugene III sponsored the construction of a second fortified palace. This palace was extensively modified under Pope Innocent III in the twelfth century.

In 1447, Pope Nicholas V razed the ancient fortified palace of Eugene III to erect a new building, thus giving birth to the current Apostolic Palace.

Over the next 150 years, the Papal Palace went through major additions and decorations.

The current structure was developed under Pope Sixtus V and his successors, culminating in the 20th century with additional expansions by Pope Pius XI.

History of the Vatican

Frequently asked questions about the Apostolic Palace

What is the Apostolic Palace?

The massive Apostolic Palace is the Pope’s place of residence. It's also home to various apartments, museums, offices, public and private chapels, to name a few amongst the lot. The Palace is inclusive of rooms such as the Sistine Chapel as well as Raphael’s room famous for its paintings and architecture. The Palace serves as a space to perform the religious and administrative functions of the city.

Where is the Apostolic Palace located?

The Apostolic Palace is situated within Vatican City, just northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Who lives inside the Apostolic Palace?

The Pope resides in the Apostolic Palace. It is also home to various Vatican officials and staff who manage religious and administrative functions.

Can I enter the Apostolic Palace?

Yes, around 20 rooms of the Apostolic Palace are accessible to the public, including notable areas such as the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, and Borgia Apartments. Some sections, like the Sala Regia and Cappella Paolina, are not open to the public.

How far is the Apostolic Palace from St Peter's Square?

The Papal Palace is hardly two minutes away from St. Peter’s Square.

When was the Apostolic Palace built?

The construction of the Apostolic Palace (the Vatican or Papal Palace) in the Vatican City, was done between 1471 and 1605.

Why was the Apostolic Palace built?

It was built as a replacement for the Lateran Palace, which served as the primary residence of the popes for over a millennium. The new Palace was intended to enhance the papal residence and administrative capabilities.

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Headout is an authorized and trusted partner of the venue, offering curated experiences to enjoy this attraction. This is not the venue's website.