Sistine Chapel Tickets & Tour

Your guide to Sistine Chapel Facts, History, Ceiling, Outside & Tickets

The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope, in Vatican City; a legitimate country located right in the centre of Rome, Italy. It is one of the most popular Rome day trips and is a treasured, religious place in Vatican City.

The Sistine Chapel is an extraordinary work of education - it lays out all the early books of the Bible.
Peter Greenway

One can easily tell that the creator of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel was above all a sculptor.
Edvard Munch

Top Sistine Chapel Vatican Rome Tours and Tickets

Below you can find a list of Sistine Chapel tours and tickets that are highly rated and recommended, as well as being the best value for money.

1. Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Fast Track

What's the tour all about?

Take an incredible journey through the Sistine Chapel with this fast track tour; gain priority entrance and access to the Sistine Chapel and avoid long queues! On this tour, you'll also see the fascinating works of art by Michelangelo, as well as other Renaissance artists.

Highlights of the tour

• Marvel at Michelangelo's incredible work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling
• Enjoy a 15% discount in the bookshops at all Vatican Museums
• Gain fast track entry so you don't have to queue for hours

Includes

• Skip-the-line entrance
• Booking fees

Excludes

• Food and drink
• Gratuities
• Hotel pickup and drop-off

Duration

3 hours (approx.)

Customer ratings

4.5/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £28

From £24.50

From £23.03

N/A

2. Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & Saint Peter's Guided Tour

What's the tour all about?

This tour allows you to discover the impressive Vatican; including the museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Once you've marvelled at the beautiful artistry that is Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, you'll head to St. Peter's Basilica which is sure to blow you away.

Highlights of the tour

• Entrance to all three famous Roman sights
• See the works of art from artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael
• Explore the beauty of St. Peter's Basilica

Includes

• Professional tour guide
• Entrance to the Vatican
• Headsets

Excludes

• Transport to the Vatican
• Tips and gratuities
• Food and beverages

3 hours

Customer ratings

4.7/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £55.13

From £38.41

From £37.54

N/A

3. Early Entry to Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's

What's the tour all about?

This tour of the Sistine Chapel allows you to gain entrance one hour earlier than the rest of the general public; this way, you can enjoy exploring the Sistine Chapel in peace without having to queue for hours. With early entry access on this tour, it means that you can pay a visit to the Sistine Chapel without queuing for hours.

Highlights of the tour

• Avoid long queues and gain early entry
• Learn all about the beautiful works of art inside the Chapel
• Explore Peter's Basilica

Includes

• Professional tour guide
• Guaranteed skip-the-line early access
• Headsets so you can hear your guide better

Excludes

• Tips
• Transport from your hotel

Duration

3.5 hours

Customer ratings

4.8.5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £69.13

From £73.49

N/A

N/A

4. Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Gardens Tour

What's the tour all about?

With this tour you'll enjoy skip-the-line access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, as well as to the beatific Gardens! The Gardens are a spectacular place inside the Vatican City as they're incredibly beautiful, peaceful and serene.

Highlights of the tour

• Marvel at the wonder of the Sistine Chapel and its works of art
• See inside the various Vatican Museums
• Enjoy wandering around the stunning Gardens
• Gain exclusive access and information not normally divulged to the public

Includes

• Guided tour of Vatican City
• Entrance to the Gardens and Sistine Chapel
• Audio guides

Excludes

• Food and drink
• Hotel pickup or drop-off

Duration

5 hours

Customer ratings

4.4/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £78.76

From £86.61

From £48.62

N/A

5. Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour

What's the tour all about?

This Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour will show you the beauty of the Vatican, including the museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. You'll learn all about the fascinating history of the religious buildings and their remarkable works of art that are famous all over the world.

Highlights of the tour

• Wander through the Sistine Chapel and learn all about its history and famous artwork
• Admire the stunning building of Peter's Basilica
• Gain entry to various other Vatican museums

Includes

• Headsets
• Professional and English-speaking tour guide
• Skip-the-line ticket to the Vatican

Excludes

• Transportation
• Food and drink

Duration

3 hours

4.7/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £61.26

From £50.74

From £28.15

N/A

6. Tickets for Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel: Skip The Line + Hop-on Hop-off Bus

What's the tour all about?

See more of what Rome has to offer by making use out of the Rome Hop-on Hop-off bus tour, as well as paying a visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. You'll get the chance to see some of Rome's most famous sights as you're transported around the city on the tour bus.

Highlights of the tour

• See Michelangelo's famous paintings in the Sistine Chapel
• Skip long queues and avoid long waits
• Enjoy cruising around on the bus and see more of Rome

Includes

• 24 or 48 hours use of the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour in Rome
• Audio guide on the bus
• Skip-the-line entrance to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

Excludes

• Pickup from hotel
• Guided tour of the Sistine Chapel

Duration

All day

Customer ratings

4.7/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

N/A

N/A

N/A

From £46.92

7. Sistine Chapel at night with Vatican Museums

What's the tour all about?

This tour allows you to wander around the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums at night, without having to queue for hours for entrance. While the Vatican Museums are obviously incredible during the day, they're arguably more enjoyable at night as you don't have to battle through large crowds and long queues.

Highlights of the tour

• Skip long queues and see the museums and the Chapel at night
• Visit the Gallery of Maps and the Gallery of Tapestries
• Admire the beatific Sistine Chapel artwork

Includes

• Admission fees
• Professional tour guide
• Headsets

Excludes

• Food and drink
• Hotel pickups and drop-offs
• Tips

Duration

3 hours

Customer ratings

4.6/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £74.38

From £55.12

N/A

N/A

8. Sistine Chapel Raphael Rooms Private Tour

What's the tour all about?

On this private tour of the Raphael Rooms inside the Sistine Chapel, you'll gain an intimate understanding of the Vatican Museums. This tour is a great experience to enjoy while in Rome as you'll gain private access to some of the Sistine Chapel's most elite rooms.

Highlights of the tour

• Personalised experience of the private tour
• Entrance to the Vatican Museums
• Skip the long queues

Includes

• Professional, historian guide
• Private tour of the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms
• Headsets to hear your guide clearly

Excludes

• Food and drinks
• Gratuities
• Transport

Duration

3 hours

Customer ratings

5/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £420.05

N/A

N/A

N/A

9. Vatican and Sistine Chapel Small-Group Tour

What's the tour all about?

On this tour you'll benefit from skip-the-line access to the Vatican and to the Sistine Chapel, while enjoying small group tour so you can really learn more about its history. You'll avoid large crowds as you'll be grouped with a select few people who also want to indulge in a more in-depth understanding of the Sistine Chapel.

Highlights of the tour

• Skip the lines and gain fast track entrance
• Enjoy learning from an official Vatican tour guide
• Admire the creative work of Michelangelo

Includes

• Guided tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel
• Skip-the-line access
• Entrance to Peter's Basilica

Excludes

• Food and drink
• Gratuities
• Transportation

Duration

3 hours

Customer ratings

4.2/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £26.25

From £43.74

N/A

N/A

10. VIP Pristine Sistine with Breakfast Inside the Vatican

What's the tour all about?

This tour is a unique and fun way of seeing the Vatican Museums including the Sistine Chapel, while tucking into a delicious breakfast buffet. You'll enjoy a delicious breakfast inside one of the most religious places in the world.

Highlights of the tour

• Delicious breakfast buffet inside the Vatican Museums
• Access to rooms and galleries before the rest of the public
• See the highlights of the beatific Sistine Chapel

Includes

• Skip-the-queue entry and early access
• Sistine Chapel entry and Vatican Museums ticket
• Buffet breakfast inside the Museums

Excludes

• Tips
• Hotel pickups and drop-offs

Duration

4 hours

Customer ratings

4.3/5

Compare Tickets Price with Tripindicator

From £94.86

From £100.61

N/A

N/A

Why is the Sistine Chapel so important?

The Sistine Chapel is one of the Vatican City's (and Rome's for that matter) most prominent and important features.

It is famous for its extensive collection of Renaissance art, including Michelangelo's world-famous Sistine Chapel painted ceiling which took him over four years to complete. Alongside Michelangelo's impressive works of art, the Sistine Chapel is also home to numerous other artists' work.

The Sistine Chapel is built upon the site of an ancient chapel that was originally known as Capella Magna. In 1477 however, when Pope Sixtus IV began rebuilding the chapel, he renamed it after himself.

Highlights of the Sistine Chapel Vatican Rome

There are many highlights and features to enjoy inside the Sistine Chapel; find out some of the must-see things below!

Sistine Chapel ceiling

The Sistine Chapel ceiling is arguably the most defining of the Chapel itself. It is divided into nine central panels; depicting The Creation of the World, The Expulsion of Adam and Eve and The Story of Noah. There's also The Creation of Adam which is arguably one of the most famous as it shows the figure of God touching Adam's finger and effectively bringing him to life.

The North Wall of the Sistine Chapel

The North Wall of the Sistine Chapel included scenes from the life of Christ including The Baptism, The Temptation of Jesus, The Sermon on the Mount and The Last Supper.

The South Wall of the Sistine Chapel

This side of the Chapel includes works of art by various artists and shows the life of Moses, including his journey through Egypt, Crossing the Red Sea and The Ten Commandments.

The Last Judgement Altar Fresco

This giant painting resides above the Sistine Chapel altar and was painted in 1535, numerous years after the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

This fresco depicts a scene of hell from The Last Judgement. It shows a vengeful Christ, surrounded by nude figures and saints.

Reviews and rankings

See below for some of the best Reviews about the Sistine Chapel as well as where it ranks in the list of things to see and do in Rome!

Rated number 2 out of 45 things to do in Vatican City.
4.5 stars out of 18,529 reviews.

Reviews

"It's a beautiful, historic and religious place to visit and a must part of a Roman Trip."
"Seeing it up close and in person takes your breath away. It's amazing and wondrous. How is it possible one man created this?"
"Very surprised at how small and intimate (even with throngs of tourists) the Sistine Chapel is. This was the highlight of the visit to Vatican City."
"When you are at the Vatican, take this tour to see this amazing work of art. Since the restoration, it is even more spectacular. To think he did this on his back is remarkable."
"Absolutely worth every second of queuing/ walking. Aside from the ornate art work on route to the Sistine Chapel, the chapel itself is breath taking."

15 Facts About The Sistine Chapel

Below you can find 15 of the most fascinating about the Sistine Chapel.

1. Over 5 million people visit the Sistine Chapel every year (around 25,000 people a day)
2. The ceiling inside the Sistine Chapel was painted and created by Michelangelo and is one of the most famous works of art in the world
3. The paintings inside the chapel cover approximately 12,000 square feet
4. The election of a new pope has been held in the Sistine Chapel since 1870
5. The Sistine Chapel got its name from Pope Sixtus IV
6. The dimensions of the Chapel are the same as that of the Temple of Solomon, on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, as described in the first testament of the Bible
7. The first mass inside the Sistine Chapel occurred in 1483
8. Before Michelangelo began his work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508, it was originally decorated with a blue night sky and stars by Piero Matteo d'Amelia
9. It took Michelangelo four years to complete his work on the ceiling of the Chapel
10. The pope is elected by the College of Cardinals who meet at the Sistine Chapel to submit their votes under oath
11. The Chapel has been restored numerous times over the years, but it is thought that some of the original intent of the work has been eradicated in the process
12. You'll also find the works of art of Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Roselli and Sandro Botticelli inside the Sistine Chapel
13. The altar wall inside the Chapel features the famous painting of The Last Judgement which was created 22 years after the original ceiling was completed
14. Cameras are banned during visiting times to protect the paintings during the election of a new Pope
15. The Sistine Chapel is the pope's private chapel which only adds to the number of visitors every year

Conclusion – Sistine Chapel Vatican Rome

The Sistine Chapel is one of the most visited places in Vatican City and is an incredibly popular tourist attraction in Rome. Home to spectacular works of art and an abundance of religious messages, the Sistine Chapel is a must-see when visiting the Italian capital city and the Vatican City.