Top things to see at the Vatican Museum in Italy

If you’re traveling to Italy be sure to make a stop at the Vatican Museum.  The museum itself is located in the Vatican City.  You will see a collection of the Catholic Church’s art and Michelangelo’s famous painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.  It’s a must see!  Connected to the Sistine Chapel you will find St.  Peter’s Basilica.  

The prices vary depending on the type of ticket you purchase.  It’s cheaper to buy a standard ticket and more pricey if you book a tour.  If you like to have more information about the museum, a tour is nice.  If you like to move at your own pace, a standard ticket is better.  

My family did the skip the line tour because we weren’t sure how long it would take to move through the lines.  I’ve read that the lines can be up to a three hour wait.  However, we wished we would’ve done the standard tickets.  It’s cheaper and you can walk through at your own leisure.  

For us, it was difficult to keep up with the tour group between other tour groups moving through, while listening to the tour guide’s information, plus making sure our children weren’t getting lost in the crowd, and trying to get photos all at the same time.  Honestly, it was a lot to juggle!  The Vatican Museum is a very busy place where many people come to visit from all over the world.  It’s shoulder to shoulder crowded, hot, and there is no breeze through the building.  

Tip:  Wear lightweight breathable clothes, so you don’t over heat 🥵.  Shoulders and knees must be covered!  You are allowed to bring only plastic water bottles in, but you aren’t allowed to drink while walking inside of the museum galleries. You can only drink in the internal courtyards or rest areas.

Also, we have been on other tours and really enjoyed them!  It’s just a matter of preference.  I really do like that the tours give you the important information and they do guide you to where you need to go.  It’s helpful and makes it easier not having to figure everything out on your own!  

We arrived to the museum at 8:00 a.m. when the doors opened and there was a long line of people waiting to get in. Our tour started at 9:30 a.m. and they requested to have us arrive 20 minutes before our start time.  So we ended up waiting to get into museum anyhow.  We spent a total of four hours here, but you could easily spend 8 hours or more.  There is a lot of interesting things to see!  We skipped St.  Peter’s Basilica, the gardens, and going into the Vatican City.  We did the Museum and the Sistine Chapel only.   

Where the tour guides have you wait is on the sunny side of the street with no shade.  The people with the standard tickets wait on the shady side of the street.  It was sweaty hot even at 8:30 a.m.  They did move us to the shade once everyone was accounted for 😃.  They also brought us to a gift shop where you can purchase bottled water before your tour begins.  That was nice!  There’s two choices of water, which is still or sparkling.  Make sure you get the one you like 😉. 

Tip:  We found that if you get there before the museum opens, it’s faster than waiting for a tour to start.  Also, the later you go, the longer you might have to wait in line.

Before entering the building, someone will check your tickets.  You will also go through a security check once inside of the museum where bags will be scanned.  

Tip:  Use the restroom before you go into the museum, it’s the only one.  It’s located downstairs.  

The 1st section of the museum starts upstairs where you will see a wooden replica of the Vatican City.  You will also find the iconic Bramante Staircase in the room adjacent to it.  It’s two spiral staircases intertwined that allow people to go up without running into the people going down.  Don’t forget to take a picture! 

Tip:  Flash photography and tripods are prohibited.  Also, you will not be able to take photographs or talk in the Sistine Chapel.  

Next, you will go outside on a terrace with a view of the Basilica and gardens.  Then you will enter the Pinecone Courtyard where you will see the Sphere Within Sphere and the bronze pinecone that the courtyard is named after.  

Look for the Pio Clementino Museum.  First, you will enter the Octagonal Court outside where there are the statues of Laocoon and his Sons.  It’s of a priest and his sons being attacked by sea serpents.  Also, Apollo Belvedere which is a large, white, marble sculpture of the Greek god Apollo.  Don’t forget to take pictures!  

When you go inside of the museum, you will be in the Room of the Muses, and will see Belvedere Torso.  It’s the fragmented seated nude male.  

Then you will enter the Round Hall, where you will see the Hercules Mastai.  It’s the most famous ancient bronze statue in the museum.  You will also see Nero’s Bathtub, which is the round, marble stone in the middle of the room.  It originated from Egypt and was used by the emperors.  The color purple was highly prized at that time.

Next, is the Greek Cross Hall, where you will find the mosaic tile floor.  It features Athena in a central medallion surrounded by the moon phases.  

Then you will go through Gallery of the Candelabra.  You will find ancient Roman and Greek sculptures, sarcophagi, and mosaic floors.  The room has ancient Roman marble candelabra.  There are columns that divide the room into six sections.  Here you will notice the statue of Artemis Of Ephesus.  She was the Greek mother goddess of fertility.  There’s  debate on whether or not she is covered with breasts, bull’s testicles, or sacred egg sacs.  

After that, you will go through the Gallery of Tapestries.  It shows 16th-century Flemish tapestries woven by the pupils of Raphael.  The famous tapestry to see in there is The Resurrection of Christ.  

Tip:  Notice how Jesus’ eyes follow you through the entire room!  

Then you will enter the Gallery of Maps.  A frescoed hall mapping the Italian regions.  Don’t forget to look up!  The ceiling is beautifully decorated with biblical scenes.  Notice the map of Sicily near the entrance.  The island is seen as upside down 🙃. 

From here you would enter the Raphael Rooms.  There are Renaissance frescoes by Raphael and his students.  His masterpiece, The School of Athens, resides in there.  Our tour guide skipped this room and took us through a back staircase that lead directly to the Sistine Chapel.  Again, if you want to see more of the museum and at your leisure.  Skip the tour and do the standard tickets.  

Tip:  Do Not Miss seeing the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo’s painted ceiling!

Then you will enter the Sistine Chapel 🤩. The most important room to visit!  It’s the crown jewel of the tour!  What not to miss in here is The Creation of Adam on the ceiling and The Last Judgment on the altar wall.  Try to look close for his self portrait in the flayed skin held by St. Bartholomew.  Note that it’s in this room where the new popes are elected as well.  

Tip:  Again, you will need to have shoulders and knees covered.  Also, hats must be taken off before you enter the Sistine Chapel.  

Tip:  Security guards will tell you to keep moving once you enter the Chapel, but you can move to the side and stop to look up at the ceiling.  I would suggest stopping, so you have enough time to marvel the paintings.

From this room, at the end of the Chapel, you can enter through the big, wooden doors to see St.  Peter’s Basilica.  We didn’t go through it because on Wednesdays it’s closed in the mornings for the Papal Audience in St. Peter's Square.  It does reopen around 12:30, if you wanted to go get lunch, tour the garden, get souvenirs, and then come back. We found some nice rosary beads and a wooden cross at the gift stands.

Enjoy your time and I hope you found this helpful 😄.