St Peter's Basilica
Rome, Italy
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome
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Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Ticket
- Vatican Museums ticket only, ≈ €25 with booking
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- As the Vatican Museums: Mon–Sat 8:00–20:00
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Photos
- Not allowed — no phones, even without flash
- Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes inside, 2–3 hours through the museums
- Location
- End of the Vatican Museums route, Apostolic Palace
Key facts
1473–1481built for Pope Sixtus IV, who gave it its name
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English Wikipedia40.9 × 13.4 mfloor plan; about 20.7 m high
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English Wikipedia1508–1512Michelangelo painted the ceiling, largely alone, on his own scaffold
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English Wikipedia1536–1541Michelangelo painted the Last Judgement on the altar wall
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English Wikipedia1481–1482Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli frescoed the walls
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English WikipediaConclavecardinals elect each new pope here
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English Wikipedia1980–1994restoration revealed the frescoes' original bright colours
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English WikipediaHow to visit the Sistine Chapel
There's no separate ticket: the only way in is through the Vatican Museums, on their ticket (about €25 booked on the official site). The chapel is the last room on the one-way route. Walking briskly it's 40–60 minutes from the entrance; most people take 2–3 hours, seeing the museums on the way. Hours follow the museums — Monday to Saturday 8:00–20:00, plus a free morning on the last Sunday of the month.
The chapel has two exits. The regular one leads back to the museum exit; a side door goes straight to St Peter's Basilica, though it's sometimes reserved for guided groups.
A short history
The chapel was built in 1473–1481 for Pope Sixtus IV, hence the name. The hall measures 40.9 by 13.4 metres and rises about 20.7 metres — said to match the proportions of Solomon's Temple. It's still a working chapel: the pope celebrates Mass here, and the conclave of cardinals locks itself in to elect each new pope.
In 1481–1482 the walls were painted by the top artists of Florence and Umbria — Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli — with the life of Moses on one side and the life of Christ facing it. Perugino's *Delivery of the Keys to St Peter* is the most famous panel.
Michelangelo's ceiling
Pope Julius II commissioned the ceiling in 1508. Michelangelo saw himself as a sculptor and resisted, then spent four years painting more than 500 square metres of vault, mostly by himself, standing on scaffolding he designed, head tipped back. He finished in 1512.
Down the centre run nine scenes from Genesis, from the separation of light and darkness to the drunkenness of Noah. The fourth from the altar is the Creation of Adam, with God's and Adam's fingers almost touching. Twelve prophets and sibyls sit along the edges, with Christ's ancestors in the lunettes over the windows.
The Last Judgement
Twenty-four years later, in 1536–1541, Michelangelo returned in his sixties to paint the Last Judgement across the altar wall — more than 300 figures swirling around Christ the judge. Look lower right for the ferryman Charon, and for St Bartholomew holding a flayed skin whose face is thought to be the artist's self-portrait.
The figures were originally nude. After the Council of Trent, Michelangelo's pupil Daniele da Volterra painted on loincloths, earning the nickname 'Il Braghettone' — the breeches-maker. Some of his additions were kept in the restoration.
What to look for
- Creation of Adam — fourth central panel from the altar.
- Separation of Light from Darkness — directly above the altar, the last scene Michelangelo painted.
- Delphic Sibyl — the best-known sibyl, near the entrance on the left.
- Jonah — above the Last Judgement, leaning back in daring foreshortening.
- St Bartholomew's skin — in the Last Judgement, to Christ's right.
- Perugino's Delivery of the Keys — north wall, near the middle.
- Botticelli's panels — the Temptations of Christ and the Trials of Moses on the side walls.
How to get to the Sistine Chapel
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- St Peter's Basilica is about 1 min away on foot.
- St Peter's Square is about 5 min away on foot.
- Vatican Museums is about 17 min away on foot.
More tips
- Metro line A to Ottaviano or Cipro, then 10 minutes to the Vatican Museums entrance on Viale Vaticano.
- Inside, follow the 'Cappella Sistina' signs along the one-way route.
- The fastest path runs via the Pinecone Courtyard and the Gallery of Maps, past the Raphael Rooms.
- Leave by the main museum exit or the side passage to St Peter's Basilica.
Best time to visit
By 10am the chapel is packed shoulder to shoulder. It's emptiest in the first hour after opening and after 15:00. Book the 8:00 slot, follow the signs straight to the chapel, and see the rest of the museums afterwards. Winter weekdays are calmest.
Is the Sistine Chapel worth it?
Yes — it's one of the great works of Western art, and no reproduction prepares you for the vault 20 metres overhead, the hundreds of figures and the colour since restoration. Bring binoculars, find a spot on the bench along the wall and look properly. Twenty minutes is enough; many people stay an hour.
Before you go
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Rome's museums: compare and choose
Museums in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Sistine Chapelyou are here | 64 | 30 min | Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25 | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castel Sant'Angelo | 57 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €15–20 | 17 min walk |
| Domus Aurea | 49 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26 | 3.6 km |
| Ara Pacis | 47 | 1 h | ≈ €13–15 | 31 min walk |
| San Luigi dei Francesi | 47 | 20 min | Free | 30 min walk |
| Galleria Borghese | 45 | 2 h | ≈ €18 | 3.4 km |
| Vatican Museums | 44 | 3 h | ≈ €25 | 6 min walk |
| Capitoline Museums | 43 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ €15–19.50 | 45 min walk |
| Baths of Diocletian | 42 | 1 h | Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 | 3.6 km |
| Galleria Doria Pamphilj | 39 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €16–18 | 40 min walk |
| Palazzo Farnese | 39 | 1 h 15 min | Paid, booking only | 28 min walk |
| Imperial Fora | 38 | 1 h | Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15 | 2.7 km |
| Palazzo Barberini | 37 | 2 h | ≈ €15 | 2.9 km |
| Villa Farnesina | 37 | 1 h | ≈ €12 | 26 min walk |
| Palazzo Massimo | 34 | 2 h | ≈ €10–12 combined ticket | 3.6 km |
| MAXXI | 32 | 2 h | ≈ €12–15 | 3.0 km |
| Ostia Antica | 31 | 3 h | ≈ €12–18 | 21.6 km |
The Vatican in a day
Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in the morning, St Peter's and the dome after lunch, then the square and Castel Sant'Angelo at sunset.
- Vatican Museums3 h · ≈ €25
- 6 min walk from the previous stopSistine Chapelyou are here30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- 3 min walk from the previous stopSt Peter's Basilica1 h 30 min · Free; dome ≈ €8–15
- 5 min walk from the previous stopSt Peter's Square30 min · Free
- 13 min walk from the previous stopCastel Sant'Angelo1 h 30 min · ≈ €15–20
5 places · about 7 h 27 min with walks · 27 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Binoculars make the sibyls and prophets come alive.
- Grab a seat on the side bench to escape the crush.
- The 8:00 slot gives you the chapel at its emptiest.
- Creation of Adam: fourth panel from the altar.
Questions
Do you need a separate ticket for the Sistine Chapel?
No. Entry is only via the Vatican Museums ticket, about €25 with booking.
Can you take photos in the Sistine Chapel?
No — photos and video are banned, even without flash.
Who painted the Sistine Chapel?
Michelangelo painted the ceiling (1508–1512) and the Last Judgement (1536–1541); Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli painted the walls (1481–1482).
How long did Michelangelo take to paint the ceiling?
Four years, from 1508 to 1512.
Where is the Creation of Adam on the ceiling?
It's the fourth of the nine central panels, counting from the altar wall.
What is the dress code?
Shoulders and knees covered for men and women.
How long should you spend in the Sistine Chapel?
20–30 minutes inside, after 2–3 hours through the museums.
Can you go from the Sistine Chapel to St Peter's Basilica?
Sometimes, via a side exit often reserved for guided groups.
Why is it called the Sistine Chapel?
It was built for Pope Sixtus IV in 1473–1481.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Vatican Museums official website (museivaticani.va)
- English Wikipedia, Sistine Chapel
- English Wikipedia, Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment (Michelangelo)
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