In this guide ▾
Comment réserver des tickets pour le Vatican is a question with a short answer and a few traps. In English it means “how do I book tickets for the Vatican?”, and the safe route is the official Vatican Museums ticket portal, where you pick a date, pay and receive a voucher. I wrote this guide for French-speaking visitors and anyone else who wants the process in plain steps, with prices converted to dollars.
The Vatican has several ticketed sites, and each has its own rules. I will cover the Museums and the Sistine Chapel first, because that is where most visitors need a reservation. Then I will cover the Scavi excavations and St. Peter’s Basilica, and the options if the official calendar is full.
Comment Réserver Des Tickets Pour Le Vatican: The Short Answer
Comment réserver des tickets pour le Vatican comes down to four moves: open the official portal, pick a day and time slot, pay online, and show the voucher at the Museums entrance on Viale Vaticano. The ticket covers the Museums and the Sistine Chapel on the day it is issued, and nothing else.
Here is the order I recommend. First, decide which part of the Vatican you want to see. Second, check the Calendar of museum openings and closures so you do not pick a closed day. Third, book the official ticket. Fourth, only if the official slots are full, compare an authorized reseller. If you want to see every option side by side, my page on Vatican tickets online lays them out.

Where Can You Find Vatican Tickets, and What Is the Official Site?
Vatican Museums tickets are sold on the official portal at tickets.museivaticani.va, which the Museums describe as the only official site for purchasing tickets online. The Museums also caution against scams and look-alike domains that may charge significantly higher prices.
Book aheadVatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance TicketCheck availability · from $36
My rule is simple: type the address yourself or follow the link from the Museums’ own page. Do not click an advert that happens to say “Vatican tickets”. If you are unsure which seller is which, my guide to which site sells Vatican tickets? compares the main places to buy, and the French-language ticket page covers the same ground in short form.
Resellers are not scams. They are separate businesses that buy and bundle entry, often with a host, an audio guide or a guided tour. They simply are not the official office, and neither is this site.
What Is the Difference Between the Vatican and the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican and the Vatican Museums are not the same thing: one is a country, the other a single attraction inside it. According to Wikipedia, Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city-state in Southern Europe, an enclave within Rome, and it includes St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Apostolic Palace, the Vatican Library and the Vatican Museums.
This matters because “Vatican tickets” can mean three different things:
- The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. This is the ticket most people need. You buy it online for a date and time.
- St. Peter’s Basilica. Entry is free, but access is not guaranteed because crowd control can change it. The dome is a separate ticket.
- The Scavi (excavations under the Basilica). This tour has its own office and its own booking page.
A Museums ticket does not get you into the Basilica or onto the dome. Plan the three as separate visits, even though they sit a short walk apart. The Vatican Museum tickets guide goes deeper on the main one.

How Much Do Vatican Tickets Cost?
Vatican tickets cost EUR 20 for a full-price Museums entry without online booking, roughly $22 at the European Central Bank reference rate of 6 November 2026 (ECB rates). The reduced ticket is EUR 10 plus EUR 5 if you add “Skip the Line” booking, according to the official price list.
| Ticket | Without online booking | With “Skip the Line” booking | About in USD (ECB rate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full entry | EUR 20 | not listed on the page | about $22 |
| Reduced entry | EUR 10 | EUR 10 + 5 | about $11, or $17 with booking |
| Students (up to 25) | EUR 10 | EUR 10 + 5 | about $11, or $17 with booking |
| Schools | EUR 5 | EUR 5 + 2 | about $6, or $8 with booking |
| Scavi excavations tour | EUR 13 | reservation required | about $15 |
Prices and hours change, so confirm them on the official page before you pay. The Museums also state that the entry ticket is valid only on the day it is issued, and that tickets cannot be refunded.
Who gets in free or at a reduced price?
Free or reduced-price entry applies on the last Sunday of the month, subject to the closure calendar, and to children below the age of 7. Visitors with a certified invalidity of at least 67% also enter free, and a companion is included for visitors who are not self-sufficient. Those free disability tickets cannot be booked online. They are issued at the special desks in the entrance hall, and the visitor and companion get priority entry.
The student rate applies to students up to and including 25 years old who hold a document confirming enrolment for the current year. The Museums warn that if you buy a reduced ticket without entitlement, you must buy a new full-price ticket and the reduced one is cancelled without a refund. Do not gamble on this one.
Can You Go to the Vatican Without Booking?
Going to the Vatican without booking is possible, because the official price list includes tickets “without online booking” that you buy at the door. The catch is the wait, so I would not recommend it in busy periods.
One traveler on a skip-the-line tour described it bluntly:
“The only way to visit the Vatican Museums are with a skip the line ticket, because you will spend around 4h in the museum if you want to enjoy it properly, but if you don't have a skip the line ticket, add at least 2-3 hours of waiting in line. A line that is literally at least 100 m long”
I would not rely on one review for exact queue times. It does match what the booking structure suggests: online tickets are tied to a time slot so that you are not stuck in the street. If you arrive late in the day, you also risk a rushed visit, because the Museums close at 8 pm according to the Maps listing and you need time inside the galleries.
My advice: if you have a fixed travel date, book ahead. If your plans are flexible and you do not mind the queue, turning up is possible but it is the riskier choice.
How to Book Vatican Entry Tickets Online, Step by Step
Booking Vatican entry tickets online requires the official portal, a travel date and the names of everyone in your group. Work through these steps in order.
- Check the calendar. Open the Museums’ opening and closing calendar and make sure your date is open. The Maps listing shows Sunday as closed, while the official page mentions free entry on the last Sunday of the month. The calendar settles the question.
- Open the official portal. Go to the official ticket page and check the address before you enter any card details.
- Choose the ticket type. Pick full, reduced or student. Add “Skip the Line” booking where it is offered for your ticket type.
- Pick a date and time slot. Choose a slot you can reach comfortably. Allow time for security.
- Pay and save the voucher. Keep it on your phone and, if you prefer, print a copy. Resellers confirm that paper and mobile vouchers are both accepted at their entrance.
- Arrive on time. Go to the Museums entrance on Viale Vaticano and do not arrive outside your slot.
If the portal has no slot you can use, do not panic. That is exactly the situation that skip-the-line products from authorized sellers are built for. My Vatican tickets for travelers using GetYourGuide page walks through how those compare.

Reserving Vatican Museum Tickets Through an Authorized Seller
Reserving Vatican Museum tickets through an authorized seller is the route to take when the official slots are full or you want a host or a guide. These are the GetYourGuide options I would look at first, and prices are shown in US dollars.
Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Ticket
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Ticket
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
All three are entry tickets rather than guided tours. The first listing has a rating of 4.48 from more than 160,000 reviews, which is a large sample. The listing says you enter through a dedicated GetYourGuide entrance and collect your audio guide at a dedicated desk if you choose that option.
The second option meets at Via Germanico 8, and the listing says to arrive 15 minutes early. The ticket is valid only for the reserved time, and latecomers are not guaranteed skip-the-line access. The third offers an optional upgrade with reserved access to St. Peter’s Basilica. Read the meeting point of the one you pick, because two of these have meeting points away from the Museums entrance.
I’d book one of these if the official calendar is full. If your dates are flexible, the official portal remains my first choice, and my page on Vatican Rome tickets compares the choices in more detail.
When a guided tour is worth the extra money
A guided tour is worth paying for when you want context for what you are seeing. Two options from the same listings add a host or a guide:
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Ticket-Line Tour
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
The first adds a host who meets you near the Museums and escorts you to the entrance. The listing is clear that there is no tour guide, and a traveler summary notes that support often ends at the entrance. The second is a group tour with a maximum of 20 people. It walks through the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel with a professional guide and includes the Museums entrance ticket, which is why the price is higher.
Choose by how you like to visit. If you enjoy reading placards, an entry ticket is enough. If you want the story behind the School of Athens and the Creation of Adam, pay for the guide.
How Do You Get to the Vatican Museums Entrance?
The Vatican Museums entrance sits on Viale Vaticano, outside the walls, and it is not the same as St. Peter’s Square. The Maps data lists the Museums at 00120 Vatican City, open 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday, with Sunday shown as closed. St. Peter’s Basilica is listed from 7 am to 7:10 pm every day.
Vatican Museums
Art museum · ★ 4.6 · 213,480 Google reviews
00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Opening hours
- Friday8 am–8 pm
- Monday8 am–8 pm
- Saturday8 am–8 pm
- SundayClosed
- Thursday8 am–8 pm
- Tuesday8 am–8 pm
- Wednesday8 am–8 pm
Saint Peter’s Basilica
Basilica · ★ 4.8 · 185,703 Google reviews
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Opening hours
- Friday7 am–7:10 pm
- Monday7 am–7:10 pm
- Saturday7 am–7:10 pm
- Sunday7 am–7:10 pm
- Thursday7 am–7:10 pm
- Tuesday7 am–7:10 pm
- Wednesday7 am–7:10 pm
CASSA ONLINE E GRUPPI
Tourist attraction · ★ 4.4 · 179 Google reviews
00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Opening hours
- FridayOpen 24 hours
- MondayOpen 24 hours
- SaturdayOpen 24 hours
- SundayOpen 24 hours
- ThursdayOpen 24 hours
- TuesdayOpen 24 hours
- WednesdayOpen 24 hours
The third place on that list, “CASSA ONLINE E GRUPPI”, is the ticket desk that GetYourGuide’s instructions mention. Online vouchers are scanned there after security. Do not confuse the Museums entrance with the Basilica queue in the square. They are different entrances, and mixing them up is a common way to lose a time slot.
For general ticket logistics across the city, my guide to Rome ticket planning covers how to link the Vatican with other bookings.

What About St. Peter’s Basilica and the Scavi?
St. Peter’s Basilica is free to enter, but a Museums ticket does not include it and access is not guaranteed on the day. Reseller listings say the Basilica may be restricted because of crowd control. Plan for a security queue and check the Basilica’s official site for the latest rules.
A traveler’s Google Maps review puts the experience well, as a reminder that this part of the visit is free:
“Do not miss this place for a FREE location! This is the most beautiful church I've ever been to. Once your through security and the main doors, you are truly hit by the size and artwork. We got there 645am and already there's a line but got in very quickly. If your just there for free visit, you can see most of it in 40mins. Pay extra for the other locations.”
The Scavi, the excavations beneath the Basilica, are different. The Excavations Office lists the individual ticket, including the guide contribution, at EUR 13, about $15, and states that no reductions are given for any reason. The office opens Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 9:00 to 14:00, and you must apply through its reservations page. The entrance fee page has the full details, and it is a separate booking from the Museums.
Vatican City by the Numbers
Vatican City by the numbers looks tiny on paper, as a few figures from Wikidata show, which explains why a timed ticket system matters when so many visitors arrive at once.
- Area: 0.44 km². You can walk the public areas on foot, but the Museums alone take hours.
- Founded as a state: 11 February 1929, when the Lateran Treaty established the modern city-state.
- Population: 949 in 2024. Almost every person you meet inside is a visitor.
- Heritage status: World Heritage Site. This is why the main sites are protected and managed with timed entry.
- Currency: euro. Prices on official pages are in euros, so convert before you compare.
- Official languages: Italian and Latin. Official pages appear in Italian, English and other languages.
None of these numbers change how you book. They help you plan, and the practical takeaway is that the Vatican is compact but crowded, so reserve early.
Practical Wrap-Up: Booking Vatican Tickets with Confidence
Booking Vatican tickets with confidence starts with a short checklist for comment réserver des tickets pour le Vatican: official portal first, correct date and slot, voucher saved, and arrival on time. Keep in mind that the ticket is non-refundable and valid for the day it is issued.
If you want to compare the official price with skip-the-line options before you decide, I’d start with this page on how to compare Vatican tickets and then move to the topic hub for tickets. For the Sistine Chapel and the main galleries, see my notes on Vatican City Rome tickets.
Last, check prices and opening days on the official pages before you pay, because both change. The figures here are the latest published as of November 2026.
Top-rated Vatican tickets and tours
Vatican: Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Ticket
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-the-Line Ticket
Powered by GetYourGuide · affiliate link
Frequently asked questions
Où puis-je trouver des billets pour le Vatican?
The only official place to buy Vatican Museums tickets online is the Museums' own portal, tickets.museivaticani.va. If the slot you want is gone, authorized resellers such as the GetYourGuide listings on this page sell timed skip-the-line entry.
Quel est le site officiel du Vatican pour les billets?
The Vatican Museums say their only official site for online tickets is tickets.museivaticani.va. They warn that look-alike domains may charge much higher prices, so check the address before you pay.
Est-il possible d'aller au Vatican sans réserver?
Yes, you can buy a full-price ticket at the door for EUR 20, about $22 at the ECB rate of 6 November 2026. You then take your chances with the queue, which one traveler on a skip-the-line tour put at 2 to 3 hours.
Quelle est la différence entre le Vatican et le musée du Vatican?
The Vatican is the city-state. The Vatican Museums are one of its attractions, and they include the Sistine Chapel. St. Peter's Basilica is a separate site with its own entrance.
Can I get a refund if my plans change?
The Vatican Museums state that their tickets cannot be refunded, and each ticket is valid only on the day it is issued. Check the cancellation terms of any reseller before you book.
Keep planning your visit
More Vatican Tickets guides
Online Vatican Tickets is an independent visitor guide. Prices and hours change: check the official Vatican Museums website before you go. Tour links are GetYourGuide affiliate links.