Vatican Museums Night Tours: Skip Crowds, Explore After Dark

Experience the Vatican Museums like never before with a night tour ticket! Skip the daytime crowds and explore the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, and more under enchanting evening lights.

In 2023, around 6.8 million tourists visited the Vatican Museums, making it one of the most visited attractions worldwide. 

Naturally, it’s always crowded, and tourists often pine for quiet and calm when walking through the Museums’ ancient corridors and admiring Renaissance-era masterpieces.

And that brings us to the Vatican Museums’ night tour tickets. 

With this ticket, you get special access to areas normally off-limits to the public, thus revealing hidden gems and untold stories of Pagan Rome and early Christendom.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Vatican Museums’ night tour tickets, what they entail, and how treasures come alive in the attraction’s evening illumination.

Top tickets

# Guided evening tour of Vatican
# Private guided tour of Vatican

These Vatican Museums’ night tour tickets sell out quickly, so securing your spot early ensures you don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience.

What’s ahead

Guided evening tour

Morning tour vs. night tour – what’s best for you

Understanding what each ticket offers could enhance your overall experience at the Museums. Here’s a table explaining the same:

      FactorsMorning Tour Night Tour 
TimingsStarts at 8 amStarts at 5.30 pm-8 pm
AccessVatican Museums, Sistine ChapelVatican Museums, Sistine Chapel
AtmosphereUsually crowded and noisyPrivate groups, lesser crowds
LightingNatural daylightArtificial lighting creates a unique ambiance
TemperatureHigh day-time temperaturesLow temperatures make it pleasant experience
DurationLasts for 2-3 hoursLasts for 2 hours
AvailabilityRegular museum hoursSpecial evening access
LanguageAvailable in multiple languagesAvailable in multiple languages
PhotographyNatural light enhances photosIllumination creates unique photo opportunities
AmbianceFresh and vibrantSerene and mystical

Insider Tips

There are certain do’s and don’ts that need to be followed irrespective of the time of your visit or the tour you book. For instance, avoid wearing sleeveless and low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, miniskirts, and hats. Big bags and suitcases aren’t allowed inside the attraction. Make sure you leave them at the lockers on-site.  Also, you aren’t allowed to click photos and record videos inside the Sistine Chapel. Knives, scissors, metal tools, and food and drinks aren’t permitted inside the Museums.

Guided Vatican Museums night tour

Guided Vatican Museum Night TourPin
Image: Cityexperiences.com

Meant for those who want a more personal and ethereal experience, the Vatican night tour ticket offers you access to areas generally off-limits to regular visitors.

The tour, which begins at 5.30 pm, includes an expert guide walking you through the Museums that look resplendent and magical at night.

Lest we forget, make sure you turn around and revel in the panoramic night-time view of St. Peter’s Dome and the Vatican before you enter the Museums. You’ll love it!

The highlight of this tour is the ‘me’ time you get to spend at the Sistine Chapel, which also doubles up as the Pope’s private chapel.

Apart from being the venue for the Conclave that selects the next Pope, the Chapel is famous for those Michelangelo-painted frescos covering 11,840 square feet of the Museums’ total area.

Other attractions you wouldn’t want to miss when on a night tour include Nero’s Bathtub, Raphael Rooms, Laocoön and His Sons, the Belvedere Torso, etc.

The night tour ticket is priced at €99 for adults aged 18 years and above. Youths between 5 and 17 years pay a discounted price of €69.45. 

Children aged 4 years and under can enter the attraction for free.

Please ensure you arrive at least 10 minutes early at the meeting point, Caffe Vaticano, located directly across the street from the Vatican Museum entrance. 

And if unforeseeable circumstances hold you up, you can get a full refund if you cancel your ticket up to 24 hours before your visit date.

Note: This tour is not suitable for tourists using wheelchairs and those with mobility impairments

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Ticket refunds
Most guided tours offer a full ticket refund if you cancel your ticket up to 24 hours before your visit date. Some tickets even allow you to reschedule your tickets to a date of your choice (please check the ticket page for more details).


Recommended


Vatican Museums private night tour

Inside Vatican MuseumPin

If you are looking for a more private experience with your family or a loved one, we suggest you book this ticket as it includes a skip-the-line admission and an expert guide.

The tour is limited to a maximum of seven members per group, and the ticket is priced at €550 for adults aged between 15 years and above. 

Children aged 14 years and below can enter for free.

The highlights of this tour include visits to the Museums’ Gallery of Maps and Raphael’s Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel minus the crowds!

The meeting point is in front of Caffè Vaticano, and your tour ends at the same spot. 

This guided tour is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese.

There are two-time slots for this ticket—5.30 pm and 8 pm; you’ll be provided with headsets if your group has more than 6 participants.

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Guided evening tour of the museums

Finding the above tickets priced beyond your reach? Want to gain a perspective as unique and intimate as a private night tour?

Well, there’s a Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel evening tour ticket that offers you an experience almost similar to the ones mentioned above, but at an earlier hour.

As we at TheBetterVacation often say, the second best time to visit an attraction would be post lunch and before the regular closing hours.

And that’s exactly what this tour does: It starts at 4.15 pm, is limited to 12 participants per group, has a duration of 2.5 hours, is available in English, and offers you skip-the-line access to all the museums within the attraction.

Moreover, the best thing about it being in the evening is that you can tour other attractions in Rome during the morning and then step into the Museums when they are less crowded.

The ticket for the evening tour is priced at €115 for adults aged 18 years and above. Children aged 6 to 17 years pay a discounted ticket price of €105. Infants aged 5 years and under can enter the attraction for free.

To begin your tour, meet your guide at the Gaudium Travel office

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Researched & written by
Mark thrives on the serenity of mountains, the comfort of coffee, and the depth of poetry. As a traveler with a strong passion for history, he delves deep into the cultures and cuisines of the places he visits, often making friends with local cats and dogs along the way. His extensive travels provide a rich foundation for his writing, filled with authenticity and insightful tips for everyone. Mark’s articles capture the unique spirit of each destination, serving as an invaluable guide for explorers. Favorite travel movie: Spotlight. Next destination: Italy

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