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 VaticanThese 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
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:
Factors | Morning Tour | Night Tour |
Timings | Starts at 8 am | Starts at 5.30 pm-8 pm |
Access | Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel | Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel |
Atmosphere | Usually crowded and noisy | Private groups, lesser crowds |
Lighting | Natural daylight | Artificial lighting creates a unique ambiance |
Temperature | High day-time temperatures | Low temperatures make it pleasant experience |
Duration | Lasts for 2-3 hours | Lasts for 2 hours |
Availability | Regular museum hours | Special evening access |
Language | Available in multiple languages | Available in multiple languages |
Photography | Natural light enhances photos | Illumination creates unique photo opportunities |
Ambiance | Fresh and vibrant | Serene and mystical |
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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

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
Buy This TicketTicket 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

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.
Buy This TicketGuided 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