Attraction
Colosseum
The Flavian Amphitheatre, completed in AD 80 under Titus, is Rome's defining ancient monument and the centrepiece of the Parco archeologico del Colosseo.
Vatican Museums
Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century, the Vatican Museums hold the papal collections, the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
At a glance
- Type
- Art museum
- Area
- Vatican City, Rome, Italy
- Official site
- museivaticani.va
Good to know
- Sistine Chapel
- Raphael Rooms
- Online booking
- Free entry last Sunday of the month
Why we recommend it
The Vatican Museums trace their origins to 1506, when Pope Julius II put the newly discovered Laocoön on display. The collection has since grown into a vast sequence of galleries covering classical sculpture, Renaissance painting, maps, tapestries and modern religious art, ending in the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgement.
Give yourself at least three hours and do not try to see everything. Prioritise the Pio-Clementino sculpture courts, the Gallery of Maps and the Raphael Rooms, where The School of Athens hangs, before the Sistine Chapel at the end of the route. Book timed tickets only on the official site, as lookalike domains charge more. Entry is free on the last Sunday of the month, but expect long queues and shorter opening hours that day.
Vatican Museums FAQs
Where should I buy Vatican Museums tickets?
Only on the official site, tickets.museivaticani.va; the museums warn that lookalike sites charge higher prices.
Is there a free day?
Yes. Entry is free on the last Sunday of each month, from 9:00 to 14:00 with last entry at 12:30.