Vatican FAQ: Dress Code, Photos, Free Days and the Pope
The questions that come up most before visiting the Vatican, each with the short answer first and the detail after. The facts come from the official websites of the Vatican Museums, St Peter's Basilica and the Holy See, and from the listings of the tickets we sell. If you're looking for prices or hours, start with the Vatican Museums ticket prices and the Vatican Museums hours.
Before you go: clothes, time and photos
Three rules and one calculation decide whether the visit goes well. The dress code asks for shoulders and knees covered in the Museums, the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica, and the official ticket is not refunded if you're turned away. For the Museums and the Sistine Chapel, allow 2 to 3 hours, and more if you add the basilica and the dome. And in the Sistine Chapel you cannot take photos or videos with any device, while in the rest of the Museums you can, without flash.
Vatican Dress Code: What to Wear to the Vatican
Covered shoulders and knees, no caps or miniskirts: the Vatican dress code for the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica, and what to leave at the hotel.
Best Time to Visit the Vatican Museums and How Long You Need
The best time to visit the Vatican Museums, and how long it takes: 2 to 3 hours for the Museums and Sistine Chapel, about 3 to 4 with St. Peter's Basilica.
Can You Take Photos in the Sistine Chapel?
No: you cannot take photos or video in the Sistine Chapel with any device. Where you can take photos in the Vatican Museums, and what St. Peter's asks.
Free entry, with kids or in a wheelchair
The Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of each month, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, and on any day for children under 7 and people with a certified disability of 67% or more. Families can bring strollers and have changing tables and a nursing room. Wheelchair users get free wheelchair loans, accessible restrooms and a barrier-free route with help from staff. Watch out with some tours: several do not allow strollers or wheelchairs, so read the listing before booking. The pages on kids and on accessibility are in Spanish.
St. Peter's Basilica Is Free; Vatican Museums Free Sunday
St. Peter's Basilica is free every day, and the Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Who else always gets in free.
Museos Vaticanos con niños: entrada, carritos y ruta (Spanish)
Museos Vaticanos en silla de ruedas: accesibilidad (Spanish)
Mass and the Pope
St Peter's Basilica has Mass every day, from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, and those going to pray have their own entrance. There are two regular occasions to see the Pope: the Sunday Angelus at noon, from the window of the Apostolic Palace over St Peter's Square, and the Wednesday general audience. Tickets for the audiences and the celebrations the Pope presides over are always free and are requested from the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
Mass at the Vatican: St. Peter's Mass Times and Papal Masses
Mass at the Vatican: Mass times at St. Peter's Basilica, how to request a free ticket for a Mass with the Pope, and which rules to follow when you go in.
How to See the Pope: Sunday Angelus and General Audience
How to see the Pope: the Angelus at noon on Sundays, the Wednesday general audience and papal Masses, and how to request a free ticket.
Frequently asked questions
What should you wear to the Vatican?
Shoulders and knees covered. Sleeveless or low-cut tops, shorts above the knee, miniskirts and caps are not allowed.
When is the Vatican free?
St Peter's Basilica never charges entry. The Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of each month, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, with last entry at 12:30 pm.
Can you take photos in the Sistine Chapel?
No, not with any device. In the rest of the Vatican Museums you can, for personal use and without flash.
Do you have to pay to see the Pope?
No. Tickets for the general audiences and the Pope's celebrations are always free and are requested from the Prefecture of the Papal Household.