Can you take photos in the Sistine Chapel?
Updated October 28, 2026
Quick answer
No. In the Sistine Chapel, photos and video with any device, phones included, are banned, and silence is requested. In the rest of the Vatican Museums you can take photos for personal use, always without flash.
The rule is the Vatican Museums' own and applies to everyone, with an official ticket or on a tour. It is the only room on the route with a total ban, and the custodial staff can ask you to delete on the spot anything you have recorded. St. Peter's Basilica has its own rule: it asks visitors not to take photos, not even for personal use, so as not to disturb celebrations.
Sistine Chapel: not allowed
The Vatican Museums' visitor advice is clear: in the Sistine Chapel it is forbidden to take photos or record video with any kind of electronic device. That includes the ceiling, the Last Judgment and the side walls. The custodial staff are authorized to ask you to delete, in their presence, any photos or videos taken against the rule. Absolute silence is also requested, with phones switched off. If you want to arrive knowing what to look at, read the Sistine Chapel guide first.
Why you cannot take photos
The Museums set the photo ban alongside another rule: in the Sistine Chapel absolute silence is requested out of respect and consideration for the sacredness of the place. The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in use, the place where the conclave that elects the Pope is held. That is why guided groups get the full explanation before going in, and the Museums have touch screens for it; the night tour we sell says so in its listing. To take in the ceiling calmly, prepare with the guides to the Creation of Adam and Michelangelo's Last Judgment.
Rest of the Museums: no flash
In the rest of the Vatican Museums you may photograph the works and rooms for strictly personal and private purposes. Flash is always forbidden. You can photograph the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, the Laocoön or the Bramante Staircase. Tripods, drones, professional equipment without authorization from the Museums' Directorate and selfie sticks are forbidden. Tripods and video cameras are left at the cloakroom, which is free.
St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica has its own rules. It asks visitors not to take photographs, not even for personal use, so as not to disturb celebrations or other visitors. It forbids using the basilica as a film set and does not allow bulky equipment, professional or otherwise, without authorization. It also asks you to speak quietly and keep your phone on silent. The square, on the other hand, is open-air, and it is where most photos of the facade and the colonnade are taken.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I take photos in the Sistine Chapel?
You break an explicit ban of the Vatican Museums, and the custodial staff are authorized to ask you to delete the photos or videos on the spot. Put your phone away before going in: silence is also requested in the room.
Can you record video in the Sistine Chapel?
No. The ban covers photos and video with any device.
Can you take photos in the Vatican Museums?
Yes, for personal and private use and without flash, in every room except the Sistine Chapel. Tripods, drones and selfie sticks are not allowed.
Can you take photos inside St. Peter's Basilica?
The basilica asks visitors not to, not even for personal use, so as not to disturb celebrations or other visitors.
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