{"id":24694,"date":"2026-01-23T12:12:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T12:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/?p=24694"},"modified":"2026-02-03T18:34:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T18:34:39","slug":"tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel","title":{"rendered":"Top 4 Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel the Right Way"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we get into the tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel, let\u00b4s start with a couple of facts about the Sistine Chapel that you may not already know:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Did you know&#8230;?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first, <strong>Michelangelo was hesitant to accept this enormous assignment<\/strong> and was paranoid that it was actually an elaborate trip set up by his artistic rivals. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The now-iconic image of the grey-haired and grey-bearded God on the 12,000-square-foot ceiling was<\/strong> <strong>the first of its kind.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previously, artists avoided creating an image of God in human form, and thus created a human\/divine archetype that still persists to this day.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps now you\u2019ll look at the world\u2019s most famous chapel a bit differently when you go there. In the meantime, here are some tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel that will maximize your experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12254\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12254\" class=\"wp-image-12254 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0013.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0013.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0013-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0013-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12254\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">See the Sistine Chapel without the crowds on an early-entry visit to the Vatican<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to brighten your visit to the Sistine Chapel with more fun facts, you can take a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">small-group guided tour, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour\/\">the Pristine Sistine Chapel Tour<\/a>. <\/strong>Led by a local expert, they\u00a0 will regale you with colorful historical anecdotes and give you a real insider\u2019s view of the world\u2019s most famous chapel. And, big bonus: <strong>you get early-access when you\u2019re on this small-group tour.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#Note_on_restorations\" >Note on restorations\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#Tips_for_Visiting_the_Sistine_Chapel\" >Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#Strategize_the_right_day_to_visit_the_Sistine_Chapel\" >Strategize the right day to visit the Sistine Chapel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#Visit_in_the_afternoon\" >Visit in the afternoon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#If_not_Michelangelo_then_Raphael\" >If not Michelangelo, then Raphael<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#The_%E2%80%9Csecret%E2%80%9D_shortcut_from_the_Sistine_Chapel_to_St_Peters\" >The \u201csecret\u201d shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter\u2019s<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#FAQs_%E2%80%93_Tips_for_Visiting_the_Sistine_Chapel\" >FAQs &#8211; Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel\u00a0<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#What_are_the_opening_hours_of_the_Vatican_Museums_and_Sistine_Chapel\" >What are the opening hours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#How_do_you_book_tickets_or_a_guided_tour\" >How do you book tickets or a guided tour?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#Are_there_any_rules_and_regulations_for_visiting_the_Sistine_Chapel\" >Are there any rules and regulations for visiting the Sistine Chapel?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/tips-for-visiting-the-sistine-chapel\/#When_is_the_best_time_to_visit_Rome_and_Vatican_City\" >When is the best time to visit Rome and Vatican City?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Note_on_restorations\"><\/span><b>Note on restorations\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may have heard the news out of Vatican City: Michelangelo\u2019s masterpiece, \u201cThe Last Judgement,\u201d taking up the entire back wall of the Sistine Chapel, is currently going through a restoration that began in January 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But have no fear. The renovation culminates in March, just in time for Holy Week (hopefully), and shouldn\u2019t put a damper on your visit to the Vatican Museums.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12251\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12251\" class=\"wp-image-12251 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0001.jpg\" alt=\"People entering the main entrance to the Vatican Musuems, Musei Vaticani. One of the Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel is to book in advance, or join a small tour to avoid the line \" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0001.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Walks-20181108-Rome-Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0001-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12251\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Remember to book entrance tickets in advance, or better still, join a guided tour to avoid the line and enjoy exclusive access<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_Visiting_the_Sistine_Chapel\"><\/span><b>Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strategize_the_right_day_to_visit_the_Sistine_Chapel\"><\/span><b>Strategize the right day to visit the Sistine Chapel<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike booking a flight or going to Disneyworld, there is no ideal day of the week to go to the Sistine Chapel within the Vatican Museums. That said, weekends see a swell of visitors, and Wednesday is the day the pope gives his audience, which also means larger crowds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the pope does a papal audience in St. Peter\u2019s Square, for example, as many as 80,000 people turn up. When he does an audience in the Pope Paul VI Audience Room, there is usually an attendance of 6,000 people. Either way, Vatican City and its attractions swell on audience days. So, if your schedule allows, try to plan for Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday for fewer crowds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last Sunday of every month is free admission to the museum. It may sound alluring, but it\u2019s also the most crowded day of the month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_21307\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21307\" class=\"wp-image-21307 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Walks_Vatican_St-Peters-Top-to-Bottom-0090.jpg\" alt=\"The view from St. Peters Basilica showing its large round plaza filled with people.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Walks_Vatican_St-Peters-Top-to-Bottom-0090.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Walks_Vatican_St-Peters-Top-to-Bottom-0090-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21307\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View of The Vatican City from St. Peters Basilica<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Visit_in_the_afternoon\"><\/span><b>Visit in the afternoon<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The logical way of thinking about visiting a popular attraction is to get in line as early as possible to beat the line. Right? Not necessarily in this case. The fact is, a majority of Vatican Museum visitors think this way. Morning between 9 am and noon is also the time when most tour groups go to the museum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But \u2026 if you go in the afternoon, about two hours before the last entry is allowed, the crowds will have thinned out a bit. That said, if you opt to take a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">small-group guided tour<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you get skip-the-line access in the morning anyway. So, if you want to go in the morning, this is the way to do it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7442\" style=\"width: 1189px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7442\" class=\"wp-image-7442 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_8276_small.jpg\" alt=\"Nero's Bath, The Vatican Museums\" width=\"1179\" height=\"786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_8276_small.jpg 1179w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_8276_small-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1179px) 100vw, 1179px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7442\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Vatican Museums get incredibly busy, so book for the afternoon, or opt for a tour group with exclusive access &#8211; and see Nero\u00b4s Bath without the crowds!<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_not_Michelangelo_then_Raphael\"><\/span><b>If not Michelangelo, then Raphael<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not satisfied seeing Michelangelo\u2019s \u201cThe Last Judgement\u201d behind scaffolding,\u00a0 there\u2019s another reason for you to get excited about: the famed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/raphaels-rooms-in-the-vatican-museums\">Raphael Rooms<\/a>, painted by the eponymous painter during the same time Michelangelo was working in the Sistine Chapel. Raphael\u2019s iconic creations were just restored in 2025, so you\u2019ll be able to see the iconic \u201cSchool of Athens\u201d and other murals the way they were meant to be seen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, if you do come while \u201cThe Last Judgement\u201d is behind scaffolding, one of the tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel is to make sure you spend time exploring the very freshly restored Raphael rooms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_16784\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16784\" class=\"wp-image-16784 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/7-Rome_Pristine-Sistine-2x3-0006.jpg\" alt=\"Visiting the Vatican Museums with kids\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16784\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sometimes, all we need is a bit of context to understand the art around us.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_%E2%80%9Csecret%E2%80%9D_shortcut_from_the_Sistine_Chapel_to_St_Peters\"><\/span><b>The \u201csecret\u201d shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter\u2019s<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the best insider tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel is actually a tip for how to take a shortcut from the Chapel to St. Peter\u00b4s Basilica. This is because the Sistine Chapel is the last room in the Vatican Museums before having to exit. The main exit takes you out onto the street. However, if you take the exit to the far right, there\u2019s a shortcut that leads right to St. Peter\u2019s Basilica. No walking back to St. Peter\u2019s Square. No waiting in the long security line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rub, though, is that while this passageway used to be a common way to travel between the two sites, these days it can depend on your luck as there is sometimes a security guard at the door prohibiting access. That is, unless you\u2019re on a small-group guided tour. Our <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pristine Sistine<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tour of the Vatican Museums takes you through this &#8220;secret&#8221; shortcut passageway, which passes a staircase designed by Bernini, and deposits you right into St. Peter\u2019s Basilica.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17237\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17237\" class=\"wp-image-17237 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7-Rome_Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0024-1.jpg\" alt=\"Inside St. Peter's Basilica\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17237\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sheer size and scale of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica is awe-inspiring<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs_%E2%80%93_Tips_for_Visiting_the_Sistine_Chapel\"><\/span><b>FAQs &#8211; Tips for Visiting the Sistine Chapel\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_opening_hours_of_the_Vatican_Museums_and_Sistine_Chapel\"><\/span><b>What are the opening hours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Vatican Museums are open from Monday to Saturday, 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, with final entry at 6.00pm. The Museums are closed on Sundays, but the last Sunday of the month, they are open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm for free, as long as the Sunday does not fall on Easter Sunday, 29* June, Christmas Day , 26 December\u00a0 or New Year\u2019s Eve. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you go, be sure to check the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vatican Museums website<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_book_tickets_or_a_guided_tour\"><\/span><b>How do you book tickets or a guided tour?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expect a line. A very long line. The one thing you can do to prevent this is to book your tickets online in advance. That way, you\u2019ll at least be able to skip the ticket line. The other way is to book a guided tour where you\u2019ll get skip-the-line access and have a guide who will provide you with a wealth of insider information.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For tickets, see the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.museivaticani.va\/content\/museivaticani\/en\/info\/orari-musei-vaticani.html#lnav_shop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">official Vatican Tickets site<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. For a guided tour, see <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skip the Line Vatican Tours<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for fast-track entry.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_there_any_rules_and_regulations_for_visiting_the_Sistine_Chapel\"><\/span><b>Are there any rules and regulations for visiting the Sistine Chapel?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are. Before entering, hats must be removed. Bare shoulders should be covered up. Short skirts and short-shorts are forbidden. Once inside, silence is encouraged and photography\u2014flash or not\u2014is strictly forbidden. Also, leave your selfie stick at home that day; they\u2019re also not allowed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_is_the_best_time_to_visit_Rome_and_Vatican_City\"><\/span><b>When is the best time to visit Rome and Vatican City?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like a lot of cities and regions in Europe, June through August are often the most crowded months. It doesn\u2019t help that a lot of Europeans take their vacations in August, which means the workforce in restaurants, cafes, and hotels slows down as the tourists increase. Winter months can be chilly and grey but have many fewer tourists. The optimum time to go would be April and May or September and October.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16720 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/7-Rome_Pristine-Sistine-16x9-0002.jpg\" alt=\"The Vatican Museums: Attraction in Rome\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever time of year you end up in Rome, <strong>the best way to get the most out of your visit to Vatican City is to take a small-group guided tour<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The superlative options include the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pristine Sistine tour<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/key-masters-tour-sistine-chapel-vatican-museums\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VIP Key Master\u2019s Tour: Open the Sistine Chapel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. On both tours you\u2019ll be walking shoulder-to-shoulder with an expert Roman guide who will offer valuable insights. <strong>Plus, skip-the-line access!<\/strong> The guide will also offer plenty more tricks and tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel, and other famous sites while you\u2019re there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before we get into the tips for visiting the Sistine Chapel, let\u00b4s start with a couple of facts about the Sistine Chapel that you may not already know: Did you know&#8230;? At first, Michelangelo was hesitant to accept this enormous assignment and was paranoid that it was actually an elaborate trip set up by his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":17318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[231,284,310],"ppma_author":[181],"class_list":["post-24694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-sistine-chapel","tag-vatican-museums","tag-visitor-tips"],"authors":[{"term_id":181,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"david-farley","display_name":"David Farley","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Farley_AuthorPhoto.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Farley_AuthorPhoto.jpg"},"user_url":"","last_name":"Farley","first_name":"David","job_title":"","description":"David Farley is a West Village-based food and travel writer whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC, and Food &amp; Wine, among other publications. He\u2019s the author of three books, including \u201cAn Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church\u2019s Strangest Relic in Italy\u2019s Oddest Town,\u201d which was made into a documentary by the National Geographic Channel. You can find Farley\u2019s online homes at https:\/\/dfarley.com\/index.html and https:\/\/www.tripout.online\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24694"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24694"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24816,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24694\/revisions\/24816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24694"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=24694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}