How to Visit Rome's Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is renowned for its sacred beauty and timeless images. But there are some important factors to keep in mind when planning your visit, including the fact that the Chapel is at the end of a series of Vatican Museums that you must first go through in order to reach the Chapel. Follow the suggestions below to make your visit to the Sistine Chapel a heavenly experience.
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Instructions
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Check the website for the Vatican Museums (see link below) for current Chapel hours, prices and special closures. Operating hours do vary, so it's important that you make sure that the Chapel will be open when you plan to go.
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Plan to get there well before the Chapel is scheduled to close. They stop admitting people long before the actual closing time (in order to make sure everyone gets through in time), and sometimes there are unexpected delays that you must take into account as well.
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Set aside no less than an hour and a half to see the Chapel. Since it is at the end of the museums, actually getting to the Chapel and then going back to the exit takes a long time. Plus, you must budget time for viewing the Chapel.
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Budget for your trip to the Sistine Chapel when planning your daily expenses. Entrance on the last Sunday of each month is free, but you can count on spending a decent amount of money on any other day.
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Wear proper attire for your visit: shorts, mini skirts and sleeveless shirts are not allowed. This is a very important point to keep in mind, as they will refuse entry to those not dressed properly.
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Visit the Chapel a few hours after it opens in order to avoid the throngs of people who arrive early. Many people have the same idea that they will arrive early to avoid the crowds, so that they end up being part of the crowds they were trying to avoid.
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Prepare to be uncomfortably crowded when you finally make it into the Chapel, no matter what time of day you go. There are hundreds of tourists visiting the Chapel and other Vatican Museums at any given time, so being shoved and prodded is all but unavoidable.
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Opt to take a guided tour when you arrive at the Vatican Museums if you want a more personal tour of the Chapel and other museums. Or you can also book an excursion to the Vatican through an independent tour group (this would need to be done a day or more in advance).
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Tips & Warnings
You cannot buy tickets in advance unless you're with a group, so plan on waiting in the ticket line when you arrive. And if you are planning a trip with a group, there are special instructions that you must follow to make your reservation (see link below).
Consider taking a small pair of binoculars with you to get a better look at all the intricacies of the Chapel walls and ceiling.
If you don't want to go on a guided tour, consider taking a book about the Sistine Chapel with you on your visit so that you can refer to it when viewing the Chapel walls.
Wear shoes you don't mind walking in for an extended period of time. A lot of walking will be involved in your trip to the Vatican, even if all you do is see the Sistine Chapel.
No smoking is allowed in the Vatican, so be prepared.
