The Vatican Museums are free on Sunday 25 October 2026: it is the last Sunday of the month, and the Museums — Sistine Chapel included — open free of charge from 9:00am to 2:00pm, with last entry at 12:30pm. There is no booking: you enter in order of arrival at the Viale Vaticano entrance.
Rules, exclusions and the full calendar are in our guide Vatican Museums Free on the Last Sunday of the Month. What to see and how to get there: the EstateRomana page on the Vatican Museums (in Italian).
Hours and rules
- Open 9:00am to 2:00pm, last entry at 12:30pm.
- Free entry, no booking.
- The Sistine Chapel is part of the route.
- Only the official guided visit can be booked: the only official ticket site is tickets.museivaticani.va.
What is different this Sunday
On the night between Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October Italy goes back to standard time: clocks go back one hour. Opening stays at 9:00am on the new time. Sunday 25 is also the last day of the Rome Film Fest: the city is full, and so is the line on Viale Vaticano.
What time to arrive
The line starts forming well before 9:00am and wraps around the walls. With last entry at 12:30pm, anyone arriving mid-morning risks being turned away after two hours in line. Inside, the rooms and the Sistine Chapel are at their most crowded.
For those leading groups and guests
- With a group, the free Sunday is not recommended: keeping ten people together in the line and in the rooms is a job in itself.
- For a discerning guest, choose a weekday with a ticket booked for the first morning slot.
- St Peter’s Basilica has separate access and security: do not put both lines in the same morning.
The next free Sunday
After this one, the Vatican Museums are free again on Sunday 29 November 2026. For Rome’s state and civic museums the free day is the first Sunday of the month: see how Domenica al Museo works.
Source consulted on 2 October 2026: Vatican Museums – opening days and hours. Hours and closures can change: always check the official site before your visit.
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