See the Vatican Museums for free
The Vatican offers the possibility to enter the museums for free to everyone on every last Sunday of the month, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free ticket entitles you to the same access as a normal ticket. The rest of the month the cost is 16€ (plus € 4 if you book online to avoid the line).
Of course there will be a long line, forget to enter this museum for free without any effort, but in return you wil save money that you can invest for example in a ticket to see another museum in Rome, so why not visit, free of charge, one of the largest art collections in the world… it’s priceless!
The following are the free Sundays for visiting the Vatican Museums in 2016:
Domenica 31 gennaio 2016 Domenica 28 febbraio 2016 Domenica 24 aprile 2016 Domenica 29 maggio 2016 Domenica 26 giugno 2016 Domenica 31 luglio 2016 Domenica 28 agosto 2016 Domenica 25 settembre 2016 Domenica 30 ottobre 2016 Domenica 27 novembre 2016
Don't forget that the Vatican Museums have one of the largest collections of art in the world. It is not by chance they’re called the “Vatican museums” and not the Vatican museum. There are numerous museums and collections on exhibition in over 4,5 miles of rooms; it’s impossible to visit them all in a single day.
Here’s a list of suggestions of must sees on your first visit to the museums:
the Vatican Pinacoteca (Picture-Gallery): here you’ll find works of art by famous artists such as Giotto, Leonardo, Raffaello and Caravaggio;
the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, where you can admire the mystery of Egyptian art including its papyri, mummies and many other artifacts;
The gallery of maps: this incredible frescoed galley contains maps on both walls that show various parts of Italy of the 16th century.
Raffaello's rooms, probably second only to the Sistine Chapel, full of marvellous frescos of the artist;
The collection of Modern and Religious Art: where you can admire the works of de Chirico, Salvador Dali and Van Gogh;
and of course the Sistine Chapel.
A few suggestions if you want to organize your free visit to the Vatican museums properly.
Access is only permitted from 9:00 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. and exit is at 2:00 p.m., so keep an eye out on the time!
The free ticket cannot be booked in advance, so get yourself ready for some long lineup.
The admission ticket does not include an audio guide, which we recommend.
Inside the museum’s rooms it is forbidden to use cellphones, take pictures and shoot videos… and note the security guards are always present.
Keep an eye on the date! The Vatican Museums are not free if the last Sunday of the month coincides with these dates: January 1, February 6, March 11, April 19, May 5 and 6, June 1 and 29, August 15, December 8, 25 and 26
How to get there:
The Vatican Museums are located in the heart of the Prati district, just a few minutes walk from piazza Risorgimento.
You can easily get to the museums in just 7-10 minutes from the Ottaviano-Musei Vaticani stop or Cipro stop by taking Metro A.
Alternatively you can take Bus line 49, which drops you off right at the entrance of the Museums; lines 32, 81 and 982 will drop you off at Piazza del Risorgimento. Tram 19 too stops at Piazza del Risorgimento.
Recap: the entrance to the Vatican Museum is free the last sunday of each month under certain conditions.
