How to get to the Vatican Museums?

The Vatican Museum is located in the Vatican City, which is situated on the North side of the Tiber river adjacent to the city area named Prati. It’s central location makes it easy to reach by public transport, by taxi or by foot.

By Metro - take Line A and get off at the Ottaviano-S. Pietro station, from here it’s only a 5 minute walk to the entrance of the Vatican Museums. You can also get off at the Cipro metro station, which is also on Line A, but from here it will take you 10-minutes to walk.

By Bus - there are a few buses that take you to the Vatican City:

• Bus 49 - stops in the square in front of the Vatican Museums entrance.
• Bus 64 - stops at Via di Porta Cavalleggeri and lies to the right side of St. Peter's Basilica. Bus 64 connects Termini station with the Vatican City.
• Bus 32, 81 and 982 - these buses stop at Piazza del Risorgimento, which is a 5 minute walk to the Vatican Museums entrance.
• Bus 492 and 990 - stop in Via Leone IV / Via degli Scipioni, which is also only a 5 minute walk from the Vatican Museums.

By Tram - you can take tram 19 and get off at Piazza del Risorgimento. From there it’s a 5 minute walk to the Vatican Museums.

By Hop-on Hop-off Bus - the HoHo bus stops at Lungotevere Tor di Nona close to the Sant'Angelo Bridge.

By Train - the Vatican City has its own train station, the St Pietro train station. The train station is located about 10 minutes walk from the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. Getting to the Vatican Museums by train is the perfect option for visitors coming from Civitavecchia or from Roma Termini train station.

Note:

• The Omnia Pass includes free use of public transportation as well as free use of the HoHo bus.
• Keep your belongings close. Pickpockets are frequent on Rome’s public transport

Of course, getting to the Vatican Museums by public transport is not the only way to get to the Vatican Museums. You can also take a taxi or drive. Finding parking in Rome is never easy, but you can try the large parking lot in Piazza Cavour, on the “lungo tevere” (remember to pay the meter) or, if you are lucky, you may be able to find a parking spot on Viale Vaticano.

Naturally, you can also walk to the Vatican. As the Vatican City is located right in the heart of Rome it’s an easy walk from the city center. Walking through the old town is always beautiful. Another nice walk is walking along the Tiber River.

Vatican Museums Opening Hours

• The Vatican Museums are open Monday to Saturday from 8:30am to 6:30pm. With the last entry at 4:30pm
• The Vatican Museums are closed every Sunday as well as on the 11 and 29 June, 14 and 15 August, and 8, 25 and 26 December.
• High Season: April to September
• Low Season: October to March - excluding the two weeks of Christmas Holiday