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Castles & palaces

Apostolic Palace

Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Papal Palace, the Palace of the Vatican and the Vatican Palace. The Vatican itself refers to the building as the Palace of Sixtus V, in honor of Pope Sixtus V, who built most of the present form of the palace.

Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope and the seat of the Holy See's administration inside Vatican City. Visitors don't tour it as a standalone sight in the way they would a museum; its main draw is the Sistine Chapel, which is part of the palace complex and reached through the Vatican Museums route. The building is also known as the Papal Palace or the Palace of Sixtus V, after the pope who gave it much of its current form.

Getting there

From central Rome, the Vatican area is generally reached by metro (Ottaviano-San Pietro or Cipro stations on Line A) followed by a 10-15 minute walk, or by bus. Depending on where in the centre you start, allow roughly 20-40 minutes door to door.

How much time to allow

Since the palace itself isn't independently open for general visits, plan your time around the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel visit, which typically takes a few hours if you go through the main galleries.

When to go

The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are among the most crowded sights in Rome, especially late morning through early afternoon and during peak tourist season. Arriving early in the day tends to mean thinner crowds.

Combine with

  • Sistine Chapel (0.2km) - part of the same visit, as it sits within the palace complex.
  • Saint Peter's Square (0.2km) - the open square in front of St. Peter's Basilica.
  • St. Peter's Basilica (0.3km) - within easy walking distance.
  • Vatican Museums (0.3km) - the entry point for seeing the Sistine Chapel.

These four sights cluster tightly together, so they're easily combined into a single half-day or full-day visit to the Vatican area.

Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors

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Tickets & tours

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Stays near Apostolic Palace

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Apostolic Palace Nearby stays

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Itineraries including this place

2 nights, 3 days

Rome 3-Day Itinerary (2 Nights)

A 3-day route through Rome covering St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Roman Forum and other highlights, grouped so each day stays within a short travel distance.

3 nights, 4 days

Rome 4-Day Itinerary (3 Nights)

A 4-day route through Rome covering St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Roman Forum and other highlights, grouped so each day stays within a short travel distance.

Good to visit alongside

Saint Peter's Square

Parks & gardens

Saint Peter's Square

St. Peter's Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave in Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus whom Catholics consider the first Pope.

0.2 km away
Sistine Chapel

Temples & religious sites

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the Cappella Magna, it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and 1481. Since that time, it has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The chapel's fame lies mainly in the frescoes that decorate its interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment, both by Michelangelo.

0.2 km away
St. Peter's Basilica

Temples & religious sites

St. Peter's Basilica

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, or simply St. Peter's Basilica, is a church of the Italian Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initially planned in the 15th century by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the ageing Old St. Peter's Basilica, which was built in the fourth century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.

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Vatican Museums

Museums & galleries

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the best-known Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display, and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments.

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Vatican Apostolic Archives

Temples & religious sites

Vatican Apostolic Archives

The Vatican Apostolic Archive, formerly known as the Vatican Secret Archive, is the central repository in the Vatican City of all acts promulgated by the Holy See.

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Castel Sant'Angelo

Museums & galleries

Castel Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo, also known as Mausoleum of Hadrian, is a towering rotunda in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The popes later used the building as a fortress and castle dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, and it is now a museum. The structure was once the tallest building in Rome.

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