Vatican Museums: What You Shouldn't Miss

Pio-Clementino Museum

Classical sculpture, including the Laocoön (the find that started the whole collection), the Apollo Belvedere and the Belvedere Torso, which is said to have influenced Michelangelo's own figures.

Gallery of Maps

A 120-metre corridor lined with 40 topographical maps of Italy's regions, painted in the 1580s — one of the most photographed stretches of the whole complex.

Raphael Rooms

Four rooms frescoed by Raphael and his workshop for Pope Julius II, including the School of Athens, widely considered one of the defining works of the High Renaissance.

Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery)

Easy to skip if you're short on time, but home to major paintings including Caravaggio's Deposition and Raphael's last work, the Transfiguration.

Sistine Chapel

The final stop of the standard route — see our complete Sistine Chapel guide.

If you're short on time

Prioritise the Pio-Clementino Museum, the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel in that order — the Egyptian Museum and Pinacoteca are the easiest to trim from a rushed visit.