Tourists who have booked to visit Rome in the coming weeks will experience the city during a rare historical moment.
Following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, a series of religious rituals and procedures are being enacted that might impact travel plans.
The Argentinian-born pontiff died of a stroke, which triggered a coma and “irreversible” heart failure, the Vatican announced.
The Sistine Chapel is now closed to the public while it is used for voting on the new pope – a process that will see the famous room closed for well over a week.
Crowds and queues around the Vatican are expected to be particularly heavy, especially given the celebrations for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year are already drawing an increased number of visitors.
Here’s what to know about expected travel disruptions in Rome, or, if you’re planning a trip to witness some of the religious traditions, where you can participate in them.
When will the Sistine Chapel be closed?
Travellers to Rome in the next few weeks have been warned to expect closures, visitor restrictions and crowds at some of the city’s main attractions.
Rome’s key tourist sites within the Vatican – the heart of the Catholic Church – are now absorbed by mourning and reelection procedures.
Around 15-20 days after the pontiff’s death, the conclave will begin, a storied process to determine the next pope.
This strictly confidential gathering sees Roman Catholic cardinals locked inside the Sistine Chapel until a decision is made.
As such, the room adorned by Michelangelo’s frescoed tour de force has now closed and will remain so for the entire duration of the process.
It will likely open again a couple of days after the conclave ends, as it has done after the death of previous Popes.
The conclave is expected to start between 5 and 10 May. As it can go on for days, it is possible the Sistine Chapel will not reopen before mid-May.
Those visitors who managed to enter on Sunday considered themselves fortunate.
“I think we felt very lucky to be able to be the last group of visitors to come in today,” said Sumon Khan, a tourist from the United States. “You know, our trip would not have been complete without seeing this beautiful place.”
The chapel is accessed through the Vatican Museums. These will remain open to visitors with all other parts accessible, including the Raphael Rooms, according to tour operator Through Eternity Tours.
Tours of the Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis and the Vatican Gardens are suspended for security reasons, however, as the cardinals are bused back and forth from the chapel to their accommodation through the grounds.
The Vatican Museums states that all tickets, including for the Sistine Chapel, are non-refundable and dates, times or names cannot be modified.
If you have purchased tickets through a third-party operator, you should check their website or contact them about refunds or date changes.
Long queues and dress codes for St Peter’s Basilica
Around 250,000 people queued up at St Peter’s Basilica to see Pope Francis’ body lying in state.
Some visitors who were already in the city say they extended or changed travel plans in order to say their goodbyes to the pontiff.
The pontiff has now been buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, but those wanting to visit the church should still expect long wait times and heightened security.
The dress code for visiting the sacred site is being strictly enforced. This includes having shoulders and knees covered and avoiding wearing short skirts, shorts, flip-flops and sleeveless tops.
Tourists should also expect crowds at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a majestic UNESCO-designated sanctuary containing a piece of the Holy Crib and a venerated icon of the Virgin Mary as the protector of the Roman people.
Tens of thousands of visitors in Rome for Pope’s funeral and conclave
While it may be disappointing to forgo seeing the Sistine Chapel or St Peter’s Basilica, a visit in this period can also be a once-in-a-lifetime experience (the Italian expression for ‘once in a blue moon’ is ‘every time a pope dies’).
Visitors from around the world have descended on Rome for a chance to witness the funeral and the reelection announcement.
“Historically, during the passing of a pope – as we experienced firsthand in April 2005 during the death of Pope John Paul II – travellers witnessed a profound moment of history,” James Ridgway, CEO of Christian travel specialist ETS, told Travel Weekly.
“While some sites around St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City experienced closures or restricted access, many travellers were able to participate in public gatherings, memorials and prayer services, creating a deeply meaningful experience.”
If you are planning a short-notice trip to participate in some of the events, you should expect higher flight prices.
“We’ll definitely see an increase in flight prices to Rome and to Italy over the next few weeks, as the faithful flock to pay their respects and potentially to see the announcement of the new Pope,” Angus Kidman, travel expert at Finder, told Australian site news.com.au.
Hotel prices in Rome are also likely to rise as demand increases, says Tim Hentschel, the co-founder and CEO of travel company HotelPlanner, while some shops and restaurants may be closed as a sign of respect.
Where to witness the announcement of the new pope
When the conclave begins, St. Peter’s Square will remain open, but it will be packed with visitors and media.
The outcome of voting rounds is indicated via smoke released from the chapel chimney – black for inconclusive, white for the successful election of a new pope.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, you can see the smoke from the chapel twice daily – around noon after the first two ballots and again at 7 pm after the last round of voting.
White smoke might appear earlier, at around 10.30 am or 5.30 pm.
