Bramante Staircase (Scala del Bramante) Tours and Tickets

There’s no official ticket price for the Bramante Staircase (Scala del Bramante), which is not generally open to the public. However, select tour guides have the authorization to take visitors to the staircase in the Vatican Museums. Expect to pay a premium for these tours, which give you an insider look at some of the museums’ lesser-visited locations.

Architect Donato Bramante built the striking Bramante Staircase for Pope Julius II, who commissioned the project in the early 16th century so he could enter the papal apartments without stepping out of his horse-drawn carriage. The Renaissance staircase, which is really more of a ramp, is known for its unique double helix design allowing for two-way traffic.

You can only access the Bramante Staircase with a licensed tour guide. Not all Vatican Museums tours visit the staircase, so be sure to book an experience that explicitly lists the attraction on the itinerary. This will most likely be a small-group tour with access to other “hidden” parts of the museums, such as the private chapel of Pope Nicholas V.

Yes, both the original Bramante Staircase and a modern reinterpretation are located inside the Vatican Museums. The original 16th-century staircase designed by Donato Bramante is only accessible by private tour, while the 1930s version by Giuseppe Momo is a similar spiral staircase open to all visitors of the Pio Clementino Museum.

You’ll cover a lot of ground on a Vatican Museums tour that includes the Bramante Staircase. Expect to see the museums’ main rooms and galleries, including the Pinacoteca and Raphael Rooms, and the world-famous Sistine Chapel. Your tour guide might also have access to the private Niccoline Chapel from the 15th century.

Located inside the Vatican Museums, the Bramante Staircase follows the same opening hours as the museums: Monday through Saturday from 8am to 7pm. Keep in mind that the staircase is not open to the public, so you’ll only be able to visit on a specially scheduled private tour.