Booked to visit Rome? What to expect after the death of Pope Francis

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 will be enacted that might impact travel plans.

The Argentinian-born pontiff died on Monday of a stroke, which triggered a coma and “irreversible” heart failure, the Vatican announced.

Crowds and queues 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.

Rome travel warning: Attractions closed and long queues

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 – will now be absorbed by mourning and reelection procedures.

Tourists should expect limited access to St Peter’s Basilica, where Pope Francis’ body will lie in state from tomorrow, 23 April.

As mourners flock to pay their respects, tourists wanting to visit the church should expect lengthy queues and heightened security.

Some areas of the basilica may not be accessible, including the dome. Guided tours to the basilica are suspended as access is via the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Francis requested to be buried in 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.

Access to the church is likely to be restricted due to funeral preparations and the burial.

When will the Sistine Chapel be closed?

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 will be closed for about a week before the conclave begins and will remain closed 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 exact dates for the closure have not yet been announced.

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 Vatican Gardens will be suspended for security reasons, however, as the cardinals are bused back and forth from the chapel to their accommodation through the grounds.

Millions expected in Rome for Pope’s funeral

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 are expected to descend on Rome in the coming weeks for a chance to witness this monumental event for the Catholic Church.

“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 funeral and reelection 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.

The Pope’s body will be lying in state for public viewing in St Peter’s from tomorrow until Saturday, 26 April, when the funeral will take place in St Peter’s Square.

The funeral is expected to draw huge crowds, possibly larger than that of Pope John Paul II in 2005, which was attended by approximately four million people.

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.