Been to Vatican?

The door at the back right of the Sistine Chapel is "technically" for groups only... but many people head out this way. If you do, you will have to go down long flights of stairs and then you will exit the Museum behind the security lines and near the "lines" and entry points for the cupola and crypts. Some groups tour the Museum first, then the Basilica for this reason.

If you go out the "left door." as individuals are supposed to, you will walk back through the museum (a long walk) and come out adjacent to your Museum entry point on Via Vaticano - right where you started!

Ciao,
Ron

When there last summer, I was surprised how long it is. I just tried to estimate using Gmaps pedometer, and came up with 0.42 miles. And when we were there in July, pretty much that whole distance was a line covering the sidewalk, so we had to walk in the street. That could complicate getting the wheelchair back. Have you talked to the Vatican Museum people about other options for leaving the wheelchair? This method seems difficult.

Thank you for the response Kathy. I need to figure out what to do since we are on a time restraint. I haven't talked with them, but I do know I have to leave our passport with them so I don't see anyway we could drop it off at a different location.

My daughter can walk, just can't stand for long periods, so I thought one of us could stay with her at the Basilica site and run the wheelchair back without her in it.

Do you think it would be a 15 min walk each direction? I was thinking we would walk back through the museum, is that possible or not a good idea?

I can't remember when you are going; my only experience is in the summer crowds. Walking outside you can do it in 15 minutes each way, but probably not much less than that. The museum was extremely crowded inside, and on our route my impression was that traffic was pretty much one way from the entrance towards the Sistine Chapel, so that pushing a wheelchair back against traffic would be difficult. I guess that's why I recommend asking the museum (and/or tour company) directly. I'm sure there are less traveled parts of the museum that might be available to return the wheelchair much quicker, but I don't know about them. If you look at a museum map, you can see that there are two parallel long sections, and I think the crowds are only in one of those long sections.

Thanks for the help! I really hadn't thought about it being kind of "one way", but that does make sense.

We will be there on a Sat. (which I know is bad for crowds), the first week of Oct.

Hi there, I just returned from Rome and visited both the Vatican Museum and the Basilica. I agree that it was about a 15 min. walk between the two. I also feel like I should tell you not to underestimate the Vactican Museum itself. It is massive and I was tired out myself by the end of it. We did a quick trip through and it took us two hours...more if you get stuck in a long line to get in. We went on a Mon. around 2 p.m. and walked right in, so we were lucky. Wishing you and your family the best!

Just got back from Italy this morning. You can actually acess the Basilica from inside the museum. There's a door at the back of the S. Chapel.

Thanks so much!