best way to see the Sistine Chapel

I assume when you say the Vatican City, you mean the Vatican Museums. The Vatican Necropolis tour will NOT allow you to get into the Vatican Museums. Follow Rick's advice.

I'm curious as well. If we book a reservation at say 3 pm for the Vatican tour without a guide, could we go through it and the sistine chapel in less than 2 hours? ie - can you move through at your own pace?

You can move through it at your own pace if you aren't in a big crowd/crush of people. The museum is huge and slightly confusing as well. If you plan to make a beeline for the Sistine Chapel and ignore most all of the other art treasures you can get through there in under 2 hours, but if you plan to look at a lot of things, it will take much longer.

Yes, I do mean the Vatican Museums. There is an offical English guided tour at 2:30 so here is what I am wondering.... If we go to St Peter's in the morning can we get in fairly easily without lines and crowds? Then onto our 12:00 Scavi tour which lasts about 90 mins and then over to the Vatican Museum. I would love to do a self-guided, but am afraid of being short on time in the afternoon. I know about booking the tickets online, but how does that help you skip the line without a guide? Or do I just book the offical tour at 2:30? Does anyone know if you skip the line booking through the Vatican?

You can purchase entrance tickets to the museums which are timed and allow you to enter the museums without waiting in line. If you want to take the 2:30 tour it, too, will allow you to bypass the line. This is one of the advantages of buying tickets or booking the tour in advance. Honestly, in the afternoon you really don't need to worry about the lines outside. After 12:30 or so there really are no lines to speak of. If you want to just purchase entrance tickets you can do a self guided tour or rent an audio guide. The museums are open til 6 so you will have plenty of time to enjoy them.

Donna

So if we do the 2:30 tour do they let us "back track" after they have brought us into the Sistine Chapel? I would love to get a narrated overview and then go back and take a little longer in some places. I did the Vatican museum 10 years ago, but could not absorb it all and it is terrible massive so going back may not be a good idea anyway. I just cann't see being rushed through the museum in two hours. Are the tours booked on the Vatican website a good value? Anyone? I used RS book in 2000.

They actually give you a great narrative of the
chapel before you get to it. They explain the ceiling and the Last Judgement. The tour will end just before you enter the chapel. After you are done seeing the chapel you will have the option of returning to the museums or going into the basilica. The tour takes you to the most popular rooms in the museums. You really don't feel rushed. I have taken the tour a few times and really enjoyed it.

Donna

thank you so much!!