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clarification on exiting the Vatican museums

Posted by (St. Paul, Minnesota) on

In reading a number of posts regarding exiting the Vatican museums, I am not finding a consistent answer to the following for those that visit the museum on their own and NOT part of a paid tour group.

As in individual, after you exit the Sistine Chapel, can you exit the museum at that point into the area with the basilica
OR
To exit, do you have to walk all the way back to the museum entrance and exit there?

I have read many comments from those who wanted to go back into other parts of the museum after the chapel, but the only way to do that seems to be to walk back AGAINST the crowd heading toward the chapel.
I have not read that there are any other paths back to the entrance/exit other than through the crowd.
If they do not let an individual exit into the basilica area, does that truly mean that most everyone has to walk back against the crowd to exit the museum?

If you visited the Vatican museums this past summer or fall on your own (NOT part of a tour group), I would sure appreciate personal insight into my question.

It surely seems in efficient to force everyone back thru the crowds to exit. So, just looking for some clarity on that.

Posted by
1637 posts

I was at the Vatican Museum this past spring. The only way for an individual to leave the Chapel is the way you came in. However, a short distance down the hallway it branches ( I think it had "exit" signs) that takes you through other parts of the museum. When you enter the museum you get a brochure with the layout and you can see where to go.

Posted by
14822 posts

There used to be a back way for groups to go from the Sistine Chapel to Saint Peter's Basilica. When I last went in Oct 2022 this route was closed and indeed the door was shut (had been thru it several times before and knew to look) and there was a security person standing there. I was on a guided tour with a RS group and we had to go out the regular door. Pre-covid there were always individuals sneaking out this way because there really wasn't a good way to count group members as they exited. I think you are seeing inconsistencies because to me it never seems to be the same way twice. What I experienced might be different on another day as we did know there was some kind of big service going on in the Basilica at the same time.

We came out onto the big hall on the level where there is a cafe and terrace (not sure entirely what floor level that is on). I got something to eat and then went to several other areas/museums before I reached my "indoor museum max". At no point did I have to swim upstream against crowds going into the Sistine Chapel.

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