Fastest way back to entrance of Vatican Museum

Unless things have changed, if you’re on a guided tour, they should exit through the “back door” of the Sistene Chapel, down a long staircase, past a souvenir shop in the hallway, and back to very near the entrance to St. Peter’s. This avoids the long return trip to the entrance to the museum, fighting against the current of oncoming museum visitors, which I recall is something like 20 minutes on a good day. Unless you’ve checked any bags, you don’t HAVE to return to the museum entrance, but if it gets you closer to your accommodations faster than a taxi (or walking) from outside the Basilica entrance would, make sure the tour guide knows you want to end up at the museum entrance. The back door exit is a shortcut for a lot of people, but in your case, it might not be your best option.

We are touring the Sistine Chapel and St Peters on a guided tour which
will end about 10am in St Peter's.... We will pick up our bags and
head to FCO to catch a 1:30 flight home.

Is this an international flight? If so, I personally would not cut it this close; you really should be AT Fiumicino at 10:30 or closer to it for a 1:30 flight. By the time you get back to the hotel, collect luggage, get to Termini, buy your tickets for the Express (I'm assuming that's what you're using for transport?) and get to the airport, you could eat up 1.5 hours, depending on your wait for the next train out. Can you cut your tour short or reschedule for a different day?

I know some object to us giving advice or answers to unasked questions but sometimes it is necessary. But you are cutting it very close. There is a reason for the requested three hours prior for check in for international flights. One issue is that cut off for check-in is generally 45 minutes prior so you need to be checked in by 12.45. I am assume it is direct flight home so you will go through exit immigration in addition to security and check-in. You can do it if everything clips but you are not allowing much time for problems or long lines. This is the time frame for many international departures so the lines can be quite long. Now if it is just a regular flight within the Schengen zone to another city to catch your return flight home, then you OK since you will only have to go through security.

We are planning to have a private shuttle direct to the airport. It is an international flight to the States. We realize it will be cutting it close. So my original question probably should have read 'what is the fastest route back to the museum entrance?'

Even with a private shuttle, you are cutting it close but as long as you understand and accept the downside risk, good luck.

So is the quickest way back through the museum or some outside route? None of us has been there, so I'm trying get as much detail as possible.

Oops: scratch the bit about getting to Termini. I evidently was seeing things. 😳

I'd say quickest route from St Peter's is to exit the front of the basilica to the piazza and head left; cut through the piazza's colonnade to Via di Porta Angelica and follow it north to Piazza del Risorgimento and take a left. It connects with Viale dei Bastioni de Michelangelo; follow that street as it curves north. Take a left at Viale Vaticano. It's pretty straightforward when you look at a map. Maybe someone else will have a different idea.

Even with a shuttle you're still cutting it closer than I'd feel comfortable but we'll hope for the best!
If your tour ends in the basilica, you cannot return to the museums: you have to exit from the church.

Kathy, I think you are correct. If is a bit of hike, it will be crowded, so maybe ??? ten minutes.

So if you check items at the Museum entrance you have to follow the route outside the Vatican walls to retrieve them?

Thanks Frank; was hoping you'd weigh in.
It's a popular route and I believe most-published estimate for walk time is 15-20 minutes.

rkampas, plan not to take anything with you that you have to check at the museum. You're short of time to begin with and having to mess around with that will just slow you down. You shouldn't need to take anything on your tour that requires checking.

As before, if you end your tour in the basilica, you cannot return to the museums via an inside route. You have to do it from the outside. I'm unsure of the process to get in again at the museum entry just to collect checked items but maybe someone else does. Still, I just wouldn't take items along that require checking.

You’ve got a quarter mile backtrack inside the museum, unfortunately moving against the grain of many other visitors’ direction of flow, but that gets you a half block from your place (and, presumably, your luggage).

There’s a taxi stand just outside the Museum entrance/exit, which you probably don’t need, unless you’d wind up using it to jump into a can and head straight for the airport. Another one is a couple blocks south of the piazza in front of St. Peter’s, and if you took the tour group exit at the back of the Sistine Chapel, you’d have almost as far to walk to reach it, and it might be a faster walk, with fewer impediments, but still more than 5 minutes at a straight, really fast pace. Then a cab would still need to get you back to your place, navigating thru traffic and Roman streets. Not sure whether that’s faster than just hiking back through the museum to the entrance/exit. If you’re in a hurry to get to the airport, would there be any advantage in bringing your luggage with you to the museum, checking it in the entrance lobby, and then departing with it in-hand, saving a little time versus going all the way back to your accommodations? You can go through the inside of the building to return to the entrance lobby, if that’s your overall least-slow and shortest-distance option.

Cyn, their tour ends in the basilica, not in the Sistine.

Thank you all for the replies. This helps greatly! We may be able to move closer to the Vatican exits, which would save a few minutes (which may make a difference)

What about having the private driver meet you outside the Basilica and drive you back to your hotel, wait and then take you to the airport?

It might save you 5 minutes and you will probably need those 5 minutes.

I think you are brave.

We may be able to move closer to the Vatican exits, which would save a
few minutes (which may make a difference)

So you'd skip the basilica part of your tour? I'm not sure what "move closer to the Vatican exits" means. ???

We have a hotel close the VM entrance, we could move closer to a Vatican exit to make a faster get-away.

I would not be able to enjoy/focus on the tour as I would be 'sweating bullets' and eating Tums from a Costco tub the whole time being concerned about making the flight.

As touched on above, anyway to re-arrange your plans so you do not have to engage in the risky endeavor?

OP obviously has a sturdier constitution than I have.

Wishing you good luck .... (maybe your driver will have a Delorean and take you back a couple hours in time on the way to FCO :-) )

( and tell us how it turns out)

Sorry, NOW I see the “tour which will end ... in St. Peter’s.” So you would be outside of the museum structure at that point, either on foot or using wheels, and not retracing your steps inside. If time is of the essence, the quicker you can get to motorized transport, and the less time needed to collect your bags for your flight, the better. This may be extreme, but what about checking your bags the night before, and having a just a change of underwear and toiletries with you for your last night, toting them in a small sack or backpack? That could involve extra time and expense beforehand, though.

We have 5 teenage girls(experienced travelers) aged 16-21 and two couples in our group of 9. Everyone will know the importance of being on time. The travel time to FCO is predicted to be 25-45 min at the time we are going (google). If we get to the airport by 10:30-11, I'm ok with that. I will talk to the group about what I've learned here. We he are flying Norwegian, their recommendation is 2hr ahead with 45 minute cut-off. Thanks again for all the advise.

Norwegian ends boarding 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure. ( https://www.norwegian.com/uk/travel-info/check-in-and-boarding/check-in-deadlines/ )

My experience with google maps is the times are optimistic. For planning I would be looking more toward the 45 minute time vs the 25 minutes.

In my estimation, you will have, at most, 2hrs to get from the van to your seat on the plane.