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Planning my Vatican visit - are Wednesdays a good day?

Posted by (Florida) on

Trying to nail down my Rome itinerary for my upcoming trip later this year. I will be in Rome from Oct. 6 - 12th. Of course I will dedicate 1 day to visiting the Vatican. My plan for that day was to do the Pristine Sistine tour with Walks of Italy to see the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel first thing. After that tour ends, I was going to visit St. Peter's Basilica.

I noticed there is a $42 or so difference between the Walks of Italy tour on a Tuesday versus a Wednesday. So, I was going to book the Wednesday tour, but then doing a little more reading I understand that on Wednesdays the basilica is not open because of mass? Or it opens in the afternoon after the mass?

Can anyone help me out planning this? Would I be able to tour the basilica including the dome after doing the Sistine Chapel tour in the morning on a Wednesday? Or should I do the Tuesday tour?

Thanks!

Posted by
7229 posts

Wednesday is the papal audience in St Peters Square. It will be very crowded and I believe access to the Basilica isn't til later afternoon.

I would do tour on Tuesday.
Unless it has changed the Walks of Italy Prisitne tour takes you into the Basilica after the museums, so that is why the lower cost.

Posted by
16618 posts

Hi James -
So this is what the Walks of Italy site says about the Pristine Sistine tour on Wednesday mornings and other special days:

https://www.walksofitaly.com/vatican-tours/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour/

"The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and subject to other unexpected closures. On such days we will instead explore the magnificent Pinacoteca Gallery."

So this tour does not proceed from the Sistine to the church on Wednesday mornings as it's normally the Pope's General Audience day. If you want to be able to access the basilica with this tour, by all means book it for Tuesday.

Editing to add: Christine, we've been on the same wavelength today!! :O)

Posted by
173 posts

Oh gosh Kathy this is what I get for not reading throughly! Thanks! I guess I will go with the Tuesday tour then :)

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