Hi! I am wanting to book the early experience at the Vatican Museum to beat the crowds. I don't care about breakfast but am happy to pay for it if it means less people. After searching through posts on this topic I am super confused. Many posts say this is only bookable 30 days before but I am seeing my date of Oct 12 on there now? Also with this ticket do you know if you get entry to St Peter's Basilica? I am looking at this on the vaticans direct website. Thank you for your advice.
Posted by
Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome
627 posts
I don't know about this tour, but entrance to St. Peter's is free.
Posted by
OP
18 posts
I guess my question is if you buy the Prime Experience AM ticket are you able to just walk over to St Peter's? I wasn't sure how connected they were or what that process is?
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
I think the tours offered by the Vatican go on sale considerably earlier than the plain-vanilla Vatican Museum entry tickets. I don't know why that is. I highly recommend one of the early-access deals if you can bear to wake up early enough. The Museums will be mobbed in October; you'll have a vastly more pleasant visit if you get in early.
There's a shortcut from the Sistine Chapel into the Basilica, but the status of that door seems to change. A few years ago it could only be used by tour groups (just the folks sticking with the guide), and there were reports that sometimes it wasn't available even for groups. During the worst of the COVID pandemic that door was closed, and commercial tour companies reportedly stopped offering combination tours of the Museums and St. Peter's. Now it has been reported that the door has reopened. I believe one of our posters was able to go through it even though not with a tour. Who knows whether that's a new policy or was a mistake of some sort.
In planning timing for my Vatican City day, I wouldn't depend on access through that door. It's quite a long walk if you have to go back outside, and you should expect a very long, outdoor wait in the security line.
Posted by
alameda, ca, usa
2693 posts
I did the Prime Experience tour in late April—one of the best tickets I have ever spent money on and worth it to be able to enjoy even just 1.5 peaceful hours in the museum. I bought my ticket from the official website in late January, seemed like regular entry tickets weren’t yet available then, but I already knew I wanted Prime Experience. Tour was led by a delightful & very informative guide and the breakfast was good, too! The guide showed us the door that connected the Sistine Chapel with St Peter’s, and people were using it at that time.
Posted by
49 posts
Do you think the Prime Experience is better then the Breakfast at the Museum tour?
The breakfast tour states: Having finished breakfast - at 8.30 am – you will meet the guide and begin your guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. The prime experience ; A proposal intended for visitors interested in enjoying the unique experience, entering into the Vatican Museums one hour before the official opening time.
So if I understand this correctly with the breakfast you are getting access 30 minutes before the crowds and the prime its 1 hour?
Posted by
alameda, ca, usa
2693 posts
The Prime tour started at 7:30, ending with breakfast at 9...at that point, the museum was quickly overrun with people. Not sure if it opens at 8:30 or 9, but the 1.5 hours without crowds was absolutely blissful. I made only a brief attempt to look at anything else after breakfast and then left.