Sistine Chapel/Vatican Museum Combined Ticket Question

I don’t understand what ticket you are booking. The Sistine Chapel is in the Vatican Museum and entrance is one ticket. I don’t know what a combined ticket is, it’s the same ticket .
Some tour companies sell a tour where their guide takes you early entry to the Sistine Chapel and then you are on your own. You have to backtrack to see the Museum.
Other tickets do have the guide leading the group through the museum after the Sistine Chapel.

I think the tour company Dark Rome has the ticket you are looking for, early entry and then tour on your own.

Wendy's right: all tickets and tours of the museums include the Sistine as it's IN the museums. That said, I think this is the tour you're looking for:

https://citywonders.com/vatican-tours/sistine-chapel-early-access

Do be aware that parts of museums are going to get very busy after the opening hour so a "wander" will involve fighting the crowds.

That’s part of what I’m asking. If my goal is to...

1) Have early access to the Sistine Chapel and...
2) Not be subject to the whims of a tour guide to view the Vatican Museums...

How do I accomplish that

Kevin, did you look at the link I'd provided? There's your answer.

Thank you, Kathy. I responded before viewing your post. That’s it. Thank you.

You're welcome! Happy that it'll fit the bill!

Just a note: when we did our early morning Vatican Museum tour, the one place we could use the Rick audio tour was in the Sistine Chapel. Unlike the rest of the museum, the tour guides are no longer allowed to provide their own "audio" in the chapel. Thus, when we reached the entrance to the chapel, the tour guide instructed us to meet her near the exit in (as I recall) 30 minutes. The Rick audio tour proved excellent.

Our tour was in Aug this past year (2019).

Thank you, Jeff.

Are you saying that if we were wandering through the Vatican Museum by ourselves, we couldn’t put our earbuds in and listen to Rick?

While we’re on the topic of the Vatican Museum,
Does anyone have general thoughts on the Museum? We’ve blocked out 3-4 hours. I’ve read it’s overwhelming. We want to enjoy it at our own pace.

I believe Jeff is referring to the noise level outside the Sistine Chapel.

Got it. Thank you

Everyone has different levels of interest in historical museums and art. In general, after visiting cathedrals and museums in Florence and Venice, we found the Vatican museum to be an overload of sculptures and art. After seeing scores of historical sculptures and priceless paintings and art work, we would have been happy to spend no more than an hour visiting only the Sistine Chapel, while skipping the rest of the Vatican museum.

I often joke that we've seen enough art, cathedrals, and museums in Italy and France to last us for the next 10 years.

“Quieter” time in Sistine Chapel. Surely you jest.

No - I was not referring to the noise level outside the Sistine Chapel.

We were on an early morning guided tour.
I was referring to the policy that forbids tour guides from speaking (that is, giving explanations of the sights) while INSIDE the Sistine Chapel itself.
Thus, once we reached the entrance to the Sistine Chapel with our tour guide, she let us loose in the chapel, instructing us to meet her near the Sistine Chapel exit in 30 minutes.
During those 30 minutes in the Sistine Chapel, my wife and I used the Rick Steves audioguide - which proved very helpful.

During the rest of our time in the Vatican Museum with our tour guide, we did NOT use the Rick Steves audioguide, as we were closely supervised by our tour guide.

Thank you for the clarification, Jeff. That was to be my plan as well.

As far as the VM is concerned, I usually pick one experience on all of our trips to become a “novice expert” in. I plan out my own route and get as knowledgeable as one could be about something with 3 months of planning. We’ve done it with the Louvre and British Museum in the last and it’s been enjoyable. Planning on doing the same with the VM for this trip. I don’t want a tour guide directing us as to what we should.

City Wonders and Dark Rome are the same company.
One thing to be aware of is that after you leave the Sistine Chapel you will be going against the flow of traffic in the Museum, and it is very difficult to make your way. You will need to make your tour plan with that in mind. Don’t underestimate the crowds.

I have taken both the City Wonders/Dark Rome and the Walks of Italy early morning tours. I found it invaluable to have the guide to steer us around and they were very knowledgeable . The tours also allow you to have quick access to St. Peter’s after the tour.

You will be around many more than a dozen strangers as you tour , you will be around hundreds.
Touring on your own is fine, just be prepared for large crowds. You didn’t mention the time of year, but Easter on through fall will be packed.

Thank you. We will be there March 23rd I think it is. A Monday.

I you could change to another day you would find it less crowded. Mondays are the most crowded due to the Museum being closed on Sunday. Also, many of the other museums in Rome are closed Mondays so that filters more people to the Vatican .
You will be there during spring break trips so that will add crowds.
You are smart to make a plan. The Vatican website has lots of good information .
Have a great trip.

Thank you, Wendy.

I had tried to get a ticket to one of the true first in the door access items the Vatican markets. It’s like a 6 AM opening up of everything. Very expensive but it’s just you, a handful of other people and the keeer if the keys. Never heard back.

Kevin, this is the 6:00 AM tour you were looking at:

http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/visita-i-musei/scegli-la-visita/musei-e-collezioni/musei-vaticani-fuori-orario/visita-guidata-fuori-orario-good-morning-vatican-museums-privata.html

While it may be bookable through the Vatican, it is no longer available though Viator, and includes breakfast...which you may or may not have been interested in spending time on.

https://www.viator.com/tours/Rome/Waking-up-to-the-Vatican-Small-Guided-Tour/d511-3731P209

If the cost quoted in this 2018 Conde Nast article is any indication, at €21 per person (max. group of 20) plus a fixed group fee of €3500 for the mandatory guided piece, yep, it's VERY expensive, especially if you have very few others to split that cost with. Also, it's not like you're going to have the museums all to yourself after 9:00 AM.

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-get-the-vatican-museums-all-to-yourself

Thank you for the link to the City Wonders tour. I have this question: the description of the tour does mention St Peter's. Does that mean it doesn't go there? If it doesn't, how do I get to see that when I am done with the sistine chapel/vatican museum tour?

Thank you.

cbrackney, if referring to the City Wonders tour linked above, I believe you meant to say that it does NOT mention St. Peter's? No it doesn't, and you won't be able to access it from inside the museums on that tour...which isn't really a "tour" of the museums at all as all it does is get you inside and directly to the Sistine early. It is NOT a guided tour of other parts of the museums or St Peter's. To visit the basilica, you'd need use the regular exit for the museums, walk outside 'round to St Peter's Square, and get into the security line for the front entrance. That line can be very long but moves steadily.

Tours of the museums which do include the church access it via an internal passage at the back of the Sistine which is reserved for guided tours. The exception would be Wed. mornings when the Pope is holding Papal Audiences, or other random, major services in the basilica which closes it to visitors. For instance, the Pope is holding a mass there at 9:30 on Holy Thursday (April 9th this year) so the church would be off limits to tours and other sightseeing visitors before and during the service.

Editing to add: this is an example of an early-entrance guided tour which includes the basilica (exceptions mentioned above apply.) There are some other companies which have similar so this is just one example, and it has been particularly popular with RS posters who've taken it.

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

Our wonderful Walk of Italy toured guide whispered very softly into his mic in the Sistine Chapel. No one heard him but us and it was great! Learned so much, I know many other guides probably won’t do that, so I will take advantage of the RS audios for the family. Haven’t done one of those yet.