We will be in Rome on a Saturday (around noon), Sunday and Monday, flying home to Us on Tuesday morning. We want to see the audience with the Pope on Sunday. However, the Vatican Museum is closed. Should we just visit St. Peter's square and basilica and dome on Sunday and see the Vatican Museum on another day? It seems like backtracking, butt not sure how else to plan this if we want to see the Pope. Any suggestions? Thank you
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
Beth, a note on Sunday Angelus (the Pope's public address in St Peter's Square)? Be sure to check his schedule to make sure that will occur on the date of your visit. It doesn't happen if he's traveling:
http://www.papalaudience.org/schedule
Whether to see the basilica on Sunday and the museums on Tuesday or Monday may depend on whether you're intending on signing up for a tour of the museums. Tours usually have special, direct access into the basilica from the Sistine that can be a time saver so I'd definitely do both on the same day if this is the case.
You can't avoid backtracking in any case as it simply won't be possible to cover the Angelus, basilica and museums on the same day. I will note that the museums have free entry from 9:00 to 12.30 on the last Sunday of the month BUT is not something I'd recommend: the line/crowd will be insane.
Posted by
19 posts
Ya i agree with Kathy. See the Vatican Museum another day and spend quite a while in it. Also i do not encourage you to queue for the free entry at the last weekend because the queue will be crazy.
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
If you wish to see the Pope and visit the museums you have no choice but to revisit the Vatican area. You might try to visit the museums on Saturday in the evening if you have the time. I assume that you're coming from somewhere else in Italy and not on an overnight flight? If so, you should be able to drop your bags at the hotel and head over to the museums. If you take a tour you will be able to use the bypass door into the basilica which means that on Sunday all you need do is show up for the angelus and then the rest of your day is free.
Donna