The Vatican

No charge to step into St. Peter's Basilica (there are worshippers who go in, too), but there will be a security screening, and depending on when you go, you could be in a long security line. Sadly, there have been destructive people who wish harm on the structure, art, and/or visitors, so they now screen out potential problem people.

All genders and ages must have knees and shoulders covered.
The rule is strictly enforced there.
No shorts!

Saint Peter's is not a cathedral (Rome's cathedral is San Giovanni in Laterano), it's a basilica.

True for many churches: Admission is free but if you want to climb the dome or bell tower or see non-worship parts of the basilica, there is a charge. Shoulders and knees covered.

thank you for the distinction ...cathedral vs basilica, and the proper attire

I was there last week, as usual on a Thursday after 2pm when it has always been easier to get in, and I had a 75 minute queue for the security check, all the way along one side of the colonnade, across the gap, and starting up the other side.

It looks like Papa Francis is really pulling 'em in.

Jim, the dress code (covered knees and shoulders) is the standard for all Italian churches, should you be planning to visit others.

The dress code at a lot of other churches is not as strictly enforced as it is at St. Peters. In a lot of other churches men can wear long shorts as long as their knees are covered. For St. Peters men are required to wear pants. You can be denied entry if not in pants even if your shorts cover your knees. Here is one of the signs posted outside for visitors:

http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=1809149

Notice the men in pants are allowed but the men in shorts are not.

Donna

thanks for all the pointers ... glad to find that out

I would like to vote for observing the dress code at all churches – whether or not there is someone at the door to enforce it. We are being allowed to visit, as guests, a place of worship. I think it is only reasonable that we dress and behave in a manner in which we would expect guests to our homes to behave – Including observing rules of the house.

I was there 2 days ago with kids. We arrived at 730am. We spent 5 minutes at security and then walked into a very quiet basilica. At 8am we went to the Dome which was also peaceful. We got back down into the basilica about 9.15am and had a look around. The crowds started to build by 10am when we left.

We went to the museums the day before, also as early as possible.

So, my suggestion is make an early start.

I remember a time I had an hotel room very near St. Peter's and visited it at 7am, even before having breakfast. It was a clear morning and visiting it before the big crowds was absolutely magical. At the time you just walked in; now that there are security controls there is one reason more to be there very early to beat the crowds. I guess in the future they are going step up checks as the Vatican is likely to be well placed in the list of ISIS' terrorists possible targets.

really great experiences and suggestions ... thanks! One more question ...the Sistine Chapel, is that open to the public?

The Sistine Chapel is inside the Vatican Museums, so the ticket you buy for the museums will get you into the Sistine Chapel.

so you need a tour pass for that

You need a ticket showing an appointment time, not necessarily a tour.

Jim, to be a little more explicit….

A basic ticket to the Vatican museums allows you to see the museums on your own. The Sistine is at the far end of the museums, and is considered part of them so is included on the ticket.

Guided tours to the museums and Sistine and St. Peters are also available but are not included in the basic ticket price. You can pre-book those - just as you can pre-reserve your tickets to the museums - on the Vatican website:

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html

Also, and Rick Steves' guidebook has a good description about this, but there's a special exit to the Sistine Chapel, officially intended just for tours to use, but visitors not on tours might be able to use it. It depends on you, the time of day, and who's minding the door. If you enter the Vatican Museums, you go thru security there, so you're cleared. If you use the special exit door, you're a short walk from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's Basilica, and can go right in. If you use the normal public exit back at the original entrance to the museums, you have to return a long way, then go around to St. Peter's (an even longer way), and go thru security again to enter the Basilica. Going with a tour group (or chancing it and using the special exit door on your own) saves lots of time and backtracking, if you were going to visit both the museums and the Basilica, and were going to the museums first.

Cyn was wise to use the word "might" in regards to tourists not connected with a tour being able to sneak into the basilica through the back door. The guards can be cranky about that, and so it's a toss of the dice what sort of mood they'll be in on any particular day. Some visitors report having been firmly turned away.

You're only supposed to use the door if you've been on a tour with a company that has that right. Sometimes the guards are lax in preventing people from going through but at other times they are very stringent. I wouldn't count on using the bypass door if you have to be somewhere at a specific time.

Donna

really great info folks, thanks!!

We used the "special" exit door when we visited in 2007 and it worked. We just walked like we knew what we were doing and no one said anything - but I'm sure we were lucky and this probably does not always work. But sometimes it does.

Jim,

Just a pedantic point of clarification. You've used the term "tour pass" several times. I'm not sure what you mean by that, but it's not a standard term either in the US or Europe, so no one else will know what you mean either.

As was said above, you can buy a ticket to a place like the Vatican Museums, or you can buy a guided tour for them (which will include admission). For Rome, a Roma Pass gets you into the first two attractions free and others at a discount, as well as covering public transit, for 2 or 3 days. It doesn't cover any Vatican sights.

thank you Harold

is the guided tour at the Vatican good or with some external company like viator etc.

The Vatican guides are very good.