Hi all,
With the Jubilee next year, I want to be sure we all are on top of purchasing tickets. It seems like I can’t reserve tickets for the Vatican guided tour for next fall.
Does anyone know how it works? When tickets are available? The official website, etct?
Thank you!
Tours offered through the Vatican's website have historically gone on sale 60 days in advance. That said, anything can change and it's much too far out to know if the same will be true for next fall so it's a matter of keeping an eye on the website. :O)
This is the page with the portal for booking a general tour of the museums (it's the "Vatican Museums Guided Tour" box):
https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home
Thanks! That’s what I thought. Do we buy tickets to Vatican and Sistine Chapel asap and then go back and get the guided tour as an add-on?
This Jubilee is making me nervous!
I'd hire a private guide instead of a huge tour group -- we just returned from 3 weeks in Italy and used a great guide in Rome for 2 days - let me know if you want her info. We did Vatican, Colosseum, Forum, San Clemente (always our favorite), Pantheon - we learned so much and it was NOT our first time in Rome.
Do we buy tickets to Vatican and Sistine Chapel asap and then go back
and get the guided tour as an add-on?
Nope. The tour includes your entry to the museums so you if you want the tour, book the tour and not the general-entry tickets. Just to note; the tour doesn't include St. Peter's; just the museums. There are tours through indy companies that do include the basilica, and it's not impossible that the Vatican might add that option down the road but not at this point.
If you haven't see the description of the tour, here it is.
"Full price ticket: € 40,00
Reduced ticket: € 28,00
Duration of the tour: about 2 hours
The tour follows an itinerary which includes: the Pio Clementino Museum, the Gallery of the Candelabras, the Gallery of the Geographical Maps, and the Gallery of the Tapestries (Renaissance art), the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel
Includes:
Entrance ticket
Guided Tour
Meeting point: On the day of the visit go to the entrance of the Vatican Museums - situated in Viale Vaticano – and show the booking voucher (electronic format allowed) to the Security Staff at the entrance (15 minutes before the scheduled time). After passing through security, proceed to the Guided Tours Desk to collect tickets and to meet the guide."
These tickets will sell out quickly once available for high-season months (fall is still high season) so crossing fingers that you land 'em!
I have not taken a tour at the Vatican Museums, but I am philosophically biased toward the tours offered by the Vatican Museums themselves, because they are a great deal cheaper than commercial tours (many of which also include St. Peter's, entrance to which is free). However, there is a significant advantage to the commercial tours if you hope to see St. Peter's on the same day as the Museums. On most occasions, members of combination VM/St. Peter's tour groups can follow their guides out of the Sistine Chapel and into St. Peter's via a shortcut. This avoids the long walk from the Sistine Chapel back out of the Museums, the also-long walk around the outside of the building to the entrance at St. Peter's and then the legendarily long security line at the church. Some might judge the not-insignificant extra cost of the commercial tours to be worthwhile for the time they save.
On the other hand, you can only use the shortcut to St. Peter's if you exit the Sistine Chapel along with your guide--no staying behind to see more of the Museums. A two-hour tour of the museums will not come close to covering everything.
There's also a slight possibility the shortcut might turn out not to be available on the day of your tour; I've seen a few comments to that effect, though none recently.
...and just some terminology comments.
You do not buy tickets to the "Vatican and the Sistine Chapel", you buy tickets to the Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel as part of its collection. You can also buy guided tours for that. St. Peters, the Basilica or church, requires no tickets, you just need to wait in line for security, separate from the Museum. There are both private and Vatican operated tours that include both the Museum and St. Peters.
Much the rest of the Vatican is off limits. Once past St. Peters security, you can go to the Crypt, or you can pay to climb the Dome. There are some other special tours you can purchase, such as the Scavi tour under St. Peters, at one time a gardens tour, and I see within the last couple years they opened a new "Scavi" area not far from St. Peters that explores more of the Roman era burial grounds.
Like others said, tickets for the museum will go fast, you just need to be on the ball, and possibly resort to buying a third party guided tour, or one operated by the Vatican.
As far as I know, the Vatican does not run combination Museums/St. Peter's tours. It just offers tours of the Museums and some special areas like the gardens and excavations. If you want a combination tour (which might be because you really want to take advantage of the shortcut between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's), you will have to book and pay for a commercial tour.
Thank you! I would love suggestions of commercial tours if you have any. Maybe that is the way the way to go given the Jubilee and anticipated crowds.
These are the indy tour companies we probably see recommended most often:
Walks of Italy; look at either of the first two tours on the list for the Vatican:
https://www.walksofitaly.com/vatican-tours/
You might consider this tour from their offerings:
https://theromanguy.com/tours/italy/vatican/sistine-chapel-vatican-tour?_gl=1*gum8yo*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4rSev8-EigMVPTcIBR3l9RqsEAAYASAAEgLlpvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAADM-pakSz8Q5idtDeSlR3QuC_BuWr
Through Eternity:
https://www.througheternity.com/en/vatican-tours/
Maybe this tour?
https://www.througheternity.com/en/vatican-tours/early-morning-vatican-tour.html
The basilica is often not included on Wed. tours due to the pope's general audience usually scheduled for that day. Try to book a different one for best shot at your tour accessing the church directly from the museums
You'll note as you browse tour offerings that "Skip the line" is often highlighted as an 'extra' benefit. No so; even tickets/tours pre-purchased through the Vatican Museums are timed-entry - same with the Colosseum - so you skip ticket lines at both of them as well. What NO ONE skips are the security check queues; mandatory at both but they move quickly.
One more word of caution: if you were thinking about booking through an independent company for a tour of the Colosseum, I'd only do that if you're fine NOT booking any which include the Underground. Everyone and their uncle wants to see that piece, and tickets can be so difficult to get that even tour companies have trouble getting their hands on them. We've seen any number of forum reports of tours cancelling with little warning for that very reason (they sell the tours BEFORE they actually have tickets.) Personally, I don't think visitors who can't land those tickets miss much as you can see down into much of it from above. More importantly, I'd look into an indy tour that covers the Colosseum, Forum AND Palatine as the latter two sites are more complex, and they're both very interesting!
Thank you ChinaLake, Paul, Acraven and Kathy! You have been hugely helpful and hopefully others will find this thread for your amazing information.
The Jubilee flyers say all the doors to St Peter’s and the other Papal will be churches will be open all of 2025. And that they are typically closed. Do you know what that means? Is it simply that’s then doors will be propped open?
The last time I was there, in 2010, I recall the doors open, grabbing a shawl for my shoulders and walking straight in. Perhaps there was a short security line but nothing that I remember.
When you went before, you entered through other doors. During a Jubilee, the Porta Sancta is opened, a set of Holy doors. On your earlier visit (unless it was in 2000) you could have seen that the inside of these doors was bricked up. Near the end of this year, the Pope will take a Silver hammer and tap on the brick wall, and it will be removed, the doors opened, and pilgrims can enter through that door. The act is one of devotion and pilgrimage, and symbolizes one's conversion.
Since it only occurs every 25 years (more or less, it is now at the will of the Pope), it is seen as an opportune time for pilgrimages.
You can look at the calendar on the Jubilee website. https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html Different time periods have a different emphasis, appealing to a specific group, such as a specific Diocese or occupation, like Athletes, Artists, Military, etc.
Who qualifies for the reduced price ticket in the Vatican? -Bill
"Full price ticket: € 40,00
Reduced ticket: € 28,00
Who qualifies for the reduced price ticket in the Vatican? -Bill
Bill, if you click on the small gray-ish (i) icon, you will see the conditions for reduced price tickets.
"Reduced tickets are for children aged between 7 and 18 years old (18 years old included). Reduced tickets are also for students up to 25 years of age on presentation of a student identity card or an International Student Card on the day of the visit."
Kathy said:
Tours offered through the Vatican's website have historically gone on
sale 60 days in advance.
Kate--
Maybe we discussed this before, but are you saying that on my booking I did last July with The Tour Guy for a 3-hour tour of Vatican/Sistine/St. Peter's in April of 2025...The Tour Guy does not physically have the tickets yet but is assuming he/she will purchase them for us in February, 60 days in advance?
I'm fine with it as long as they're gotten. I have to think these tour operators have someone on the inside that they tell in advance, 'yeah, for April 10 I'm gonna need 10 at 0900, 15 at 1000, 15 at 1400.'
Hope you're doing well!
That is the way with many tour groups. They sell the tickets assuming that they can somehow acquire the admissions that they require, and in some cases the tours are cancelled at the last minute because they have not been able to actually acquire the tickets they promised you (and others) they would deliver.
but are the Spanish Steps open to the public?
As far as I am aware, Yes. They may have been closed for a time earlier in the year, as they have closed lots of public areas for a deep cleaning, and in some cases restoration work (like the Trevi Fountain) as preparation for the Jubilee year starting soon.
The Spagna Metro station, the one closest to the steps, was closed for several months this year, but is open now, that may be related to what you heard.
Hey there, Jay! Hope you are well too!
Nigel explained it as I've understood it as well: tours/tickets outside of those sold on the Vatican's own site are anticipatory of getting hands on them. The good news for you is that I browsed a few years of Vatican reviews for The Tour Guy/The Roman Guy (they're the same company) and I'm not seeing any complaints about cancelled Vatican tours after mid 2023. Some folks haven't been thrilled with their guides and/or have complained about the crowds but c'est la vie, eh? :O)
That said, the Tour Guy's website states:
"While rare, tours may be subject to unexpected changes. If The Tour Guy needs to modify or cancel your booking due to ordinary circumstances, we will make every effort to offer an alternative tour that meets your expectations. If no suitable alternative is available, or if you choose to decline the option, we will provide a full cash refund, provided we are notified within the timeframes outlined above. However, if The Tour Guy must cancel your booking due to major events—such as a pandemic, war, or acts of God—we will issue a credit voucher equal to your purchase price. This credit voucher will be valid for three years and can be used toward any future booking."
So there ya go. As they say, nothing is for certain except death and taxes?
The bigger issue with cancelled tours via independent operators - and we'd seen some of those here on the RS forum - involved the Colosseum, and more specifically the underground tours.
I just finished the Rick Steves tour of Italy, ending in Rome (returned Thursday!) His tour included the Basilica, but not the Vatican Museum or Sistine Chapel. We got to Vatican City early with the tour (around 8 am,) toured with the group, then walked out and around to the entrance line for the museum. There are 2 lines. The left line is for those with no tickets and the right line is for those looking for a tour group or are meeting a tour group. The tour groups sold onsite from private vendors wanted 89 euros per person for a guided tour and you could get in with them right away. We chose to get in the left line, which at that time of the morning (9 ish) was only about 20 people. We waited less than 20 minutes and were then let in the museum to buy tickets for 20 euros each and we just used the downloaded Rick Steves audio tour for free! Don't do that for the Coliseum though, as no tickets are sold onsite! Getting those tickets takes getting online 30 days in advance!
The last time I was there, in 2010, I recall the doors open, grabbing
a shawl for my shoulders and walking straight in. Perhaps there was a
short security line but nothing that I remember.
Calimom, I think you'll find that things have changed and queues to enter the basilica can be much longer than what you previously experienced. They can extend all the way across the square and then some depending on time of day and season (you'll be there during high season in 2025.)
But as Paul explained it, the Holy Doors (at the 4 papal basilicas in Rome) are different than for the usual entries, are for members of the faith participating in spiritual pilgrimage, and are not normally accessible. (I am not a Catholic, BTW.). I believe one has to register in advance for pilgrimages to/through the doors, and there are other churches designated as pilgrimage churches but without Holy Doors. Some background (Paul had helpfully provided the first live link but worth pasting it again.)
https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/pellegrinaggio/centro-accoglienza-pellegrini.html
https://www.ncregister.com/news/5-holy-doors-what-every-catholic-should-know-ahead-of-jubilee-2025
If they follow the same protocol as the last Jubilee, there will be separate entry queues for tourists not participating in Holy Door prayer journeys and so will access the churches through standard entries.
Don't do that for the Coliseum though, as no tickets are sold
onsite!
Tickets ARE sold onsite at two different official ticket offices near the Colosseum. Lines can be very long, though, and your entire group must be together; in other words, one person can't go stand in line for multiple tickets, and you must have a legal ID to purchase. This is to avoid scalpers snatching them up; tickets are nominative and will be checked against your ID at the entrance.
See this page of the Parco website for location of those 2 offices (note: this website, while official, is usually not 'live' during the hours, Rome time, the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine are closed.)
https://colosseo.it/en/opening-times-and-tickets/
I can't see who asked the question Paul answered about the Spanish Steps but they haven't been closed since the last big cleaning, and you can see them & current activity on this live cam (sorry about the short ad you have to sit through):
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/piazza-di-spagna.html
One word of warning: those suckers are deadly slippery when they're wet. You're also not allowed to sit or picnic on them, or at least not when the authorities are there keeping watch.
I just finished the Rick Steves tour of Italy, ending in Rome (returned Thursday!) His tour included the Basilica, but not the Vatican Museum or Sistine Chapel.
On the 2025 RS Tours which include Rome, he is not including any visit to Vatican City (including museums, Sistine Chapel or St. Peter's) because of the Jubilee. All arrangements for visits to those sites falls to the tour-goer.
