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Vatican dilemma - would love your thoughts!

Posted by (Potland, OR) on

My husband and I will be in Rome in early June. We will be there on a Friday and as of now, night entry tickets to the Vatican are available.

We're debating between signing up for a guided tour, like Pristine Sistine in order to take advantage of an early start and a guide's knowledge or just going it on our own. The museum looks vast, so possibly very overwhelming on our own - we feel a guide would enrich the experience, but we might not have enough time in the museum with a tour.

So....I was considering booking us for the Pristine Sistine tour then also reserving night tickets, so we could go back on our own later in the evening to wander at our own pace. I know some areas won't be available but I think it would be OK. (We could also book the happy hour with drinks/apps as an option.)

As it is, we pretty much planned that whatever day we do the Vatican, that would be the only thing specifically planned. After Pristine Sistine and the basilica, I'm guessing we'd have a mid-day window from 1pm-7pm - does that sound right? We could always leave and come back, if we need a break, or stay and fill the mid-day there - but with what? Would love your ideas and thoughts on doing this?

Posted by
16688 posts

Stacey, with all that there is to see in Rome, I personally wouldn't do 2 separate visits to the same museums in one day so I'd choose one or the other. Additionally, the place will be MOBBED by some point later in the P.S. tour, and you may very well be ready to leave them - and the Vatican - behind you by the time it wraps up. Don't underestimate how tired your feet are going to be after 4 straight hours on them, either!

If you choose Friday night, I'd do the basilica on your own later in the afternoon, before the museums, as you won't be able to do it in tandem with the museums, as you can with the Pristine Sistine tour.

If you are an art lover, the Borghese is terrific, has EXCELLENT crowd control, and you can easily see the collection in the 2 hours you're allowed to do so. Hope you can fit that one in during your time in the city. Additionally, a walk in villa Borghese (the park) afterwards is nice for a little breathing room: Rome will be very warm and very busy in June.

Posted by
67 posts

Thanks for the feedback. It's a tough decision, not knowing how we'll feel about what we'll have seen in the morning. I think if we book the night tickets in addition to the morning tour, we'd just go into the day knowing we might not want to use them and be willing to eat the cost.

Posted by
232 posts

We did the Pristine Sistine tour in 2014 and we saw "everything" but it was very rushed and I wish we had had more time to linger in some of the galleries. Although there were only a few tour groups in the Sistine Chapel because of the early entry, by the time the tour was through, the museum was packed. I have heard that the crowds are light on the night tour.

We are returning in late May and have booked a tour from the Vatican website starting at 8:30, so hope it won't be horribly crowded. A guide does help you to understand what you are seeing.

There are so many wonderful places to visit in Rome that it does seem overkill to visit the Vatican twice unless that is a major goal of your trip. Throw some coins in the Trevi Fountain and hope yoou'll return!

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