On the Vatican Museum website, I have booked an 11 am Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel tour with lunch on 8/13. The open tour without lunch or breakfast is sold out on said date and there are no tours on 8/14 and 8/15, most likely because of the Feast of the Assumption on 8/15.
On our confirmation email, it says that since our tour comes with lunch, we can enter the Museum at 9 am. How long do people usually spend time at the VM, SC and St. Peter's Basilica?
We plan on booking the Colosseum tour on the same day. On the official Colosseum website, the open tickets allow entry after 2 pm to the Colosseum on one day and to the Forum and Palatine Hill on the following day. My kids, who are all under 18 are allowed free entry. However, we have to pay tickets for the Underground, Belvedere and Third Ring tour. The prices vary depending - guided tour for 5 euros, audio-visual guide for 6 euros and audio guide for 5.5 euros. The tour lasts from 45 mins to an hour and 10 minutes. Will my plan work out? If not, we can do the Colosseum on 8/14 and the Forum/Palatine Hill on 8/15. I can purchase the tour with scheduled time entry. However, I can't pay the reservation fees for my kids' free entry online. I have to pay at the ticket office on 8/14. I'm worried about the queue at the ticket office and that my kids might run out of slots since there is a maximum occupancy capacity at the Colosseum. Suggestions/comments will be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11180 posts
I would not schedule myself for Vatican Museum etc AND the Colosseum, Forum etc on the same day.
Vatican one day and Colosseum etc on another day. Give yourself the time to enjoy each and not have a deadline to rush off to the other.
Posted by
14 posts
We just left Rome and did both of these tours. I agree...I would NOT do them in the same day. We were tired after each tour on separate days. If your Colosseum tour includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, which many do, you'll be outside for most of that. In the heat and with tours tending to last a bit longer than scheduled, you'll be exhausted. Your kids will thank you!