Vatican Museum / St. Peter's

When will you be in Rome? Depending on the time of year and the time of day, you don't to worry about the lines too much. We were just in Rome in September and we went to St. Peter's in the late afternoon around 3 p.m. and only waited in line about 20 minutes to get in. There is no reservation needed. Some recommend joining a tour group, but if you are not there during the heavy tourist season it isn't necessary. The Vatican Museum is another matter. The line was around the block when we were there, so we didn't go in. There were tour groups that could get you in avoiding the line if you wanted to pay the extra for that.

We will be there in Nov 12-15.

The lines into St. Peter's are short either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. By around 10 the organized tour groups start lining up and the lines get crazy for St. Peter's. Be sure after touring St. Peter's you come out on the front porch and keep going to the right. You will see the lines to go up the elevator to the dome. It will take you to the inside of the dome and out on the roof. My husband climbed the steps to the very top area and got some lovely views. I think the entrance to go down to the pope's tombs is in the same area. John Paul II was simple and elegant. We actually had the Necropolis tour we had faxed ahead for and that then took up up into the tomb area of the pope's. Paid for a skip the lines tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chappel and still had to wait in lines for 1 1/2 hours and it was a mob scene. We were there Sept 15, 16, and 17. Maybe your tme of year will be better. Read to try the afternoon for that line or try faxing Vatican for a time

I don't know from experience, but I would imagine that in Nov. the lines at the Vatican museum shouldn't be too bad. I have read on other posts of people who have gone in the spring and haven't waited at all. I would certainly give it a shot. If the lines don't look long, go for it. I wish we had been able to see the Sistine Chapel, but we couldn't afford the time the lines would have taken.
Have a great time!

Go early or late, and try to get advanced reservations from the Vatican office before going. We were there on 9/22 and didn't do that, although Rick, our friends and many on this site recommended we do so. We went at 10 AM on the 21st and the line was four+ hours, so we got a tour through the concierge at out hotel. Was like a herd of cattle and no fun at all. Not nearly enough time to absorb it all. Would love to do it again on my own and take the whole day to understand what I was looking at, and its historical significance. Same advice for the museums in Rome and Florence.

We were in Rome a few years ago in early December and had no lines to speak of anywhere. We were in Rome last month and went to the Vatican Museums at about 2:30 and had no line to enter but it was pretty crowded once you were inside. I think if you go early morning or later afternoon it is not a problem except in July-August. There are 2 ways to enter St. Peter's: 1. Through the front entrance and through the security scanner where the line will form if there is one (this gives you the awe inspiring first view of the Basilica from the Square and may be the best for your first visit)afterwards it is about a 15 min. walk to the museum. or 2. Go to the Vatican Museum 1st, then, end your tour at the Sistine Chapel, exiting as Rick suggests in his 2007 book via a door in the back that is meant for tour groups. We just tagged along after a tour group and it takes you out right at the front doors of St. Peter's and you bypass the security line (you went through it at the museum entrance).

We just did both last week. Went to St. Peter's about 7:30 in the morning and pretty much breezed through security and into the basilica. When we left, several hour later, the line to get in was 3/4 of the way around the square so we were glad we'd gone early!

We'd walked by the museum line at 11:00, on our way to meet our pre-booked tour of that facility, and the line was pretty horrible at that hour. Even with a tour, we had to wait in that same line but it was much shorter by 1:00, when our tour got there. I think it was only a 40 minute wait or so until we reached the ticket booths. The tour ended up in St. Peter's again so we sort of saw it twice but that's OK - learned some things we wouldn't have on our own. You could probably see the museums just fine on your own but it's a LOT of stuff - 4 miles of it - and nothing is labeled. It might help to have a tour for guiding you to the high spots and telling you why those particular pieces are so interesting.

We've never done the tour. The line wasn't that bad - it was long but moved quickly.

1) The suggestions of going late are not going to work. In Nov, the last admission is 12:30 and the museums close at 1:45.

2) I just booked an official Vatican tour for my in-laws via email. It was very easy. I emailed the tour office (visiteguidate.musei@scv.va) with the names, perferred, dates, language, return email, and fax on Fri afternoon (EDT) and a response was waiting in my email Sat morning. The tour is EUR 23 (compared to EUR 16), but you don't pay until you arrive. They are planning to arrive early and check out the line. If it's long, they use the tour; if it's not, they'll go on their own. EUR 7 is a small price to pay to avoid having to wait in line, especially with only a few open hours.

Paul

For anyone else going to Rome in November, the Vatican Museum is open for entrance until 3:30pm on Friday November 2nd-Saturday the 3rd. FYI. It is CLOSED on November 1st, which is All Saints' Day, and all the other days that it is open, you can only get in between 10am and 12:30pm (but they don't close the museum for those already inside until 1:45).

I just got back from Rome on Monday. You do not need any reservations to enter either the Vatican or St. Peter's. It is just recommended to avoid lines. FYI: RS books had ALL of the museum times wrong for Rome!! So, St. Peter's now opens at 7:30 am and the Vatican at 10:00. My husband and I arrived at St. Peter's with no reservations at 7:15 and walked right in when it opened. We spent an hour to 1 1/2 hrs. there and went to the very top of the dome. It was wonderful, not very crowded. Then went to Vatican (10 min. away) and stood in line for 1.25 hrs. Then enjoyed the Vatican for 1.5 hrs. It would be great if you get a Vatican reserv. through the Vatican itself and avoid the line (we tried but they were booked). Look at previous blogs to tell you how or go to their website at vatican.va. It gives their fax number to send them your request.

Happy Travels,
Julie

Thanks for everyone's help and feedback. I've decided on booking a tour through Angel Tours, which should hopefully maximize our time in the Vatican and help us avoid the lines as well. I'll report back on our experiences.

Just got back from rome 2 days ago. With regards to St. Peter's, the line is only for a security check and moves very fast so no problem's there. The Vatican museum was another story. We tried to reserve a tour on-line with no success. Thursday morning, the line to get in the museum was incredibly long and we didn't try. However, we came back around 3 pm and waited about 5 minutes!!! That being said, I still found the experience horrible as they just pack the museum as much as they can at that time and scream at you to keep moving even when you reach the final goal, the Sistine Chapel. It is an amazing work of art but it really is hard to appreciate while in there.

We will be in Rome 3/12-3/15/08. We would like to see St. Peter's and the Vatican Museum, and possibly the Excavations/Catecombs.
We will most likely try to attend on Thursday, 3/13, and plan to get there very early.
I was wondering what would be the best way to see the Vatican- we do not want to wait in line for hours. Should we book a tour?
Does the Scavi tour just cover the Excavations?
Thanks a lot in advance!

Brigid:

You might want to start a new topic in the future rather than introduce questions into someone else's thread. That way you also get an email when someone replies.

To answer you question, to take the Scavi tour (tour of the excavations under St Peter's, tomb of Peter, etc), you need to book in advance and can follow the straight-forward directions on the Vatican web site: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/uffscavi/documents/rc_ic_uffscavi_doc_gen-information_20040112_en.html

It is unlikely that you will get tickets at this late date. You generally need to book 90 days in advance.

You do not need tickets or anything to get into St Peter's basilica, or the tombs of the popes underneath. You just have to go through a security line. The catacombs are something completely separate from the Vatican.

Since you are in Rome for only three days you might visit St Peter's, see the tomb of John Paul, and then see some of the other great sites in Rome.