Hi, can anyone tell me if the vatican museums are as crowded in winter (december 16) as they are in summer?
-Are the queues really long?
I only have one day to visit the museums and I am pondering the options of just showing up on the line or reserve a tour.
Thanks
I was just there a few weeks ago....we waited about an hour to get in. The museum closes at 1pm in the Winter, so if you go, plan to go first thing in the morning.
We were there the first week of November and it was totally crowded! Our Angel tours guide told us that in 1972, 2,000 people went through the museum in a day.
Today, in 2007, 20,000 people tour the museum each and every day.
Expect crowds. Make reservations, and buy a "skip the line" reservation...then you don't wait outside to get in. You pay a bit more, but your time is worth it!
I do recommend Angel Tours. Worth the money. Very informative, and small groups of 16 or less per guide.
You pay when you get there, so have cash ready. And Please tip!
What I learned was as the earlier poster said, they close early in the winter season, so when you make it to the Vatican, go there first. We made the mistake of going through St. Peters first, not thinking that they might be closed early. There was a line (both at the museums and St. Peters, but seemed to move pretty quickly.
