I see that the only day with available tickets when we are in Rome is a Wed., and there is availability at many times during the day. All the other days of the week we will be there in early Oct are not available.
Is there a reason why Wed is not a good day to go and hence the availability, and why would there be so much availability? I know on Wed morning there is the Papal Audience event sometimes, but would that be a factor, and why since it is only in the morning, or is there another reason?
Thanks!
Edit: There are only guided tours available. No tickets without the tour all that week.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
18475 posts
The Papal Audience is a factor but for Wed. morning tours, conducted by independent companies, that include the basilica along with the museums. During the audience, the time and step-saving internal route from Sistine into the church is closed so tours which advertise this benefit must take the long way outside or skip the basilica piece altogether. (They note that in their tour descriptors.)
The Vatican's own tours don't provide this benefit on any day so it shouldn't affect their availability. As a visitor who took the Vatican's own tour posted over on TA in July:
"We were disappointed to see that other tour groups not associated with the Vatican Museums tours were being allowed to enter from the Sistine Chapel into St Peters from the door in the back of the Sistine Chapel. Remember this if you book through the official site you will need to backtrack right back to the entrance and walk the 15 minutes to St Peters."