We are going to Italy in Sept 2022 and want to spend a day in Vatican City. We are mostly interested in the architecture and history. I would like to visit the underground catacombs and the dome climb, although I am a bit claustrophobic so not sure if that is wise. What ticket or your options are best to see all the best parts of Vatican City without waiting in line. We do not have a preference of if we go on our own or with a guide. Thank you!
Posted by
Washington DC
27166 posts
Your least expensive options will be tickets purchased from the Vatican itself.
The Vatican Museums (which include the Sistine Chapel) are separate from St Peters (for which basic entry is free). To explore Vatican Museum tickets, start here by selecting your date of visit: https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home/calendar/visit/Biglietti-Musei. The Vatican Museums tend to be massively crowded, so the usual recommendation is to pay extra for early access. The Vatican has that option, as do private companies (at a higher cost). The second-best option seems to be a late-afternoon entry on Friday or Saturday, days when the Museums are open late. I see that tickets are sold out for most days well into July (meaning the only option would be to go stand in line of the plaza and hope to get in or pay a lot more for a tour), so if you want to see the Museums I'd recommend purchasing that ticket way, way in advance.
I trust someone else will point you to the right information source for seeing the catacombs and climbing the dome.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for the information!