Visiting the Vatican Museums

No you can't as it is a strict one way pattern, and yes, when you exit the Chapel, you are outside the Vatican-either by entering St. Peters' with your tour or leaving your tour and following the general exit protocol.

I'll need to disagree a bit as early-entry tour groups which go to the Sistine FIRST double back to cover other parts of the museums. Other tourists with first-entry tickets do the same. That said, I've a strong hunch that your RS tour of the museums is going to end in St Peter's Basilica. They'll access the church from a back passage from the Sistine reserved for tour groups, and this would save you a long walk back through the museums and outside to Basilica entrance + standing in the security line there so there's a time-saving benefit to staying with your group if you want to see that one too.

Just a thought? You could also ask your tour leader on the day you go there.

Just to add to my previous post, if you DO leave the Sistine with your tour to go to the basilica, you cannot re-enter the museums so you'll need to make your decision at that point.

About that back exit from the Sistine Chapel...
It may be reserved for tour groups - but my family and I had no trouble using this exit to go to either the Dome Climb area or the Basilica. We simply walked out of the Sistine and walked straight to the Basilica. I think the guards don't care if you are exiting and will only stop you if you try to enter the Sistine Chapel directly using this passage way.

We know that once you leave the Vatican Museums, you cannot reenter without paying admission again. It's our intent to follow the group until we reach the Sistine Chapel and then go our separate way...if allowed. That way we hear RS guide before diving deeper into the collections. That's a great point about groups visiting the chapel first then touring the museums. So maybe it's possible?

How was RS guide of the Vatican and St Peter's Basilica? Was the guided tour of the basilica good?

That's a great point about groups visiting the chapel first then
touring the museums. So maybe it's possible?

All depends on the RS guide's arrangement, and I've no idea what that usually is. My guess is that the order is highlights of the museum>Sistine>Basilica. The early-entry tours, which do the Sistine first and are allowed to get into it before the general public/other tours, are specific to companies which do them, such as Walks of Italy's popular "Pristine Sistine", and are quite pricey.

You might want to read through the reviews of RS Italy tours which include the Vatican to see what people have had to say about their experience?

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/rome

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/italy/venice-florence-rome

I wouldn't count on being able to enter the basilica through the back passage without a tour. It's sort of up to the whim of the guards on duty, and there have been reports of individual tourists being refused access.

Sorry Kathy, you misunderstood my question. I am not asking for the direction/route RS guide takes, i.e. chapel, museums, and basilica. Nor am I asking to reenter thro the back door at the Sistine Chapel. My only question cannot be answered by reading RS travel reviews since it's a Vatican Museum policy question.

Can I break from the group tour once I reach the chapel? I've read the "one-way" traffic flow inside the museums are strictly enforced.

Understood and yes, as several of us mentioned above, you can double back through the museums. It was the issue of choosing to MISS the basilica - and the easy route into it plus your guide's narration about the church - that was worth raising if that's the order of things the guide takes.

(edited)

I would just let your guide know what you're going to do and ask about the best way back?

Oh wait...I did ask a secondary question on critiquing the guide. Sorry Kathy. I might have to write to the museum and ask about their flow pattern. We think highly of Rick's guides, so it's a hard decision to skip or stay with the tour group.

That's OK. :O)
I mentioned some other little details in case anyone else is using your thread to plan their own visit. That happens a lot!

This blogger specifically mentions being able to double back after the Sistine, just ignore the part about the breakfast tour:

http://thecatholictraveler.com/guided-tours-vatican-museums-sistine-chapel/

"Another new(ish) option is to book breakfast at the Vatican Museums. You pay a little more, but get in before the crowds. If you go this route, go straight to the Sistine Chapel to enjoy it before the crowds. Then you can back track and visit the rest of the Museums."

Also reference this recent TA thread:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187793-i1891-k11264405-Vatican_Museums_or_Vatican_Museums_and_St_Peters-Vatican_City_Lazio.html

"If you book a guided tour that doesn't include the basilica you can go back into the museums (from the Sistine) and explore as long as you like"

Hope this helps!

"One-Way" human traffic comment. While the visitors tend to cattle herd walk in one direction - a museum visitor can walk in the corridors in any direction one pleases. It's just you have to dart around the other tourists which can be difficult in tightly bottlenecked areas. The same goes for visiting San Marco Church in Venice if not attending Mass. No guard inside the museum is going to force you to walk in one direction. So, if you want to peel-off to linger before a painting or see exhibits in a side corridor - you can. If you are traveling with a tour group - it's best to stay with your group.

To be honest, if I ever visit the Vatican Museum again I am going to pick the absolute quietest time of the year in terms of tourism. The place is kind of a madhouse and it gets even worse when tour groups enter a given room and you find yourself wedged against a wall by the hordes. The Sistine Chapel is beautiful but there also you may find yourself wedged into the room like a can of sardines attempting to appreciate the artwork without tripping as the packed in crowd slowly presses toward the exit.

AMEN Rick!
We did okay in the Sistine. It was crowded, but walkable unlike some areas in the museum. The "Map" room area was a sardine crunch. The one area I really wanted to see was a courtyard like room with several significant statues. We couldn't even get into this area. I saw one statue from a distance across the room; one statue I could not approach; and the famous Michelangelo restored statue of the man with snakes - I could only see partially from the side.