Which Day Would YOU Choose?

I never visit the Vatican Museums on a weekend. Thursday, Dec 28 will be crowded, too. Your choices are what they are, but both are not ideal. You won't notice a difference in crowd size. Tourism at the Vatican doesn't decrease until after January 6. The Christmas/New Year's holiday is always busy in Rome. It's even worse during a Jubilee Year.

Thursday, December 28 would be my choice. I am looking at it from perspective of working at a popular museum in Chicago before Saturday is always busy at museums. Not ISIS but pick pockets more likely you should worry about.

Do you also worry about lightning strikes or being hit by a meteorite? Personally I think both dates are about equal since the Christmas season really extends until Jan 6th. I really think you are over thinking this. Both days are going to be very crowded.

See if you can book the Pristine Sistine tour which has been talked about before. it is a wonderful tour and will get you entry into the Museum at the earliest possible time.
dont worry about ISIS. There are plenty of other things to worry about that are more likely to happen. just go and enjoy.

Is this a Jubilee Year, NYCTravelSnob?

Thanks for the good advice, everyone.

Saturday is s workday for many businesses.

If you plan to take photos INSIDE the Sistine Chapel, forget it. Taking photos is strictly prohibited (at least the last time I went a year ago), although some do it anyway. But I am sure you don't want to be the rude couple taking photos and prompting the guards to yell, "NO PHOTOS!"

Rome has been a target for a long time, and been very safe for just as long. 2016 was a Holy Year (Jubilee) for the church with many big events going on and nothing dreadful happened at all. Christmas Eve mass has been held FOREVER with no unfortunate incidents.

Oh, and everyone must go through a security check before entering the museums (same with the Colosseum) and the basilica, and the Vatican as a whole is well policed. Book either day as both will be very busy and, as noted earlier, photos aren't allowed in the Sistine so he'll need to put the camera away.

As is all too tragically clear today, terrorism can occur anywhere, at any time, and isn't limited to any particular religion.

He'll be taking a ton of pics everywhere else there, though, except inside the Sistine in the Vatican Museums. LOL. I'm interested in this Pristine Sistine tour. I thought when I clicked on the link for it, there was a notice of 1 guest for $49? Some sort of special? Regular adult price is $107.00. So is there a special price of $150.00 for 2 adults, Diane? When I tried to input 2 adults, it came up $215.00? I wonder whether there is a code or something I need to input for the $49 guest price? I don't see a senior price? Rome After Dark tours seem a little bit less expensive. Are they as good? And is it true there is a 10% discount on Pristine Sistine if you input a code from your Rick Steves Tour Book, and does it have to be any special year's edition? Thanks in advance. I appreciate all of you. If I book through the Vatican directly, how soon could I do so for December 23? Will it open up later this month? Right now it shows bookins available only for October/November.

I thought when I clicked on the link for it, there was a notice of 1
guest for $49?

gracialynne, it must be a different tour as they are not advertising any specials for "Pristine Sistine" on the webpage.

https://www.walksofitaly.com/vatican-tours/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour?gclid=CPG9p9zf0tYCFQoPaQodUDwNGA

Thanks for checking for me, Kathy.

Zoe, we won't be taking pics inside the Sistine Chapel. When I was there in April, I was taking pics in the other rooms, and I didn't realize we had arrived in the Sistine Chapel, so I still had my camera in my hand. A guard sternly informed me about the no pics rule, which I understood and obeyed. I was so disgusted when I saw a young man sneaking photos on his smart phone, surreptitiously, looking over his shoulder to see whether anyone was looking. It made me mad! What is wrong with people?!

And he got away with it, Zoe. The guards didn't notice. I should have told on him. HAHA.

I hate that, too. I see someone taking photos in a "no photo" area, we have words about it. Personally I think they should be put on a "no fly" list for five years.

So there is no 10% off discount for the Pristine Sistine Tour with a Rick Steves Guidebook code? That is a thing of the past?

Hi! Not to add one more worry to your calculations, but I am going to do that.

We went to the Vatican between Christmas and New Years, expecting it to be very crowded but also expecting to spend the day seeing all the rooms full of art and archeology that Rick describes in his guidebook. What happened instead was that ALL of the rooms we wanted to see were closed because museum staff were on vacation, and instead we were packed into a dense crowd of other tourists and rushed at top speed to the Sistine Chapel. It was almost impossible to turn around and go against the flow of people or to stop and look at anything. We tried to.

If we had known ahead of time what that visit would be like, we would have tried to find out if the other rooms were open that day and then toured the Vatican on another day or even on another trip. It never even occurred to us that most rooms would be closed in such a large and popular place, even though we'd seen one room being closed in small museums and small art galleries in Italy.

So, if your main interest is in the Sistine Chapel, you'll be fine (although squished). If you want to see "everything," try to confirm that the rooms you want to see are indeed open.

Wow, Nancy. Thanks for that info. I almost didn't see your post. Hmmmm. Do you recall what actual day you were at the Vatican Museums? I wonder whether they'd tend to be more staffed before Christmas (23d) or after Christmas (28th/29th), or whether it would make any difference at all.

And do you suppose the Pristine/Sistine Tour would enable us to see the rooms that were closed off to you guys, Nancy? I'm wondering whether the 23d would be best. Maybe the workers would not yet have departed for the holidays? I wonder how I could find out, who I would contact???

I wonder how I could find out, who I would contact???

Gracialynne. if you're considering the Walks of Italy tour, you would contact THEM for info on which rooms they cover, although that's already clearly spelled out on their website:

https://www.walksofitaly.com/vatican-tours/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour

If the majority of rooms they visit were going to be closed on any given day, I'm sure they wouldn't even offer the tour as it is described. Could a room or so be closed? Yes, so reference the disclaimer on the website:

"As with all museums, particular galleries of the Vatican museums can sometimes be closed without prior notice and pieces removed for restoration or loan. In the case of a gallery being closed, your guide will take you to another section of the museums instead."

https://www.walksofitaly.com/vatican-tours/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour

This is a very highly regarded company so if you book with them, I've no doubt that they will deliver a quality experience to the best of their ability.

It sounds great, Kathy! I tend to think this would make a great way to celebrate our wedding anniversary in Rome in grand style!

The actual day was Saturday, January 3rd, 2015 --- I just looked at the dates on the photos we took that day (mostly of things out in the hall and in the main stairway and of the crowd itself!) You'd think two days after new years day would have been a safe bet, but maybe it being a Saturday contributed to the staff shortage. I hope my information helps you figure out what to do! Have a wonderful time in Rome!