Vatican city is a big place and figuring out how to plan your visit can be a pain. But it really doesn't need to be. Here are my recommendations on how to tackle the Vaticano and make it an unforgettable and personal experience.First of all, no matter if it's your first trip to Italy or your 15th, the Vatican is always a great experience. If you know anything about me, either personally or from my blog, you know that I'm not one for museums, large tourist crowds (ironic I know), lines, or spending my vacation in museums and churches (see any post regarding my love of #wine and #food). However, as a history nerd and culture enthusiast, the "holy trinity" of Roman sites – Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica – never really gets old to me. I learn something new every time, see things I've never seen before, and build upon the appreciation I have for the history of the church and its incredible stories, past and present.
Here are my tips on how to see it:
1) Get a private guide
I don't recommend private guides for everything, but when I do it's for the Vatican.
Private guides allow you a gazillion benefits including reservations, no lines, insight into what you're actually seeing, a personal experience, history lesson, local insight... shall I go on? If you only go once in your life and if it's a life-long dream, pay the extra euros to get the best experience possible and take away a memorable and stress-free experience. The price of a private guide can range from 120-160 EUR total for a group of 2-6 people plus the price of tickets, which is 16 EUR per person. Please contact me to set up your private guide. I've the THE best.
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| The Raphael Rooms with Sydney & Valeria |
If you decide not to go the private guide route, we can make reservations and get your tickets online prior to arrival. This allows you to show up, get your tickets, and go. If you choose this option, I suggest going in the afternoon around 2:30. Most people go in the morning with the mindset of, "If we go early, we'll miss the afternoon crowds!" I would also suggest grabbing an audio guide. You may as well have some information on hand about what you're seeing along the way to the Sistine Chapel. If you do only go once, at least get something out of it rather than staring blankly at a million statues and paintings.
3) The bum rush method
Are you a backpacker? A young'en with the intention of getting some culture on your European adventure? If so, this might be for you. A great way to "see" the holy trinity is to use the bum rush method. To master this method, you need only to follow these few simple rules:
1. Wear tennis shoes and carry small pack on back
2. Arrive crack-of-dawn early to the general admission line
3. Put on your blinders - enter the Vatican Museums and put on blinders to absolutely everything except signs pointing you towards the Sistine Chapel
4. Bum rush - find your perfect speed walking pace or slow trot and take off past the crowds towards the Sistine Chapel. You'll find yourself amongst very few others with the same idea and form a little pack. It's a nice kind of camaraderie.
5. Take in the Sistine "con calma" - Take in the Sistine Chapel with only your fellow joggers around and take in all of Michelangelo's fresco-ing glory
6. Make like a salmon – Exiting the Sistine Chapel, know that you'll be swimming upstream against the slow pokes you passed by earlier in order to see the things you missed on your way in.
4) Private early morning tour
For a pretty penny you can enjoy the Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's with a private guide before the museum opens to the general public. This means you get up extra early on your vacation, but get to see everything with almost nobody else around. Then you're done by 9 a.m. and can enjoy the rest of the day in Rome, or even go back to your fabulous hotel or apartment (that I found for you, of course) and go back to sleep. You're on vacation after all.
Vatican Museum Hours:
Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (last entry 75 minutes before closing)
Closed Sundays except the last Sunday of every month, which has free entry from 9 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Closed also holy days and some random days throughout the year (click here for specifics)
Vatican Museum Ticket Prices:
Full Price 16 EUR per person
Reduced 8 EUR per person
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St. Peter's Basilica & the Dome
Visiting St. Peter's Basilica itself is free. There is a long line that forms in St. Peter's Square, but it tends to move rather quickly. You'll go through a security check point that scans your bags and a quick metal detector. The church is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Apr-Sept) and 8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. (Oct-Mar) except Wednesday mornings when it opens after the Papal Audience, usually around 12 noon.
To climb the Dome (551 steps) or take the elevator and then climb the remaining 231 steps, you must purchase a ticket for about 5 euros (7 for elevator+stairs) at the ticket office located to the right-hand side of the main entrance of St. Peter's. The dome is open from 8 a.m. to 4:45 or 5:45 p.m. depending on the time of year.
Papal Audiences
These happen Wednesday mornings and are basically a large gathering on the steps of the Vatican facing St. Peter's Square. You have to have a ticket, but they are free of charge. Contact your local church to help set up tickets, or visit the offices in Rome's city center Monday or Tuesday morning before attending. (see specifics here)
Scavi Tour
The Scavi Tour is the underground necropolis (city) underneath the Vatican that was once an active neighborhood in Rome. You can walk through the streets, see the ancient buildings get to see a side of Rome that almost nobody ever gets to see. The Vatican limits the number of tours each day so it's necessary to reserve your tickets months in advance. There are only a few tours a day in English and they are limited to small, mixed groups of up to 12 people. First come, first served and tickets are only 12 Euros. Let me know if you would like help requesting reservations.
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Don't forget to dress appropriately for your visit. Please cover your knees (ladies) and shoulders - bring a sweater or scarf to cover t-shirts and tank tops. If you come bearing too much skin, be prepared to be denied entry. This applies to the Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica, not to the Vatican Museums.
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*The entrance to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel is not the same as the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica, which is in St. Peter's Square. Instead, the entrance to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel is on the far north side of Vatican City - a good 15 minute walk from the front of St. Peter's Square.
What else? Email me Sally@sliceoftuscany.com
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