mbann

Hello,

My wife (28) and I (29) will be in Rome with my parents (late 50s) from July 6 to July 12 this summer. I booked a visit to the tomb of Saint Peter and the necropolis (Scavi) for Thursday, July 9 at 11:00. Since the Scavi visit is the only firm plan for that day and falls close to the middle of the day I have been trying to plan the rest of our day at the Vatican. Here are a few options that I have come up with.

Option 1)
- St. Peter's Basilica (get there around 8)
- Scavi visit (11:00-12:30)
- eat lunch
- Vatican Museums (14:00 to 17:00ish)
- Castel Sant'Angelo (if we feel up for it on our way back to our apartment near Piazza Navona)

Option 2)
- Castel Sant'Angelo (open at 9:00)
- Scavi visit (11:00-12:30)
- then visit St. Peter's since we will be passed the security line already (12:45-14:30)
- Vatican Museums and eat a late lunch in the museum (15:00-close)

Option 3)
- Vatican Museum - breakfast and early entrance offered through official site (7:00-10:30)
- Scavi visit (11:00-12:30)
- St. Peter's
- Castel Sant'Angelo

Option 4)
- Scavi visit and St. Peter's on Thursday
- Vatican Museums a separate day

Option 3 will be the most costly due to the early entrance visit to the Vatican Museums, but that would be a treat to my parents since it is around their 35th anniversary.

This is a first visit for all of us and I just want to make sure we are making the most efficient use of our time. We all enjoy art and museums. My wife and I are also both history teachers, so just being able to visit Rome and the Vatican is something we are really excited about.

So, what option would you suggest for being the most logical and efficient use of time? I am also open to other ideas.

Thank you,

Matt

Finecheapboxofwine

I vote for option 3 or 4- tour the Vatican museum as early in the day as possible. We were there over Easter. Granted it was Uber high season but the museum was packed like sardines midday. We had a ticket for entry and lunch. That visit exhausted us so we skipped St. Peter's until a different day and we had to stand in line there for about an hour to gain entry. I'm not sure how the flow is in July. I imagine it to be hot so you might want to avoid queues in the baking sun.

Pepper_von_snoot

I would never skip Castel Sant'Angelo. Unbelievable views of Rome from the upper terraces.

The tumescent baboon fresco is worth the price of admission alone.

Not a fan of the Vatican Museum. Would rather visit Villa Giulia Etruscan Museum in the Borghese Gardens.


Be careful where you eat around the Vatican.



Thin

nytraveler

Option 1 seems to work best but I'm not sure you'll have time/energy to see Castel Sant' Angelo. (We've visited and found it fascinating, but did it on a separate day from the Vatican.)

Remember that for St Peter's besides the basilica itself you will probably want to visit the Treasury and also climb up to the Dome to see the views out over Rome.

amyb

I'd go for early entry to the Vatican Museums. See what you can before it is shoulder to shoulder from the entrance to the Sistine Chapel. We were there in late March and fortunately had group entry, which got us in in about 20 minutes, but it was a slow crawl from the door to the Chapel, only the Pinacoteca was lightly populated.

If you're into art at all, there are some tremendous works here to see, not just the Sistine Chapel. I wouldn't skip it.

bvlenci

I would never dream of taking the Vatican Necropolis tour and visiting St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and Castel Sant'Angelo all on the same day. The Vatican Museums alone always finishes me off for the rest of the day, and maybe the day after as well.

<< The tumescent baboon fresco is worth the price of admission alone. >>

Real fourth-grade art appreciation.

kybourbon

Since you have 6 days in Rome, I wouldn't try to cram all that into one day.

mbann

Thank you all for the feedback. I think we will split this into two days. We will do the Vatican Necropolis tour and St. Peter's Basilica on one day and then the Vatican Museums and Castel Sant'Angelo on another day.

What is the line typically like to climb the dome in St. Peter's?

Pepper_von_snoot

I have walked up the stairs to reach the dome, but early in the morning around 8:30 AM. No line.

You can take an elevator up, but the ticket is more expensive, say around 5€ more.

Make sure you follow this dress code. You WILL NOT get beyond the Vatican Guard if you are not properly dressed!

Good luck at the Vatican Museum. It is an art warehouse where many magnificent pieces are inadequately displayed.

It will be a major crush--think New York City dance club on a Saturday night--in the Sistine Chapel.

I am not exaggerating.

You would probably find Palazzo Barberini much more relaxing.

Thin

Pepper_von_snoot

>Real fourth-grade art appreciation<

I can see by another one of your spurious responses that you aren't weighted down by the accumulation of knowledge.


Thin

jabez

Options 1 & 2 work fine. Late afternoons are easy entrance times (get an audio tour).I lean towards #1 ,since I've done that. I do think you are taking on lot,if you plan to spend the time you should in the museums. I think Castel Sant'Angelo is worth a visit, but I often recommend it for someone's second visit.

The scavi tour (there are actually two, but I'm sure you mean the one that ends at St. Peter's bones)is very interesting. We plan to do it again later this year.

Have a great trip!

mbann

Thanks Jabez. Yes, the Scavi Tour we have booked is the one that ends at St. Peter's bones. I am very excited for this tour.

We decided to split this portion of our trip into two days. We booked a tour of the Vatican Museums (through the official site) at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, July 8. I made sure to book the tour that just includes the Museums, so that way we can go back into the parts of the museum the tour does not cover. Then, on Thursday, July 9 we will do the Scavi tour and St. Peter's.

The Scavi tour is booked for 11:00 AM on Thursday. Should we visit St. Peter's Basilica before (say around 8:00) or after (since the Scavi tour ends passed the security line)?

Any suggestions?

Pepper_von_snoot

If you depart from the doors marked "Tour Groups Only" in the Sistine Chapel you will end up inside St. Peter's.

Good luck with the tsunami of tourists in the Vatican Museum.

Stayed at a hotel once (Best Western Spring Garden) across the street from the entrance to the Vatican Museum and watched in horror as the line to get in grew and grew and was down the street and around the corner by 8 AM.


You can drink from the nasoni in St. Peter's Square, by the way.

Thin

Seamus

Thin - did you by any chance intend to write Spring House (it's on Via Mocenigo) rather than Spring Garden? Stayed there with my mother in the mid 90's expressly because it was so close to museum entrance. As I recall it was a decent 2-3 star facility. Looks like it is still operating.

BAHItaly

I can only add to spend as much time there as you possibly can. So much to take in and should be in no hurry. We used Presto tours to get us in a timely manner and give us info that could have never known without a class. Sm group tour of 15 max.
I'm not Catholic but I can truly appreciate the history and amazing artists, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bellini, Titan,Caravaggio, etc. if you don't already know art history, if you reviewed it or even took a class, you would be truly amazed at where you are and what you are looking at (or possibly a replica)!
We also, took tour of Apion Way and Cattocombs. Fascinating as well.

Pepper_von_snoot

Yes, Jim, you are correct. It is Spring House, not Spring Garden. Thinking of SG Street in Philly, which you would know since you were at Temple.

Keith and I stayed at the hotel in 2009, on your reco. You probably don't remember.

We slept in the duplex Marisa Pavan Suite with a retractable roof.

Hope you and Luis are fine down in Texas!

Thin