September 27th - Free Vatican Museums - Skip the line?
 

We bought guided tour tickets on the Vatican website for Sept 27th (admission is free, but we paid for Guided tours). Do we still have to stand in the lines? or is there a separate entry? Our guided tours have specific timeslots, so I am worried about getting stuck in the lines. Does anyone know how this works?

I am thinking there will be a place for timed entries where you will not be waiting in a line to purchase tickets.

You will still have to get in the line for tours and go through security. It's not the same as the ticket purchase line. Walk to the entrance and tell the person at the door you have a tour (show your print out). They will send you on in to the security line.

For several years, Rome participated in the Heritage weekend with free museums (has usually been the last weekend in Sept.). Last year, they did not participate. I assume this is what you are talking about. Whenever I've been in Rome during this free weekend, you still had to get a ticket to enter sites even though it was free (have not visited the Vatican Museums during the free weekend though).

I visited the Vatican in August and had a tour booked online through the Vatican. There was a separate entrance for tours booked online. Although the ticket line was absolutely insane, there was no line and security took literally 1 minute.

Good luck, LAST visit to the Vatican in September two years ago was very disappointening huge crowds,huge lines and unbearable visit to the Sistine Chapetl, so crowded and the guards shouting!
I really felt like in a nightmare!

CatchK, When you talk about entrances, are you talking about the North entrance (Museo Vaticani) near Ottaviano metro station? The door to Vatican there (looked at Streetview on Google)seems pretty small, so are there really two ways we can enter there?

>>>CatchK, When you talk about entrances, are you talking about the North entrance (Museo Vaticani) near Ottaviano metro station?<<<

Yes, everyone enters there. There is a line usually down and around the block to purchase tickets. If you already booked tickets or tours with the Vatican, you just walk up to the door (instead of standing in that very long line) and show your reservation. The guards let you go on in. The security lines are right inside the door.