Will be in Rome the first weekend of November...Is there a way to just go directly to the Sistine Chapel without having to take a tour through the Vatican museum? What is the best time to go to avoid the crowds?
Thanks for your help!

You can take the most direct route the museum is offering that day. The Sistine Chapel is at least a 10-minute walk from the museum entrance if you were able to walk the most direct route. I've found that at different times of year (and perhaps different times of day) the direct route to the chapel might be roped off to pass through more galleries than usual. I suspect this is an attempt at crowd control.

When you enter the museum there are a few signs directing you to different galleries within the museum complex. One sign is indeed 'Sistine Chapel.' If you follow that sign you'll get there by the fastest route of the moment.

ellenm, thanks for the info. Do you know of any private tour companies specifically for the Sistine Chapel? We'd like to go when there aren't too many people, and also want to skip the "museum" part. Thanks!

Haven't been there so can't help with any of your question, but do go to the local library to see if they have Ross King's "Michealangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" - fascinating story on how the Sistine Chapel was planned and painted. It'll give you an insight on the ceiling frescoes.

The Sistine Chapel is considered part of the Vatican Museums. Any visit to the chapel muswt pass through other sections of the museums, no matter how briefly.

I don't know of any specific priate companies, but people often discuss them in this forum. Maybe a search will link you to some options.

In November, I've just always showed up just after noon and usually had no problem walking right in and following the direct route to the chapel.

MartiB,
Bring a good pair small binoculars to really see the art work on the ceiling. There are bench seats along the sides of the chapel. You can just sit and enjoy all art work while other visitors look at you and say why didn't I think of bringing my binoculars.... Also, you won't get bumped or forced to move like you would if you tried to stand in the center of the chapel. Another suggestion would be to walk up to the top of the dome at St. Peters. What great view of Rome from there. Hope this helps, Ciao, Louie.

Helen Donegan at www.italywithus.biz does an after hours tour of the Sistine Chapel for a small group of people. The cost is 250 Euro per person. She is conducting one of these tours on November 5th. The tour is three hours long and also goes to the Raphael Rooms.

You can just keep walking (figure 15 minutes)until you reach the chapel.
Rent an audio tour and stop at things you find interesting,press a button and hear all about it.
Unless you join a tour group with early entry privileges, your best bet to beat lines is around 12:30.

when we visited in early March there were long lines for the Vatican museum at the time it opened but people were just walking in by early afternoon. The afternoon hours are shorter in November and I believe the last entrance is at 12:20 so you would have to take that into account. (You should check the times carefully to be sure)
You have to walk to the far end of the museum for the Sistine Chapel and Raphael rooms as others have indicated. If you read Michaelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling (I agree with that recommendation as great background) you will also get a lot of information about the Raphael rooms which are in the same part of the museums

When you are finished viewing the chapel you can exit the museum at a staircase at one end and will be near the entrance to St. Peter's--saves time over retracing your steps. I think the sign says the exit is for tour cos but you can ignore that

vttraveler's exit strategy to take the group exit on the right will indeed save time. However, if you've rented an audioguide or want to see other parts of the museums, you shouldn't use this exit. It dumps you out of the museum complex right next to St Peter's.

With an audiguide or to retrieve checked bags, you must return to the museum entrance.

And the odds are that you will check your bags.
FYI, Friday and Saturday the 2nd and 3rd the museums still allow entrance until 3:30. They are closed on the 1st.

Just returned from our 8th trip to Italy. We booked a private vatican tour - which included the Sistine Chapel - through this company: www.initaly.com Our guide was Antonella and she was great. The driver picked us up at our apartment and drove us, we did the tour, then returned to our apartment. We were 7 people. Your guide is paid for the time and if you want to go straight to the Chapel you can easily do that. It's your money and your time, and the guides are all respectful of that. At least from my experience.

It's hard for me to imagine going anywhere near the Vatican without a lot of people. When I went to the Sistine Chapel, I got in the line, and I was way down the block from the entrance, but the line went so fast. Even though the museum was very crowded, it was so well organized, I didn't have the least bit pushing, shoving, or stretching to see each display.

The lines contain friendly, happy people & it's a good time to exchange and receive tips from others while waiting.

ellenem and jabez are absolutely right about the problems with the quick-exit-from-the-Sistine-Chapel strategy.
I mentioned it because you seemed to want a way to get in and out of the museum complex just visiting the Sistine Chapel. When we have visited we have always gone back through the museum toward the entrance to see other parts of the vast collection. The pinacoteca has many wonderful paintings and is much less crowded than the Chapel/Raphael rooms.

But if a visitor is really interested in the Sistine Chapel ONLY, the quick group exit is great. I've used it a number of times with friends who were not interested in other parts of the museums.

If your intention is to visit St Peter's after the Sistine Chapel, using the group exit saves a 10-minute walk back to the main museum entrance, a 10-15-minute walk around the walls of the Vatican to Piazza San Pietro, and standing in the security check line for St Peter's.

If we plan to do this, I make sure my companions pack 'light' that day, so we don't need to check bags or return to get them.