We are coming in to Rome on May 31st and wondering is it possible to pay for and reserve tickets to St. Peters Basilica and Sistine Chapel for that evening before we arrive.If anyone knows of a site were this can be done we would appreciate it ...thanks

Logically, it would be the Vatican web site to book tickets. St. Peter's is a church and does not require tickets. The Sistine Chapel is accessed via the museums so that is the ticket you buy.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

Are you arriving from overseas? You may want to consider jet lag that first night if so...

A visit to the Sistina cannot be done without the entire Vatican museum so it's a matter of 2-3 hours. Probably a bit much for a first jet-lagged evening.

Thank you Adrienne for your logic !

Jamikins and quokka thank you very much for your advice and good manners ;-)

The Sistine Chapel has become a circus sideshow.

Too many tourists and screaming guards.

If you can afford it and really want to experience the Sistine Chapel I would book a PRIVATE TOUR.

Thin

St Peter's closes at 7pm every evening.

I agree that it might be wiser to postpone your visit til the next day [at least] when you may have recovered from a your jetlag. a better plan is to do some wandering around on your first evening - the Campo die fiori, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon [the inside closes at 7pm but you can see the outside] the Trevi fountain - all of these things are not dependant on the time you arrive in Rome and the state of your health!