I'm starting to get very nervous about visiting the Vatican museums Monday morning, Apr. 4th. (a week after Easter). Are the crowds really horrendous then? We get into Rome Saturday mid-morning, leave Monday about 2:30, and I believe the museums are closed Sat. pm and Sundays. We are currently scheduled with a licensed guide for 8:20 am. Monday for a 4-hour tour.

Thanks, Pat

We went on MOday morning when they opened. Yes - the crowd was horrendous - but I understand it gets even worse at later times. People line up and hour or more early to get in - which is rather pointless because it is just as crowded for those first people once you are inside as it is for people further back in the line.

The Vatican Museums are never not crowded... be prepared!

We are planning to see the vatican museums on a Wed morning in November. Do we need reservations? Do we get the tickets there? Do we just walk up to St Peters and ask where the tours start? What time to we need to be there to beat the crowd?
Aaahahhhhhh!!! I'm getting nervous!

I don't think you can get reservations - just get in line with the rest of Rome! I think if you hire a tour with a guide company - they probably waive you through the line - - but it is still mobbed inside. If you want to hire a guide through the museum - there is a serive window to the left of the turnstyles when you enter. We paid $120 for a two hour private guide.

We went to the Vatican museums on a Thursday afternoon 2 weeks ago and it wasn't particularly crowded. I've heard Wednesdays can be very crowded because everyone who's been to the Papal audience then goes to the museums.

We just walked in and bought tickets--there was only one person ahead of us in line.

We went in June, arrived about midday and walked straight in. Nowhere was busy except the Sistine Chapel. I must say I don't see the point of taking a tour : the museums are so extensive, there's no way you'll get to appreciate everything; so I think it's best to do a bit of research beforehand on which galleries you're most interested in & don't linger in the others.

In June the Vatican museums are open til about 4:30. The least crowded time is to walk in about lunch time, at 12:00 or 12:30. We walked right in. (All the other tourists go to lunch.) Since the museums were open til 4:30 this still gave us enough time to see what we wanted. There wasn't any line to get into the Sistine chapel.

If you are going when the museums close at 2:30, getting there at noon wouldn't give you enough time to see things. You need about 4 hours and still won't see everything but that was enough for me.

You might try seeing St. Peter's first, and getting to the Vatican museums around 10:30...I would imagine that most tourists are thinking to get there early and then leave for a nice lunch. Perhaps the crowds will be lighter after lunch this way...But I dont' know this for sure.

I do know that I did a lot of on-line research asking people what are the least busy times during summer hours when the museums are open longer, and received the accurate answer that when museums are open til 4:30, lunch time is the best time to enter. This worked for the Uffizzi gallery in florence too.