We will be in Rome in May from late Sunday afternoon until Wednesday evening. Any recommendations on the best time to do a tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel - that is, least crowded? Also, can we purchase tickets ahead of time, and if so, how and where?
Thanks

We went in June which is considered peak time but still it wasn't really that crowded...it is crowded but nothing unmanageable. If you want it nearly empty then I guess very early morning or late afternoon/evening would be the time to go. We signed up for a walking tour...don't remember the name of the company but got the recommendation from this forum. It is a very popular company that mostly hires history graduate students. They took care of the tickets etc. The tour was good - not hurried and you get all the information you need. Once the tour is over you can do whatever you want to do.

I've visited the Vatican Museums several times and I found the best time to beat the lines is right around the noon hour. It seems many visitors take a lunch break about that time! In fact, last September I arrived about 12:30 and there was no lineup at all! The museums, which are huge, are still quite busy but then your not in a big crowd and have the afternoon ahead of you and can take your time.

You can get English-language headsets once inside, if you're a do-it-yourself type. You'll need photo id, such as your driver's license to get the headset (one year, I tried to leave a credit card as security and they wouldn't accept it!!)

That's cheaper than a tour group, where you can get advance tickets but you pay quite a lot for that. As an individual, you can't get advance tickets.

And remember, the Sistene Chapel is at the extreme far end of the museum complex, relative to the main entrance and exit. So if the Sistene is your priority, pace yourself pretty carefully, choose a few must-sees, and don't try to stop and examine every room in between! Most guide books have pretty good floor plans of the museum and descriptions of the highlights, such as the Raphael Rooms.

Best,
sac

If you visit the Vatican website, you can find information on requesting a tour. That's what we did last May, and had a tour reservation at 2:00. The tour took 2 hours, which was perfect. It ended in the Sistene Chapel, from which you can exit through the back door and go directly to St. Peter's Basilica without going back outside to stand in line. It was a huge time-saver. The back door from the Chapel closed at 4:30, so it we perfect timing for us, since our tour ended at 4:00 in the Chapel.
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Hi Maureen-

I have 2 questions.

1. How far in advance did you fax the reservation request to the Vatican?

2. How many days after (or before the tour) did you get a confirmation?

Thanks!!

rmkd, I actually posted an entire thread about the process, because it was (and may still be) rather slow and uncertain. For one thing, you don't hear back from the Vatican confirming they have your request.

For our May 10 tour, I probably faxed to the Vatican in early March. I faxed a few times, before I read on this forum that a confirmation would not be forthcoming.

In the end, we were given the tour time we wanted, but the Vatican's fax back to me didn't arrive until literally the morning I was leaving for the airport to fly to Rome (just three days before the tour date).

Lesson learned: give the Vatican your fax number in Rome, so you won't miss it. You need the Vatican's fax, along with your IDs, in order to be allowed in.

I think tour hours have changed since May 2006, but the process may still be the same. If you search this forum, you will find lots of threads about it, including a full explanation of the process as I posted it.

Good luck. It was definitely a good tour, and well worth the trouble. Having a confirmed entrance time made all the difference in the world.
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Hi Maureen -

Thanks for the information. We will be on a cruise, so I HOPE they will email. I read a posting somewhere that they did email a reply. We will be in Rome on May 31 and are leaving Tampa on the 23rd. I faxed a request a week ago, but know it is too early. I will try again in a few weeks. I guess you need a back-up plan just in case.

Thanks so much!

Kim

The Vatican using e-mail? That would be a new development! Post back if you find out more.
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