Vatican in half a day?

Question

I'm planning to visit Vatican. Only have two days in Rome.

I was planning on taking professional tour so I don't wander around.

Any suggestions? Are there any tours I can join on site or they all have to be booked in advance?

When does Vatican open in the morning?

Answer 1

I'm not sure what the first post is referring to about passes to the Sistine Chapel on a Sunday..if only it were that easy! The museums are closed on Sundays. The last Sunday of each month, the museums are open and free of charge, but the line to get in is atrocious. I would rather pay and go during the week.

Reserving through the Vatican fax can be a trip. These tours must be requested in advance by fax from one month to one week before the requested tour date. The Vatican is notorious for failing to reply via fax, and repeat requests are often necessary. The link for requesting these tickets is http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/M...

There are private companies who offer tours of the museums and Sistine chapel plus St. Peter's in a half day. Some would argue that the basilica is as important to see with a guide as the sistine chapel, as nothing is marked or explained in the church.

he Vatican Tours offered by When in Rome Tours are among the best in the city. Vatican tours start at 25 Euro per person, entrance fees not included. http://www.wheninrometours.com

Answer 2

Although a 1/2 day is really not enough to do it all, as you are waiting in line, there are several tours offered by American & British students living in Rome. They advertise on the last two corners as you are waiting in line around the walls. Make sure you get them to show a tour guide pass and maybe even produce a brochure. They are usually very comprehensive since they are students there specifically to study art and history. I think they were offering them at about 25-30 Euro. Of course, no tourguide is necessary. You might want to consider getting a guidebook and finding and planning out exactly what you want to see before and after jumping in line for the Sistina and Raphael's Stanze which is pretty much one way traffic through it all. St. Peter's itself is also doable with guidebooks and just wandering around a bit. Of course you can also book tickets and tours in advance through your concierge or online sites.

Answer 3

You may book a tour of the Vatican museums and gardens before you go. Go to www.vatican.va for more information on the Vatican and to this link for how to book a tour (it's a little complicated, requiring faxes, but well worth being able to jump the very long line to get inside): http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/M...

Tours start at 10.15 a.m.

Once you've done your guided tour here, you can visit St. Peter's and the square on your own. The Pope holds audiences on Wednesdays and sometimes says mass on Sunday, however in the summer he is usually outside Rome at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

Answer 4

I did the same thing myself, takes only two hours to go round the walls. Don't forget to ask for passes into the Sistine chapel if you are arriving on a Sunday. If you are lucky, you might get within a hundred yards of the Pope on St Peter's square on a Sunday morning as I did. (It was John Paul the II then)

    Don't forget to also visit the church of St peter and Paul Outside the Walls, not far from the Vatican, in Rome. The stained glass paintings inside and outside is as good as any church in the vatican.

    I am not aware of any tours on site. There is also a lot of security and bags, purses are searched and you have to pass a metal detector before you enter St Peter's Square. Noone seems to speak English there. If you are in the United States, get in touch with a Catholic tour group that will guide you inside the vatican.