Explore The Vatican Solo For Just €25 - Foolproof Step-by-Step guide!
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- Опубліковано 17 тра 2024
- If you want to visit the Vatican Museums without the crowds, and you don't want to take a tour, follow me as I show you the secret trick for seeing the museums nearly alone.
You'll get to the Sistine Chapel right when it opens, and be able to sit and admire Michelangelo's astounding frescoes on both the ceiling and his Last Judgement.
I'll show you how to go back and see the museums at your own pace, and I'll show you how to visit St. Peter's Basilica afterward, also on your own. And all that for just 25€!
👉🏻 Best Tours & Experiences in Rome:
✝️ Vatican Museums and Saint Peter's Basilica guided tour - gyg.me/0YA7thbL
✝️ VIP Key Master's Tour: Open The Sistine Chapel - tinyurl.com/4dk737nw
✝️ Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Tickets - gyg.me/DhDeZF2h
✝️ Pristine Sistine Early Morning Tour - tinyurl.com/pristine-sistine
🏛️ Colosseum Underground, Arena & Forum Tour - gyg.me/qjsPXPRk
🛌 FIND ACCOMMODATIONS NEAR THE VATICAN
booking.stay22.com/romewise/-...
📕 Grab your eBook, 'Brief History of the Vatican' and discover the fascinating history of the holiest place in the Catholic world! - tinyurl.com/ycszycxd
⌚ CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
02:11 Shortcut to the Sistine Chapel
04:40 Going back to the beginning of the Vatican Museums
06:00 Places to eat in the Vatican Museums
06:36 How to get tickets?
09:17 Step-by-step instructions for getting your skip-the-line tickets
10:31 How to visit the Vatican Museums on your own
18:00 How to visit St. Peter's Basilica on your own
🍿WATCH NEXT:
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🌎 RELATED PAGES ON ROMEWISE:
Vatican Museum Tours - Which One is Best: tinyurl.com/y4nh6vsc
Visit the Sistine Chapel: tinyurl.com/3xvdtjjr
Saint Peter's Basilica: tinyurl.com/4ste26zp
🍿RECOMMENDED PLAYLISTS:
• Rome museums and galle...
• Everything Vatican!
• Rome Must-Sees
• For art lovers
🛍 SHOP FOR ITEMS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
📕 Virgil's Aeneid - amzn.to/3T0gxWu
📕 Quick Guide to the Sistine Chapel - amzn.to/49okcDd
📕 Vatican Museums: 100 Works Not to be Missed - amzn.to/48ksqLh
🛍 SHOP FOR YOUR TRIP TO ROME
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👞Comfortable walking shoes for men - amzn.to/3PPqao0
🎒Compact pickpocket-proof daypack/backpack - amzn.to/3PLpIHq
🎫 USEFUL INFO:
Official link to Vatican Museums: tickets.museivaticani.va/home
This video is about - Seeing the Sistine Chapel without the crowds
But It also covers the following topics:
- Visiting the Vatican on your own
- Things to see in the Vatican Museums
- The best way to visit the Vatican
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👋 I’m Elyssa and this is Romewise, your go-to guide to Rome and Florence, Italy! For collaboration and business inquiries, please email: elyssa@romewise.com
#romewise #rome #florencewise #florence #italy #travel
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⚖ DISCLAIMER: This description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items either mentioned in the video or that I otherwise think you might find useful. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites. This helps support the channel at no cost to you. You are in NO WAY obligated to use these links.
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*👉🏻 Best Tours & Experiences in Rome:*
✝ Vatican Museums and Saint Peter's Basilica guided tour - gyg.me/0YA7thbL
✝ VIP Key Master's Tour: Open The Sistine Chapel - tinyurl.com/4dk737nw
✝ Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Skip-The-Line Tickets - gyg.me/DhDeZF2h
✝ Pristine Sistine Early Morning Tour - tinyurl.com/pristine-sistine
🏛 Colosseum Underground, Arena & Forum Tour -gyg.me/qjsPXPRk
🛌 FIND ACCOMMODATIONS NEAR THE VATICAN
stay22.com/embed/65d2118642f38b82b47edb51
Your content is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! Quick question, is the Sistine Chapel opened at 8:30 am to the general public everyday or is that just the day you visited? Is there somewhere we can get this information?
Thank you! Yes, the Sistine Chapel opens daily at 8;30 to the general public. It does open earlier for early tours such as the Key Master tour and the tour I did on the video I posted recently. But for regular visitors, the museums open at 8am and the Sistine Chapel opens at 8:30am. @@mtee5093
@@Romewise thank you so very much!
Oh my goodness, Elyssa! You are worth so much more than your weight in gold!!! I'm beyond thrilled to have discovered your channel several months in advance of my upcoming Rome visit, because there's so much fantastic information to sift through! It will be my second time in Rome and I can already tell it's going to be way too short (like the last time), so I know I'll have to come back yet again. My husband and I are going to be on a cruise with his sister, who is very interested in art, having been a curator for a corporate art collection for many years. I don't think even she has any idea just how many masterpieces there are in Rome. I so appreciate the vast amount of information you have assembled, as well as your personal style in delivering the information. My husband and I thought we'd seen quite a bit on our last visit, but with your tips and suggestions, this visit in September is going to be mind-blowing! I'm voraciously binging your videos, reading on your website, taking notes and getting super excited to be back in beautiful Rome, so much better prepared for this visit. Thank you so very much for all the work you've put into creating these resources!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm really glad you enjoy my videos and website content, and that it's helping you with your upcoming trip! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you appreciate the work I put into it and for telling me you enjoy how I present my tips. It really makes a difference and I am very grateful! It's thanks to people like you that I enjoy what I do so much! I hope you have a wonderful visit this September!
Super interesting video! Thanks for sharing these helpful tips❤
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful and interesting!
LOVE your videos! So excited to be visiting Rome soon. Did already book the Keymaster tour thanks to you!
Thank you so much! You will love the key Master! Enjoy!
Your videos and so helpful and informative. Thank you!
Glad you like them! Thanks for your kind comments!
We’re coming to Rome this weekend and your excellent videos and advice has given us so much valuable foresight. You are wonderful ❤️ thank you for all you do 🙏
Thanks so much for your kind comments. I'm so glad you find my content helpful. I hope you have a wonderful visit to Rome!
This is so useful to know, thanks as always for sharing what you do.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for your kind comments!
Amazing ❤️🇮🇹
Beautiful..wish to visit there by myself. In the future
I really enjoy traveling with you,thanks.
So nice of you!
I've been trying to navigate how best to visit the Vatican Museums since the 2024 changes and this video answered a lot of my questions. Thank you!
Thank you! Please feel free to ask here in the comments if you have any other questions I didn't answer.
I learned a lot on this video, thank you so so much
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Excellent video. Very informative
Thanks so much as always!
I'm so excited to see that you have this UA-cam channel!! I've been following your site since it was just a blog! I couldn't have done my first trip to Rome without you and now I am considering my third! So great to hear your voice and get this excellent advice, though I am certainly not surprised. You just always seem to know what I need to hear! Love you through the years! Hope to be back in your city in maybe February 2025!
Hello Margie! Thanks so much for following me all this time! I'm really glad you enjoy my websites and UA-cam channel. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for your kind words. It means a lot to me!!
Thank you so much for all of your informative and fun videos! My best friend and I went to Italy (Sorrento and Rome) in February and of course went to the Vatican. I just missed you by a few days! We went on a guided tour that started at 815am. We didn't wait too long and then I took your advice to go up to the dome and get their at the beginning of the house to hear the bells ring. We got up there just before noon to hear the bells and a cannon go off! Such a cool experience. It was one of my favorite moments on the Rome trip...which I will have to come back to soon! I fell in love with Rome!! Thanks again =)
That's great that you had such a wonderful time at the Vatican. The dome climb is so worth it. It's extra special when you get to hear the bells ring and the cannon go off to boot! Thanks for your kind comments - I'm glad you find my videos helpful!
Brilliant video and advice once again Elyssa. A great way to skip through to the Sistine Chapel ahead of the crowds to enjoy in relative peace then back through to enjoy the rest of this spectacular place. It may be different in high season but this is a great way. We have always followed your advice in seeing here and the Basilica on our own and would advise and recommend everyone to follow your great advice.
Hi Peter! So glad you like the video! I know you are familiar with some of the best ways to visit Rome but I am so grateful you always say you follow my advice. I'm really happy it's always worked for you! Yes, we will have to see how this pans out in high season, but I still think that the early morning beeline to the Sistine Chapel will be a great way to see the museums without the crowds. All the tour groups going in at that hour still follow the regular route. if you try this out, please let me know! And thanks as always for recommending me!
It will be my first time to Rome this upcoming April. There is so much to see so much info to digest and plan for. The video is very valuable and helpful. Thank you
Elyssa/RomeWise has a myriad of excellent advice. We did a guided bike tour that we loved.
I’ve been to Rome 9 times in my life, and I still haven’t seen everything.
On my next visit I hope to finally see Hadrian’s Villa. I have never seen it.
@@Godlvr008which bike tour did you do ?
@@HGills Do not remember name but it is RIGHT next to Colesseum on left side, guide looked like Ben Affleck and wives loved it. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for your detailed information across numerous videos. I'll be traveling to Rome for the first time in March and quickly discovered that a successful trip relies on securing tickets and making more plans ahead of time than to other areas of Europe.
Thanks to coming across your channel, I have used much of your advice, including securing a scavi tour to St. Peter's tomb under St. Peter's Basilica, Colosseum tour that includes the SUPER sites in the Forum and Palatine Hill, and obtaining an 8AM ticket for the Vatican Museums.
I secured the Vatican Museum ticket even before you posted this video - and now I'm excited to follow your recommendations. I did also reserve an audio guide, so I'll need to pick that up before following your route.
THANK YOU again - I'm sure that my first trip to Rome will be maximized because of your knowledge and expertise.
I'm a German afficionado, so don't hesitate to ask if you're heading to the northern side of the Alps and the German-speaking world and need some advice and hints.
Thank you so much for your kind comments. You will love Rome, especially in March as it's not quite spring so the weather is cool, but there are hints of flowers ready to bloom! You are so right, a little planning goes a long way, especially in Rome.
I'm so glad to hear you've found my videos helpful with your trip planning.
In case you have not seen them, you might find these videos useful:
ua-cam.com/video/EL7bhjgncqk/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/B2fQI7oUyqc/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/WqTQJjQj1dQ/v-deo.html
By the way, you may find this video about the Dolomites interesting:
ua-cam.com/video/3MtjkOTOPkg/v-deo.html
Estuvimos en la semana de Pascua 2024. Entramos a las 8 de la mañana (en la fila desde las 8 menos 20) y seguimos tu itinerario. A las 08h15 estábamos solos en las Estancias de Rafael. Las fotos son espectaculares. a las 08h45 en la Capilla Sixtina dónde pudimos disfrutar sentados de las pinturas. Hasta las 09.30 no empiezan a llegar grupos y nos estás más de 20 o 30 personas. Increíble! Luego a desayunar y resto de museos. El tiempo vuela, salimos a las 14h30. Nos fuimos a comer a Tonnarello San Pietro. Buenísimo. Por la tarde al castillo Sant Angelo. San Pedro hay que dejarlo para otra mañana si se puede.
¡Qué gran día pasaste visitando el Vaticano! Me alegra mucho saber que pudiste disfrutar de los museos sin multitudes siguiendo mi consejo. ¡Gracias por compartir su experiencia! Espero que hayas disfrutado el resto de tu estancia en Roma.
Thank you for the wonderful tip. I made it to the chapel by 820. The door was open already. 5 minutes alone. My life is changed forever. Last time I was here it was awful.
Thanks for your comment! I'm so happy to know you were able to enjoy the Sistine Chapel that way. Glad my video was helpful!
Fabulous, fabulous video! Everyone who wants to visit the Vatican Museums should be required to watch this first! It answers every question I could think of, including whether or not the ticket needed to be printed
Thanks so much! I'm glad you found it helpful. I try to answer all the questions I know people have. Glad it did so for you!
shh, no, don't tell anyone until after I visit. :)
😂🤣@@yohahn2000
Great.
Perfect video😎
Glad you think so!
Only hope that I won't get lost Thank you so much for the advice!!!!
I hope I made it clear enough in my video what route to follow. It's hard to get lost if you just follow that route. Once you get to the Gallery of the Candelabras, you really can't go anywhere else but to the Sistine Chapel. The key to have these galleries to yourself is to skip all the other stuff as I mentioned.
Elyssa, this is wonderful and very helpful information. I’ve been multiple times to the Vatican (it never gets old) but rules seem to change each time and I’ve often grabbed a small tour just to get ahead of the crowds. I love that I can buy solo entry 8a.m. And skip ahead to the Map corridor and Rafaello rooms. Friends are always asking for tips, I’ll be sharing your excellent video. Grazie !
Thank you so much! Yes, I think this is one great way to visit the museums. I'm grateful to you for spreading the word!
We were so excited to meet you that day! We love your videos, thanks for sharing such great information and travel tips! (We were the crazy couple that asked you for a selfie)
That's so nice of you! It was lovely to run into you and I am flattered you wanted a selfie with me! Thanks for subscribing and following!
My wife and I just followed this video and was at the door of the Sistine chapel in less then 20 minutes (and that included time to take pictures in the map and tapestry rooms) We were in the Sistine Chapel with maybe 8-10 other people and we were able to spend a lot of time without crowds. Then we simply went back and did the museum afterwards. We can’t recommend this process described in this video more. If you want to see the Sistine THIS is the way to go.
Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed the video and followed my tips! I agree, this is my favorite way to visit the Vatican Museums and enjoy the art in peace and quiet. I'm glad you got to try it out!
We watched one of your videos last year before a trip to Rome for a cruise. We did the Vatican at night with appertiva and it was amazing. We are planning a new trip and this time we are going to try colosseum at night. Thank you for the tips.
Thanks so much for letting me know you find my videos helpful! I'm glad to hear you got to try to Vatican evening visit with aperitivo. I hope you'll get to visit the Colosseum at night. It's one of my favorite visits!
Such a brilliant idea. I'm not sure if we'll do it when we go back in April but good to know. It was really busy when we were there in November
Yes, there is almost no low season in Rome any more. April will be crowded, but I am convinced this trick will work even in high season, because most people don't tour the museums this way.
Fantastic! Grazie. I guess there is no such thing as a slow season any more.
Thank you! Yes, low season has shrunk considerably to just those few weeks after January 6. By February, things start to pick up again quite a lot!
I just followed your advice Elyssa!!!!! thank you so much! this was the best way to see the vatican without all those people! Ciao! i got to be one of the 1st people in !
That's so awesome!! I'm really glad you got to enjoy the museums this way. It's just the best! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
Thank you so much!!! I'm very grateful!
@@Romewise I enjoyed your video so much! Great Jobs!
You are amazing,my primary goal after my college and getting a job is to visit Italy and especially Vatican city.its so majestic.
Thanks so much! I hope you'll get to visit Italy and the Vatican!
You did exactly what I was thinking of doing. Thanks for this video. We are coming end of April so crowds will be worse. If we have choice between Friday or Saturday which do you recommend? Right now we aren’t scheduled to be there Friday am, but might consider if it will make a difference. Plus that gives 2.5 days in Rome instead of 1.5. Your videos have me so excited that I want more Rome time!!!!! Thanks so much!
Yes, you will find crowds in April. Honestly at this point there is not much difference between visiting Friday or Saturday. I would stick with what you have.
You might find these videos helpful:
ua-cam.com/video/lhQLb_iIRUs/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/WqTQJjQj1dQ/v-deo.html
Have a great visit!
hi! im going solo too-and would like to take this tour.. going in April !
I hope you'll try out the route I shared! Please let us know here in the comments after you've done it.
Here are a couple of videos you might find useful:
ua-cam.com/video/lhQLb_iIRUs/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/WqTQJjQj1dQ/v-deo.html
Thank you so much for this wonderful video. I’ve been to the Vatican but didn’t actually enjoy too much although it certainly is impressive. I was on a guided tour and it was very crowded and I didn’t have time to really check out what really interested me. I was too concerned with not losing my group, so if I return to Rome, I would definitely take your suggestions. It is really beautiful place that everyone should visit. 😊
Thanks so much for your comments. Yes, I know that sometimes, visiting the Vatican can seem like a slog - it's just too crowded and too intense. Sorry you did not enjoy your visit, but I hope you will come back and give it another try!
Elyssa, I am devouring your videos, blog, website....everything!!! You are a gem and I'm so thankful I found you. In reading your information and watching your videos, I am wondering if your suggestion is to be at St. Peter's at 7:00 am to wait for the dome to open at 7:30 for the climb and then go meet a tour guide to get in the Vatican museum and at the end wind up back in the Basilica to see it. Now that the Vatican is opening up at 8, I don't know if it's better to do the tour first and climb after (time and crowd even though it will still be early). Thanks for blessing us with your knowledge!
Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoy my videos. People often ask me about doing this - going to St. peter's at 7am, climbing the dome and then racing over to the museums for a tour. I strongly urge you to reconsider - the logistics make this nearly impossible.
I would suggest you consider either visiting each site on its own day (morning), or taking the Pristine Sistine tour that starts in the Vatican Museums and then takes you on the shortcut to St. Peter's basilica. From there you can climb the dome.
I’ve been watching all your videos. Top notch content, very practical and cuts to the chase. Any advice for someone with 4:30PM Vatican tickets to efficiently see most of the museum and Sistine? Using Rick Steve free audio guide. Going with wife + 2 teenagers in April. How would you strategize doing St Peter’s the same day? Thanks much.
Thanks for your kind words. I really appreciate you!
I'm glad you enjoy my videos and find them helpful with your trip planning.
Stay tuned for my new video coming out in less than an hour! It will answer your questions about visiting the Vatican in the late afternoon. Have a great time!
Thank you, Elyssa! Wonderful detailed information. I loved that beautiful mosaic you showed us, the one with the detailed shadows. I've visited the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican museums before and loved them. I'll be visiting Saint Peter's Basilica with my husband in April, but he's not an art lover, so we'll skip the Vatican/Sistine tour. Any suggestions for other worthwhile sites we could visit near the Basilica? Is the Castel Sant'Angelo worth an hour or two? The Tomb of Augustus? We'll be starting at Saint Peter's at 8 am so I'd like to plan a whole day in that part of Rome, happy to hear any suggestions.
Thanks so much for watching and for your kind comments. Don't you just adore that mosaic? It's one of my favorite things in the museums and hardly anyone knows to go into that wing to visit it.
Castel Sant'Angelo is definitely worth visiting! I have two web pages about it, one with practical visiting tips and the other with the history and architecture:
www.romewise.com/castel-sant-angelo-rome.html
www.romewise.com/castel-sant-angelo-worth-visiting.html
Not too far from the Vatican, you can also visit a huge covered market, the Trionfale market:
www.romewise.com/rome-food-markets.html
The tomb (mausoleum) of Augustus is excellent but still closed while they renovate it. I am not sure when it will open but I don't think it will be open by April. But if it is, sure, it's excellent.
You could also visit the Ara Pacis if you love ancient Roman history. And from the Vatican, you could make your way to Trastevere, Piazza Navona, and Campo dei Fiori neighborhoods.
I hope that helps!
Hi, stumbled across your video. I did a study abroad in Rome twenty five years ago, before 9/11 and maybe a more innocent time. Don't remember the bag check, the security. Remembered one morning deciding to visit the Vatican museum and wandered around leisurely to the Sistine chapel, maybe visited a couple of times during the semester, there was a discount for students so don't remember being too expensive to visit. Always walked past street vendors selling bootleg CD's of Britney Spears and Gimelli Diversi. I hope to visit with my daughter someday and have your video pinned as an absolute must see. Thank you for your research! I'm also going to search your channel for the Villa Borghese tips because I'm sure it will be just as impossible to get a ticket today.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I met Alessandro, my husband, in 1997, so I remember Rome from that time, too. I think if you have not visited since then, you will be shocked to see how crowded it is now!
I don't yet have a video about the Galleria Borghese, but I do have a detailed webpage that should answer all your questions:
www.romewise.com/galleria-borghese.html
Loved this video - thank you! Do you know how early you can book the Vatican tickets direct? Is it 60 days and goes live at "8am" or something? Thanks!
Thank you so much! Yes, it's 60 days in advance. I am not sure it's like the Colosseum, where they release things exactly on the hour. But I would check 60 days out and then just keep checking regularly around your dates.
Also note that if you book a TOUR through the Vatican, those are available much further in advance.
Elyssa, this is one of your best videos, thus far! This one seems to stand out. Should I be shocked by how crowded it is in February??? I want to go back to Rome, so badly!
Thanks so so much! I'm really grateful for your comments! Yes, I was actually shocked by the crowds, especially as I went through the second time. And the guards were all telling me it's still quiet and will get more crowded!
This shouldn't surprise me, after all, I live here and I've seen what's been happening in recent years, even before the pandemic - we don't have much of a low season any more! But it's still surprising to see so many people on a Monday in February!
Fantastic video, loved it from start to finish. Seems a great idea Entering at 8a to see a less crowded Sistine Chapel at 8:30. Would late in the evening, say on a Friday of May when it closes later, be reasonable good time too?
Glad you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for my video coming out today, Sunday March 10. I will show what it's like to go at night instead!
@@Romewise I just watched it and I loved it!! Since my plan is to go on a Friday evening and I couldn't find much info about it, this video is the most valuable video I've seen in a long time. Thank you!!
Thank you! Yes, I wanted to make both videos to show the difference between these types of Vatican visits. I'm so glad you found them both helpful with your trip planning! Have a great visit! @@leropomelero
I'm enjoying your videos as I prepare to return to Italy.
Can you tell me if it's possible to make it to the Braccio Nuovo room to see Augustus of Prima Porta with a regular ticket like you purchased for this video?
I toured the Vatican museums last time and saw much of what you shared in this video but I don't think we went to see Augustus of Prima Porta.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Yes, absolutely you can visit the Braccio Nuovo and see the Augustus of Prima Porta. And I highly recommend you do so!
If you don't spend too long there, you can still get back to the shortcut I took and enjoy the maps, tapestries and Sistine Chapel without the crowds.
Enjoy!
This is brilliant. Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for your kind comments!
I am thankful that I have found your channel! It has been so helpful to me in planning our family trip! You are amzing and your knowledge is impeccable! Rome sure has changed since I was there 20 years ago. I love your hack about going straight to the sistine chapel first. In this video you eat then go back through the museum. I was wondering if you think it would be good to go back through the museums immediately to beat the crowds? Also should I try to visit St. Peter's Basillica another morning, early to be the crowds or do you think immediately after the Sistine chapel and museums? I appreciate your time!
Thanks a lot for watching and for your kind comments.
Yes, I could have waited to eat or brought a bar with me. But I was hungry and I don't like visiting museums with low blood sugar. The only ways to really beat the lines to St. Peter's is by showing up when it opens at 6:50AM, by taking the Pristine Sistine tour that takes the shortcut to the basilica, or by taking the scavi (St. peter's tomb) tour that ends inside the basilica. Vistiing the basilica on your own immediately after a museums visit means 9:30/10am at the earliest, and by then the lines will be over an hour long.
So yes, you could visit the Basilica another day at 6:50am to beat the lines. They are two very separate visits anyway, and each takes a lot of time and energy so splitting them up into two days is a good idea anyway,
Hope that helps!
@Romewise Thank you so much for your response! I've never really asked a question on here or any social media before, so I wasn't sure if you would respond. I know you are busy, and I am truly thankful you took time out of your day to help me. Please do not feel I was begrudging you for eating. I am hypoglycemic, so I completely understand. 💕 We have rented an apartment with a kitchen, and I am hoping to make us an easy breakfast before we leave in the morning. I am a caterer, and although I do not want to cook on my vacation, I can't see me NOT cooking a little with all the amazing produce and ingredients in Rome!💕 After years of taking our kids to Disney, my husband doesn't have a tolerance for hour long lines anymore. 😉 I want him to enjoy his first European trip and first time in Rome! We definitely do not want to feel rushed through the Vatican Museum. My son is looking forward to the Egyptian collection. I told him about the mummy I saw with red hair! (20 years ago) That is the only reason I asked what you thought about the crowds going back through after the Sistine Chapel. Thank you for helping me! We will definitely just go on 2 seperate mornings, for the best experience for both the Basillica and the Museum. If you ever get the chance, I would love to see you in Southern Italy as well. I enjoy your content and knowledge. Grazie Mille!
No problem at all. I didn't think you were begrudging me eating. It's clear that the time I took to go sit and eat, even if it was maybe just half an hour, made a big difference in the crowds I encountered afterwards. But I just needed a break and a snack! And a coffee :)
I've made a few videos about Naples but not yet other areas south of Rome.
I know a lot of people rent apartments in Rome precisely because they think they want to make food in and not eat out every meal. I hope you'll get to do that when you are here! Have a great trip! @@naidalindquist9293
@@Romewise I have every intention on eating my heart out while in Italy! I've been dreaming of the amazing fresh tomato sauce for 20 years!🤤 I will look for your Naples video. 💕 I truly enjoy your chanel!
Thank you so much!
Love your videos! Question…how many people roughly were in the Sistine Chapel when you went there first thing?
Thank you so much! While I could not film it for you, I can tell you that I was able to site on a bench along the wall. Most of the benches were full but almost nobody was standing except one or two people who wanted to be in the middle of the room to look up from there. So maybe 100 people? Extremely relaxed and stress-free!!!
Hi! Thanks for the video and information. When you say 15 minute on either side of your entrance time, is that when you’re allowed to get into line? If my ticket is for 9:30, should I get there at 8:45 and expect to spend 45 minutes in line or show up at 9:15?
Thank you again!
Thanks for watching. You can be a little casual about this but try to get in line a bit before your entry time. So if you have a ticket for a 9:30 entrance, you can get there around 9AM if you like, and they may let you in a little early but just don't count on it, as they are trying to manage tens of thousands of people a day, which is why the tickets are timed.
Thank you!@@Romewise
Excellent, as always! Do you recommend going at opening time or going at late afternoon to beat the crowds?
Thank you so much! Basically I recommend going EITHER first thing in the morning OR at the end of the day. I'll soon be doing a video showing what to do when you visit at the end of the day. Please stay tuned!
Grazie!
In these last few years they make some nice improvements in Rome museum system.
Yes, they are always working to improve!
Thank you for all of the great information Elyssa :) I will be coming to visit the museums in April this year! But…… I have heard some conflicting information about the museum making you leave after you have seen the Sistine chapel. I expect April will be high crowds (compared to low season in this video) and I am wondering if they will be more likely to kick us out after we have seen the chapel during the high tourist season. I want to go straight to the chapel and do the museums after but I am concerned that there will be some way they will force us to leave. Have you ever experienced being forced to leave?
Thank you for watching and for commenting. No, they cannot and will not "kick you out." Basically, once you have a ticket, you can stay inside until they close if you want.
The issue is that once you leave the Sistine Chapel through the door on the left, you must walk through a specific path that takes you back to the entrance (which is also the exit.) I show exactly this in the video.
At that point, unless you do the visit the way I showed in this video, most people will be ready to leave anyway and will simply go down the spiral staircase and leave. Or, if you are on a tour, they will take you out (unless you tell them you want to stay inside.)
Anyway, once you get back to the exit, you can turn around and go back through. Just make sure you don't go down the spiral staircase. I also show myself doing this in the video.
Thank you so much 😀
you are a gem! (The video was awesome, I love the videos when you walk and talk us through the sites!)
Another great video thank you ... could you book a guided tour that gives you access to the Basilica but ditch the tour and do your own thing as you've shown, then use the group tour ticket to enter the Basilica on your own, or must you enter the Basilica from the Vatican Museum with your tour group ?
Thanks for your compliments. I hear what you're saying. I know this is something many people would like to do, but no, it's not possible. It's not the ticket that gets you access to the shortcut, it's the guide. So you have to stay with them. So it's really one or the other.
Thank you very much for all those tips clearly laid out! If I were to visit Vatican solo *in the same day*, with pre bought tickets, and get there early, there's still no way to avoid the crowds getting into the St. Peter's Basilica ? Assuming one should always visit the museum first and then the Basilica, as by the time one finished with the museum, it'd be late morning as depicted in your video ... unless one can break up the visit into 2 days, one day for the museum and the other day for the Basilica ? Is this correct?
Thanks so much for watching. I'm glad you found it helpful! Yes, you are correct, there is pretty much no way to have a completely uncrowded experience in the Vatican Museums AND ALSO have a no-line situation in Saint Peter's Basilica. It's sort of one or the other.
Alternatively, as you mention, you can visit them on two separate days (which I highly recommend, as both are huge and take up a lot of mental and physical energy). Visit each one first thing in the morning and then have the second half of the day to do more relaxing things.
This is very helpful. I am going to the Vatican this week. Can you please clarify whether there is an “actual skip the line ticket”? Or is it just a reserved ticket purchased prior to the tour? Are companies using the title “skip the line”for marketing purposes”?
Thanks for watching! Skip the line means you skip the line to purchase tickets. That line can get very long. You DO have to get in a small line to go in along with others like you who have bought tickets. I talk about this at the beginning of this video, and you can see the line I had to wait in. Those are other ticket holders. I also showed the line of people waiting to buy tickets which is much longer.
Hi Elyssa, in one of your previous videos you mentioned the Extra time tour. Do you have any updated information about that tour?
Yes, at the time I made that video, I had received confirmation from various sources that it would be back. I am monitoring the Vatican Museums website, as I can see that from January 1, it's been in a state of flux. Initially they only had regular tickets and tours, and slowly they've added things back, such as the Vatican Necropolis on the Via Triumphalis (which is the topic of my next video!)
I did know that the Extra Time tour would not begin to be offered until spring, but I don't have a start date yet. Please just keep checking back!
@@Romewise Thanks. By the way, excellent information and tips in this video. It makes much more easier to make a decision. We will be in Rome in June for the first time with my family. Also we are planning to make a train trip from Rome to Venice and back. Thank you very much Elyssa!!!
Thanks so much! I'm glad you found this video helpful. You might also find these useful:
ua-cam.com/video/LCLU1MFDr4Y/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/qtXxkclB4bA/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/Di7JiiLDDPA/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/cDHaXVGdH6c/v-deo.html
I hope you and your family will have a wonderful visit!
@@jimenedg
Hi, do you know how long before the date ticket sales open? I am trying to book some tickets for August and I want to be on top of this matter so I can buy them before they sell out
Yes, they open exactly 60 days in advance.
Is the happy hour ticket a worthwhile add? Do we need to purchase the entry tickets and the happy hour tickets both or does the happy hour ticket get you in the Vatican museum as well?
In my opinion, the Happy Hour is not worth paying for in advance. You can usually easily just walk up to the cafe in the Pinecone Courtyard and get something to eat or drink. And it does not have to be the 20€ formula. You could just order a glass of wine (about 6€.) The Happy Hour ticket does NOT get you into the museums. It's just an add on.
Thank you so much for this video. Do you get a map of the museums when you visit? If not, how do you find the way?
Yes you can ask for a map at one of the info points right as you walk in. You can also visit this page on the Vatican Museums website:
www.museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/visita_musei/servizi_visitatori/mappa_musei_vaticani.pdf
There are also signs as you go.
Thank you so much!
My pleasure! @@wonderingwinters6453
Hoping I can receive your advice. Thanks, for all you offer, whether or not you can!
I will have one day in October 2024 on a Saturday to do the Vatican Museums and St Peter's.
I thought I'd get to St Peter's 1/2 hour before opening and see it in the morning. Then book the museums that afternoon around 4:30pm and remain to closing at 8pm.
Do you agree?...or would you do the reverse?
If you only have one day and it's a Saturday, you could:
1) Take the Pristine Sistine tour that starts at 7:30AM and visits the museums and then takes the shortcut into the basilica so you will be done by noon. You cannot take the shortcut on your own, only with a guided tour with an outside tour company (not a tour you book through the Vatican Museums).
2) Go on your own and do as you suggest which means you spend the entire day in Vatican City.
Thank goodness I visited all the famous sites in Rome, Venice, Florence etc before mass tourism that has completely destroyed the experience. This is very good advice for those people who aren’t going just to get an Instagram opportunity.
Yeah, I've lived here since 2001 and things have changed so much, especially in the last 2-3 years post-Covid. I do not think the crowds will dissipate any time soon. Pandora is out of the box! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Isnt it prefereer to get a skip the line ticket Just in case. Also do the cafés have any gluten free pastries?thankyou for the interesting and informative informatie
Well this video is exactly about buying a skip the line ticket. I show this at the beginning of the video. I'm not sure about the café but they are likely to have something for you. In my video, I also show the café menu, so you could pause it there and take a look at what it says. Thanks for watching!
I’m new to this channel.
Where do I purchase tickets online for May 2024?
Thanks for watching and welcome to my channel! Please check the description of this video. In all my videos, I include lots of helpful links in the description including where to get online tickets through the official websites as well as through third-party vendors. Have a great visit to Rome this May!
You might find these videos helpful:
ua-cam.com/video/6aaBZibWnEU/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/WqTQJjQj1dQ/v-deo.html
So is there not really a benefit to the Pristine Sistine early tour since the Vatican opens at 8am now? Its description says enter before everyone else at 7:15am I think. We are going in mid August 2024 if that makes a difference on which to book.
Thanks for your videos, they’re so helpful!
Well, on the contrary I believe there is a huge benefit to taking the Pristine Sistine, still.
First, you will go in right at 8am and even if everyone else can, too, it's still a much calmer experience than later in the day. Second, you have a guide, which I think is important if it's your first visit.
A lot of people prefer to go without a guide but I think on a first-time visit, a guide is a great choice because you learn a lot plus they point out the must-sees AND they keep you on track and not getting overwhelmed with trying to see everything.
And MOST important of all, when you take the Pristine Sistine, you will get to take the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel into St. Peter's Basilica. Considering the security lines at St. Peter's these days (1-2 hours), this to me is worth the price of the tour all by itself.
Thank you for the video! Luckily I checked tickets for my dates in March and thankfully the only available ticket was 8am on my last day in Rome 😂
That's awesome! I hope you have a wonderful time!
Elyssa, you give such great advice! Have you thot about doing financial advice :-) Seriously, your best guide tot he Eternal City! Tapestrys are amazing too!
You are always so kind, thank you!! Yes, I think I didn't show the tapestries enough in this video. It was just to make it short as it was already a long video! But I do love the tapestries, especially the one of Jesus resurrected, where his eyes follow you as you walk past it!
Amazing video! Unfortunately there are no tickets available for entire year on the official Vatican site!😮
Thanks! Well, the Vatican Museums only sells tickets up to 60 days in advance. So if you are just looking for entry tickets, you should keep checking back. You can also consider purchasing them through a third part if you can't find what you're looking for on the official site.
Thanks for your very helpful tips. Where can I buy entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums? I don’t want to do a guided tour. Thanks for your help!
I have links in the description where to buy tickets, both on the Vatican Museums website and on a third party site in case you can't find tickets on the official site.
Thank you so much! I’m literally planning my trip based on your advice. Yesterday I booked some tours and bought train tickets from Rome to Florence through Trainline as per your suggestion. Can’t tell you how valuable your videos are. Will plan out two days stay in Florence today based on your suggestions. Btw I did subscribe to your amazing channel as well.
Thank you so much!
@romewise are mirrorless cameras with different lenses allowed in the museum? I know it's not allowed in the Sistine Chapel....but if I were to bring my camera with interchangeable lenses??? I didnt see any people behind you doing that....could you clarify? I leave for Rome on March 15
Yes, you can bring cameras and different lenses into the Vatican Museums. And yes, you are correct, you'll need to put them away once you enter the Sistine Chapel.
What are not allowed are long selfie sticks and tripods. Things that could hurt or disturb others.
This page on the Vatican museums website is helpful:
www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/organizza-visita/consigli-utili.html
Have a great visit!
Wow, another great video! I discovered you recently and you are excellent! Now with this video you gave us a big dilemma. We had planned to visit the Basilica before 8:30 to avoid the long lines and crowds. Then get a ticket for the Vatican Museum for 9:30 or 10. But the idea of walking through the Gallery of Geographical Maps and visiting the Sistine Chapel without the crowds is very enticing. We arrive on a Sunday afternoon and leave on Tuesday morning in June. So Monday is our only day. If we decide to do the 8am entry to the Vatican Museums, do you have other tips for us to visit the Basilica easily? Other time of day that the lines are not so long perhaps? This is the last leg of our trip before returning home. When we first arrive in May, We will be in Rome for 3 nights, 2 1/2 days. But that time is already planned for the Colosseum and all the other wonderful sites.
Thank you for watching my videos and for letting me know you enjoy them.
Sorry but the idea you have for timing your visit will result in really long waits in line as well as a lot of stress and rushing between sites.
By 8:30am, the basilica has really long lines already. And the Vatican Museums are at their most crowded at 10am, not to mention that you would never have time to make it between the basilica and the museums with this schedule.
If you visit the Vatican museums like I do in this video, then you don't have any easy option for visiting the basilica without waiting in long lines, unless you manage to get scavi (St. Peter's tomb) tickets for later in the day. With that tour, you end inside the basilica. Otherwise, the lines to St. Peter's are long all day including up to closing time.
You have several options:
1) On your first 3.5 day visit, get to St. Peter's Basilica at 6:50am one morning, enjoy your visit without crowds and lines, and then you're done with that. You will be out by 9AM. Then do this 8AM Vatican Museums visit on the Monday you return before you leave Rome.
2) On that Monday, take the Pristine Sistine tour that starts right when the museums open and that then takes you into the basilica from the Sistine Chapel, bypassing all the lines. You will be done by 12 noon and still have half a day left over.
Have a great trip!
@@Romewise Thank you for the suggestions. We will definitely consider. I will continue watching all your videos for other tips as well. I am now also following your Facebook pages for Rome and Florence. Thanks again!
Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful visit! @@Josettelatrotinette
@@Romewise We decided to follow your advice. We decided to book a 3hrs golf cart tour on the day of our arrival at the beginning of our trip. The tour will be 3-6pm and they said they can drop us at the Basilica at the end. So hopefully on a Thursday at 6pm the line will be short. This will leave us only the Vatican Museum on that single day when we return to Rome to fly home. It should all work well. Now crossing my fingers I can get tickets for the 8am entry to the Vatican Museum. Thanks again!
@@Josettelatrotinette That sounds like a good plan. I do hope you won't have a long line but please don't count on it. Lines are long throughout the day including close to closing. Many many people have the same idea and hope the lines are closer towards closing and then are shocked to find out how long they are at that hour.
I do hope it all works out well for you with minimal lines and stress! Have a great trip!
When on the Key Master's Tour, you end in the Sistine Chapel. Can we take the short cut to St. Peter's Basilica when finishing the Key Master's tour?
The Key Master tour is indeed very special. However, as I mention in this video, the shortcut does not open until 9:30am. By then you will have long left the Sistine Chapel. So no, it's not possible to take the shortcut with the Key Master tour, and you'll need to visit Saint Peter's basilica separately.
About what is the walking distance from the museum entrance to the Sistene Chapel? (In feet or walking time?) To do what you are showing in essence necessitates walking 3 lengths of the museum. Is that too much for older folk? Also, Can you view the museum contents as you are walking back from the Chapel to the entrance, or is it too difficult with everyone else going the other direction?
I am not sure of the distance in feet or meters. I can tell you that I beelined from the entrance to the Sistine Chapel in as straight a line as possible, but it's not entirely straight as you might visit the Raphael rooms first. From the moment I went through the entry turnstile to the moment I set foot in the Sistine Chapel, even having stopped in moments along the way to film, it took me less than half an hour. I had to pace myself because the Sistine Chapel doesn't open until 8:30am so I lingered a bit in some of the Raphael rooms.
On the way back to the entrance from the Sistine Chapel, you may have noticed that I walked through a covered walkway and then back through some different galleries that were not the ones I walked through in the beginning. So, no, you cannot walk back through the same maps, tapestries, etc on the way back.
You are right, it's a lot of walking no matter what. Even if you only visit the Sistine Chapel and then forego the second round of visits, you do have to walk back to the entrance (which is also the exit.)
I see people of all ages doing this visit. I think limiting factors are heat, comfortable shoes, and your own comfort level. if you have knee or foot issues, or otherwise have problems walking, this can be touch, because the marble floors are pretty unforgiving.
So wear super comfy shoes, pace yourself, and you can do it!
Can we book tickets without a guide tour? We are planning to take. A day trip in Rome and Vatican city. We are planning to arrive there at vatican at 10:00. Im quite worried about the queue to basilica
Yes, that is the whole point of this video. I show you how to visit on your own without a guide. If you arrive at 10AM then you will encounter very long lines to enter the basilica. The best way to avoid that line is to take a tour of the Vatican Museums that includes the shortcut to the basilica, or to book a visit to Saint Peter's tomb, but that will eat a lot of time into your day trip.
Is there a limited time frame that one can actually be in the Sistine chapel admiring it?
Technically, you could stay in there until closing.
So, does buying the early morning breakfast tour no longer have advantages?
Well, there are no longer early morning breakfast tours. Nobody offers them now, not even the Vatican. You CAN get breakfast still, inside the Pinecone Courtyard or in the café, but it's not an early-bird tour.
The early tours offered by tour companies do have one HUGE advantage, if they offer it - they can take you through the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to Saint Peter's Basilica. To me, that alone is worth the price of the tour.
We are going to Vatican tomorrow. Tickets were bought 30 days in advance on Vartican website. By then the morning time slots were so quickly sold out. Hope waiting jnthe row will be bearable.
What time are you going? If you are going anytime before 10am, and you beeline for the Sistine Chapel, you should still have a relatively uncrowded experience!
@@Romewise i couldn't book anything before 12:30. With online prepaid ticket of 20 euro which were purchased on Vatican Museum website, could we skip the queue and go straight to the entree? I searched and still don't get clear answers.
Yes, every ticket you buy in advance is a "skip the line" ticket. It means you skip the line to PURCHASE tickets. So you will just have a small line of other people like you who have tickets for 12:30. You could try showing up at 12:10, and they should let you in. It will not be uncrowded as this is the middle of the day, so just pace yourself and try not to worry too much about the crowds as there is not much you can do. You could visit the Pinacoteca and the Gregory Profane wing, as there will be fewer people there. @@nawang5063
@@Romewise than you much for your quick answer. That is great. We are going soon the door out heading to Vatican. Great information and videos you share!
My pleasure! Have fun!!! @@nawang5063
So basically a perfect day in Vatican City is to come to St Peter's Basilica at 6.45 for entrance as soon as it opens. Spend an hour or 45 min there, then go promptly 10 min or smth like that before 8 AM at the line for the Museums, and straight for the Sistine Chapel, then back to the entrance and visit the museum at leisure.
It’s cutting it a little close but it’s doable!!
Is St. Peter Square the only free place in the Vatican?
Saint Peter's Basilica is also free, but you have to go through security to visit it, so there are usually long lines.
So my Walks of Italy Pristine Sistine tour that says it starts at 7:15 won't actually go in at 7:15 but rather 8:00?
That is correct. You actually only meet up with your guide at 7:15. They give you a brief explanation,and then you get in line and enter the Vatican at the same exact time as the people who have purchased 8 AM. tickets.
@@ninaruhland8358 gotcha, thanks.
At the very very end of this video, I shared some slides - visiting on your own, pros and cons, and visiting with a tour, pros and cons. One of the HUGE pros of visiting with the Pristine Sistine is that they take that shortcut to Saint Peter's Basilica which you cannot do on your own. So it can be worth it if that is important to you.
That's true and what I wanted to show in this video. But with a tour, you get a guide who explains the art, you don't have to worry about navigating, and most important, if the tour includes it, like the Pristine Sistine does, then you can take the shortcut to the basilica. So it comes down to which kind of visit is right for you.
@@Romewise I gotcha. I appreciate you getting back to me.
We have a private 8am tour scheduled this spring but now I’m wondering if it’s worth the money.
Nope
This depends on what is important to you. No, you won't go in before anyone else. However, if you booked a private guide, it may be because you want really good info about the art in the museums. And you should find out if that guide can take you through the shortcut to St. Peter's Basilica. So it comes down to what you want out of your visit.
Thanks Elyssa for your response. Yeah I think, in this case, this is the one tour we are going to splurge on because I really want to know what I’m looking at and about the background of all the wonderful art. Plus, we will have the shortcut on our tour. Your videos have been so helpful in assisting us in planning our trip!
That's great if you can get the shortcut. And having a fun, knowledgable guide in a place like the Vatican Museums can really make a difference. I hope you have a wonderful visit! @@jpmullin1
I’m simply unwilling to endure mob scenes any longer. Therefore when I go back in March I’ll be doing the Key Master’s tour.
I’m with you completely. If I hadn’t been to all of these places before, I might be willing to endure the mobs. But not now.
Thats fine if you can afford it, some of us just don't have that kind of money !! At AU$861 per person its definitely out of our family budget.
I completely understand! Frankly, if I was doing this on my own (not making a video), I'd go to the Sistine Chapel and then head out. Going back the second time around, it was so much more crowded.
Yes the Key Master is really expensive, so I was hoping that by showing this way to visit, it would appeal to people who are willing to go early, but who don't want to spend that kind of money.
I followed your video to the letter. I got myself an 8am ticket, arrived at 7.20am and was the FIRST in the queue! I was FIRST inside and FIRST in the sistene chapel! Thanks to your video I saved myself €550-€700 going with on a key master tour.
Your videos are very orderly and smart. To make them even better, I’d recommend eliminating the disjunct between the subject matter and the music. Anything even remotely approaching dance music is inappropriate for this exalted subject matter.
Thank you for your kind comments and for your suggestion. I will pass along your feedback to my video editor. Thanks!
The one place in Rome I was never interested in seeing
Do you mean the Vatican Museums / Sistine chapel? Or Vatican City in general? I love the Vatican museums but I know it’s not for everyone!