Question about the Vatican Museum lines.
June 19, 2012 10:46 AM Subscribe
Visiting Rome for one day this weekend and would like to see the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. I hear about about the long lines to get into the Vatican museums and Chapel. What's not clear to me is whether this is referring to the ticket-buying line or the museum entrance line. I know I can buy tickets in advance online so I should be able to skip the ticket line. Will the entrance line also be unbearably long?
It's the line literally to see the chapel, inside the museum, not the museum entrance or the ticket line. I have waited in line to get into the museum and waited to see the chapel, but I don't recall either line being more than 30 minutes. There's other art to look at in the chapel line, so it wasn't too bad.
posted by purpleclover at 10:52 AM on June 19, 2012
posted by purpleclover at 10:52 AM on June 19, 2012
Oh, and the time I waited at the museum entrance was the time I went right at opening time. The other time I went in early afternoon and there was no line. Ymmv.
posted by purpleclover at 10:58 AM on June 19, 2012
posted by purpleclover at 10:58 AM on June 19, 2012
Yeah, either go way early or way late to avoid the lines.
In May 2007, I arrived about an hour and a half before closing time (so, about 3:30?) and there was no line for either tickets or entry. There was a line to get into the chapel, but it was not very long, maybe 20 people. There is plenty to see outside the chapel, too, like a whole hall of hand painted maps!
posted by soelo at 11:05 AM on June 19, 2012
In May 2007, I arrived about an hour and a half before closing time (so, about 3:30?) and there was no line for either tickets or entry. There was a line to get into the chapel, but it was not very long, maybe 20 people. There is plenty to see outside the chapel, too, like a whole hall of hand painted maps!
posted by soelo at 11:05 AM on June 19, 2012
If I am lucky enough to visit again, I will take some ambient music with me to drown out the public address system that repeats: "Please Observe the Silence" what an oxymoron.
posted by effluvia at 11:20 AM on June 19, 2012
posted by effluvia at 11:20 AM on June 19, 2012
I would agree - the queue for the Sistine Chapel wasn't too bad - it moved. There were docents who basically shushed people and made tsk tsk noises about photos, which you're not supposed to do. IIRC there was an annoying announcement every few minutes.
Also, dress conservatively. They insist.
posted by sagwalla at 11:20 AM on June 19, 2012
Also, dress conservatively. They insist.
posted by sagwalla at 11:20 AM on June 19, 2012
The lines that everyone complains about are the ticket lines. Buy your ticket online and head in. There will be some chokepoints, but nothing severe. Also, on a Tuesday, you should be fine.
posted by corb at 11:26 AM on June 19, 2012
posted by corb at 11:26 AM on June 19, 2012
I went to see the Sistine Chapel about three years ago, on a weekday. I got there just as the Vatican Museum opened, was tenth through the door to get a ticket (very quick line!), and basically ran through the museum following the (clearly marked) signs for the chapel. I made it there in about five minutes and was the only person in the room for a good five minutes more, apart from the guard. It was the most amazing art-based experience of my life. I lay down on the floor and looked at the ceiling without destroying my neck. Even when people started trickling in, it was still easily twenty minutes or more before it started to get crowded. When I left I circled back to the entrance of the museum and saw the rest of it at a more relaxed pace without being stressed about the bottleneck of the chapel. So based on my personal experience, if it's possible to get there early, that's the way to go.
posted by DSime at 11:41 AM on June 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by DSime at 11:41 AM on June 19, 2012 [2 favorites]
I think Monday is one of the busy days, so you should be okay on Tuesday. We waited in line for the Basilica, but it moved relatively fast, and by the time we were out of there, there was a pretty short line for the museum.
posted by backwards guitar at 12:06 PM on June 19, 2012
posted by backwards guitar at 12:06 PM on June 19, 2012
About 2 years ago, I went to the vatican with the intention of standing in long lines, a street vendor tour group told us to go with a gathering group of 15-20 people, paid slightly over the regular ticket price (10-20 bucks) and they got us the tickets and provided us with a walking tour of inside vatican. The biggest plus, they have some kind of agreement with the vatican and bypassed the crazy long lines and we got in very quickly (after walking past the minions standing along the vatican wall waiting to get in) totally worth it.
posted by edman at 12:30 PM on June 19, 2012
posted by edman at 12:30 PM on June 19, 2012
I love DSime's method. The Sistine Chapel is amazing; being alone there, or even being there without being absolutely hemmed in, would be truly wonderful. I was there 8 years ago, waited in line for quite a while, and went through with large crowds. Still totally worthwhile.
posted by theora55 at 4:07 PM on June 19, 2012
posted by theora55 at 4:07 PM on June 19, 2012
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posted by rsol44 at 10:47 AM on June 19, 2012