*👉🏻 Best Tours & Experiences in Rome:* ✝Vatican at Night Tour with Sistine Chapel and Museums - gyg.me/fnBQEM8V ✝Key Master Tour - tinyurl.com/key-master ✝Pristine Sistine Early Morning Tour - tinyurl.com/pristine-sistine ✝Extra Time (Vatican Museums website) - tinyurl.com/vatican-extra-time 🏛 Colosseum Underground, Arena & Forum Tour - gyg.me/8SDEZyXb 🛌 FIND ACCOMMODATIONS NEAR THE VATICAN booking.stay22.com/romewise/vzIQ1JXN4r

Thank you! Very informative and useful video. ☺

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

We used Walks of Italy for the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. Of all the tours we did on that trip to Rome, my 17 year old grandniece rated this one the best! And we had the added benefits of getting to Rome just as the Covid restrictions lifted so we practically had the whole city to ourselves. We were so fortunate to be able to get there during that time; it will likely never be that quiet for tourists again.

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Yes, you were definitely lucky to have seen Italy before the crowds came. It was pretty amazing, almost from one day to the next we went from nobody here to huge crowds! They were very welcome after nearly 2 years of no visitors. But I do understand the desire to enjoy the sites with not quite so many people!

Thanks for the video! I booked the Pristine Sistine tour for October 7th. Can't wait! Thanks again!

@Romewise

9 ай бұрын

Hope you enjoy it!

I had small binoculars with me and it was the best way to experience the Sistine Chapel. Highly recommend! You barely notice the crowds when you can see all the detail. I was so happy I had them. It was also at the end of the night on a Saturday.

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

That is really an excellent tip! Thanks for sharing!

Great.

Saw it during the night tours- it was fantastic

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Yes I think it's a beautiful way to see it!

Thank you for sharing such valuable information and knowledge❤

@Romewise

Ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

Hey!! We did the extra time tour on your recommendation and the tour was fantastic!!! We were a group of 20 and only others in Sistine chapel were a couple on a private tour and the guards. Love your channel!!!

@Romewise

11 ай бұрын

That's so awesome!! Thanks a lot for letting me know how much you liked the tour. I think it's a great way to visit the museums and really enjoy the Sistine Chapel. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

Hi Elyssa, great advice again. We have been on the Pristine Sistine tour and it was great, only 10 in our party and we had a good 30 minutes on our own before people started to come through, it was superb and worth the early start for all that time we had alone. We took that tour July 2022. Keep these wonderful videos coming they are a huge help.

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! So glad you got to enjoy that tour with so few people. It's a great way to visit. Thanks also for your kind encouraging words! It helps a lot!

Hi Alyssa. My wife and I greatly appreciate your videos and your website advice. We ate at some of the restaurants you recommended on your site and we were very pleased. We were also in Italy just as the restrictions lifted and everywhere we went the people were so happy to see us and told us that we were the first Americans (from America) that they had seen in over a year. We had the whole place to ourselves. An opportunity like that may never happen again. I appreciate your honest and open disclaimer. We're planning a trip back next year and we will remember to use your links for anything we book.

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your kind comments. I'm especially glad you liked some of the restaurants I recommend! How lucky you got to be here when Rome was less crowded. I am pretty sure that now the only way to visit with smaller crowds is in really low season like winter (but not the holidays.) Thank you again for your support!

Who ever is thinking 🤔 to go to Rome for the first time , believe me ITS BEAUTIFUL, it’s amazing

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

I agree!

I took the Pristine Sistine tour in February with a friend and the crowds were really reasonable (and the tour was excellent)! I’ll be back in Rome in June but from the sounds of things, it really is the best option to go in winter (Mid January to beginning of March) for the next few years until the post-Covid rush calms down a bit for these must-see sights!

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

I agree - right now and for the foreseeable future, the crowds are pretty intense in spring, summer, and fall. I am not sure when this might subside but winter is always a great time to enjoy Rome with fewer people!

A"zen bubble";wonderful advice.

@Romewise

7 ай бұрын

Ha! It works - mind over matter! Thanks for watching my video :)

Wow, Alyssa, once again, I am so impressed and grateful for your information. I was thinking just today. How could I see the Vatican museums without being oppressed by crowds? Well, you have the answers. I find your videos, extremely informative and yet haiku like .....I believe my trip to Rome in May will be better because of your advice!

@Romewise

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for your lovely comments! I'm glad you find my videos helpful. You may be interested in the latest video I published about visiting the Sistine Chapel without the crowds: kzread.info/dash/bejne/Z5WXmcWvcquWmbw.html Also these trips about visiting in May might be useful: kzread.info/dash/bejne/aJWVpLyikrrUdbg.html kzread.info/dash/bejne/iaWIs6yjgc2XlLQ.html

Wish I’d seen this before visiting SC in April. 😢 We went on a tour in the middle of the day and it was SOOO crowded 😢 I did however get into my zen bubble and found a place to sit and observe the ceiling. It was marvelous 😊

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Awww I'm sorry you did not have the best experience but glad in the end you were able to make the zen bubble work!

Hi Elyssa, can you recommend any Sistine Chapel tours that accommodate wheelchairs? Or is it possible to rent a wheelchair through the Vatican museum? Thanks again for all your great videos and valuable info.

@Romewise

13 күн бұрын

Thanks so much for watching my videos. The Vatican Museums has wheelchairs you may use while you visit the museums. They are free to use. www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/organizza-visita/servizi-per-i-visitatori/accessibilita.html As for tours, there a couple of options. The first is to book a tour of the Vatican Gardens through the Vatican museums. See the above link. The second option is to use a site like GetYourGuide that acts as an umbrella for various tour companies offering tours in Rome and the Vatican, and enter a filter for "Wheelchair accessible". There you can see all the possible tours that are wheelchair accessible. I've done this for you and you can see some options here: gyg.me/J4AC8gro Have a great visit!

The 7:30AM small group English tour of the Vatican Museum with breakfast worked well for us last Thursday. It costs $68 per person and allows for a return visit on one’s own after breakfast. The main value is having a far better experience in the Sistine Chapel before the hordes arrive. Our 2 hour guided tour before breakfast from 7:30-9:30 was limited and did not include the Greco/Roman statuary, but we did that on our own afterwards, although it was greatly crowded by then. By 11:30 we left because of the crowds and having to wait to use the toilet, but by that time we had seen many of the highlights.

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Yes, that's the way to do it! Go super early and enjoy as much as you can before the crowds come. Sounds like you got a lot out of your visit!

@melynn44

Жыл бұрын

I have been leaning toward this exact tour, but it seems like it is a guided tour....and I worried that by the time we were guided through the other areas and to the Sistine Chapel, it could be close to or after opening, and we'd run into some crowds. I thought that perhaps doing an early self-guided tour, which starts later, but with it being self-guided, I'd be able to get to the Sistine Chapel quicker. I keep going back and forth.

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

@@melynn44 In either case, you will be there early enough to avoid the biggest crowds. I would suggest the tour so they can guide you. Usually with these early tours, they don't immediately show you the rest of the museums but rather rush to the Sistine Chapel to get there at the earliest time possible. They do this all the time and they set it up so that people will enjoy the Sistine Chapel with the smallest crowds right at the beginning of the day.

@melynn44

Жыл бұрын

@@Romewise Thanks for the tip!

@PattyonEarth

11 ай бұрын

On this tour that is $68 can you go to St Peter's Basilica after or do you have to make the line outside?

Hi I love your videos and about to booking the Extra time tour. does the Extra Time tour still have the guide explain the chapel inside? It doesn't say anything when booking on their website.

@Romewise

11 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! Yes, with the Extra Time tour, the guide will explain the Sistine Chapel while inside the Sistine Chapel. It's one of the highlights of the tour! I hope you enjoy it!

@umihchc

11 ай бұрын

@@Romewise thanks so much! It's booked!

@Romewise

11 ай бұрын

@@umihchc Great! I'd love to hear how you enjoy it. Please let us know here in the comments once you've taken the tour! Have a great time.

One more question - Is the modern gallery open in the evening? I wanted to see VanGogh’s pietà. Thanks again for your wonderful content. You are my go to for planning all things Rome.

@Romewise

10 ай бұрын

To be honest I am not sure the modern gallery is open late. In fact I am pretty sure it's not. I think when you visit it in the evening, you go through the shorter route from the Raphael rooms to the Sistine Chapel, which bypasses the modern gallery and the papal apartments.

@Romewise

10 ай бұрын

Thanks for letting me know I am your go-to for Rome planning! I'm very grateful! And by the way, we also have a website and Facebook group (and some videos on this channel) about Florence, www.florencewise.com.

If you book the buss tour (45 minutes) which includes entry to the Vatican museums and Sistine chapel. Does that include a general admission to the museums and chapel where we would have to then wait in the long line for 2 hours for entry or do we get to skip the line and enter at the conclusion of the tour? We are trying to avoid waiting in the long line. Would we be better to book a guided tour instead with a defined time for the tour? We are crunched on time because we have colosseum times as well

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

If you book any visit to the Vatican Museums ahead of time, then the only wait you have is to go through security. This does not take that long, so no, you would not have a 2-hour wait to get into the Vatican Museums. However, the bus tour you are speaking about does not include any way to skip the line at Saint Peter's Basilica. For that, you may encounter long waits to go through security. So if you want to avoid the line ALSO at Saint Peter's Basilica, then your best bet is to book a Vatican Museums tour that specifically includes the basilica (you cannot take the shortcut on your own - you MUST be on a guided tour to take the shortcut.) I also really do not recommend visiting the Colosseum on the same day as the Vatican but if you only have one day in Rome, you can do it. Just prepare for a really full and tiring day.

hi! im going in Rome on July for one week. But, i only have free day on Sunday half day. What do you recommend to visit?

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

If you only have a free day on Sunday for half a day, I am assuming you have a full week of tours planned where you will visit most of the main sites. If it was me, I'd just walk around the center and enjoy my down time. But if you want another site to see, try the Capitoline Museums or the Galleria Doria Pamphilj. If you want some ancient stuff, visit Castel Sant'Angelo or the Baths of Caracalla.

What about the Prime Experience offered on the Vatican website? It is marketed as an hour early visit.

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Yes that is another great example of an early tour that will get you into the Sistine Chapel with very few other visitors.

Question for you: I was going to book the extra time tour but it does not seem to be available in October. I am totally torn between an early morning tour (either Pristine Sistine or through Vatican website) or doing the Happy Hour on the Friday evening scheduled through the Vatican website. Help!!! Which is better in your opinion? Thank you so much for all of the wonderful information here on KZread and on your blog.

@Romewise

10 ай бұрын

Hello Terry and thanks for watching and for your kind comments. They definitely offer the Extra Time tour in October, and I can see availability on the Vatican Museums website. However, this tour is never offered on Friday or Saturday nights from late April - late October, because the museums are open late those nights. It's also not offered on Sundays because usually the Vatican Museums are closed Sundays, except for the last Sunday of the month when the museums are open and free, but only for a few hours, so they do not offer Extra Time on Sundays. So you can find this tour only if you look on a Monday - Thursday. If you can't visit the Vatican on one of those days, then yes, either the Pristine Sistine or the evening tour on Fridays or Saturdays are excellent options. It just depends on you and your schedule and whether you prefer early morning or evening.

@TerryK-yc1dy

10 ай бұрын

Dear Elyssa, Thanks so much for your quick response! Very helpful. I do see that there is an extra time tour on Monday. Call me crazy but I think I will be buying tickets and going more than once as this is a life long dream for me that started with The Agony and the Ecstasy when I was 13 years old many moons ago. One more question for you - do you know if the Modern Gallery is open in the evening? I wanted to see Van Gogh’s pietà. Thank you again for all your great content!!!

@Romewise

10 ай бұрын

@@TerryK-yc1dy Ha - I would never call anyone crazy for wanting to spend more time in the Vatican Museums. The I go at least once a month and can never get enough! I also loved the Agony and the Ecstasy. I suggest you read Ross King's The Pope's Ceiling. I am not sure if the modern gallery is open in the evening so you may have to skip that if you do this tour. Another reason to go more than once!

Hi I’m going late January. For the key master tour, is the likelihood of them allowing photos same or higher, than the other times and tours u mentioned? Thanks!

@Romewise

5 ай бұрын

They allowed us to take photos during the Key Master Tour and I have seen others take this tour and post photos. However, there is just no guarantee. But if there was ever a tour where your chance of taking photos was high, this is the tour. On all the other tours, the no-photo rule is quite strictly in place.

@jyc313

5 ай бұрын

@@Romewise thanks this was helpful, as is your other videos. Looking forward to Rome.

@Romewise

5 ай бұрын

Thanks again! @@jyc313

Hi I've enjoyed watching your videos as I'm visiting Rome for my 1st time in middle August.. The Main website Vatican museum + sistine chapel entry ticket has sold out.. Im not worried about guided tours or breakfast as I would like to visit St Peters basilica & climb the dome in the very early morning & visit the Vatican museum in the afternoon around 2pm. Would you recommend taking my chances to queue for my ticket as I've read the queues are quieter afternoon time.. Or pay through a 3rd party a bit more & skip the queue 🤔 I will be going on a Monday 👍

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

I strongly recommend purchasing a ticket in advance. The queues have been extremely long lately, even in the afternoon. There is no more quiet afternoon. It's up to you, but I would not want to waste hours of vacation time standing in line when you can purchase tickets in advance. You are too early right now to find them on the Vatican website but if you keep looking in a week or two, you may be able to find them (they populate about 60 days out.) It not, you can buy them through a reseller and at least have the peace of mind of having tickets and not having to queue.

@m.shearer5233

Жыл бұрын

I've just paid for my ticket in advance for peace of mind... Thankyou 🙏 Lastly will I still need to wear a covid mask to gain entry 🤔

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

@@m.shearer5233 Yes that's a good idea! Masks are no longer required anywhere in Italy as far as I know. You are welcome to wear one when you feel like it - many people do wear them on public transportation, but it's entirely up to you!

👍

Hi Elyssa, I’ve booked the 5:30pm tickets on a Saturday after seeing your video but I didn’t get the option to do a guided tour from the official website. It seems a lot of tour guides also sell the 5:30 pm ticket so I’m very anxious about the crowds now.. also getting some regrets of not booking a guided tour. Is there a way to book a guided tour now with my existing entry ticket? Am I stressing out for no reason? Pls help! 😅

@Romewise

2 ай бұрын

Yes, tour companies are going at the end of the day, too. And yes, it will get more crowded as we move more into peak season. However, I still believe that the later in the day you go, in particular, prolonging your visit so you end up in the Sistine Chapel at closing time, you will find much smaller crowds. If you really want a tour, contact a tour company such as Walks of Italy, Tour Guy, City Wonders, Liv Tours, Through Eternity, and let them know you have a ticket but would like a tour and see if they will let you just pay for the tour. Please don't stress. If you can't get a tour, just go at 5:30 like I showed in my other video, and go slowly - visit other galleries so you are not rushing to the Sistine Chapel. If you get there for 7:30 and keep staying in there, it will thin out, I assure you!

can you cover places to park near the attractions when travelling by car 😊

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your suggestion. I will try to do that!

@JodyOwen-we6oo

Жыл бұрын

I’m curious. Why would you want to drive in Rome?

I didn’t know about the Happy Hour tickets! I hope we will be able to get direct tickets for this when we visit this October

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

Usually this runs through late October. You can see the hours here: www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/info/tutti-gli-orari.html Looks like you should make it! Have fun!

@acmejia

12 күн бұрын

@@Romewise Whoops. THis doesn't seem to exist in 2024...

@Romewise

11 күн бұрын

@@acmejia Yes, it's not on their website, although it's possible to have happy hour and it's also possible to visit the museums on Friday or Saturday "late" (closing is at 8pm), and have a similar experience.

@acmejia

11 күн бұрын

@@Romewise Yes! It took a while to find the late afternoon tickets as both tours and tickets sell out so FAST! seems they are only released two months in advance...

@Romewise

11 күн бұрын

@@acmejia Yes in fact tickets go on sale exactly 60 days in advance! Glad you were able to get the ones you wanted!

Hi Alyssa. I am going in late october in a group of 4 and was looking at the Admission ticket that comes with a lunch break. Assuming the lunch is around 1-2PM does that mean we will need to still get to the vatican early (9am?) and wait in line for an hour or 2 before getting admission? Or is there a separate line for people who have already purchased an admission ticket allowing us to show up a little later (10-11am). thank you.

@dustinjohnston2241

8 ай бұрын

Or does this mean we will have to eat lunch before were allowed to have access to the vatican. Then will be granted access to the rest of the museum after we are done eating?

@Romewise

8 ай бұрын

Hi Dustin, when you book the lunch ticket, you have to pick a lunch time - they offer options for 11am, 12pm, 1pm, and 2pm. The lunch ticket at the Vatican Museums has a little blurb about it. It says: Independently of the time chosen for the lunch, it will be nonetheless possible to enter the Vatican Museums from 9 am. The time indicated on the voucher refers to the time selected for the lunch, which lasts one hour. Full price ticket + Full Italian Menu: € 41,50 Reduced* price ticket + Full Italian Menu: € 32,50 Reduced* price ticket + Kids' Menu: € 22,00 Includes: ✔ Admission Ticket ✔ Lunch So you CAN come to the museums as early as you like, Your ticket is a skip the line ticket, which means that you skip that long line of people waiting to buy regular admission tickets. You DO have to go through security but it's a short line that usually takes more more than 5-10 minutes.

@Romewise

8 ай бұрын

So if you pick lunch at 12 pm, you could go in at 9am, see all the museums, and come back for lunch at noon and then leave (or keep visiting if you want!). Or, with that same 12pm ticket, you could go in at 11:30, go straight to your 12pm lunch, and then spend the rest of the afternoon walking it off by visiting the museums. Basically you just have to be there in time for your lunch time.

@dustinjohnston2241

8 ай бұрын

@@Romewise thank you so much. You're saving us a lot of stress before starting our trip!

@Romewise

8 ай бұрын

My pleasure! @@dustinjohnston2241

When I visited Sistine chapel I could take photos and videos, since it was private group tour from the conference in Rome. Which way can I take videos freely? If possible I would like to do so.

@Romewise

9 ай бұрын

It's generally not allowed to take photos and video of the Sistine Chapel but over the years, I've had several opportunities to do so. On a few occasions when I have been on very exclusive tours, the guards and our guide allowed us to take photos and video. But it was always decided last minute. And sometimes on these really early or after hours tours, they still would not allow it - so there is not a specific time and way you can take photos. It's happened for me randomly.

@kenichinishikawa7007

9 ай бұрын

@@Romewise thanks. For me it was special after-hour tour. I will try to do one of these.

Does this need a pre purchased ticket?? Thx

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

To visit the Sistine Chapel, yes, you need a ticket and the best way is to purchase it in advance. If you just show up, you may nit find tickets available but worst of all, you will likely be facing very long queues.

We have tickets to the Sistine Chapel at 4:30 and I'm wondering if that is too late to go and I should instead attempt to get tickets at 3:30. All the 8 am tickets are gonnnnnneeeee for end of March.

@Romewise

3 ай бұрын

That's great that you will go at 4:30. Remember, the museums are open later now. They close at 7pm during the week and 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays. So you will have plenty of time. Just make sure to see Saint Peter's Basilica beforehand or on another day.

Hi Alyssa, my friend and I will be visiting Rome in early November. We have bought the Roma & Vatican Omnia Pass from the 3rd Party Provider (Klook). We have received the confirmation email form the Omnia’s company itself. However, we still need to book the visiting slots for Colosseum & Castel St Angelo. My question are (1) when can I book for these slots as the dates in November are still not clickable and (2) do I need to book the slots for sistine chapel, museums (fast track and reserved entry) and st peter’s basillica as well as the instructions given in the email are still unclear 😅?. Thank you so much.

@Romewise

8 ай бұрын

Yes, you must reserve time slots for the Colosseum and for the Vatican Museums (where the Sistine Chapel is). You can book the Colosseum 30 days in advance. Vatican tickets can be purchased/reserved up to 60 days in advance. You should have instructions as to how to book these two sites.

@ahyaalhusnaaggussalimhalme613

8 ай бұрын

@@Romewise Thank you so much ! Wishing you great days ahead !

What are the wait times. Approx. price for tours?

@Romewise

7 ай бұрын

I'm not sure what you mean about the price. I described different tours, so the costs vary. They range from 17 Euros for a regular ticket without a tour, to almost 400€ for the Key Master tour. I have links in the description to see some different tour options. As for wait times, when you book tickets in advance, you only have to go through security. That doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes.

Hi Elyssa! Any word on if the Sistine Chapel Extra Time tour is coming back for 2024? We were hoping to book this for May and it doesn't appear to be on the website anymore.

@Romewise

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. I have a new video coming out tomorrow at 6PM Rome time all about all the changes coming to the Vatican Museums this year - at least all the changes we know about so far! The Extra Time tour should be coming back and I believe they are updating the Vatican Museums website and will be adding it back in. They don't offer it in January or February because they spend the evenings those months doing a deep clean of the Sistine Chapel.

@chriss2766

5 ай бұрын

@@Romewise great, thank you Elyssa! Your videos and blog are the best, they’ve been a massive help!

@Romewise

5 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! @@chriss2766

@acmejia

12 күн бұрын

@@Romewise We're in June 2024 and I am unable to find that tour in the Vatican website. May be gone for good :(

@Romewise

11 күн бұрын

@@acmejia I was told by a friend who is a guide that they do offer this tour if you write to them and ask for it. I hope it's still available, because it was a really great visit!

If we buy the "Vip - Vatican Museums" ticket, will we be able to skip the queue after breakfast?

@Romewise

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. All Vatican Museums tickets/tours that you purchase ahead of time allow you to skip the long lines in front of the museum to purchase tickets. However, everyone must go through security. But I find that the security process takes maybe 5-10 minutes. Once you pass security, there are no other lines. I hope that helps!

I’ve been having terrible luck trying to buy tickets to attractions in Rome for my trip at the end of July. On the Vatican website, it essentially says the basic ticket for the Sistine Chapel is sold out until august. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong!

@Romewise

11 ай бұрын

I'm sorry to hear this. But it's happening a lot right now because demand has soared and there is just not enough supply. You can watch my latest video where I explain what is happening and what you can do about it: kzread.info/dash/bejne/e6Fm2tuil8-YqZM.html Please note that the Vatican is also sold out of standard entry tickets but they do often offer other types of tickets through their web site, so you could try getting one of those. Good luck and hope you have a great visit!

@adinamarquez8444

11 ай бұрын

@@Romewise Thank you so much!

How can a disabled wheelchair bound person book tickets to sistine Chapel..

@Romewise

Жыл бұрын

If you are in a wheelchair, you and the person accompanying you both have free entry into the Vatican Museums. There is no way to book this visit on the Vatican museums website. You are also guaranteed priority access without the need to queue. So you should simply arrive at the entrance of the Vatican museums with the person accompanying you. You can find further details here: www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/organizza-visita/servizi-per-i-visitatori/accessibilita.html

Your best bet is to paint your own sistine chapel.

@Romewise

9 ай бұрын

Well that is a strategy I've never thought of before!

Downside of dodging the crowd is that there is very little chance to secretly take a picture

@Romewise

6 ай бұрын

Yes that's true!