Rome Forum: Vatican Museums on Sundays

Going early on any day is when you will find the most crowds but on free Sunday it will be even worse. You cannot get me there on a Sunday. I would go on Monday or Tuesday and try to book tickets at the vatican site.

…vatican.va/musei/tickets/do…

Donna

The number of people visiting the Vatican Museums on a normal day can be daunting at best. I would skip the free Sunday as the number of people waiting will be overwhelming, even early in the morning.

I too went on 'free Sunday', in February, and queued for about 90 minutes. It was not a pleasant experience, far too many people inside. I could not get anywhere near a lot of the objects, and the Sistine Chapel was literally shoulder to shoulder, with attendants trying in vain to keep the noise level down.

As our experts have said, it is worth paying and going in the week.

I've had that shuffling along in a pack, shoulder-to-shoulder, experience during the week as well. The last time I was there, I swore to return only on rainy Thursdays in mid-January.

Actually, I have just come back from a 5 day budget trip to Rome, hugely enjoyable, but I deliberately avoided the Vatican Museums because of their popularity. I enjoyed the Capitoline museum just as much, and there was a manageable number of people inside. Even on a rainy day.

A victim of its popularity, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel , I feel.

As I have got older, I enjoy the smaller sites more , such as the San Clemente Church, and San Prassede too, which I have only just discovered. Gorgeous mosaics.

It is possible and it is a good chance to see totally free some masterpieces of art. But the condicio sine qua non is being there not after 8.00 (the sooner the better). Arriving late is never better. The queue is enormous and becomes longer and longer during the hours. If you arrive at 10.00 you risk to be at the entrance after 12.00: I wouldn't waste a morning to spend an hour in the museum.

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