Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
walls, and also stops on Via Leone IV. Bus #64 stops on the other side of St. Peter's Square,
a 15- to 20-minute walk (facing the church from the obelisk, take a right through the colon-
nade and follow the Vatican Wall). Taxis are reasonable (hop in and say, “moo-ZAY-ee vah-
tee-KAH-nee”).
Tours: A€7 audioguide isavailableatthetopofthespiralramp/escalator(IDrequired).
If you rent an audioguide, you lose the option of taking the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel
to St. Peter's (described later, under “Museum Strategies”), since audioguides must be re-
turned to the museum entrance/exit.
You can download a free Rick Steves audio tour of the Sistine Chapel; see here .
The Vatican offers English tours that are easy to book online (€31, includes admission,
http://mv.vatican.va ). As with individual ticket reservations, present your confirmation
vouchertoaguardtotherightoftheentrance;then,onceinside,gototheGuidedToursdesk
(in the lobby, up a few stairs).
Both privatetour companiesandprivateguidesofferEnglishtoursofthemuseum,usu-
ally allowing you to skip the long ticket-buying line. For a listing of several companies, see
here .
WithLimitedTime: Seetheoctagonalcourtyard (Laocoön) ,thenfollowthecrowdflow
directly to the Sistine Chapel, sightseeing along the way. Skip the Etruscan Wing and the
Pinacoteca.FromtheSistineChapel,headstraighttoSt.Peter'sviatheshortcut,ifopen(see
“Museum Strategies,” below).
Security and Baggage Check: To enter the museum, you pass through a metal detector
(nopocketknivesallowed).Thebaggagecheck(totherightaftersecurity)takesonlybigger
bags; you'll need to carry your day bag with you.
Museum Strategies: The museum has two exits, and you'll want to decide which you'll
take before you enter. The main exit is right near the entrance. Use this one if you want to
rent an audioguide (which you must return at the entrance) or if you plan on following this
self-guided tour exactly as laid out, visiting the Pinacoteca (painting gallery) at the end.
The other exit is a handy but sometimes closed) shortcut that leads from the Sistine
Chapel directly to St. Peter's Basilica (spilling out alongside the church; see map on here ) .
This route saves you a 30-minute walk (15 minutes back to the Vatican Museum entry/exit,
then15minutestoSt.Peter's)andletsyouavoidtheoften-longsecuritylineatthebasilica's
main entrance. If you take this route, you'll have to forgo an audioguide and skip the Pin-
acoteca (or tour it earlier). Officially, this exit is for Vatican guides and their groups only.
However, it's often open to anyone (depending on how crowded the chapel is and how the
guards feel). It's worth a shot (try blending in with a group that's leaving), but be prepared
for the possibility that you won't get through.
Photography: No photos are allowed in the Sistine Chapel. Elsewhere in the museum,
photos without a flash are permitted.
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