Please help! On Monday, May 21, I have a Scavi tour scheduled at 11 am and a vatican museum tour scheduled at 1pm. When should I try to fit in seeing St. Peter's Basilica, before or after? We would like to climb the dome as well.
Castel S'Angelo is close by also. The view from the top is great and there is food up there (although it is mediocre). Coffee and as pastry would be good though. Some of the rooms are interesting and the bridge with the angels on it is very beautiful. Likewise the statue of Saint Michael (the angelo the castle is named after). Too bad they don't let you into the crypt wherre Hadrian was originally buried.
Posts: 3853 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
Originally posted by ChelseaSF: how long would you figure it takes to see St. Peter's and climb the dome, and then walk to the Vatican museum?
Way too many variables here to give you much of an answer.
It depends on what time of day you're talking about, and therefore whether or not there's likely to be a line at security for the basilica.
The day of week can impact this as well (weekends are more crowded, Wednesdays when there is an audience are another factor).
The time of year - January has fewer crowding problems than June, but they almost never go away completely.
How detailed of a look do you want? One can quickly run through St. Peter's, catching the Pieta, a general once-over of the building and several other major pieces of art, in a half hour. On the other hand, it would be possible to spend a full day going through the entire place.
How quickly or slowly do you climb (for the dome)? Do you like to spend time at the top taking in the view or is the climb itself what you're interested in? (Once with my 14 year old nephew we were up and down in about a half hour.)
Finally, depending on the time of day, you may not have far to walk for the Vatican museums. According to someone who was there this week (see note above from Mary Jane), the line extends all the way to Piazza San Pietro.
ellen
Posts: 3020 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
Originally posted by Kellee: I have a Scavi tour scheduled at 11 am and a vatican museum tour scheduled at 1pm.
You're barely going to make this as it is. The Scavi tour takes about an hour and a half, you'll just have enough time to hightail it over to the entrance of the museums.
ellen
Posts: 3020 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
There is usually a line to buy tickets to climb the dome of St Peter's. No matter how many people are standing in line there is only one ticket window. Waiting in line for the tickets can take longer than climbing the dome. Buying the tickets is the rate determining step. Once you buy the tickets it was realtively uncrowded in the courtyard to the elevator. The elevator is small, but it could make more trip if the more ticket windows were possible. Climbing inside the dome was less crowded than climbing sty Paul's Dome in London. If you are going to do this, you need to arrive early and do it before your 11 am Scavi tour.
Posts: 3853 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
Originally posted by dragonpat: There is usually a line to buy tickets to climb the dome of St Peter's.
Very true, and it's often quite a long line. I've climbed the dome at least five times over the past several years and each time I made sure we were the first people on line when the ticket office opened. Later in the day that line can get beastly.
ellen
Posts: 3020 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
Castel S'Angelo is close by also. The view from the top is great and there is food up there (although it is mediocre). Coffee and as pastry would be good though. Some of the rooms are interesting and the bridge with the angels on it is very beautiful. Likewise the statue of Saint Michael (the angelo the castle is named after). Too bad they don't let you into the crypt wherre Hadrian was originally buried.
This will not be an option for you, as the Castle is closed on Mondays.
The room where Hadrian's urn was kept is accessible and you must pass through it to get up to the top of the castle.
If you arrive at 9am or so, take one of the "free" tours of St. Peter's. You should be done by 10. Go to the top of the Dome and treat yourself to some coffee. You'll have plenty of time to make your Scavi tour. When you go to St. Peter's you will need to check your bags. Leave them there for your Scavi tour. You can short-cut the security line to reteive your bags when you finish your tour.
At the risk of telling you something you already know (DUH!), I will add that it is imperative you adhere to the Vatican dress code. On a busy day, many unknowing pilgrims are turned aside.
Simply stated, this means no bare shoulders for men or women, no tank tops,workout clothes, etc., no short pants or skirts (some of us can recall the days when even in America schoolgirls were made to kneel on the floor and if the skirt didn't touch, it was back home for the offender), no bare middles. Granted, many a tourist has purchased an overpriced scarf to serve as a makeshift skirt or shawl, but do you really want to be sent to the back of the line because of some fashion faux pas? Oh the humiliation! This is a church after all, so keep that in mind.
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