sistine chapel in three hours

[FawnRiver]

DH and I will be in Rome on a standard port day and he really wants to see the Sistine Chapel.

 

All of the tours I've looked at that include the Sistine Chapel also include going through the Vatican, something I'm not particularly interested in. I'd rather see more Roman ruins. There is one tour that sees most of the spots I want to go to and ends at St. Peter's square and gives us 3 hours there before returning to the ship. Would that be enough time to get to and through the Sistine Chapel (we're there in early December, if that makes a difference)? We've never been to Rome before, so I really don't know what to expect.

 

I'm a nervous traveller, so I prefer using the ship's tours, especially since this is our last port in the Med before heading out and across the Atlantic. I really don't want to risk having to find our own way to Madeira :eek:.

[cruisemom42]

Yes, if you take that tour, it should be very doable to see the Sistine chapel in 3 hours from a starting point at St. Peter's square.

 

Just to be sure, you know that the only way to access the chapel is through admission to the Vatican museums, yes?

 

It will probably be difficult to determine exactly when your group will be dropped off and your free time will start, so pre-reserving entry tickets to the museum may be risky. However, working in your favor is the fact that you'll be there in December and it sounds like your free time will probably start in the early afternoon. Your best bet would probably be just to get into the ticket line for the Vatican museum (if you are facing St. Peter's basilica, you will turn to your right and walk around the buildings (about 10-15 minute walk) until you see the museum entrance.

 

Even if the line is long, it generally moves pretty quickly. Once inside, you again will have to walk a long way just to get to the Sistine chapel. The pathway changes from time to time, but it is usually signposted.

 

When it's crowded, it's difficult to spend more than a half hour in the chapel; the noise, the guards shushing people, etc. will get to you after a while. Be sure to take some kind of an explanation (Rick Steves notes or podcast work well) as there is minimal in the chapel itself, although there is some information right before you go in.

 

Be sure to leave yourself enough time to get back to your meeting place. If you can exit out the "shortcut" door, you'll end up in the foyer to St. Peters and you'll just have to walk out to the square. However, there's a chance that you won't be able to use that door, in which case you'll have to retrace your steps back to the museum entrance and around to the square again.

[KirkNC]

The only way to get to the Sistine Chapel is through the Vatican Museum. The museum is considered by many to be pretty good so you might want to reconsider spending some time there. The Sistine Chapel itself is awesome but understand it is packed with people and guards constantly saying "no photo" (which many ignore). We went through the museum with Angel Tours (which included the Sistine Chapel). They did as very good job as the museum is huge and packed with "stuff" and they focused on the highlights. At the end of the tour you have time to visit the basilica if you choose. There tour was 2:15 minutes.

[chipmaster]

I would highly recommend you consider a private or a private tour share. The rome schedule and sights are so many and private allows you to tailor it to your custom needs, well worth the few dollars more.

 

As to risk of mssing the boat, with careful planning I think the risks are minimum.

[FawnRiver]

Thanks all for the information, it will be very useful in helping me make a decision. DH just tells me what he wants to do and leaves the details up to me :rolleyes:.

[EmJakeBubbie]

on foreign soil, I prefer to utilize ship-organized tours - traffic in Rome can get dicey, so I would be a nervous-nelly worrying about getting back to the ship on time.

Posters have shared good information and I concur you will have enough time to experience the highlights and yes, it is possible to take "ceiling pictures" in the Chapel w/o being caught - (you have to keep your camera low, shoot towards the ceiling, turn off any 'sound') - it can get crowded. Rome is impossible to fully experience in a short port-day - perhaps, after the port-day, you will return another time, to spend a few nights there. The city is really something - the old mixed w/the new..... I love Roma.

(p.s. Beware of Pick Pockets!)

 

Bon Voyage.

[slidergirl]

on foreign soil' date=' I prefer to utilize ship-organized tours - traffic in Rome can get dicey, so I would be a nervous-nelly worrying about getting back to the ship on time.

Posters have shared good information and I concur you will have enough time to experience the highlights and yes, it is possible to take "ceiling pictures" in the Chapel w/o being caught - (you have to keep your camera low, shoot towards the ceiling, turn off any 'sound') - it [i']can [/i]get crowded. Rome is impossible to fully experience in a short port-day - perhaps, after the port-day, you will return another time, to spend a few nights there. The city is really something - the old mixed w/the new..... I love Roma.

(p.s. Beware of Pick Pockets!)

 

Bon Voyage.

 

On soapbox:

PLEASE don't do the ceiling pictures!!! Sure, you may be able to get away with it "w/o being caught", but it is terribly rude and disrespectful The rule is there for a reason and no one should think they are above everyone else to ignore the rule. If you need a picture or two of the ceiling, buy postcards at the giftshop - you'l have your memories AND help to preserve the artifacts.

On another continent - people used to take photos inside the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Then, the government said "no photos", yet people would still "get away with it". Then, the government said "no cameras", but some people would sneak them in. THEN the government said "no bags"... I'd hate for this to happen in all those wonderful old and ancient sites we are privileged to be able to visit.

 

Off soapbox.