How long to climb St. Peter's Cupola?

[crazygirl!]

About how long should I allow for climbing the Cupola? I want to pre-book Vatican tickets for after we do this, and I want to ensure that I allow enough time to climb to the top, take in the view, and then walk over to the Vatican.

 

We will finish our Scavi Tour around 11:00-11:15am and then climb the Cupola, so I was thinking maybe 1:00pm for Vatican tickets? Or, if I chose 1:30pm and arrive earlier, would they let us in early?

[euro cruiser]

There are a few variables to consider.

 

First, it's impossible to know if there will be a line for the cupola. There often is, but not always. If there is a line, how long will it take? Complete unknown.

 

After you exit the elevator onto the roof of the basilica you start the climb up the dome. The pace you move at is limited by the speed of the people in front of you as this is a narrow, single file route. If all is going normally, I'd say it takes about 15 minutes to get to the top from this point, so maybe 25 minutes in total. Coming down is a little faster, but again only as fast as the folks in front of you.

 

In other words, if everything goes perfectly you could probably accomplish the entire thing in an hour, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

Also, remember that you have a just under a mile walk to the entrance of the Vatican Museums (about 15 - 20 minutes at an average pace).

[crazygirl!]

Exactly the type information I was looking for! Thank you so much Euro Cruiser - you're always so helpful on these boards!

[angiemac7]

The view is AMAZING from the top! You'll want to spend more than 10 minutes enjoying it... I think we spent 30 or so minutes. There's also the domes you can look down into the basilica from, which will take some time. And, if you're a coffee drinker, the cheapest coffee in Rome is on the roof of St Peter's (I think it was only a euro), so you might want to enjoy a cuppa. I can understand if you only have a day in Rome and want to see as much as possible, but you really don't want to rush this amazing experience either.