Guided tour booked through Vatican website. Access to St. Peters after?

[sweetpea222]

We booked a two hour guided tour through the Vatican website on a Thursday in July, from 2-4 pm. The tour is of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. I had read somewhere that when some tours end after the chapel, there is a possible way to access St. Peters afterwards, without backtracking around and waiting again in a security line. Has this been anyone's experience? I'm hopeful that by the time our tour ends, the hordes of cruise travelers will be long gone back to their ships (we have 4 days in Rome pre-cruise) so even if we have to we won't have much of a wait, BUT it sure would be nice to be able to carry on into the basilica without backtracking.

 

Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

It's very doubtful. You actually have to have a guided tour of St. Peters to officially be able to access that shortcut. (If you did, your guide would walk you through.) Also, with the tour you booked, your guide might continue to herd you back toward the entrance, seeing more things enroute -- the actual route depends on the tour, the number of people in the museums, etc.

 

That said, some people (including myself) have insinuated themselves into the groups going from the Sistine chapel into St. Peters in the past. However, from what I understand the guards are a bit stricter about it now.

[sweetpea222]

Ok good to know. I will ask them when we get there. Was hoping we wouldn’t have to backtrack but I’m also hoping that if we do it won’t be too busy at 4 pm when our tour ends.

 

 

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