Rome - 3 nights 4 days

[Orangetreexherry]

Going to Rome for a City break in mid-September with a friend. Please advise how to plan - want to see most of the famous landmarks - Vatican, Colosseum, etc. I have checked Skip the line ticket to the Vatican Museums & the Sistine Chapel on Viator - all sold out. Are there any other websites I could book/reserve the tickets? Will we be able to queue on the day to enter? Any other landmarks/museums I might want to pre-book tickets? Shuttle from and to airport has been booked. TIA

I was there a few years ago, & I'm sure we booked via the actual websites, not an intermediary.

When you're in the Vatican queue, you'll get approached by guides offering tours whereby you skip the queue. Not expensive and worth every penny. We did a tour with an art historian and it was absolutely incredible. It took in Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's.

On the Vatican website Sold Out, I've tried Viator, but looks ridiculously expensive

Thank you, that's what I am hoping for - everything will be more accessible once we are there

We were there in August, I booked the early morning tour for the Vatican which was much better because you start before it opens and there are less crowds. It is more expensive though. I don't think I booked that much in advance either. Depending where you are staying most things are within walking distance and the Metro is easy to use. Because we did the early tour we then went to the Pantheon later in the evening.
Palatine Hill takes a full day if you're going there. There are SUPER sites (inside the houses and the museum etc) which you have to have an additional ticket for. If it's the Roman history you're interested in I would recommend Palatine Hill, Nero's Domus Aurea, the Coliseum and Ostia Antica which is amazing!

We were in Rome two weeks ago. The ticket queue for the colosseum was about 2 hours long. Appreciate you're going in September and not summer holidays but I'd defo book them in advance!! We bought ours from Viator.

Have a look at air b n b tours and excursions. We did a couple including an evening tour of the coliseum

Thank you, noted

Thanks, hopefully the Q will be half that, I am also looking for pre-booking if I can find what I want. Currently nothing that includes all tree -Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel AND St. Peter's Basilica

What's the website please, mine comes up booking.com

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/Italy/experiences/art-and-culture?tabid=experienceetab&refinementpaths%5B%5D=%2Fexperiences&flexibleetriplengths%5B%5D=oneeweek&monthlystarttdate=2023-10-01&monthlylength=3&rankkmode=default&placeid=ChIJA9KNRIL-1BIRb15jJFz1LOI&dateepickertype=calendar&source=structureddsearchinputtheader&searchtype=filterr_change

The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are both on the Vatican Museums ticket, St Peter's is free and you don't need a ticket.

If they still do the wine tasting in Frascati would highly recommend. I've Lao been told the cooking with Nona is a lot of fun.

This is the only official Vatican Museum website for tickets:

https://m.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani-mobile/en/organizza-visita/tariffe-e-biglietti.html

Not sure what they've got available though.

Book the Colosseum direct as well. As in any big city, there'll be loads of "tours" and agencies selling tickets, but probably considerably more expensive.

https://www.coopculture.it/en/products/ticket-colosseum-roman-forum-palatine_24h/

Official site for Colosseum.

I love Rome!
You have to see the Sistine Chapel once in a lifetime … but we are going again soon and I won’t go again. ( Read the Sistine Chapel Screamer thread before you go!)
I loved the Trevi Fountain.. I kept thinking of Audrey Hepburn in the “ Roman Holiday” film
I just love wandering around in Rome, watching the locals, having a glass wine and pizza in a cafe , watching the world go by. The ancient sites are amazing but don’t forget the joy of just sitting and watching.

I went several years ago, with my Mum and sister, we did the Sistine Chapel, we weren’t overly impressed, however my godfather had been in a seminary here………….it was less crowded and once you get past the fact that it and all of the churches were built on the backs of the poor, it was beautiful.

I say the above as a Catholic.

Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archbasilica_of_Saint_John_Lateran

They are asking for £60 for 2 people for St. Peter's Basilica Tour with Dome Climb & Papal Crypt on booking.com, will it be for Dome Climb & Papal Crypt?

Sadly all sold out until November

The cupola tickets cost around €10 and the crypt is free (or was last time I went- 2021) Entry to the Basilica itself is free.
I wouldn't bother paying out for a tour - you get in really quickly as it's got a very organised system (bit like airport security - lots of lines, lots of scanners, lots of officials) There are audio self guides that you can get once inside.

As a pp said, Ostia Antica is absolutely fantastic. When I went in March a few years ago all the central Rome sites were heaving with tourists, yet there were only a handful at Ostia Antica, I was the only one in many buildings so it was easy to imagine how it might have been two thousand years ago.

I would definitely jump on a tour with a guide from the queue. Our tour guide was incredible and we had the best time with him. Half historian, half stand up comedian! I wish I had his card still (it was a few years ago) so I could give you his details. But he found us in the queue and there are lots of them. Have a great trip. Incredible city.

Thank you everyone for your input, I will be referring to this tread while I'm there.

We used "get your guide" for skip the line tickets

The colosseum isn't booked out until November. They release tickets 30 days ahead and 7 days ahead. You should keep checking.