There are few things better than arriving at a sight you have wanted to see forever and finding that you have it to yourself. That you have all the space and time you need to appreciate it.
Unfortunately, that’s also pretty rare – especially in Rome. During the high season (and sometimes even in low season) queues into Rome attractions can be crazy. It’s not unusual to hear visitors griping about waiting three hours or more to get into the Vatican Museums or to see people slathering aftersun lotion onto burns received in the queue for the Colosseum. And the worst bit about queuing? It means that once you get inside you are far from alone. Being wedged into the Sistine Chapel like a sardine in a can is hardly how you imagined the experience when you were booking your Italy trip but when the city is busy, what can you do?
Well, even during the highest of the high season it is possible to time your visit around the crowds. You won’t have any Rome sight to yourself but you should have a lot more elbow room and a much more relaxed visit. Generally speaking, most of the major Rome attractions – like most popular attractions worldwide – are at their busiest in the late morning/early afternoon. It’s hard to arrive at a sight earlier than the most energetic travellers. By the time you have finished your coffee and dressed the kids, there will always be a group already there. They synchronised their watches and laid out their clothes the night before to aid a super-early start. And why should you get up early and race out of the hotel on your hard-earned Italy vacation?
The secret is that after the early afternoon peak, most popular Rome attractions start to become a little quieter. The early birds are gone for lunch (or a nap!) so this is the best time to visit. Take your time in the morning, have your coffee, stroll around a plaza or two and watch the city wake up. Maybe even visit one of the quieter tourist sights – the other Papal Basilicas or an open-air area like Circus Maximus. Then as the heat starts to die down, potter along for a much more tranquil visit.
In keeping with this, Dark Rome has a selection of English-speaking Rome tours that set out later in the day for those that would rather visit sights when they are quieter. Our skip the line access Ancient Rome and Colosseum tour at 3PM is a lot more comfortable for most visitors. The heat of the day has subsided (and Rome can get HOT in summer!) and there are less snap-happy tourists around, so visitors have the space to let their imaginations run free.
Without a doubt, the Vatican Museums are the space where visitors are most likely to encounter huge queues in the morning and early afternoon. Our experience however, is that the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms and all the other galleries are a lot quieter during our skip the line access Vatican Museums tour at 2.30PM than they are during the morning tour.
If you are really determined to get some space in the Vatican Museums take a tour on Wednesday. Even our morning tours are quiet on a Wednesday as this is the time when the most Vatican visitors are at an Audience with the Pope. The only downside of visiting the Vatican Museums on a Wednesday morning is that St. Peter’s Basilica is usually closed off to visitors. That said, it generally re-opens later in the afternoon and access is free so if you have the time that morning, you can just go get a coffee and wait for the re-opening. Otherwise it’s well worth considering two separate trips – one to see the museums and another to see the Basilica.
They say the early bird catches the worm but not in Rome.