Friday Evenings at the Vatican Museums — Photo courtesy of cfwee
Visiting Rome and not going to see the Vatican Museums would be almost too sinful to admit anyone. If the museums are on your must-see list (and they should be,) you might consider going to see them at night. Back by popular demand, visiting the Vatican Museums under the stars returns on Friday evenings through October.
Since May 4th, the Vatican Museums have been opening their doors to visitors in the evenings on Fridays from 7-11pm. It's the fourth year in a row that the museums offer this popular initiative during the spring and summer time. The late Friday evenings run through July 13th, and then start up again on September 7th through October 26th. For the most part, the Friday evening initiative has been extremely popular with Roman residents as opposed to tourists, which might mean thinner crowds and less wait-time for in-the-know travelers.
The Egyptian Museum at the Vatican Museums — Photo courtesy of xiquinhosilva
The sections of the museums open on Friday evenings are: the Egyptian Museum, Pio-Clementine Museum, Upper Galleries of the Vatican Museums, Gallery of Tapestries and Candelabra, Hall of Maps, Raphael's Rooms, Borgia Apartment (limited to Rooms I, III, IV, XIII, XXVIII), Collection of Modern Religious Art and of course, the Sistine Chapel.
In order to enter the museums in the evening, you must reserve your tickets online. Tickets cost €15 plus a €4 reservation fee. Make sure to arrive before 9:30pm, the last admission to get into the Vatican Museums.
