Where have you tried to sneak in somewhere you weren’t supposed to be?
The Vatican Museum was high on our radar before going to Rome. We always heard about places like the Sistine Chapel, but never knew what they were like in person. We finally got our chance. After waiting in some significant lines, we got to see this beautiful place with so much significant history. It is so grand and holds such beautiful treasures.
When we arrived, we were bombarded with so many people trying to sell us tours. I wished I had a sign that said: “I do not want a tour”. It was difficult to get to the museum as we kept getting people saying “skip the line, buy our tour”. We prefer going self-guided and end up casually listening to tour guides giving their history lessons. Paying for tours is rare for us unless it is the only way to access a place we care about. Then we waited in line to get in where people were still trying to get us to buy tours. It was ridiculous!
People were also going down the line asking for handouts. Once we were finally in, it was very interesting but crowded. Walking down the corridors, we loved looking up at the ornate ceilings. We were zigzagging past sculptures through what felt like a maze.
We were not allowed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel, which was disappointing, but loved seeing it in person. It is truly an amazing place.
Before we arrived, we looked at a blog post that suggested a way to avoid two lines and access St. Peter’s Basilica from the museum. We walked back through the maze towards the Sistine Chapel where there was supposed to be a door to bypass the second line. Fighting crowds going the opposite direction and weaving around tour groups, we finally made it to the door.
Unfortunately, we found out this secret entrance was only for tours and even tried to sneak in anyway, playing the dumb tourist card. We got caught because we didn’t have a specific lanyard, and he directed us to the main line. Oh well, at least we tried.
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