If you google "tickets to Colosseum" or "tickets to Sistine Chapel" you're going to get a million options that look like they are directly from the museum, but they are all third party tour companies who buy tickets from the museum and upcharge them to you on the notion of giving you something additional, like an audio guide on your phone (not worth it) or a live tour guide. They can be worth it, and some companies allow you to cancel or change the date of your reservation. If you're going at the last minute during tourist season, this is likely the only way to get tickets. Official sites usually have ".it" as the extension on the website.
But here is a list of links to get the tickets directly from the museum and skip the uncharges. It is not everything, but you get the idea that you don't have to buy from third party sites, and some of the sites below will give you access to multiple museums.
ROME SITES:
COLOSSEUM:
They open tickets 30 days in advance and sell out quickly. This link did not work for me in the U.S. They only work when I turn on my VPN located in Italy.
It has its own free audio guide you can get from their app ("My Colosseum"). I think it's better to review the apps and audio guides in advance so you can pay attention to the live experience when you're there and enjoy taking photos. The audio guides can make things take longer than needed which can wear you out, or people you are with.
VATICAN and SISTINE CHAPEL:
I wanted to see the Sistine Chapel. I was unaware that there is a lot more there than just that. All of it is worth seeing, but it took us 2 1/2 hours to walk through it all. By the time we got to the chapel we were physically exhausted and mentally overstimulated. It was 5 times more exhausting than walking through the maze of IKEA. I suggest skipping most of it if you have limited bandwidth for everything.
ST. PETER'S BASILICA
FREE ENTRY
But you can buy tickets in advance to avoid waiting in a potentially long line.
PANTHEON
The tickets are very inexpensive. Children under 18 are free but still need a ticket. I bought from a third party vendor but absolutely didn't need to. I could have walked up and bought my ticket at the moment. Instead I had to arrive early and meet the vendor from the tour group standing in the cold watching everyone else just walk up and buy tickets for less than I paid.
ACQUEDUCTS
No ticket required! But there is information here:
Henry said this was the coolest thing we saw. Take the Metro Line A to the Giulio Agricola (or Lucia Sestia) stop. Walk down Via Giulio Agricola (or Lucia Sestia) and you'll find the park. If you want to rent bikes in advance to save walking, try this company:
Fuori di Ruota (fuoridiruota@gmail.com). Alternatively, just put "parco degli acquedotti" in your map and you'll find it. Once you walk the entire length, you'll be closer to the Subaugusta Metro stop and can return from there.
FLORENCE/TUSCANY SITES:
SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE CATHEDRAL, GIOTTO'S TOWER, BRUNELLESCHI'S DOME, SANTA REPARTA (cool underground), BAPTISTRY, and MUSEUM
Entry to the Cathedral is free. You have to wait in line, but it doesn't take that long once they start the next group.
Entry to the dome is the big item, and then you have two days after your ticket to explore the other places. Giotto's tower doesn't take long as give a great view of the dome. Santa Reparta is pretty cool and I think it would get you in to see the cathedral without having to wait. The museum is a museum. Boring for kids (and sometimes adults).
TOWER OF PISA
Your ticket will also get you entry to the Baptistry, Museum, Camposanto (mausoleum). I recommend the Camposanto. It was really interesting. The ticket does not include entry to the Muro (wall). We paid to do that but it is very long and wore us out a bit. But we had time before our entry to the tower and Henry wasn't interested in the museums.
PALAZZO VECCHIO
This site also has tickets to other cathedrals and museums
We did buy third party tickets to this because it has a
"secret passage" tour that I thought Henry would be interested in. It was worth it.
BOBOLI GARDENS
PITTI PALACE
VASARI CORRIDOR
UFFIZI GALLERY
The Boboli Gardens are enormous and pleasant to walk through. The Vasari Corridor is the long passage the Medici had built so they wouldn't have to walk from their home to the palace in public (and risk assassination). I think I was too jet lagged to get this information in time so we didn't do the corridor. I thought tours were in the €150 range, but direct tickets were actually just €47. (shhh...don't tell Henry.)
There are loads of cathedrals in Florence to see. Santa Croce, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella. We didn't want to spend the time to see them all. Henry was fresco-ed out. We went to Santo Spirito and it was free.
There is also the Leonardo da Vinci
museum.
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