Book advance tickets for top sights in Italy

The Early Bird gets the Last Supper—yes, there are some museums, monuments, and sights in Italy for which you really need to reserve admission tickets ahead of time

In the age of the Internet, many sights across Italy offer the opportunity to book your admission tickets in advance for a set entry time...usually for a booking fee of €1 to €5.

Are reserved tickets necessary?

For many attractions, no. You can usually waltz up to the door and get right in—maybe you'll have to wait all of five minutes in line.

In these cases, I recommend you don't book ahead, as it can cramp your travel style, locking you into too many scheduled events and leaving little room for spontaneity. Plus, you can avoid paying that superfluous $2–$7.

However, for a select few major museums and monuments, reserving an entry ticket ahead of time can save you a wait of one, two, or even three hours in line—well worth the paltry booking fee.

In some cases—especially if it's a sight that allows only a limited number of visitors in at a time—reserving ahead may make the difference between getting in and getting turned away at the door.

It's true; frequently I see people arrive at the ticket window only to discover that entry to see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or the Galleria Borghese in Rome, has already been sold out for the next two or three days.

In fact, the Last Supper can sell out weeks in advance.

So, from among the dozens of admissions you can book online, here are the sights in Italy for which I truly recommend booking admission tickets before you leave (or at least a few days in advance from on the road).

IN ROME

• Galleria Borghese - Limited admission; booking is obligatory, and though technically you could show up and "book" an entry for right then and there, in practice the museum truly is often fully sold out several days in advance. Since this is my favorite museum in Rome, I always pony up the usurious €5 booking fee in advance. » more
  » BOOK IT: tel. +39-06-32-810, www.ticketeria.it 
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com, Context Travel, Select Italy
  
  
• The Colosseum - Otherwise the long lines mean you might have to wait for an hour or more (at least in summer); bonus: ticket includes the Roman Forum. Note that the recently reopened underground "dungeons" and upper tiers are on a separate admission with a required guide. » more
  » BOOK IT: tel. +39-06-3996-7700, www.pierreci.it, Select Italy (Colosseum and Forum pass or Colosseum dungeons and upper tiers)
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com, Context Travel
  
  
• Vatican Museums - Not at all required, but you can save yourself 15–45 minutes by booking "Skip the line" tickets ahead of time—and on a vacation with a tight schedule, those 15–45 minutes can be well worth the few euros extra it costs to purchase entry tickets in advance.
  » BOOK IT: Select Italy, Viator.com
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com, Context Travel
  
  
• Papal Audience - Free, but you have to book (via snail mail or fax) six weeks ahead of time (or you can book online, for a fee, or sign up for an escorted visit that will include a guide, also for a fee).
  » BOOK IT: [Mail or fax only; Details are provided on the Papal Audiences page]
  » BOOK TICKETS ONLY: Select Italy
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com

IN FLORENCE

• Uffizi Galleries - You don't need to book ahead, but consider this: the line to get in can last literally one to two hours; advance ticket holders get to waltz right in—well, maybe you have to wait behind two or three others at the window to pick up your pre-booked tickets. If you already know what days you'll be in Florence, this is well, well worth the €3. » more
  » BOOK IT: tel. +39-055-294-883, www.firenzemusei.it or Select Italy
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com or Context Travel
  
  
• Accademia—Michelangelo's David - Again, you don't need to reserve tickets, but, again, the line can stretch down the block and last over an hour. Again, well worth the €3. » more
  » BOOK IT: tel. +39-055-294-883, www.firenzemusei.it or Select Italy
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com or Context Travel
  

IN MILAN

• Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper - Limited admissions; very often is sold out WEEKS in advance. Seriously, don't risk showing up without a booking (unless it;s low seas and you're going to be hanging around Milan for three or four days and can come back.) » more
  » BOOK IT: tel. +39-02-8942-1146, www.cenacolovinciano.net (limited tickets) or Select Italy (typically more dates/times available)
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com
  
  
• Opera at La Scala - You can get last-minute seats to the opera at Milan's Teatro alla Scala, but they will not be good seats! Treat yourself to a night at one of the world's permier opera houses—and go ahead and book decent seats well in advance. » more
  » BOOK IT: (Book online, as telephone bookings ridiculously require you to then fax them a credit card number) www.teatroallascala.org or Select Italy
  

IN VENICE

• "Secret Itineraries" tour of the Doge's Palace - OK, booking this way ahead of time isn't strictly necessary, but there are only three tours a day in English—all in the morning: 9:55am, 10:45am, 11:35am—and they can sell out, so at the very least stop by the day before—or first thing the morning of—rather than risk just showing up at thee appointed time; or play it safe and book ahead. » more
  » BOOK IT: tel. +39-041-520-9070, www.museiciviciveneziani.it or Select Italy
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Select Italy

IN PISA

• The Leaning Tower - If you are really looking forward to climbing the Leaning Tower, you need to either show up at the crack of opening hours or book ahead—at least 15 days—since they're sold first-come, first-served and often sell out. Hint: to avoid waiting in the regular Leaning Tower line, while booking your tickets online, tick the box indicating that you want to pick up your tickets either at the Central Ticket Office or the Museo delle Sinopie—much shorter lines. » more
  » BOOK IT: www.opapisa.it (online bookings only, though for general info: tel. +39-050-387-2210) 
  » BOOK IT WITH A TOUR: Viator.com, Context Travel
  

IN PADOVA

• The Scrovegni Chapel - Annoyingly, they've started requiring advance reservations—at least one day in advance—at this jewel box of a chapel covered inside with frescoes by Giotto—they also now rush you through in 15 minutes; I used to spend hours in this place, just studying the frescoes. Still, it's worth it.
  » BOOK IT: tel. +39-049-201-0020, www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it 

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