When it comes to travelling, there is no truer saying than fortune favours the prepared. If you do not want to waste two hours in line for that museum you just must see, or worse, get turned away at the door because you do not have reservations, here’s a guide to the attractions you should book in advance before your epic Italian holiday.

Rome

1. The Colosseum

The Colosseum was the battleground of gladiators of old, and queueing for tickets, especially in peak travel times, can feel like a battle of sorts.
How to purchase tickets: From the official website or via telephone
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: Tickets are flexible, not date nor time specific
Bonus: Do consider one of the fascinating tours offered by the Colosseum, such as the Colosseum, Underground and Third Ring Tour. Tickets for the month are open for sale online about 2 to 3 weeks in advance, and they usually sell out fast.

2. The Vatican Museums

These museums are home to one of the world’s greatest art collections, as well as the famed Sistine Chapel, a Michelangelo masterpiece. The museums are so large that it is estimated to take over 6 hours to see everything, so you do not want to waste precious hours before that standing in line to get in.
How to purchase tickets: From the official website
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: Tickets go on sale 2 months in advance; tickets are date and time specific.
Bonus: The Vatican Museums offer a number of interesting tours which can be booked online, such as a tour with breakfast or the Night tour with Happy Hour.

3. The Vatican Scavi Tour

This tour to the necropolis underneath St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, where the tomb of St. Peter is believed to be located, is one of the most compelling tours, and definitely the most exclusive one, in all of Rome – only about 250 visitors per day are permitted entry.
How to purchase tickets: Via email to the Excavations Office
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: As soon as you have confirmed your stay in Rome.

4. Galleria Borghese

The largest private art collection in the world is housed in this 17th century villa tucked in a corner of the sprawling Villa Borghese park. The villa was a summer residence of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a passionate art collector who was not above resorting to ruthless and illegal means to amass sculptures and paintings by masters such as Titian, Raphael, and Caravaggio. Entry to Galleria Borghese is by reservation only.
How to purchase tickets: From the official website
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: Tickets go on sale 5 – 6 weeks in advance; tickets are date and time specific.

Florence

5. The Uffizi Gallery

If you only have the time, or the inclination, for one art gallery in Florence, make it the Uffizi Gallery. An art gallery so prestigious and old that artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were visitors themselves, it is no wonder then that 2 to 3 hour long queues are reported in the summer.
How to purchase tickets: From the official ticketing website – do not be fooled by the many tour agency run websites that look official but sell the tickets at higher prices.
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: Tickets for the rest of the year are available for sale on the official ticketing website; tickets are date and time specific.
Bonus: Art history buffs should consider adding on a tour of the Vasari Corridor – a secret 16th century passage lined with 700 self-portraits by masters including Raphael, Rembrandt, Titian and Rubens, and accessible by tours only.

6. Galleria dell’Accademia

Despite there being a replica of the magnificent David sculpture by Michelangelo at Piazza della Signoria less than a kilometre away, visitors are still willing to wait in snaking lines for some face time with the original, on proud display at the Galleria.
How to purchase tickets: From the official ticketing website.
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: Tickets for the rest of the year are available for sale on the official ticketing website; tickets are date and time specific.

Milan

7. The Last Supper Mural

Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic mural painting is located in a convent easily accessible from the city centre. However, many tourists miss out on visiting this renowned work of art because entry is by prior booking only, and tickets are notoriously difficult to purchase, largely in due to local agencies purchasing them in bulk and reselling them at higher prices or as part of their tour packages.
How to purchase tickets: From the official ticketing website and via telephone – beware of tour agency run websites that look official but sell the tickets at higher prices.
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: Tickets are available for sale about 12 weeks prior to the month; tickets are date and time specific.

Pisa

8. The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a popular tourist activity because, truth be told, the Tower is what most tourists are in Pisa to see, and the long lines to do so are a testament to that.
How to purchase tickets: From the official ticketing website
How long in advance can one purchase tickets: Tickets are available for sale 20 days in advance; tickets are date and time specific.