Private tours of the Vatican - for an Art History major

The Vatican offers an Art and Faith tour, but it's not private. After your tour, you can re-enter the museum.

Vatican Museums and Saint Peter's Basilica - Art & Faith (duration of the tour is 3 hours)

An excursion through beauty from a Christian point of view for a Catechesis with Art. The Vatican Museums offer an opportunity to reveal the educational dimension of art according to an iconographic-pedagogic programme. "The Museum truly displays a continuous interweaving between Christianity and culture, between faith and art, between the divine and the human". (From the Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to the Staff of the Vatican Museums, 23 November 2006)

The tour follows an itinerary which includes: the Pio Clementino Museum (classical antiquity), the Gallery of the Candelabras, the Gallery of the Tapestries and the Gallery of the Geographical Maps (Renaissance Art), the Raphael Rooms, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

N.B. The visit to Saint Peter's Basilica is made in accordance with the liturgical celebrations of the Holy Father or other events of Holy See or of the Vatican City State.

Tariffs € 36,00

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html

You can skip the lines by reserving ahead, but if you are going between April and October, just about your only hope for not finding yourself in a crush of yakking tourists and shouting guides trooping armies of cruise shippers through the ornate rooms is to book a night tour -- and they are indeed very pricey.

You can slightly up your chances of something less than an infuriating, frustrating experience by booking for the Vatican museum in the later part of the day and staying until the museums are closed.

But were it my daughter, I'd separately buy her a night tour even if the rest of you can't afford to go, if she would really like to see that art.

I just read the post above mine. Your daughter, if she is getting a decent education in art history and the Catholic church, might find the distorted view of art history presented of some interest.

Bets thing to do for an art historian is keep away from tours altogether, do a bit of reading in advance, and go on her own, at her own speed and without being showered with a guide's blahblah and silly stories. I'm an art historian myself and I mean it.

Look at Context Tours, which are small groups (usually 5-6 people) usually led by an art historian or graduate student. They can tailor the visit to special interests in the group. I found that tour very useful the first time I went through the museums seriously. Afterwards your daughter could go back without being overwhelmed and look at what really interests her.

We did have to stand in line for a bit; we went at midday when a lot of people are at lunch. I think it was about 60-70 euros per person.

There are lots of ways of getting the guided part - not expensive. Very few of gettingthe not packed intomobs part - very expensive. (Don't know how to do this without paying.)

We have found that most tours (unless very specialized and upscale) are least common denominator and useless or merely irritating for people who already have some level of knowledge. The ones with really good leaders are generally very expensive - and the ones without crowds even more so.

So - I would either go for the most expensive option (assuming you know the guide is truly knowledgable) or just wander around on your own with a brochure and audio guide.

I can also highly recommend Context Tours. If you can arange a tour given by Frank Dabell your daughter will NOT be disappointed! Frank is on the Art History faculty of Temple University in Rome and formerly affiliated with the Metropolitan Museum (NYC). I Frank was my guide in 2006 for a Caravaggio Seminar and I was greatly impressed - great guide and teacher.
http://contexttravel.com/city/Rome/walking_tour_details/Arte_Vaticana_Our_Vatican_Tour_including_Sistine_Chapel_and_St__Peters_with_reservations?sched_walk=36671#top_of_details

My daughter and I went went on a tour with Context Tours and enjoyed it very much. It is a bit expensive, but the groups are very small and the guides extremely knowledgable (most are professors).

Daniella Hunt is a guide who is both knowledgeable & engaging. She might be a good 'fit' with your daughter. Daniella can personalize a tour of the Vatican Museums to suit her areas of interest. You can check out Daniella's educational background & information about tours (cost, etc.) on her website.

www.rome-tours.com

We arranged a private tour (for 2) of the Vatician Museums & St Peter's Basilica with Daniella last May & we were so glad we did! The quality of our tour was well worth the €€€!

Here is a young man that will be amazing. Dr. Longhurst has an unbelievable knowledge of art history, is a docent at the Vatican Museums and most import, he is an amazing "story teller".

http://sacrasorgente.wordpress.com/category/the-founder/

dave

I'm afraid that the only way to get into the Vatican after-hours, at night, which is when it is not crowded, is with a guide. I would imagine some of those tour companies give discounts to students. Your daughter might be able to afford the cost of a ticket on her own. She can tune out the guide if she prefers to think her own thoughts about the works. Many people visiting the Vatican museums these days during public hours bring ear plugs to block out the roar of the crowds.

tourguides.viator.com/tour-guide

qualified private guides here good past exp for me.

My family travelled last Easter with Roman Empire Tours and we found them to be extremely good. Our tour guide was a young Irish man called Jimmy an he was also an Art history major. We skipped all the lines and Jimmy had a great Irish wit about him but was also incredibly knowlegable. We found them on tripadvisor so if you want my opinion check their reviews. You will not be disappointed! http://romanempiretours.com/

tagging along on this for our trip