After-hours, private Vatican Museum tour...sometimes you just have to do things
Jan 7th, 2008, 03:18 PM
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After-hours, private Vatican Museum tour...sometimes you just have to do things
After hours Vatican Tour
My wife and I are pretty cheap travelers, meaning we really do all we can to stretch our budgets, sometimes to extremes. With that said, there are sometimes when you just have to do something regardless of the cost. Taking the After-hours Vatican Museum tour through Helen Donnegan's Italy With Us group became one of those things.
In December 2006, we did the normal tour. We booked through the Vatican and had a nice time. However, the Museums are some of the world's most visited and being herded through with tens of thousands of others was not exactly the most enjoyable of visits. We are not religious, but we are art and history buffs, so the Vatican Museums are very important to us in that regard.
After our return, last year, we learned of the private after-hours tour and decided that if we could find a way to swing it, on our next Rome trip, that was going to be our big splurge. As it was, we got great air prices over the summer and returned to Rome this past Christmas week, this time with the entire family. Helen Donnegan was one of our first contacts after we booked the trip. It was one of the best things we have done!
Our tour was set for 5pm on the evening of the 27th. As we are walking up to the museum entrance, we are passing the massive flood of people exiting from the normal day's admissions. We had pretty much decided we would not do that again, whether we got the after-hours tour or not.
Helen owns the company and at one time did museum tours. Now, she has a select group of highly skilled guides do the tour for her. In our case, there were probably 25 people for the entire tour. This group is then broken into smaller groups matched to your own guide. In our case, there were 6 of us with Christopher Longhurst.
Chris is working on his doctoral dissertation on theology through the Vatican. He has a masters in art history. At the end of the tour I gave him the greatest compliment I could give someone that speaks with others, he is a “story teller”. He weaves a tale, providing massive amounts of detail and information. No question is too off-beat, no detail is too small to ignore.
You enter the museum. It is you, your fellow group members, your guide and a guard. Now the fun begins. You wander through the museum, you can spend time inspecting, looking, enjoying, contemplating, wondering. You see details you never thought possible. Chris fills you with information in a way that you find captivating.
From last year I have a video of the map room. Jam packed with people, pushing, shoving, like a human wave. This year, my video camera was placed on the floor at one end. The frame goes to the other end, 450 feet away. The only other person is the cleaning lady. The only sound is that of her mop on the floor.
In the tapestry room you have the time to view the optical illusions over and over. Seeing details you would have never guessed even existed in the normal tour. You aren't being rushed, you aren't being trampled, you don't feel like cattle going to slaughter. It is civilized.
Finally, we end up in the Sistine Chapel. The last time it was wall-to-wall people. Guards clapping hands, shusshing “NO TALKING, NO PICTURES”. This time, just a couple of dozen of us, the guards standing away from the small groups, while Chris weaves his tale of the chapel, the Pope and Michelangelo. You can view the most minute of details, without feeling like you are part of some weird mob. It is serene and relaxing. It is quiet and fulfilling.
There is no real rush, but after almost an hour, the guard does finally come over and politely tells us we should have left 25 minutes earlier.
Chris gathers us up and we slowly move out. But he continues to point out things even as we are leaving.
The cost of the tour is 250 euros per person. I've read where some have said no tour is worth that kind of money. I beg to differ. Not only was it worth it, I would do it again without a question, it was perhaps the best value I have gotten on any vacation. People think nothing of dropping 100 euros on a meal that is soon gone. For just a bit more, you can have an experience and memories that you will talk about for the rest of your life.
Oh, and how good was it? My 20 year old college student daughter saved her money all semester so she could also do the tour. She said it was worth every penny.
You can reach Helen Donnegan at...
www.italywithus.biz
[email protected]
Christopher also does tours of St. Peter's and other places on his own during normal hours. I have no idea what he charges, but he is worth it. You can reach him at...
[email protected]
My wife and I are pretty cheap travelers, meaning we really do all we can to stretch our budgets, sometimes to extremes. With that said, there are sometimes when you just have to do something regardless of the cost. Taking the After-hours Vatican Museum tour through Helen Donnegan's Italy With Us group became one of those things.
In December 2006, we did the normal tour. We booked through the Vatican and had a nice time. However, the Museums are some of the world's most visited and being herded through with tens of thousands of others was not exactly the most enjoyable of visits. We are not religious, but we are art and history buffs, so the Vatican Museums are very important to us in that regard.
After our return, last year, we learned of the private after-hours tour and decided that if we could find a way to swing it, on our next Rome trip, that was going to be our big splurge. As it was, we got great air prices over the summer and returned to Rome this past Christmas week, this time with the entire family. Helen Donnegan was one of our first contacts after we booked the trip. It was one of the best things we have done!
Our tour was set for 5pm on the evening of the 27th. As we are walking up to the museum entrance, we are passing the massive flood of people exiting from the normal day's admissions. We had pretty much decided we would not do that again, whether we got the after-hours tour or not.
Helen owns the company and at one time did museum tours. Now, she has a select group of highly skilled guides do the tour for her. In our case, there were probably 25 people for the entire tour. This group is then broken into smaller groups matched to your own guide. In our case, there were 6 of us with Christopher Longhurst.
Chris is working on his doctoral dissertation on theology through the Vatican. He has a masters in art history. At the end of the tour I gave him the greatest compliment I could give someone that speaks with others, he is a “story teller”. He weaves a tale, providing massive amounts of detail and information. No question is too off-beat, no detail is too small to ignore.
You enter the museum. It is you, your fellow group members, your guide and a guard. Now the fun begins. You wander through the museum, you can spend time inspecting, looking, enjoying, contemplating, wondering. You see details you never thought possible. Chris fills you with information in a way that you find captivating.
From last year I have a video of the map room. Jam packed with people, pushing, shoving, like a human wave. This year, my video camera was placed on the floor at one end. The frame goes to the other end, 450 feet away. The only other person is the cleaning lady. The only sound is that of her mop on the floor.
In the tapestry room you have the time to view the optical illusions over and over. Seeing details you would have never guessed even existed in the normal tour. You aren't being rushed, you aren't being trampled, you don't feel like cattle going to slaughter. It is civilized.
Finally, we end up in the Sistine Chapel. The last time it was wall-to-wall people. Guards clapping hands, shusshing “NO TALKING, NO PICTURES”. This time, just a couple of dozen of us, the guards standing away from the small groups, while Chris weaves his tale of the chapel, the Pope and Michelangelo. You can view the most minute of details, without feeling like you are part of some weird mob. It is serene and relaxing. It is quiet and fulfilling.
There is no real rush, but after almost an hour, the guard does finally come over and politely tells us we should have left 25 minutes earlier.
Chris gathers us up and we slowly move out. But he continues to point out things even as we are leaving.
The cost of the tour is 250 euros per person. I've read where some have said no tour is worth that kind of money. I beg to differ. Not only was it worth it, I would do it again without a question, it was perhaps the best value I have gotten on any vacation. People think nothing of dropping 100 euros on a meal that is soon gone. For just a bit more, you can have an experience and memories that you will talk about for the rest of your life.
Oh, and how good was it? My 20 year old college student daughter saved her money all semester so she could also do the tour. She said it was worth every penny.
You can reach Helen Donnegan at...
www.italywithus.biz
[email protected]
Christopher also does tours of St. Peter's and other places on his own during normal hours. I have no idea what he charges, but he is worth it. You can reach him at...
[email protected]
Jan 8th, 2008, 05:11 AM
#4
Dave, I heartily concur. I actually got goosebumps when I read the part about the cleaning lady in the Map Room, because that was my experience as well (we almost felt as if we were disturbing her!). And that much time on our own in the Sistine was exquisite. At first we all sat patiently like a group of kindergarteners on the benches listening to our guide, but she finally said "You can walk about while I talk" and we all just jumped up and started stumbling around, necks arched back and mouths wide open. It was indeed a phenomenal experience. I'm glad yours was as good!
Jan 12th, 2008, 03:54 AM
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Thanks for the post. When answering the question in another thread of how I would spend the money if "forced" to spend twice as much on travel, I listed this tour as something I would want to do. Despite your glowing review, I can't see myself spending the money for this tour unless someone gives me this kind of extra travel allowance. (I do not fall into the category of "thinking nothing" of spending 100 euros on a meal, either)
Your description of Chris and his story telling made me think that I should suggest the work of another great storyteller, Ross King. My husband and I read his "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" before our self guided tour of the Vatican museums last year. Knowing the history and having studied pictures of the different works in preparation for the trip really enhanced our enjoyment of the Raphael rooms and Sistine chapel
Your description of Chris and his story telling made me think that I should suggest the work of another great storyteller, Ross King. My husband and I read his "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" before our self guided tour of the Vatican museums last year. Knowing the history and having studied pictures of the different works in preparation for the trip really enhanced our enjoyment of the Raphael rooms and Sistine chapel
Jan 12th, 2008, 04:00 AM
#9
Hi daveesl,
i owe you an apology. your review was so glowing that my suspicions were aroused, so i clicked on your name to see if you were advertising.
clearly I was wrong. I'll store your info up for the next time [soon, I hope] we return to Rome.
regards, ann
i owe you an apology. your review was so glowing that my suspicions were aroused, so i clicked on your name to see if you were advertising.
clearly I was wrong. I'll store your info up for the next time [soon, I hope] we return to Rome.
regards, ann
Jan 13th, 2008, 04:01 AM
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No apology needed. I'm the one that is usually looking for the cheapest way of doing something. But sometimes, the price is secondary to the experience.
The problem with all message boards is the line between information and commercialism. How do we know if someone is being "real" or being a "shill"?
I hope that folks who have read my posts know that I also push the Vatican sponsored tours of the museum as an inexpensive way to both bypass the lines and have a great tour. This one just gives the other side of the tour coin.
Have fun
dave
The problem with all message boards is the line between information and commercialism. How do we know if someone is being "real" or being a "shill"?
I hope that folks who have read my posts know that I also push the Vatican sponsored tours of the museum as an inexpensive way to both bypass the lines and have a great tour. This one just gives the other side of the tour coin.
Have fun
dave
Jan 13th, 2008, 04:04 AM
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Your tour sounds very nice, but we hit it lucky and had a GREAT experience just a couple days ago on our own. I am sure it was because of the time of year we were traveling, but we hit it really lucky. We walked right into the museum around 12:30 on Thurs. Jan 10. No line whatsoever. No people to speak of anywhere but the Sistine Chapel; there there may have been about 40-50 people.
We had booked a tour with Through Eternity tours (we really thought highly of them from the Colosseum and Forum tour we took), butcanceled it after we decided that we would prefer to go with several good guidebooks so we could take our time seeing what we wanted to see. (Their tour was 5 hours including time for lunch and St. Peter's.) We had 5 hours in the museum, many times in empty rooms, and would have stayed longer if they weren't closing.
We looked at the tapestries, paintings, map room, Sistine Chapel (there were lots of places to sit along the walls) to our hearts' content without battling hoardes of people.
I know a lot of it was the timing of our trip, but we were glad we had not taken a tour. While it is nice to have the highlights pointed out, there are always things we want to see that a tour guide would never take you to. We discovered so many intriguing things on our own--the micromosaics and Etruscan rooms, for example, were fascinating. I just regret that we didn't have time to see the library rooms with the illuminated manuscripts.
We had booked a tour with Through Eternity tours (we really thought highly of them from the Colosseum and Forum tour we took), butcanceled it after we decided that we would prefer to go with several good guidebooks so we could take our time seeing what we wanted to see. (Their tour was 5 hours including time for lunch and St. Peter's.) We had 5 hours in the museum, many times in empty rooms, and would have stayed longer if they weren't closing.
We looked at the tapestries, paintings, map room, Sistine Chapel (there were lots of places to sit along the walls) to our hearts' content without battling hoardes of people.
I know a lot of it was the timing of our trip, but we were glad we had not taken a tour. While it is nice to have the highlights pointed out, there are always things we want to see that a tour guide would never take you to. We discovered so many intriguing things on our own--the micromosaics and Etruscan rooms, for example, were fascinating. I just regret that we didn't have time to see the library rooms with the illuminated manuscripts.
Jan 13th, 2008, 09:16 AM
#12
I'd just like to point out that on all the guided tours I took in Rome (four of them), I took them for more than just "having the highlights pointed out". I wanted an expert to teach me more. In fact, as I mentioned in a few other posts, I had read and read about Caravaggio, Bernini and Michelangelo until I felt that **I** could give a tour, and still when I took these tours, I came away astounded at what I had learned in addition to what I already knew.
So in addition to getting special access so that I could better enjoy the situation, for me it was more about learning as much as I could about something I was passionate about. If my guides had just "pointed out the highlights", I would have been very, very disappointed.
and still when I took these tours, I came away astounded at what I had learned in addition to what I already knew.So in addition to getting special access so that I could better enjoy the situation, for me it was more about learning as much as I could about something I was passionate about. If my guides had just "pointed out the highlights", I would have been very, very disappointed.
Mar 4th, 2008, 10:28 AM
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Has anyone done the 3-hour private tour Helen lists on her Italy With Us website? It happens either before the opening time for the general public or during visiting hours. I suppose that would mean the huge crowds everyone has mentioned.
Mar 18th, 2008, 07:00 AM
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Thanks very much for posting this.
This is one of those instances when I really DON'T CARE if it is "advertising" or not (apparently fare sale announcements by airline company stockholders don't count)...being informed about something worthwhile is what matters IMO.
This is one of those instances when I really DON'T CARE if it is "advertising" or not (apparently fare sale announcements by airline company stockholders don't count)...being informed about something worthwhile is what matters IMO.
Mar 24th, 2008, 07:21 AM
#19
For people who can't get a Helen Donegan tour while they're in Rome (and I did take one and absolutely loved it)... I received an email last week that ContextRome is doing something similar now (after hours Vatican) too, although I don't have more details, it might be worth checking with them, since they are well-respected and used by many on this forum too.
