Suki

Hi, our family of 4 will be in Rome the weekend of Palm Sunday. We have scheduled a tour of the Forum and Coliseum for Palm Sunday with the Through Eternity folks. For the Vatican though, their tour is 5 hours long, and since we have a limited time in Rome and will be accompanied by two teens, I am thinking that I would prefer a 3 - 4 hour tour. Context Rome does not have any availability for Monday.

So, has anyone used Insight Rome? They have a group tour with a max of 6 people for 3 hours which would be good for our schedule, I think. The Scavi tour is just of the excavation under the Vatican, right?

If you are with a guide, do you somehow miss the huge entrance lines? Thanks for all info.

bookchick

Suki,
Yes, Scavi is the "underground" tour.

If you go to the Vatican Museum with a tour guide, the guide goes in through a special line and buys the tickets for everyone in his/her group. At least that's the way it's worked when I've been there.

I've not used Insight Rome. You might want to try the North American College in Rome; the young seminarians to the priesthood also do Vatican tours as part of their educational experience.

BC

stragic

Hi Suki,
My husband and I took a free tour of the Vatican last year. The tour was given by a priest who was studying there. I don't know if these tours run at a set schedule of dates/times (I checked the Vatican's website but didn't see anything). However, we saw a sign advertising the tours next to the information area in the Vatican. The meeting place was on the left side of the Vatican complex near the restrooms. The tour left around 2 or 3 and lasted about 2 hours. We were the only people on the tour. It was amazing to get a free/personalized tour of the building. Don't know if this suits your needs, but it is an option.

Betsy

Bookchick, do you have the contact information necessary to book a tour through the North American College?

bookchick

Check out this web page. Their ph# is way down at the bottom. They can get you Papal Audience tickets (which is what most of the web page is about), or set you up on a tour.

http://www.pnac.org/BishopsVisitOffi...torsOffice.htm

My prior experience with them was super-positive.

BC

Suki

Thanks, Bookchick. Did you call ahead or did you just hook up with them somehow? In addition to the page you listed, I also did a google search and found a pdf file that described the different services they perform for pilgrims to Rome. It was very interesting and I noted that they also lead the Scavi tours.

Betsy

Thanks a bunch, bookchick

Betsy

Oops! I sneezed and the computer went nuts. As I was saying, thanks a bunch, bookchick. I have the telephone number and will phone for info.

elearit

Hi Suki. I'm making the trip with my family to both Rome and Florence this spring and was wondering what these Insight Rome tours were and where I might find more information about them. Thanks.
Ellie

Cicerone

I assume you mean a tour of the artwork in the Vatican Museums, and not just a tour of St Peters church/basilica. You probably could arrange a tour of St Peters or do could easily do it your self with a guidebook. (The tour mentioned aboe by the priest might have been just of the church, as the poster did not seem to refer to artwork or the Sistene Chapel; if so, that might be a good tour.) Lines for entry to the church are generally not long and is mostly due to the security screening (but lines for the Vatican Museum can be, and Easter weekend would probably be quite crowded.) The drawback to just seeing St Peters is that you will not be able to see the Sistine Chapel, which is part of the Vatican Museums. However, you would be able to climb to the top of the dome for great views. It also would be possible for you to go to the Vatican Museum and skip everything but the Sistine Chapel (a bit of a shame but with limited time this would be possible, assuming you don’t mind waiting in the line to enter the Museum).

jabez

I may be wrong, but I don't believe tour guides have a special line at the Vatican Museum. I know they do at the Coliseum, but I saw many tour groups waiting in line. I was also told by one that they have to get in line early,like everyone else.
There are free St. Peter's tours.We took one last year.
While it's possible, I'm not familiar with a free 2 hour tour of the museum. I can't imagine that a 2 hour tour can give much information. It took us way over 2 hours to go through it, without a guide.
This year we, however, will return with one. Should have done it last year.

bookchick

The Vatican Museum absolutely, positively does have ticket windows that are for tour guides ONLY to purchase tickets for their groups. I've been with 2 guides on 2 different occasions who've done this. Now everyone does have to queue up for the security lines, and it is like going to the airport in that respect, in that your purse will go through the metal detector, as will the individual person, tour guide or not.

BC

Suki

elearit, check out romeinsight.com for a description of tours they offer. The Vatican tour covers St Peters, some highlights in the Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

Cicerone, thank you for the very practical information and bookchick, thank you again for the info on the tour offered by the NA Church.