Shanti

I've heard good, but expensive, things about italywithus' after hours Vatican tour. They also now have a morning tour - it starts at 8am which is an hour before the museums open to everybody else. It's still pricey, although not remotely as expensive as the after hours tour.

The opportunity to enter the museums an hour before it gets crowded sounds wonderful. Has anyone taken this tour and get give their opinions on it?

Thanks in advance.

browndog

Hi
I just did one of those tours. A private tour. It sounded so intimadating to do the Vatican by our selves.
If I had to do it over again...I would of saved us $500.00 and bought our tickets online before we left and done it ourselves. You can get the little headphones in the museum and a tour book and do it at your own pace and see what you want to see.
I really felt as if I was in school again with the guide we had. She was very knowledgable. But, after an hour my eyes were glazing over and I sort of tuned her out.
Everything I read just made it seem as if I HAD to get a tour. But, I believe it isn't so, after doing it.
Other people will probably disagree. This is only my experience.
It was one of the highlights, as were so many of Rome. I love love love Rome!
Enjoy it!

micador53

I'm pleased to hear that others find the guided lectures somehwhat 'school-ish'!The big problem is the queue to get in to the Vatican otherwise -twice i planned my visit there (in February)thinking I would get there early and avoid the wait! No such luck - although it sounds as tho pre-booking helps enormously.

Shanti

I don't actually like tours in art museums because I'd rather go at my own pace & spend my time looking at the artwork which interests me, not what the tour guide thinks I should be interested in.

But if the choice is between being squeezed shoulder to shoulder while trying to see the exhibits in the Vatican Museum - or paying €50 to get in early with a tour, I'm tending towards spending the money and probably ignoring the tour guide while enjoying having easy access to the exhibits.

Zerlina

There's a recent review of the early Vatican Museums tour in the Italy forum at www.slowtalk.com.

I'm not sure to what extent you can ignore the tour guide; the tour is focused on getting you to the Sistine Chapel.

Anecdotal evidence in the TripAdvisor forum suggests that lines and crowds are not too bad in the afternoon (as does at least one poster in the slowtalk thread).

Shanti

Thanks, Zerlina, I'll try to find that thread at slowtalk.com.