We will be travelling to Italy for a month in July 2007. I have not been to Rome in 20+ years and was wondering if the "Private Vatican Tours" are worth the expense. Can anyone recommend one or advise me if they are good value. $250. euros for a four hour tour seems a bit rich to me. That's $420. Aussie dollars each!! However, I am a believer in "Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten" I appreicate your help.

It's a two-hour tour for 250 Euro.

This site is, I think, the one that offers the lowest price (other agencies add a mark-up):

http://www.italywithus.biz/pages/VaticanTour.htm

There is a longish thread here about the private after-hours tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel by one of the first people to take it:

http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a...781#1711083781

The Vatican is in the process of changing museum access for tour companies. I would wait until after the first of the year and see which companies are still allowed to book tours.

The dates for the tours offered by Helen Donegan (Italy with Us) in 2007 are already on the Web site. The 250 Euro fee (up from 175 Euro) already reflects the new policies of the Vatican Museums.

The private after-hours tours are quite a different thing from the tours that are offered by the other tour companies whose tours are to be admitted in the morning.

I never understand the point of most of these tours. Especially in the Vatican museums - they are so extensive, a tour guide can't possibly know which bits will most interest you & at what pace you'd like to go. Get a good guidebook, read it first to see what particularly interests you, & DIY is my advice.

Some people seem to think it's worth doing a tour to skip what they perceive as being invariably a long queue, but I've always arrived around lunchtime & walked straight in.

The only tour worth doing, IMO, is the tour of the excavations under the basilica (generally referred to here as just "the Scavi tour&quot, but that's the only way to visit that part & it is a very special experience.

Another poster here, probably the one referred to by Eloise, this year went on a private evening tour & got to see the Sistine Chapel uncrowded, which would be worth it if money were no object - I think it was something like €300 each !!!

I would highly recommend Context Travel (http://rome.contexttravel.com) fo the tour. We just returned from Rome a week ago and had an amazing experience with these guys on both, the Vatican and Ancient Rome tours.

These guys have academics (mostly PhDs) and they will assign one based on your areas of interest.

We chose the private tour and the attention one got was worth it. I believe their Small group tours tend be similar, but you have to adhere to their schedule. With the private tour, the beauty was that not only could you design your own tour beforehand, but while going through it, you could hurry through or linger on as you please!

We really don't know <b>which</b> &quot;Private Vatican Tours&quot; 11th child is referring to.

I assumed s/he meant the private after-hours tours when the Vatican Museums are closed and one gets the opportunity to visit the Sistine Chapel as one of a small group of people. Italy with Us's fee for the two-hour tour is the lowest; I've checked a number of other sites. It has gone up from 175 to 250 Euro; the increase is a result of the Vatican Museums' new policies.

If s/he meant the private &quot;Arte Vaticana&quot; tour offered by ContextRome, which is four hours, they are 300 Euro, not per person but for the group (which I think can be up to four or six people). ContextRome also offers the &quot;after-hours&quot; tour and charges 275 Euro (plus admission, which is included with Italy with Us).

http://rome.contexttravel.com/index....ss=ct&amp;sr=1

What 11th hour was definitely <b>not</b> referring to was a regular tour with any of dozens of tour companies, as Caroline_edinburgh seems to think.

I imagined s/he meant something like &quot;four hours, they are 300 Euro, not per person but for the group (which I think can be up to four or six people).&quot;

Eloise~ Thanks for the info! Do you know if this &quot;Arte Vaticana&quot; tour one that is also after hours? Considering that is is twice and long and E300 for 4 people, that is much cheaper than the E250pp that Italy with Us charges. What is the main difference? Am I missing something?

&quot;Arte Vaticana&quot; is during regular museum opening hours; you have a private tour but the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are full of other people.

The &quot;after-hours&quot; tour with Italy with Us is when the Vatican Museums are closed to everyone else and you get to see the museums and the Sistine Chapel with no one around except the members of your own tour group.

I think the difference is pretty major.

I also think that the high priced tour is not really necessary. I have been there several times when it is very crowded. the museum is vast and most people rush through which is a shame. you don't have to do that. You can buy the Rick Steve's book for Rome and get the tour and or use the audio guide from the vatican which I discovered when I was last there a couple of years ago. In the Sistine Chapel you really look up so it does not matter IMO that it could be crowded. It is a wonderful museum and I usually wander for 3-4 hours and then go to St. Peter's.

Bonnie

I visited in October with my sister. Although I've studied art for years and have had the opportunity to travel and enjoy Italy's treasures before, my sister had not. If I'd traveled alone or with my husband, I would have forgone a tour and visited on my own. I felt sis required some context so we did a small group Context Rome Vatican Tour. I'm glad we did as it helped her greatly. The Museums are mobbed, though and it was difficult to enjoy. The crowds in the Sistine Chapel was especially distracting. If you are very interested in a quality visit, the night tour would be worth it. Next visit I intend to both do the night tour and visit on my own. In that way, I think I'll really get a good look around!

We visited the Vatican in 2004 and did it all on our own. I agree with Caroline and that sometimes it's better to see things on your own. I don't feel we missed out not having a private tour guide. We got there early and were some of the first ones let in. By the time we had seen what we wanted to see, the line was huge. That would be mine suggestion. Do it yourself just get there early.
Ciao and Enjoy Italy!

Maybe it's just me, but the overall Vatican expereince ranks as a &quot;never again&quot; on my list. I loved the Sistene Chapel. However, the church is so busy collecting cash that they have allowed the rest of the experience to be overwhelmed by crowds. (Here's a HINT, charge more and do a timed ORGANIZED entry, other muesums do.)

I don't think that you should have to pay 250 Euros to avoid being trampled to death....

&quot;Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.&quot;

I think this is the key to the answer for you.

I'm amazed at the price and doubt that I would have paid it, however, I was on an included after-hours Vatican Museums tour a couple of years ago while on a group tour of Italy. It was amazing -- leisurely, quiet -- just us and the art. Being able to sit, virtually alone, unrushed, with no distractions, in the Sistine Chapel under Michelangelo's masterpieces was an experience I'll never forget. An occasional whisper broke the silence. I think everyone in the group was awed.

I can't recommend a guide and I do think that could make or break the experience, so I hope someone can recommend an exceptional guide for you.

Good luck with your search.

Thanks to all, for your valuable suggestions and comments. I think we will try the &quot;after hours&quot; tour with Italy with Us. Which sounds fantastic, less crowd/distractions. Much appreciated info.