Official Vatican Tour vs. Tour Company

Cece, I'm going to refer to an itinerary you posted on a previous thread?

"We arrive about 10am on a Tuesday and we're staying at the Marriott near the center of the Rome that night and then off to Tuscany for four nights and back to Rome (airport Marriott this time) for Sunday night."

While neither the Vatican's own tour or another of the popular tour companies will help you avoid the massive crowds, I guess I'll question the wisdom of doing the museums at all right off an international flight? Understanding that this is your only chance to see it on this very short trip, it's absolutely the LAST attraction I'd choose when jet-lagged and not acclimated to local time. Really. Personally, trying to handle hours of the crush there when in a tired, jet-lagged fog would not be worth it. The usual reco for arrival days are long walks in the fresh air, to stay awake until normal bedtime, and not much else. Certainly not the most crowded, hot and immense of Rome's attractions.

Most of us also advise against any bookings for arrival day should you experience a travel delay...and that has happened to some posters who've had to eat the price of their pre-purchased tickets when their flight was late.

Something to think about?

Editing to add: at most, I'd book an available early-entrance tour or ticket for Wed. (not offered by WOI on that day) even if you can't see the basilica.

If Kathy's inference is correct and you're thinking of seeing the Vatican Museums on arrival day, I can only plead with you to follow her advice. There are few people I dislike enough to subject to the Vatican Museums with jet lag - you will be absolutely miserable.

She's also right that any issue with delays in your arrival could result in your having to forfeit the tickets entirely.

Thank you for the recommendations! Haven't decided yet but we did manage to book a 3pm tour AND an 8:15am Wed. tour (skipping Basilica). If we did the afternoon tour, it should give us plenty of time for delays and fresh air walking before the attempt. Not sure what to do yet, but definitely a consideration to wait until Wed. AM. Thanks again!

I will add my opinion, and experience of visiting the Vatican Museum the first day: our family arrived in Rome after an overnight flight, and toured the Vatican Museum the same afternoon. Our daughter almost threw up on the Laocoön sculpture, had to go sit in the courtyard with her head between her knees, and then take a side trip to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Some of this reaction was her fault - she had been too excited to sleep on the plane, and turned down the offer of a snack before the tour. The museum wasn't even very busy that day, compared to our more recent visit, where we were shoulder to shoulder with other visitors the whole way, and had to really work hard to keep track of the tour guide. Her reaction would have been much worse with all that body heat and the inability to make a quick escape to fresh air.

For me, if I had only one or two days in Rome, the Vatican Museum wouldn't be on my list. St. Peter's Basilica yes (then, we're Catholic), but not the trudge through the museum. You can see lots of Michaelangelos, (and Caravaggios, etc.) for free in nice cool churches, and great ancient sculpture and history in the much less busy Capitoline Museum.

Are you seriously considering doing the Vatican Museum on the day of your arrival? There's just not enough exercise and fresh air in the world to make that work - unless you want no memory of the experience.

Make arrangements at your hotel for a wake up call. Wish we did... overslept and almost missed our tour the morning after our arrival ! Luckily it was a private tour so the guide did a “condensed” version for us, after calling to see if we were coming!

Oops.

Peg