Any advice on a Tour company for the vatican? We are traveling with our two children, ages 10 and 13 to Italy this summer. We would like to tour the Vatican in a private or small group with early admission. In researching tour companies, I have found that this will cost anywhere between $400-$740 including admission tickets. Any suggestions of which companies to use ?
Posted by
Tampa, FL, USA
1054 posts
I used Walks of Italy for their early AM Vatican tour. Our tour guide Luigi was amazing. Upon entry we went stright to the Sistine Chapel and along the way he pointed out items to take pictures of since few people were in the halls. He said he'd explain the items later. After the chapel we looped back around to see sevearl rooms in the museums and i was glad he told us to take pictures. Tons of people were there and couldn't get any real good shots over rows of people.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11852 posts
Also try three millennia tours. They will construct any thing you want. I know Tony the owner and he's terrific.
Posted by
OP
29 posts
Thank you for the advice! I will look into both suggestions.
Posted by
San Francisco
1009 posts
We haven;t been yet, but for our trip this summer we have booked the Pristine Sistine through Walks of Italy. Our boys are 9 and 11 and my hope is seeing it early will allow them to focus a bit... not sure we will make it through the whole tour, but I figure we are mostly doing to go into the Chapel early. If we have to skip the last part of the tour, so be it.
Posted by
Spokane, WA, USA
191 posts
We are also doing an early tour, using What a Life Tours. There are four of us, and our tour will have no more than 12 people -- what they call semi-private. We have done a standard tour, starting at opening time, and it was a total madhouse -- so crowded. Our tour begins an hour before it is open to the public, and we will start with the Sistene Chapel. Then we will get a head start in the museums before the doors open, and end with St. Peter's, through a private entrance, avoiding all lines, all morning. We are really excited about it! The cost was 316 euros for the four of us.
Jan
Posted by
Atlanta
5 posts
Whatever tour you pick, see if their tour includes the scavi (excavation) tour beneath St Peters; and if not, be sure to do it on your own: just search for "Vatican Excavations"--but get a reservation well in advance, as in months!