Tour of the Vatican

If there's an RS audio tour, you might try that. I've gone to the Vatican Museums many times without a guide, the collections are relatively well-labeled.

I like live guides because you can ask questions. We did Angel Tours so the price included admission tickets. Since you have the admission tickets then use Steves' walking tours in his Rome guide book or download the podcast he has.

I would suggest that you read the Vatican section in Rick Steves books ("Mona Winks", "Italy" or"Rome"). He provides an excellent guide for what to see there. You might appreciate this even more than a formal tour, since you can explore at your own pace, rather than with a group. Try to find a place to sit in the Sistine Chapel, so you can quietly ponder the details of the incredible ceiling. If you will be there on a Wednesday (& if Pope Francis is in town), you might consider attending a Papal General Audience (usually held outdoors in St. Peter's Square in summer weather). Have fun!

I would just go without a guide. You can rent an audio guide or download one from the internet. There is good signage inside so you should be fine without a guide.

Donna

Seriously I've been with a guide (years ago), then without a guide - a couple of years ago, then last year again with guided group. Tremendous difference between the first time with a guide years ago and this most recent time. The recent guide was AWFUL, group so big, that when the guide was far ahead of us, those in the back - even with the earphones - couldn't hear. I didn't need a guide, but I was with newbie friends who really wanted that guided tour. I'll never do it again! I'll use the audio guide and do it myself. If you're in Rome in the summer months, I'd seriously consider going at night to see the Sistine. That was wonderful, fewer people and more time to enjoy! Just make sure you do the Chapel first, as when the sun goes down, the lighting wasn't so great.

This is great information! Thank you so much!

Do you recommend going to the Basilica first before going to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel, or does it not really matter?

How much time do people normally spend in the Basilica. I am thinking a little over an hour? We plan on getting to the Basilica at 7:00 am to fight the queues. We have a tour of the museums at 10:00 am.

We visited Rome last week and toured the Vatican with The Roman Guy. It was worth every penny and there is a maximum of 12 people I believe. Inquire about using your existing tickets, or, sell them on E-Bay and purchase everything through The Roman Guy. Have a great trip!

I'm not sure if they still do this, but when we were in Rome in 2011, there was a free tour every afternoon about 2:15 which left from the Vatican Post office. (BTW, be sure to send yourself a post card from here as it will be postmarked from Vatican City!) This free tour is led by a seminarian. We had to wait in line like everyone else with him, but he gave us a lot of information that we wouldn't have gotten just by wandering around by ourselves. I'm sure not every one is a good speaker or as interesting as ours was, but this young man's family actually had a private audience with St. Pope John several years before that, and he told of the feeling he got when the door opened and the pope appeared and how the pope touched the cheek of his sister. His little brother had sent a birthday card to the pope plus connections with their bishop had gotten them this audience. In the interior of the basilica as well, he was able to give us lots of interesting facts. Great tour for no money.