Hello
Does anyone have any experience with the combo Garden and Museum tour purchased thru the official website? Can you visit at your leisure or must you follow a guide even thru the museum?
If you don't receive a reply from anyone who has taken this tour, ask the museum on their "Contact Us" page:
https://tickets.museivaticani.va/support
In September, 2023, we took a Vatican Garden bus tour, which was lovely, then had independent access to the museum including the Sistine Chapel. The museum, and especially the Sistine Chapel, was very crowded but doable. Looking at the Vatican website, I cannot tell if the current tour is the same. Good luck!