Hi!
Do most people take private tours through the Vatican Museum or self-guided. We are planning a visit for this June sometime between 21st and the 25th. Would it be recommended to take a private tour if we can? The tour I found sounds excellent, but it is almost $100 a person and I am just not sure. Any advice would be about the pros and cons of either option would be much appreciated.
I always find I get way more from a museum with a guide. There is so much in the Vatican Museum a knowledgeable guide should help make less overwhelming.
There are pros and cons.
Pro: you can get an early morning small group tour and avoid the crush in the Sistine Chapel; you have the guide's expertise.
Con: you will move at the guide's pace, not yours; the good tours are expensive.
You could always just book a tour through the official website. They offer lots of tours from early morning entry to regular tours to evening tours. It just depends on what you want. They are much less expensive than private companies charge and are really good.
https://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?weblang=en&do
They book about 60 days ahead of time so you will probably need to wait another week or so to book but you can look at what they have to offer and choose one that fits you.
Donna
Thanks for all the replies!
Donna: I just checked out your suggestion and it sounds great! Thank you so much!
It looks like the difference between Pristine Sistine – The Chapel at its Best and the Vatican Museum's - Guided Tour of the Museums and Breakfast (other than the price) is that the Vatican Museum's tour does not include a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica. Does anybody know if this is correct? Thanks so much for the information.
That is correct, it doesn't include a tour of the basilica but you can use the bypass directly into the basilica. With a good guide book or an audio guide you can easily visit the basilica on your own and take as much time as you wish.
donna
