Has anyone done used the Rick Steves audio tour for the vatican museums? If so, did you feel like you missed out on anything by not going with an organized tour?
I will be visiting next month with my SO and being untethered from a group sounds rather nice.
I used Rick’s audio and wished that I would have booked a live tour.
Our first time at the Vatican, before COVID, we did an expensive early morning Pristine Sistine tour. It was the tour where we decided to never take another tour again. Not a big group but four hours following someone around and hearing about what THEY thought was important. Last May, we went to the Vatican by ourselves. We arrived in the early afternoon and rented headsets from the Vatican. We went to different areas where tours don't go because we were avoiding the crowds. If we saw something interesting, we plugged the number in and listened to something we wanted to know about. We didn't listen to it continually because we could cover more ground that way. We should have brought our own headphones. The Sistine Chapel was just as crowded as it had been for our Pristine Sistine tour but we had more mobility. I think the "secret door" that tours can use as a shortcut between the Vatican Museum and St Peters is back in use. We walked around instead and went through security at the Basilica. Not a big deal.
We didn't miss being on a tour and felt like we got all the information we wanted. It was hot, humid, crowded and we were wearing masks. No time to dally. Prior to leaving home, I did listen to RS Vatican audio tour a few times when walking in my neighborhood. This gave me an idea of what to look for. Only you can decide if a tour is worthwhile to you. Personally, if I never follow someone with a flag again, I will be a happy woman but that's me. I hope you find what works for you.
I have not taken a group tour. I may have used the RS audio on my first visit 10 years ago. I did buy and use the Vatican's guide book. It has overall descriptions of most of the rooms, descriptions of display cases and lots of info on many of the major works. It also has good maps to help you find your way around and find specific works. The only disadvantage is that it weighs about 1 lb. So on my 2nd visit I left it at home and rented the audio guide. It was also good but didn't have all the info that's in the book. It was fairly large and awkward to carry around. The new MP3 guide with a screen is probably smaller and easier to use. On my recent 3rd visit, I didn't use aids. Most of the exhibits have adequate and sometimes quite interesting descriptions in English.
Explore the official website. There are a couple of museums that are off to the side with interesting stuff. There are also a couple of detours when going through the one-way route around the large inner courtyard that you may miss. There are so many exhibits that you could also walk right past some. It's a good idea to plan ahead.
The only advantage to a tour is if it is before or after the general public's viewing hours, so you wouldn't be in a crush of other visitors (it's always crowded). I would only do that if I could then go back and see a lot of what the tour must miss.
I toured the Vatican Museum in late May and used the RS Audio guide. He directs you to the items that he feels is important. If you trust his judgment, then all is good. I don't think you will miss anything vital. I listened to his descriptions in the rooms or areas and then paused the audio and looked around more before going to the next audio section area. The place is so large that I think you will get your fill. I did. I couldn't imagine following a tour guide for 4 hours. To get more from your visit to historical Rome, learn a bit about the famous Roman emperors. There are many busts of them in the VM.
It depends on your tolerance for museum visits. I could (and have) spent nearly a full day there more than once. You can bring in food and drinks and/or can buy them at vending machines and cafeteria in the museums, take a break and relax in the central courtyard (there's also a nice cafe there) before continuing. There at least 2-3 exits to the courtyard.
As other posters have stated, the RS guide will highlight what Rick and his “guest” guide find important, which is very similar to what you would get from a tour guide -what the tour guide finds important. For me, the Rick Steve’s guide was fine and I used it. We plan to go back, there is no way to soak up everything in one trip. For the second trip, I will likely get the Vatican guide (to supplement the RS guide). As someone else posted, with the Vatican guide, you can dial in to get more information on specific items of interest that are not on the RS guide.
I had the same question. Thanks to the OP and everyone who answered.
The morning Prime Experience tour was one of the best tours we did in Italy. It was pretty cheap for a tour. You get there before the museums even open. You are in a smaller group, about 20-25 and have an ear piece to hear the guide. You will go through the museums and then the Sistine Chapel. Since you are there before the chapel opens you go in and sit on the benches. The tour guide explains each piece before letting you have some time yourself in there. Since it is before it opens you are able to talk while in the chapel as well. Then after that you finish up the tour and then have breakfast in the gardens. Then if you still want to do the RS tour, you can because you can be there as long as you like afterwards and see whatever you want. The Prime Experience tour is one tour that I would recommend to anyone.
We did the Pristine Sistine tour and loved it. It does require an early morning wake up and yes, you are moved around rather quickly by the guide . . . but you skip a lot of lines and you are seeing n to only the Sistine Chapel (twice, actually, second time with crowds), but the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's. We definitely felt we got our money's worth and you see a lot of the "greatest hits" of the museums plus tons of info. Your tour actually concludes in St. Peter's and you can stay as long as you wish. We were pretty beat from our hours of walking and taking pictures. Stepping out on a sunny October day into the Piazza San Pietro, we were appalled at the enormous lines wending just to get into the Basilica. Circling back around (headed for a lunch at the legendary Bonci Pizzarium) past the entry for the Vatican Museums (where we had started our tour), we were again shocked at the length of the lines. So while they are apparently not everyone's cuppa, we thought it was a good and efficient use of time and money.
I use Rick's audioguides everywhere he offers one, but in Rome I opted for an early skip the line tour of the Vatican Museum. It was nice to go right into the Sistine Chapel with no one there but our group. We made our way through most of the museum before it got crowded. I was there in February (pre-covid) and was pretty suprised at the lines of people waiting to get in when we left.
I can't remember who I used for my tour - The Roman Guy, I think. The guide was great and I enjoyed the tour. That said, if I ever get a chance to return, I would use Rick's or the museum's audioguide so that I could take my time and stop where I liked.
I was in Rome in September and did the Through Eternity "VIP Vatican in a Day Tour." It was excellent. There were only 8 in our group and the guide was outstanding. This particular tour is 5 hours with a break, which may sound exhausting, but the time flew by. There are 3 hour tours as well. If I recall correctly, there is a RS discount. I had listened to the RS Vatican audio guide several times before going to Rome and this tour covers everything Rick does, and then some.
