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Vatican Museum Tickets

Just looking for others input on which Vatican tickets to get. I looked up the general admission tickets and the only times available for our day is 1600. I see I can get an audio guide to go with it for about 56 euro. I could do the Prime Experience at 7:30 that morning for the 126 euro. I don't really care about the pricing. It seems the Prime Experience is just a guided tour for the first two hours and then we eat breakfast. It then says we can go visit (without the guide) the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

I am wondering if anyone did the Prime Experience and was it worth it to them? Either way it seems we don't have a guide for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, so I am confused on which part is the guided tour? Is it worth it to do the Prime Experience just to get a morning time instead at 1600?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Posted by
15681 posts

Either way it seems we don't have a guide for the Vatican Museums and
Sistine Chapel

Brandon, the € 63,00 (for each adult) Prime Experience IS a guided tour of parts of the museums, including the Sistine. Understand as well that guides and visitors are not supposed to talk inside the chapel, although I guess some guides gets around that by whispering very softly. Just best not to expect it. From the Vatican Museum website:

Prime Experience - Vatican Museums

A proposal intended for visitors interested in enjoying the unique
experience, entering into the Vatican Museums one hour before the
official opening time. The guided tour is conducted by an authorized
educational Guide.
Having finished the tour, visitors will have the
opportunity to enjoy a delicious American Breakfast - at a table- in
the magnificent setting of the Vatican Museums. After the American
Breakfast, it will be possible to visit (without the guide) the
Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.

The tour follows an itinerary which includes: Upper Galleries
(Candelabras, Geographical Maps, and Tapestries), the Raphael Rooms
and the Sistine Chapel.

This is pretty much the standard route for most of the tours; the museums are SO vast that it's all that can be covered in a couple of hours. If willing to spend a bit more for more guided time, skip the breakfast thing, and get in early, go with Walks of Italy's Pristine Sistine 4-hour tour; very popular amongst the RS Rome posters.

https://www.walksofitaly.com/vatican-tours/pristine-sistine-chapel-tour

Or this 3-hour tour with Roman Guy; also a popular guide service:
https://theromanguy.com/tours/italy/vatican/sistine-chapel-vatican-tour

There are others posters have used and recommended.

Posted by
22 posts

Pay for the early admission tour, whether with Prime or another RS forum approved vendor. There will still be a LOT of people with you, but it will be worth it to spend time in the Sistine Chapel before the massive crowds come. Within the SC, there is no talking. You should be looking for a tour experience that gets you into the Museums very early, but definitely within the Sistine Chapel at 730am.

Posted by
107 posts

We just did the Prime Experience, booked through the Vatican Museum website, on May 5. It was great to get inside the museum and Sistine Chapel before the general public. There were a few other tour groups, but at points the groups really got separated. I was able to get a fantastic picture of being in a long hallway that was empty of people when I looked back to snap the photo. Later that morning it was full of people. The tour is led by a guide who gave us fantastic information.

In the Sistine Chapel, the tour guides were talking but in a whisper. The breakfast was fine and after we went back inside the museum and went to parts that the tour didn't cover. Personally for us, we thought it was worth the price and extra early wake up time.

Posted by
15681 posts

Glad you got your tickets, Brandon!
Your honeymoon is coming together; you two will have so much fun! :O)