I am trying to plan our trip to the Vatican with our 11 yr old grandson. Would we be better just booking a late afternoon entry and going through select rooms of the Museum and then on to the Cistine Chapel rather than a full tour which might not be as interesting for him. We thought the Map gallery might be interesting but are looking for other suggestions. What is the best time of day and how many hours to allow.
Thanks for any other ideas for Rome or Venice with this age boy.
Posted by
Frisco, Texas, US
263 posts
I have never made a reservation at the Vatican, I just show up. To avoid lines, show up early. I would advise to do the what you want to do and hope he likes it. He's old enough to know he has to be patient if it isn't something that he finds particularly interesting. The audio headsets you can buy would probably make it more interesting for him. You can spend all day here, but I would say 2 hours is enough, unless you plan to spend more time at the museum.
Pizza and pasta and gelato. That's going to make him happy!
Posted by
roswell, ga, usa
1501 posts
I disagree! The shortest lines into St. Peters/Vatican museum are in the afternoon after 2pm, and it's less crowded. I have an 11 year old grand daughter, and I'd take her later, and get the headphones. Keep the attention as long as possible, and when it's no longer fun, leave. It might be a good idea to get some books pre-trip on the Vatican and Sistine so he knows what to expect, and of course, he must know that St. Peters is really a church, and church behavior is a must.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11513 posts
Barbara . My daughter and I too took a RS tour when she was 11 yrs old, it included a guided vist to Vatican.. and it bored her to tears, it was too crowded, she didn't want to stop at such and such exhibit and the guide gave too many boring details.. We were then free to visit Sistine Chapel and St Peters on our own, and she did enjoy those.
She also enjoyed a tour of the Louvre , but the Vatican, nope,, so I would just go on your own, rent some audio guides. Personally I think the best way for kids to learn to slowly apprecieate musuems is for the parents ( or grandparents ) to learn a few of the main exhibits, and then tell the child about them from a personal point of view. Ie: I love the painting "The Raft of Medusa" in the Louvre, so I told my kids about it, why I liked it, and pointed out a few of the interesting features.. thats generally more interesting then a long history lesson ..
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Go later in the afternoon, don't take a tour, and avoid the horrible pizza at the museum cafeteria. I would suggest that you encourage your 11-year-old to look at the virtual tour on the Vatican Museum's website in advance so he can find a few things he'll look forward to seeing - and it turns the actual event into more of a treasure hunt.
Posted by
OP
poughkeepsie, ny, usa
20 posts
Thank you to all. Yes, I remember the crowds myself on my first trip as a 40 yr old and I hated the crowds. I will plan on the afternoon and skip the tour and save that for the colliseum. Thanks for all the help.