Vatican Tours

Check out Artviva.com. We were very pleased with it. We wouldn't have enjoyed the Vatican near as much I don't think on our own. They only do small groups up to 15.

We decided to take a private tour of the Vatican/Sistine Chapel and another morning on a tour of the coliseum and Pantheon. Federica D'Orazio went beyond our expectations. Being a Pastor she took us to a variety of churches as well that had paintings and sculptures often overlooked if one went on their own. Paintings by Correvagio and Michalangelo etc. She was fantastic. She gave you just enough history to appreciate the paintings. More than that her personableness was great. Highly recommend. Here is her email or google her name for her website for more details. Oh, she got us passed the 2 hour wait at the Vatican. When on a vacation to such a wonderful city, what price do you put on your time? For us well worth the investment. [email protected] is her email.

I would recommend a guide. There is so much to see there that I would not have known what I was looking at. A good guide can explain the art and history. I used Through Eternity and was very pleased.

hi i have been to vatican 3 times over the last ten years and it was only on my 3rd visit that i decided to do a tour and it was so worth it, not only are you getting to hear all about the different parts of the museum which is huge but you get a background as to why its all there and i really enjoyed the part on the sistine chapel as i really knew very little about it before hand. I used a company called when in rome tours, i thought they were great would be happy to use them again.
enjoy

We used Through Eternity for 3 different tours in Rome. Each guide was awesome and I'd highly recommend them. They keep the groups small, which is really nice. Each tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the history come alive. We certainly would use their services again. Enjoy your trip. Susan, Raleigh, NC

Try EDEN walks.....we just came back and I thought that was really smart idea. Vatican is so huge you are bound to get lost in so much things to see and do..a guide makes it easy and simple

Try EDEN walks.....we just came back and I thought that was really smart idea. Vatican is so huge you are bound to get lost in so much things to see and do..a guide makes it easy and simple

Thank you so much for your input ... It looks like a guide is the best answer.

I was very pleased with Angel Tours. Young, energetic tour guides with interest/knowledge in art history. I especially recommend them if you want to avoid a dry, technical type information tour.

We used roman odyssey tours and were very happy with them. However,I don't think it really matters which company you use because they all seem to be good. People seem to be really happy with the company they chose, so it really just depends on what works best for you. A guide is recommended though. There is just too much to see and you won't enjoy it as much if you do it alone.

We used 3 Millennia (www.threemillennia.com/) for our tour, and we were extremely pleased. They only do very small groups, which, given how crowded the Vatican can be, is especially important.

Without question, the best guide I have had in over 12 Vatican tours has been Federica D'Orazio. As a professor in the USA, I have been bringing student and adult groups to Italy for over 10 years. Over that period of time I have used so many guides for the Vatican and historic Rome I can't even begin to count them all. But once I found Federica, I have used no one else as a guide. She is absolutely fantastic and without equal. Here is why I say that: Most guides (even those with academic training like Federica's) memorize a lot of facts and then take their people on the same tour as they spill out all those facts. It's sort of like pressing "rewind" and "play" on a recorder.

But here is what Federica does: She learns about her group. She learns what they know, why they are there, and what is important to them. And then she organizes her tour around that information. I mean, you can spend a week in the Vatican if you go over every detail of every statue! Federica knows something other guides don't - what NOT to talk about! Otherwise the day becomes an exercise in endurance, and people get exhausted. When that happens they lose interest. Sometimes I think that maybe I have been on enough of Federica's tours (perhaps 12) that I can be a guide myself. But then she comes up with a new way to explain something that impresses everyone and I realize she has forgotten more than I will every know. Federica, who is a native Roman, has a master's degree is in art restoration, so there isn't a place in Rome she doesn't know a great deal about. My students often cite Federica as their favorite memory of all of Italy! So many of them buy her book when they return that I now tell them they should get it in advance so she can sign it. Besides her knowledge and stories of Rome, what impresses my students the most is Federica's personality. She is very laid-back and personable, and she loves to laugh. I won't use anyone else. I believe her web site is: www.touristinrome.com

At the end of our Mediterranean cruise, we spent a couple
of days in Rome. Since this was our first
visit and our stay would be short, we prearranged for a full
day private tour with Federica D'Orazio. Federica is a
native of Rome who truly knows her city. We
were able to experience so much with little hassle because
she knew the fastest ways to navigate and visit the city's
monuments, while providing an in-depth understanding and
appreciation of what we were touring. In addition, her
knowledge of Roman history is immense and unique as she has
demonstrated in her book "Rome Then and
Now". Most of all, Federica is a very
pleasant person to share an experience in
Rome. For anyone traveling to Rome, whether
a first visit or return, we would highly recommend taking a
tour with Federica.

Context Rome provides really superb tours with no more than 6 people per group, which is a huge help in someplace as crowded as the Vatican museums. They also provide tours of St Peters. Although I've been to the Vatican many times, know a good deal about the art that interests me, and am an active Catholic, I was amazed at how much I learned from their guides. They have a website that will give you the information on their tours and you can reserve tours online. Their guides have advanced degrees in disciples relevant to the tours they lead, and their knowledge so enhances the experience.

We didn't take a tour of the vatican because we had a priest friend that took us around the Vatican, but we did take the Scavi tour. You have to write about 2-3 months in advance for tickets and see if they have space. The scavi tour takes you underneath the Vatican to the ruins of St. Peters actual burial place, They only take groups of abotu 8-10 people at a time and you go to the area that was excavated only in 1939. It was a very interesting tour and well worth it - if you are interested in that.

I'm casting another vote for Context Rome, especially the Arte Vaticana with Reservations (docent Gregory DiPippo) tour. Well worth every penny.

Do the tours have to wait in line like everybody else? Are there any w/special priviledges? On Eden
Tours website they reported that the others are wrong in their marketing & that everyone has to wait.

We had outstanding tours of both the Vatican and Ancient Rome with Federica D'Orazio. She was able to accommodate my mother, who was limited in walking by a sore knee, and my 5 year old son, and make it fascinating for everyone. Very highly recommended! Her email is [email protected]

Guided tours are best because of the long lines and hordes of tourists:

When in Rome...do as the smart tourists do and hire a private guide. We

spent several days in the care of an extraordinary tourguide, Federica
D'Orazio. She was not only knowledgeable about the historic city and the
best places to see, but was able to get us in without waiting -- a big plus
when you consider the heat and lines.

When we toured the Vatican, I think every guard knew her personally. Her
tutorial about the Sistine Chapel was frankly astounding and incredibly
comprehensive and she knew the perfect place to stand, tucked away from the
crowds.

It is Federica's knowledge of ancient Rome and its art history that truly
sets her apart. Want to see works by Michaelangelo, Bernini and Caravaggio?
The best way to do it is not to visit a museum or rent an audio guide.
Federica knows how to take you all around the city and can tell you all the
details of the masterpieces in the secret corners of Rome. We loved her and
felt we really got our money's worth!

If you want a thorough tour of the Vatican, you should check out www.contexttravel.com/rome. These are expert scholars who really know their stuff. They are a little pricey, but they limit to 6 persons per group. We used them for the Forum and Colosseum and we got a 4 hour tour by a PhD. in archaeology from Oxford University. They have a great many tours to choose from. The tours that are given by the Vatican are no more than "forced marches". They march you through a small portion of the museum at breakneck speed and then dump you off at the Sistine Chapel. I have done this tour twice, but never again. Use a reputable outside company.

A wondeful guide for the Vatican (Museums, St. Peters, etc.) is Federica D'Orazio. My husband and I spend a fascinating, interesting and FUN half day w/Federica in late July, 2009. She brought the history, socio/political history and of course, the art, alive for us. As an artist, I was particularly interested in the art and my husband's interest is history. Federica is quite knowledgeable and gives the inside view. She is friendly, fun and speaks wonderful English...can't recommend her enough. I'm sure she would be terrific for other private tours in Rome as well. Her website is www.touristinrome.com. Phone 0039 339-794 6813/ 0039 655 268963 (cell) email: [email protected]

I highly recommend a guided tour - there is too much to see on your own, and a good tour guide will help you get a sense of the history and relevance of the key pieces in each area. I would be lost without someone to help. On our latest visit, we used a wonderful tourguide, Frederica D'Orazio, who did great job explaining things to both my elderly mother, my wife and myself, as well as our pre-teen children. We would definately use her on another trip to Rome. Here is her website: http://www.touristinrome.com

A group of us ended a three week European tour in Rome last Monday, October 5th, and we wanted an experienced guide to conduct our Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica tour. We would not do this on our own. Through research prior to the trip, we discovered a wonderful and throughly educated guide who was highly recommended in conducting this tour. Also, we informed her about our group and at the start of the tour she inquired how in depth we might want the tour to be. She conducted the tour with those comments in mind. Additionally, she willing took on the responsibility of providing turn key serves for us, which is very helpful dodging long lines to enter the Vatican. We noted Vatican staff knew her very well, which made us feel very much at ease.

In a note to her this week I wrote, " Please know that our group enjoyed every minute of your excellent tour of the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica this past Monday. Everyone commented about your art history knowledge, the new meaning of "power and money" and your voice inflection!! Your english is excellent as well, thus it was very easy for us to understand you. We would be pleased to recommend you to any other small group or couples seeking a thorough understanding of what 2,000 years of history means to the center of the Roman Catholic church and expanding our understanding."

If you seek an excellent Vatican/St. Peter's guide,as well as other areas of Rome, including reference to some wonderful, memorable restaurants, we strongly recommend Federica D'Orazio. You may contact her at [email protected].

We used a tour guide through the Vatican museum that was very good. I believe his name was Gregory Depepo, not positive on the spelling. This was a lot less money than the private company tours. We walked right up to the counter on an extremely busy July day and were on a tour in less than 15 minutes.

Tour Guide, definitely, and, if available, Federica D'Orazio, as recommended by Bob. Absolutely wonderful!

The line in Sept. to get in the Vatican was very long (3 hours), so we were extremely happy to have booked a Vatican tour - walked right in and up to the ticket office - no waiting. We booked the tour before we left and are so happy we did. Rick says it's hard to get but I had no trouble 3 weeks in advance. Check out www.vatican.va to book. We still sat on a bench at the end of the Sistine Chapel and listened to the Rick Steve's audioguide. I told my husband we weren't leaving for at least 30 minutes. It is an awesome sight and the museum is spectacular, but crowded. Make sure you see the Bourgese if you like art work. Wish I'd had time to book a segway to ride around the gardens.

As with many other people, who have made suggestions about a competent tour guide, Federica D'Orazio is simply the best. She is extremely knowledgeable. We took a Vatican tour from her yesterday (4/10/10) and it was fabulous! She went out of her way to make sure she answered all of our questions and beyond. I brought her book with me and she signed it. She points out things that you would have never noticed and are beyond what the audio tours tell you. She is just great! Contact her at [email protected]

Our tour of the Vatican was with Angel Tours Rome who are recommended by Rick himself. Good bunch of guys who know how to run tours to high expectations.
James from England is full of facts.

OK I'm sold--we're getting Federica D'Orazio for our family's trip to the vatican (if at all possible!) Maybe I missed it, but did anyone mention how much she charges? I have a family of 6 so kind of hoping it's around the rate of 60euros/hr for 3 -4 hours (that seems like a ballpark rate for private guides from what I've seen.)All the per/person rates are too expensive for a family.

Does it not seem bizarre to anyone that there are 8 posts about how great Federica is, and ALL of them are first time posters? Helloooooooo everyone, are we that fickle?

There is nothing new about people pimping websites.

Sometimes even the original question is just a set up for the "ad."

Wow! Talk about paranoid! Sounds like the last two writers were a bit jealous that Federica has such a good following. Sometimes the only thing small people can do is lash out at others and cry "foul". How pathetic!

The problem is, they are wrong. I wrote one of the first reviews about Federica D'Orazio. She is by far the best guide I have come across in all of Italy. And I give good reasons for that. After trying to help those going to Italy - which is one of the purposes of this site - I do not appreciate being referred to as a pimp, especially by someone who is obviously just angry they do not have such glowing reviews. Forgive me for wanting to help others in a venue filled with petty sharks.

I would suggest a few things: 1) Look me up at Armstrong Atlantic State University - Robert LeFavi; contact me anytime you want, 2) go ahead and check me out (I am not related to Federica at all and I write reviews on sites on my own accord), 3) consider that maybe Federica really is that good and that maybe you are out of line, and 4) get a life.

I stand by everything I wrote about Federica and I apologize to all those readers who had to endure these petty, ridiculous accusations. These writers assumed I was a set-up and they were wrong; and they obviously do not know Federica. I am sure that at least one of the reviewers who wrote after me also wrote following her first visit to Rome.

And for those of you out there who really wonder if there are true differences in guides, well here you have it: Some guides are paranoid, immature teenagers who try to make themselves feel better by putting others down. Other guides are so wonderful, educational and inspiring that those on their tours go out of their way to say nice things about them. Which one would you rather be with?

Oh, and by the way, the word "fickle" is the wrong word used in the reply from another guide agency. Federica would not have made that mistake.

I booked with Federica D'Orazio through a tour agency, then contacted her myself to be sure we were on with her, and true to reputation, she replied right away. I am looking forward to our tour with her in June, and will be sure to report back. I'm also taking her book along with me in order to get her signature.

We also just booked with Federica D'Orazio for July, she quoted us E45 per hour, min. of 3 hours, and we are 2 people, she charges by the hour. She was prompt and very helpful; this helpline thread is what sold me on trying her-I don't feel it was pimped or set up! (just had to say) And I never would have thought of having a private tour guide of the Vatican, but it makes so much sense rather than wandering around and trying to see the highlights on our own clueless path!

I would suggest to take a tour for Sistine Chapel and do the rest yourself.