Vatican Tours

You can book entry tickets or a tour directly with the vatican at the official website: http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?weblang=en&do Donna

We too are going the same time period. We are looking for a private guide for a very specific day....any suggestions? We have grandparents who specifically want to see the Sistine Chapel.

You don't need a private guide in order to see the Sistine chapel. It's open to the public and is part of the Vatican museums. All tours go through the chapel. Donna

Bob, while Donna is correct that you don't need a private guide, a good guide can markedly enhance your experience. This might be particularly true if you're taking elderly folks who may be a little short on energy. A good guide can help you focus on what interests you, or if you don't have specific things you "must" see, can help you gain insight into the highlights of the collection. I've used Context Rome a number of times and can't recommend them highly enough. They have a number of small group walking tours (maximum, 6 participants), but they also do private walks, which might be more cost effective, depending on the size of your group. I've taken their St Peter's/Vatican Museums tour and gained so much from the experience... even though I had previously been several times on my own. I suggest you check their website. They also have a very responsive US office, which has provided good guidance when i've had questions.

Russell, please be aware that talking is not permitted inside the Sistine Chapel. While you're in the Chapel, you will hear the guard repeatedly "Shhh"ushing the crowd over the loudspeaker, and periodic announcements in various languages requesting silence. Most people obey, but as new visitors are constantly streaming in, it's natural for the volume to rise until they hear the announcement for the first time. Then it's quiet for a bit, until it rises again, and there's another announcement. The reason I bring this up - don't expect a guide to be able to stand with you inside the Chapel and describe everything to you while you look up at the ceiling. The guards will silence them, or other visitors even will do so. It's best to read about Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes in advance of your visit, so you can spend the whole time in the Chapel gazing at and thinking about them and absorbing their beauty and richness - thinking about what it must have been like for Michelangelo to carry out his commission for Pope Julius II. An excellent book to take along for your international flight is Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King (available from Amazon in paperback).

Just returned from Rome. I have to say that the tour of the Vatican museum was the low point of my whole two weeks in Italy. If you can keep your group very small that would likely be a great advantage. The crowds inside the museum were absolutely overwhelming even though we were there on a Monday. Horrible and ruined the whole thing for me. Also, we ended up being in a group of 40 people! Awful! By the time we got to the Sistine Chapel (always the last stop on the tour) I was too exhausted to take it in. (By that time we had been on the tour for 3 1/2 hours! Standing, no food, drink or bathroom breaks.) Also, we were crammed in there shoulder to shoulder. I had done a lot of research on the Michaelangelo frescoes and was so looking forward to the experience. Such a let down. If I were doing it again, I would definitely look into a private guide. We were warned before we went that the crowds were horrible, but we said, Well, we have to see the Sistine Chapel don't we? The answer for me is now, No. Would have preferred to spend my time elsewhere. There is unlimited beauty in Rome, so much to see.