Visiting the Vatican Museums

Rick Steves has lots of his suggestions in his ROME guidebook. Also, this is brought up very often - do a SEARCH in the SEARCH bar, I know you'll find lots of recommendations.

We ran into the same situation last year, 3 months out. I suspect that Viator and other mass tour companies somehow have a method to buy up most open slots before the public has a chance.

We went with a private guide who specializes in the Vatican. We got in before the general admission started in the morning, which gave us a bit of a head start, but it got busy as more and more people arrived throughout the morning. He helped keep us from getting stranded in the crowds. Probably not the very cheapest option, but we saw things (like the Cabinet of Masks) that aren’t part of the mass tours. Contact Massimiliano Canneto at http://www.vaticanmax.com/ for more information.

Find a way to go early, before the general admission starts. If that is by buying a tour, buy the tour, because otherwise the experience isn't all that pleasant with the crowds.

Did you check to see whether the Vatican itself still has tour slots available for your days in Rome? If not, do that first, at https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home/calendar/visit/Biglietti-Musei. Check now, because I saw one or two options that might work for you, though I don't know your precise dates. You might find something quite a bit less expensive than the commercial tours, but anything still available now might be gone tomorrow.

May 30-June 3 is all sold out ☹️. I may have yo go to a commercial tour. Just need recommendation on one that won’t break the bank and is reputable. Just want to see museum and Sistine chapel

Walks of Italy and Through Eternity Tours are both legitimate.

I just looked - there are Vatican tours available on some of your days. Not cheap, but also not commercial tours. Happy hour tix are available for June 2. Always keep looking - tickets can become available.

I had the same problem one month in advance. I ended up buying the admission with lunch. It ends up being twice the price of simple admission, but you can enter museum at any time after 9am and you get lunch (cafeteria, I've read, and nothing special, but you get to see those special works of art --I hope).

I just booked with vaticanmax for November 2023 and see one recommendation for him. It is expensive but we are hoping it is in depth and good. We looked in RS book and I contacted most of the guides and heard back from him quickly and since our trip is just 3 weeks away, I went with his company. Any comments to help us customize this tour for our very first trip to Rome?