Vatican for kids

[katerina711]

Hello, we will be visiting the Vatican in June and my 10 year old son said that he wanted to see the Sistine Chapel. We also plan to visit the other parts of the museum. I am planning to book the 8:30 tour and hopefully it will not be as crowded yet at that time of the day.

 

Here is my question: I am trying to determine which one would be better between these 2 options for kids.

• Visit using the Vatican guided tour: advantage is that we hear the narration from a Vatican expert. Disadvantage is that narration is probably geared more towards adults and the Sistine Chapel will most likely be crowded by 10:30 am which is about when the guided tour will get to the Sistine Chapel.
  
• 
  
• Visit withOUT a guide and rent an audioguide for kids and adults: advantage is that we can go straight to the Sistine Chapel before the crowds arrive (can the audioguide be forwarded to the Sistine Chapel which is at the end?) and then visit the rest of the museum. Another advantage is that the kid's audioguide would be tailored for kids. Disadvantage is that we don't get the benefit of a Vatican expert guide's narration.
  

The prices are almost the same between the two options above (5 euro difference for adults and 7 euros difference for kids between guided and not guided tour).

 

Your input would be much appreciated.

Edited May 7, 2014 by katerina711

[grand isle joe]

I would go with the guide. We have visited three times and the first visit our daughter was 8 yrs. old.Our guide took the kids ages into her lectures and our daughter felt included. Each time we had a guide and still certain facts were pointed out that the previous tour did not. You could spend a week in the museum itself. There is no talking or pictures in the Chapel and they try to regulate flow to keep the humidity down. Even when we were in the Chapel it was not wall to wall and we could see all aspects we wanted. We just returned last week (Easter week) and the Pope opened a exit walkway after you exit the Chapel that is seldom used.....It was a gorgeous stairway.....I hope you get to enjoy.....

[Nitemare]

The Vatican a gorgeous building, with a ton of old art and a whole lot of walking. Make sure your 10 year old is up for a few hours of walking and looking at a whole mess of old paintings and tapestry, otherwise it could feel like a REALLY long tour for all of you.

[Nebr.cruiser]

You have to know your son and how well he will tolerate museum/art and history. I'd definitely do some prep ahead of time so that he understands what he is looking at and for.

 

We went without a guide (just DH and myself) mostly because my husband doesn't like guided narration, but would rather wander on his own. If you can get a guide that orients the tour to a child's level, that would be best.

 

By going on our own we were able to break up the self-tour with a meal in the cafeteria--we really needed a break after an hour or so.

 

It was incredibly crowded the day we were there (end of April), and the Sistine Chapel was almost wall-to-wall people. If they limit the amount in at one time, it was a high limit. I'm glad I saw the chapel, but it wasn't a great experience because of the crowding and the constant shushing from the guards. I was ready to leave after a few minutes.

 

We were able to use the 'secret door' at the back of the chapel (opposite of where you come in) which lets you skip the very long line to get into the basilica. I guess this can be hit or miss, but we just walked out of it.

 

If you buy your tickets ahead of time, you will have little to no wait getting in. Also, don't get into the really long line you see in the square; that is for the basilica, not the Vatican. We stood there for a few minutes before realizing that the Vatican entrance is quite a long walk through the collande and to the right.

 

The Scavi tour of the underground Roman cemetary was great, as long as you are no claustrophobic and at the end you entered right into the Basilica.

[flamomo]

The beauty of audiotours is that you can hear everything well no matter how many people are around you, because the ear buds channel the sound directly into your ears.

 

And the unguided tours allow you to move at your own pace, and spend extra time at things that really interest you, rather than having to keep up with a guide's schedule.

[cruisemom42]

If you are comparing the standard Vatican tour (led by a Vatican guide) versus an audioguide tailored for kids, I would vote for the latter.

 

The group Vatican tours are really geared for adults and (depending on your guide) can be a bit dry. With a large group, I doubt they can tailor it to a kid's interest level.

 

Whereas with the audioguide, you can spend time on what interests you and skip what does not. I have used the regular audioguide but wasn't aware of the children's version. I can't specifically remember, but I'm sure you can wander and key up the items that are of interest to you rather than having to do the whole thing in order. (Because the Vatican museum routes often change....so I really doubt they could pre-determine your "order" through the museum.)

 

A couple of other points:

 

I assume, since you mention an early tour, that you will not be visiting on the day of a port call to Civitavecchia (the port for Rome). Otherwise, it would be very difficult to get to the museum in time for an 8:30 tour start unless you're hiring a private driver.

 

Also, be aware if you opt to use the audioguides, you will NOT be able to use the shortcut into St. Peter's basilica that was mentioned above, because you have to return to the front desk at the museum to return your guide. Thus, a long walk back around the outside of the museum to get to the basilica and perhaps a long-ish security line wait to get inside.

[Nitemare]

 

By going on our own we were able to break up the self-tour with a meal in the cafeteria--we really needed a break after an hour or so.

 

We did it the same way. But the cafeteria was by far the worst meal we had in Italy

 

It was incredibly crowded the day we were there (end of April), and the Sistine Chapel was almost wall-to-wall people. If they limit the amount in at one time, it was a high limit. I'm glad I saw the chapel, but it wasn't a great experience because of the crowding and the constant shushing from the guards. I was ready to leave after a few minutes.

 

SILENCIO!!!! NO PHOTOGRAPHS!!!!

 

The Scavi tour of the underground Roman cemetary was great, as long as you are no claustrophobic and at the end you entered right into the Basilica.

 

Agreed. This was awesome. But you gotta book it in advance.

[Sue Do-Over]

Our group went last June; at 11am, the line to buy tickets went around the block. Our group split, and 4 did the Vatican and the rest visited some stuff nearby.

 

The tickets were purchased ours online, as directed by RomeInLimo. Our driver took the ladies directly to the front, to the guard at the door, and they walked right in as soon as he scanned the tickets. I'm not sure if the driver offered the guard a tip, but they knew his name. Maybe they settle up on the side later.

 

The ladies shuffled through the museum, shoulder to shoulder practically. Mom said she couldn't stop to study an item, as people were nudging her along, nor could she easily skip ahead. She paused where the guides were talking a couple of times, but had to be really close to hear him, and he'd clearly been giving the same canned speech all day. The ladies did, on the drivers advice, scoot through the 'secret door'. He suggested they blend into a group, and if stopped say that they'd fallen behind the group tour.

 

The other half of the group had to wait a little while in St. Peters Square for them to come out of the chapel. We saw organized pickpockets out there... several young men in black tshirts were obviously working the crowd, getting signals from another man up on the stairs near us. We didn't see them actually TAKE anything, but they were definitely following signals.

 

We put it together when we noticed guests coming by with unzipped backpacks. It was too late for us to do anything, the guys were gone. Another oddly dressed man with an umbrella was using it to identify targets -- he would circle a woman with a shopping bag, peek in, and raise his umbrella, then lower it and move away. We saw him do it a couple times, but again, not actually see anything stolen.

 

Bottom line -- use a ziptie or big safety pin or something to secure the zippers, and wear a money belt under your clothing... it was entirely too easy for the pickpockets.

[grand isle joe]

In 2007 we had an after hour tour with Disney Cruise Line and it was great. Only a small number of people and we even got to take pictures and video. After hours tours are a whole different game. The guards could care less.

[Jen731]

We went to the Vatican museum in 2006 and the early morning was the worst time for crowds. After lunch it was practically empty! I remember thinking the museum guides were the pushiest people in the world. They practically ran us over if we were in the way. And it was so loud, I don't know how anyone heard what they were saying. I say, do it on your own! It is so amazing and worthwhile.

[nana541]

Don't forget that even children are expected to follow the strict dress code at the Vatican. We saw men and teens turned away due to shorts.

 

 

 

 

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[Underwatr]

A youngster might enjoy the climb inside the dome to the roof of the basilica - as long as Mom/Dad are able to keep up.

[katerina711]

Wow! Thank you for all the advice from everyone! These are all very helpful--from input about audioguides versus guided tours, dress codes, less crowded times, theft alert, etc. Really appreciate all of them!!!

 

After taking all the input into consideration, I am considering the following 2 itineraries. Which do you think will be better (less waiting in lines outside and less crowds inside)?

 

Plan A:

9 am – 11:30: Vatican Museum using audio guides** (assuming use of shortcut door)

11:30 – 12:30: St Peters Basilica

12:30 – 1:30: Lunch

2:00 – 4:00: Castel Sant Angelo DIY

5:15-6:15: Elevator Rome

Plan B:

8:30am – 9:30: St Peters Basilica (line up by 8 am)

10:00 – 12:00: Castel Sant Angelo DIY

12:30 – 1:30: Lunch break

2:00 – 4:30: Vatican Museum with audioguides

5:15-6:15: Elevator Rome

 

 

**Questions:

- Can we turn in audioguides before entering the Sistine Chapel so we can take the shortcut exit from Sistine Chapel to St Peter’s Basilica (I will turn them in up front while husband and son continues viewing inside museum and then I walk back to where they are and we enter the Sistine Chapel together. What is the probability the front desk where I will return the audioguides will let me do this?

- Also, I heard that it might take me 30 minute to go from Vatican Museum front area to Sistine Chapel area because of the crowds so the roundtrip return could take me 1 hour. Are the lines in the Basilica usually more than an hour to justify doing it this way?

- Is it still true nowadays that afternoons are less crowded than mornings at the Vatican? We will be visiting mid-June 2014 and this is a pre-cruise stop so we are not in danger of missing the ship.

-For my son who has no background about Roman history, would Elevator Rome really give him at least a basic introduction? Or would our time be better spent climbing the Basilican cupola instead of doing Rome Elevator?

Thanks again in advance for additional input as I finalize the Rome segment of our trip.

Edited May 15, 2014 by Help@

[katerina711]

I've done a bit more reading of others' postings here in Trip Advisor and going with Plan B. Hope I made the right choice. Thanks to everyone for all your input in this thread.

[cruisemom42]

I've done a bit more reading of others' postings here in Trip Advisor and going with Plan B. Hope I made the right choice. Thanks to everyone for all your input in this thread.

 

Sounds good. I hope you do plan to pre-reserve your Vatican tickets online (you have to specify the time).

 

Regarding the audioguides, you probably already figured it out, but it wouldn't make sense to go all the way back to the front entrance (it's a LONG walk, like 20 minutes going back and then 20+ minutes to get to the Sistine again) just to return the audioguides.

[ducklite]

Let me toss another idea at you. During some of the late spring and early summer, the Vatican Museum offers evening tours. They only allow people who pre-purchase tickets, and it is much cooler and less crowded. We did this a couple years ago and it was fantastic. Our 90 minute tour turned into almost three hours, which was fine with us, and definitely went off script in a good way.

 

Go to St. Peter's after lunch and spend the afternoon there. Then have dinner at one of the many restaurants between there and the Museum--walk a few blocks out if the way for better food--then tour the Museum at night.

[katerina711]

Thank you again for all the input. I went ahead and bought our Vatican tickets. And I heeded others' advice to put some cushion and flexibility into our tight schedule. Sigh of relief for finishing Rome planning. Onwards to the next cities to plan :-) Ciao.