Vatican City

[margord]

I am hoping for some good information and help hints. How do I reserve tickets. Is it best to take a tour? If so any recommendations for just two people. What is not to be missed? Any information is greatly appreciated.

 

Marilee

[nparmelee]

Which parts do you want to see? There are:

 

1. Vatican Museums, needs tickets 14 euros/person now

2. Sistine Chapel, only accessible through the Vatican Museums

3. St. Peter's Square, free

4. St. Peter's Basilica, free, security to go through

5. Climbing St. Peter's cupola, cost varies on all steps or elevator part way

6. Various small museums in St. Peter's Basilica

7. Scavi Tour, necropolis tour that must be reserved and paid for ahead of time

8. Vatican Garden tour, must be reserved ahead of time

9. Tombs of previous Pope's, free, from within the Basilica

 

You can now make entry time reservations for the Vatican Museums for an additional 4 euros per ticket within 60 days of your visit. Some people believe you absolutely need a tour, they also have audio guides available. To make timed entry tickets, or to reserve a Vatican Museum tour through the Vatican you go to this website. If you decide to to the tour with another company, Presto Tours, Angel Tours, etc., you contact those companies directly. As in anything, how much research you want to do on your own can have an impact on how much you feel you need a tour. Some tours will talk about the Sistine Chapel before entering there, some include a tour of the Basilica, the tours vary a bit for waht is involved and the cost. You can do either a private tour (more expensive) or a group tour.

 

For the Scavi and Garden tours, you have to follow the instructions from this website.

 

There are no reservations for entry to St. Peter's Square, Basilica or the spots inside like climbing the cupola and the small displays as well as the huge basilica.

[cruisemom42]

There are a number of options for visiting the Vatican Museums. I've listed some of the most common below:

 

1. Purchase the "official" tour through the Vatican website (www.vatican.va). The cost will include your entrance fee and will allow you to bypass the long queue for tickets. The tour cost is very reasonable, it provides a good basic overview of the Vatican museum collection and information about the Sistine chapel. The quality of the guides may vary -- they all know their stuff; just some can be a little on the dry side from what I've heard. (The guide I had several years ago when I used this option was fine.) The tours can get booked up, so you would have to decide in advance if this is what you want to do.

 

2. Arrange for a private tour. This can be done in several ways. You can splurge for a private guide for just the two of you, or you can find one of the agencies that gives small tours (less expensive, generally 6-10 people depending on the agency). A private guide for two would allow you to personalize your tour -- but if this is your first visit to the Vatican, you probably want an overview and may not have any strong preferences. The last time I did a private tour was many years ago, so I'm not sure what the going rate is now. Context Rome provides small group tours, and their Vatican museum tour is 60 euro (plus your ticket); they offer one that also includes St Peter's basilica for 10 additional euros.

 

3. Do the museum on your own with the help of a good self-guided tour. You can reserve tickets ahead of time (highly recommended, use the same website listed above). Rick Steves' Rome book has a great self-guided tour. Alternatively you can rent an audio headset just past the entrance. The audio tour is also a bit dry, and if you do rent it, you have to return it to the entrance -- so you lose the option of exiting the Sistine Chapel and going directly into St. Peter's. (It's a long walk otherwise...) This option may be best for those who've done the Vatican previously and/or have some knowledge about the Vatican collections and history (or are willing to do their research).

[margord]

Which parts do you want to see? There are:

 

1. Vatican Museums, needs tickets 14 euros/person now

2. Sistine Chapel, only accessible through the Vatican Museums

3. St. Peter's Square, free

4. St. Peter's Basilica, free, security to go through

5. Climbing St. Peter's cupola, cost varies on all steps or elevator part way

6. Various small museums in St. Peter's Basilica

7. Scavi Tour, necropolis tour that must be reserved and paid for ahead of time

8. Vatican Garden tour, must be reserved ahead of time

9. Tombs of previous Pope's, free, from within the Basilica

 

Thank you for the information. I think we want to see the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel. I am not sure what the Scavi Tour is. Can you give any details.

 

Marilee

[margord]

There are a number of options for visiting the Vatican Museums. I've listed some of the most common below:

 

1. Purchase the "official" tour through the Vatican website (www.vatican.va). The cost will include your entrance fee and will allow you to bypass the long queue for tickets. The tour cost is very reasonable, it provides a good basic overview of the Vatican museum collection and information about the Sistine chapel. The quality of the guides may vary -- they all know their stuff; just some can be a little on the dry side from what I've heard. (The guide I had several years ago when I used this option was fine.) The tours can get booked up, so you would have to decide in advance if this is what you want to do.

 

2. Arrange for a private tour. This can be done in several ways. You can splurge for a private guide for just the two of you, or you can find one of the agencies that gives small tours (less expensive, generally 6-10 people depending on the agency). A private guide for two would allow you to personalize your tour -- but if this is your first visit to the Vatican, you probably want an overview and may not have any strong preferences. The last time I did a private tour was many years ago, so I'm not sure what the going rate is now. Context Rome provides small group tours, and their Vatican museum tour is 60 euro (plus your ticket); they offer one that also includes St Peter's basilica for 10 additional euros.

 

3. Do the museum on your own with the help of a good self-guided tour. You can reserve tickets ahead of time (highly recommended, use the same website listed above). Rick Steves' Rome book has a great self-guided tour. Alternatively you can rent an audio headset just past the entrance. The audio tour is also a bit dry, and if you do rent it, you have to return it to the entrance -- so you lose the option of exiting the Sistine Chapel and going directly into St. Peter's. (It's a long walk otherwise...) This option may be best for those who've done the Vatican previously and/or have some knowledge about the Vatican collections and history (or are willing to do their research).

 

Thank so much for this great information. I think you are telling me that if I do alittle research I will be fine without a tour. This is our first visit so everything will be new.

 

Marilee

[cruisemom42]

Thank you for the information. I think we want to see the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel. I am not sure what the Scavi Tour is. Can you give any details.

 

Marilee

 

Please have a look at this link. It has all the details and information about the Scavi tour.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=854634&highlight=scavi+faqs

[CintiPam]

We used Rick Steves' Rome guidebook for self-guided tours two years ago for both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica and Square. We thought that both were excellent, and we were able to go at the pace we wanted (which is slow!:))

[margord]

Please have a look at this link. It has all the details and information about the Scavi tour.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=854634&highlight=scavi+faqs

 

Thanks that was really helpful.

 

Marilee

[margord]

We used Rick Steves' Rome guidebook for self-guided tours two years ago for both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica and Square. We thought that both were excellent, and we were able to go at the pace we wanted (which is slow!:))

 

I bought his Europe guidebook. I wonder if I need to buy the Rome one also.