We have been to Italy many times but since we had a first timer with us we booked a tour of the Vatican Museums. We did it online, it was simple and we had Ryan as our tourguide. He is unbelievably knowledgeable and also has a great sense of humor. He told us he had given the tour over 1000... more

This museum is amazing...so many paintings, sculptures, tapestries, maps, etc. One could stay here all day and still not see everything! Every detail is amazing. I spent over half of my time here looking up at the ceilings...endless beauty! One very important suggestion about visiting the museum: don't go there first thing in the morning unless you have a tour... more

We booked a four hour tour which consisted of a visit to the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica. We booked this with http://www.rome-museum.com/tickets.htm and I would definitely recommend it as the tour guide really knew his stuff and made the tour very interesting. As we were part of a tour group we were able to miss... more

I don't know how this isn't in first place among the must see places to see in Rome. The site is an awesome walk through time. While I don't consider myself religious, it is amongst the most revered historical sites in the world, this is second to none. more

I have been to the Vatican twice; once in Nov and once in late Dec. There is absolutely no need to book a tour just to avoid long lines. We arrived outside the museum at 9:00 to meet our group by 9:15. There was a very small line for the regular folks who didn't book ahead. We watched one family... more

Some of the most important works of art of Western Civilization are held within the Vatican's walls and to experience them is sublime, but there are several key points to remember. Expectations of a Museum: The Vatican is not actually a museum; rather, it is a *private residence* that is opened to the public, so don't go there expecting the... more

A few items of practical advice to pass on:- If you want to jump the queues but don’t want a guided tour there are tickets available from Vatican website at http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/tickets/index.html . There is a Euro 4.00 premium over the standard entrance price. Vouchers are emailed to you for local printing. There are instructions on the vouchers directing you to... more

The Sistine Chapel is definitely the highlight here, though the volume alone of art on display as you get there is mind blowing. Therein is one of the problems though, because after a while you are just dashing through another of a zillion hallways snaking over miles. It all starts to blur together, even thought the ceiling murals are all... more

This place is literally jammed full of beautiful works of art (and tourists). I could not imagine having booked a guided tour, it was wonderful just wandering around -- although we did get a bit lost. I would also recommend getting one of the audio guides where you can enter the number of each item and hear a description. Otherwise,... more