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The 5 best vatican tours of 2024.

Guided Vatican tours can make the experience less overwhelming and more enjoyable.

The Best Vatican Tours

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Key Takeaways

• Guided tours can help you make the most of your visit to Vatican City.
• Ticket prices can vary considerably depending on the tour group size.
• Anticipate crowds regardless of when or how you visit, as many tours offer early entry, after-hours and/or skip-the-line access.

One of the most famous landmarks in the world, Vatican City draws more than 5 million people each year, which means that no matter when you visit, you can expect massive crowds. Along with the crowds, the sheer size of this sovereign city-state in Rome can make a visit to Vatican City feel overwhelming.

If you're feeling intimidated by the experience, consider one of the following small-group Vatican tours, guided by local experts who can both explain the history of the Eternal City and help you navigate the crowds.

What a Life Tours – Skip-the-line Vatican Small Group Tour

Price: Adults from $87; kids from $82 Duration: 3 hours

One of the best tours in Rome , this small-group option includes skip-the-line tickets to all the museums as well as St. Peter's Basilica . Tourgoers are also given headsets so they can better hear their guide. Recent visitors praise the knowledgeable tour guides for helping them maneuver the museums, as well as ensuring guests are comfortable (finding a shady reprieve on a hot summer day, for example).

Tours depart from the What a Life Tours office ( Via Santamaura 14B ) at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. Tickets for children ages 5 and younger are free.

What a Life Tours also offers skip-the-line access that omits the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, as well as local food tours and tours of the Colosseum .

Check prices & availability on:

The Best Rome Colosseum Tours

Laura Itzkowitz April 17, 2024

The Roman Guy – Vatican After Hours Tour with Sistine Chapel

Price: Adults from $124; kids from $100 Duration: 2 hours

Instead of early entry, this tour offers after-hours access to the Eternal City on select weekends in the summer months. Tours depart at 5:30 p.m. from Caffé Vaticano . Guided by a local expert, you'll see the Vatican museums, galleries, Raphael Rooms and School of Athens before the tour concludes at the Sistine Chapel. Recent reviewers highly recommend this tour, pointing to the tour guides' breadth of knowledge and the ability to experience Vatican City with fewer crowds.

The Roman Guy offers a number of other local tours that include visits to the Colosseum and Catacombs of Rome as well as food tours (and tours that combine some or all of the above).

Liv Tours – Vatican & Sistine Chapel Small Group Tour

Price: Adults from $140; kids from $124 Duration: 3 hours

This intimate tour is limited to just six people, making the experience more personal and enjoyable. Your tour guide will take you to through the famous galleries, the Julius II apartments, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. Recent tourgoers say they could see a difference in this tour versus the other Vatican tours. They also note how kind the tour guides are.

Tours, which are available during a wide variety of time slots each day, start and conclude at Caffé Vaticano , right across the street from the entrance to the museums.

Other experiences offered by Liv Tours include a Jewish Ghetto & Travestere Tour, cooking classes and tours designed for kids.

Private Tours of Rome – Vatican and Sistine Chapel Private Tour

Price: Adults from $364; kids from $87 Duration: 3 hours

Explore the Vatican with a professional historian on this private tour. Recent travelers say they're so glad they chose to visit the Vatican on a private tour, noting how much they enjoyed hearing the guides' personal stories about the museums and the pope.

Tours depart from Viale Vaticano at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

If you're looking for a private tour of other attractions, Private Tours of Rome offers a variety of options. It also offers shore excursions, with pick up and drop-off at your ship in Civitavecchia.

Through Eternity Tours – Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum & Sistine Chapel: Essential Experience

Price: From $1,345 Duration: 6 hours

If you're short on time and/or prefer to see several Rome attractions at once, this jam-packed tour is a great option. During the six-hour excursion, you'll see the Colosseum, the Roman Forum , Trevi Fountain , Piazza Novana and the Pantheon before visiting the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square (and then moving on to other sites). This tour includes optional headsets and skip-the-line access at all ticketed attractions. Recent travelers say the tour guides make this experience especially fun.

This full-day tour starts at 9 a.m. in front of the Angelino "ai Fori" dal 1947 restaurant and concludes in St. Peter's Square. It's typically offered Monday through Saturday. While babies and toddlers up to age 2 are permitted free of charge, this tour is not recommended for children.

Through Eternity Tours offers a number of other guided experiences in Rome, including an Angels and Demons tour based on the bestselling book. The company also offers shore excursions and day trips to Tivoli, Florence and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Vatican is a sovereign city-state recognized under international law. Its government includes the pope and the departments of the Roman Curia that help him exercise his responsibilities.

In short, yes. Vatican City is considered an independent nation-state and is the world's smallest such entity.

Yes, and there are a variety of ticket options you can purchase on the Vatican's website . However, many travelers opt for a guided tour to see the highlights with the help of an expert. Plus, many Vatican tours include stops at other attractions in Rome.

All visitors must dress appropriately for a place of worship. Shorts, hats, miniskirts, sleeveless tops, low-cut tops and garments that show the knees are not permitted. Guests dressed inappropriately will not be allowed inside.

When choosing your outfit, remember to wear comfortable walking shoes . Any visit to Vatican City requires a lot of walking.

All visitors are required to go through a security check to enter the museums, and there are a variety of items that you may not take inside:

• Luggage: Bags, backpacks and the like must not exceed 40 x 35 x 15 centimeters (16 x 14 x 6 inches); if they're too big, they must be checked in the cloak room (free of charge).
• Umbrellas: If necessary, these can also be checked in the cloak room.
• Video cameras: Non-flash photography is permitted in all areas except the Sistine Chapel.
• Food and drink
• Weapons and firearms

The Vatican is easily accessible from different sections of Rome.

Metro: You can take the metro to either the Cipro or Ottaviano stop on Line A (orange line) to be dropped near the Vatican Museums.

Bus: If taking the bus, multiple routes drop off near St. Peter's Basilica.

Taxi: You can also opt for a taxi or walk into St. Peter's Square.

Additionally, there are parking garages outside of Vatican City if you want to drive there, though driving in Rome is generally not recommended, as there are many areas where driving is restricted and you could be fined. Traffic in Rome can also be brutal, especially during the summer. Plan to arrive at the tour departure point at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time.

The Vatican museums are open Monday through Saturday.

From March 2024 onward, hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The museums are closed on Sundays, with the exception of the last Sunday of the month and certain holy days throughout the year, including Christmas. Final entry to the museum is approximately two hours before closing.

St. Peter's Basilica opens at 7 a.m. year-round, closing at 6:30 p.m. in the winter months and 7 p.m. from April through September.

Be sure to check if there are any museum closures ahead of your visit.

You might also be interested in:

• The Best Hotels in Rome
• The Best Places to Visit in Italy
• The Best Italy Tours and Small Group Trips

Tags: Tours , Travel , Vacations , Vatican , Europe Vacations

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The Tour Guy   Reviews

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Reviews 4.3.

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Tour was Secrets of the Louvre Museum…

Tour was Secrets of the Louvre Museum with Mona Lisa. Booked tickets on line months in advance and it was a fabulous experience! I unfortunately don’t remember the name of our tour guide, but he was so informative, upbeat, funny and kept us engaged.

Date of experience : September 17, 2023

Our Tower of London tour was amazing

Our Tower of London tour was amazing! Our guide, Jane, was so knowledgeable, funny, & friendly. She was easy to locate at the meeting point made it a great experience for everyone, and we would absolutely use The Tour Guy again!

Date of experience : May 05, 2024

They do NOT HONOR their own cancellation policy

We booked a trip for 4 for their Colosseum Tour. After previously losing tour money due to covid in 2020, we were careful to read the cancellation policy. It clearly stated full cash refund if cancelled 24 hours before start of tour. Had to cancel one month before - and was told no refund as it was within 35 days of the tour! When I sent them a screenshot of their own website and its policy, their response was "a misunderstanding... we try to always ensure clarity and it seems we've fallen short" - but no compensation whatsoever! Over $300 USD! We never would have booked with them if we'd known. Not a reputable company.

Date of experience : April 03, 2024

Absolutely amazing

Raffa our personal tour guide in Rome was amazing. She took us to all the highlights we wanted to see, skipped the lines at all crucial sites, and explained in detail each venue. She planned and coordinated the time throughout the day and never felt rushed. Eduardo our driver as personable and always on time to pick us up and drop us off at every stoop Highly recommend The Tour Guy!!!

Date of experience : April 22, 2024

Amazing informative tour

Thank you to our guide Melissa for sharing her knowledge and passion for the history of all things relating to Rome, the Vatican and Italian art and architecture with us. Highly recommend this tour.

Date of experience : April 27, 2024

Awesome tour and overall experience

Awesome tour and overall experience! We toured the Forum and Colosseum with our tour guide Laura. She was exceptionally engaging, kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. She went out of her way to make sure everyone me enjoyed the tour, helping with basic things like bathrooms and getting quickly through a couple lines. She really showed her interest in all the sights we saw, sharing both her knowledge and passion. Highly recommend!

Date of experience : February 21, 2024

Let tour guy buy real tickets and fast track you into the attractions.

Tour guy organization is very well organized from easy to use website, efficient time management on all day tours, and very knowledgeable guides. It was worth having the tour guy handling the ticket arrangements for the main attractions and getting skip the line privileges. We had a short time in Rome, Venice, Florence and we saw all the major attractions where you get a history lesson and you don’t get lost.

Date of experience : March 28, 2024

Not a value for money tour

Seeing the inside of Doge's Palace and St Mark's and gondola ride was rewarding and worth five stars. Our full day tour did not visit the Rialto markets or hidden local alleys. At times it seemed that our guide was new. If it was her first day on the job she did well. Too much time standing outside in the sun rather than inside the above two places. And at both sections of the tour (before and after lunch) our group guide turned up literally one minute before starting time, so obviously considerable time then wasted getting earphones pieces and getting organised. Would we recommend this tour to friends: no.

Date of experience : April 30, 2024

Missed half the tour at the colosseum…

Missed half the tour at the colosseum because the meeting point is confusing. Called and no one answered. Another couple we found were in the same position. All savvy travellers who showed up early and still couldn’t find the location. Company wouldn’t book us on the next tour. Do not recommend this company. Use Get your guide instead. The app has a map and all your company contact info embedded in your app and ticket.

Date of experience : August 31, 2023

The Vatican with Tour Guy - amazing!

The private, early morning tour of the Vatican was beyond words. Our guide was a Vatican scholar- so much in-depth knowledgeable, fun, easy to understand, always ready to stop and discuss certain spots - just awesome! The Vatican is overwhelming visually and historically but our Tour Guy guide touched lightly on so much, you really begin to appreciate the depth of the place. Use Tour Guy - you can't go wrong!

Date of experience : October 01, 2023

Rome Day tour …

The guide was knowledgeable and friendly. She's an archeologist who provided extra insight about the sites we visited.She also provided tips on where to eat and made recommendations for other places to visit during our stay in Rome. We also had a lovely group of people on our tour which was a bonus.

Date of experience : April 10, 2024

It was a great tour

It was a great tour! Our guide was awsome and flexible for some members of our group who were having a little difficulty with walking He slowed down his pace for them and still added interesting things to show us as we walked to our next destination.

Date of experience : May 01, 2024

The Tour Guy made our 40th Anniversary Special!

My wife and I traveled to Rome, Italy in late November, 2023 for our 40th Wedding Anniversary. The Tour Guy was invaluable to the enjoyment and deeper historical understanding of the sites we toured in Rome. Wow! Terrific and knowledgeable, English-speaking guides go the extra mile to make these tours great and enjoyable. We cannot recommend The Tour Guy highly enough. Take a tour with them. You'll be very glad that you did. We were too!

Date of experience : November 28, 2023

100% I would book again and again and again!

100% I would book again! In all cases the host guides were amazing, making everyone not only feel comfortable but able to relax and enjoy the experience. We took 4 "Tour Guy" Tours in Italy including Florence Uffizi, Florence David Statue, Rome in a Day, and Rome Foodie Tour. - Don't miss the Rome Foodie tour! All the others are well know , this one is just as awesome.

Date of experience : October 19, 2023

Unmatched knowledge and enthusiasm

The in-depth knowledge and energy of our tour guide was incredible. Her love of The Vatican kept my energy and excitement for what we were seeing up, even in hour-5, where my back and legs were questioning my life decisions! Lol. Have recommended your company to everyone traveling Europe!

Date of experience : October 17, 2023

Rome crypts and catacombs tour

Your hosts were very knowledgeable and made everyone welcome. It was great to have small groups, however at the catacombs the group was too large the guide was provided by the catacomb's location not but the tour guy. Saying this the guide was well informed and tried to ensure everyone got the chance to see things. The tours in other languages was much smaller.

Date of experience : April 28, 2024

It is all in the details

All 3 of our tours were changed to a different day or time. 1 tour was late starting because the guide was misinformed of the details. And at the Vatican, we were left outside in the rain for 30 minutes waiting for the guide for the second half of our tour rather than being given extra time inside St. Peter's Basilica. Our experience on the tours was good and the guides were excellent but the confusion with the details is stressful when you are traveling.

Date of experience : May 09, 2023

Skip-the-Line Acropolis and Delphi Day Tour

Both tours (Skip-the-Line Acropolis Tour and Delphi Day Trip) with Athens Walks Tour Company were excellent. Our guide for the Acropolis tour was engaging and very knowledgeable. Visiting the Acropolis museum was a highlight. Same for our guide for the Delphi Tour. Although the site was very busy we were still able to get a good understanding of the location's meaning and the museum. And we enjoyed the lunch restaurant selected.

Date of experience : April 07, 2024

Rome in a Day

Our tour was great and our guide, Maria, was excellent! This was a perfect way to see many of the can’t miss spots in Rome without having to worry about lines or purchasing tickets for each attraction individually. I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Rome for the first time.

Date of experience : April 17, 2024

We had a private tour of Vatican

We had a private tour of Vatican - just the two of us. Then a private tour of Da Vinci painting. Both were fantastic. Much better than previous tours. Knowledgeable friendly helpful guides. Worth every Euro, but not expensive.

Exclusive After Hours Sistine Chapel Tour with Aperitivo

• Travel with a guide and small group for a more intimate, educational tour
• Avoid the crowds that gather during regular opening hours
• Enjoy an aperitivo in the Pinecone Courtyard
• See Michelangelo's masterpiece—the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
• See itinerary
• Skip-the-line early entrance to the Vatican
• Guided tour the Vatican Museums main Galleries
• An uncrowded visit in the Sistine Chapel
• Aperitivo in the Pinecone Courtyard
• Fun, English-speaking guide
• Maximum group size of 10
• Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
• Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel
• Entry/Admission - Cortile della Pigna
• Guaranteed to skip the lines
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM, Italy Please arrive 10 - 15 minutes early. In the morning, meet your guide between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100).
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
• Please note: large bags, backpacks, luggage, and tripods cannot be brought into the Vatican Museums. There is a coat-check at the museum entrance; however, the end point of the tour is far from the museum entrance and it will take about 20 minutes to walk back to pick up your belongings. Leaving large items at your hotel is highly recommended
• Please note: in the event there are unexpected closings or an area usually covered on the tour is unavailable, your guide will still provide explanations of that area from the outside. You will also be shown an extra site or gallery to compensate the closed area
• Most travelers can participate
• Guests arriving after departure cannot be accommodated, & missed tours or tickets cannot be refunded.
• We will be subject to a security check at the entrance to all sites. Depending on the volume of visitors, we may have a short wait in the security line.
• Everyone is required to carry a copy of the identification page of their passports on all tours.
• Please contact The Tour Guy to book a wheelchair accessible tour
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• You'll start at Viale Vaticano, 100 Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192 Roma RM, Italy Please arrive 10 - 15 minutes early. In the morning, meet your guide between Hotel Alimandi and Caffé Vaticano at the top of the big staircase (Viale Vaticano, 100). See address & details
• 1 Vatican Museums Stop: 2 hours - Admission included See details
• 2 Sistine Chapel Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included See details
• 3 Cortile della Pigna Stop: 60 minutes - Admission included See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• katiarM6534EM 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Must do if it's your first time and short on days in Rome When in "Rome" and only have a few days this is the way to go. Our tour guide was Chiara we called her "Fabi" she was wonderful and very knowledgeable. This tour is GO! GO! with not much time for any shopping or barely lunch, but the way to do it if your short on days. Pay close attention to guides instructions it is easy to get distracted and loose her and in a lot of places once you exit you cannot return. I wish there would have been some time for shopping especially in the Vatican area. Wear comfortable clothes, shoes, and take a water bottle you can refill along the way. Read more Written May 5, 2024
• N4776DSamandal 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Magical Monica was amazing! She covered everything smoothly, allowed the time to sail by without feeling rushed or feeling too slow. Highly recommend this tour. You cover so many iconic pieces of Rome in a day. It was magical ✨ Read more Written May 5, 2024
• 698kristyy 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Monica ~ the best local guide! Our tour guide Monica was kind, friendly and educated about every location we visited. We enjoyed our tour immensely!! Read more Written May 5, 2024
• 406deba 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles BEWARE - not true to their word! BEWARE! The website CLEARLY states that you can cancel for full cash refund 24 hours before the start of your tour. NOT SO! We tried to cancel a full month before the tour and were told no refund within 35 days of the tour. When we complained they wrote: "our aim is to always ensure clarity and it seems we've fallen short" and yet no refund or compensation of any kind. This is clearcut and obvious deception and makes you question their integrity overall. Read more Written May 4, 2024
• Rick B 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great experience! Maria is the best! Maria was the best! You cannot ask a question for which she has no answer. Friendly and fun with perfect English and an easy way about her. She took us through each site smoothly and efficiently while imparting her knowledge of the site and its significance. I watched her interact with other guides and noticed the respect they gave her and the friendly way in which staff and security at each site interacted with her. That speaks volumes. I will never tour Rome without Maria to guide me! Read more Written May 4, 2024
• richardwJ2058XG 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Rome in a Day tour with Maria was a great way to see so much in a short period of time. It was well worth it. We REALLY enjoyed our experience in Rome, and learned so much about the history and culture. Maria was a wonderful guide and provided information about each area we visited in a delightful manner. She made the tour very special and she clearly loves her job and her guests, who were treated like family. Read more Written May 3, 2024
• stephiea28 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Small groups and very educational It was a fun day and very educational. Raffa, our guide, was very knowledgeable. Although this tour included skip the lines at the Vatican and the Colosseum, there were still lines that we had to wait in, which did move fairly quickly. I would definitely use The Roman Guy again Read more Written May 3, 2024
• David R 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent guide and subjects. Our guide, Davide, was excellent and told us about many Roman historical facts, not just the crypts and catacombs. Crypts and catacombs were very interesting. Read more Written May 1, 2024
• heatherbR7286OL 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Loved it This was a wonderful experience! Gaby is a fantastic guide — knowledgeable, funny, kind, and organized. Everything about the day was seamless and easy. It was about seven miles of walking, so be prepared for that. Thank you, Gaby, for a great day! Read more Written May 1, 2024
• mattu312 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Enza was great! We had Enza Broccoli as our guide and she was GREAT! Very knowledge and was able to answer all our questions. We had our daughter with us and she was very accommodating, making sure we had shade on a hot day. 100000% recommend her and the tour as a whole. Read more Written April 30, 2024
• ChrisU1990 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Enza Broccoli is the greatest guide Enza Broccoli was our guide. She was outstanding. I would request her again. 11/10 stars. She was the best and I highly suggest the tour. Read more Written April 30, 2024
• kathrynwO6969TL 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Quick trip to rome Highly recommend this tour for those that have a short time in Rome and want to see all the major historical landmarks. Gabby was great! Read more Written April 29, 2024
• F6777IPelizabethr 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A Day in Rome This tour was amazing! The tour guide Enza made the experience fun and educational. From the Vatican to the Coliseum and everything in between. A great way to spend a day in Rome and learn. Read more Written April 29, 2024
• karendG343LR 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles Run, don’t walk for 7 hours. The tour guide acted like she was running a marathon rather than letting everyone sight see. Rome is amazing, but there was no luxury transportation, and be prepared to WALK for seven hours. Also, they say you get ahead of the crowd to see these sites, but there were hundreds of people ahead of us who were also in tour groups, supposedly ahead of the lines. Not what we expected from the glorious write up for this tour. Read more Written April 28, 2024
• 826melindaw 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles Must Do You obviously can't do Rome in a day...but if that's all the time you have, this tour is a must. You'll not have time to linger at each stop but it's worth it. Four stars only because I wished the tour went a little longer so we weren't in quite a rush. Read more Written April 28, 2024

More to explore in Rome

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Exclusive After Hours Sistine Chapel Tour with Aperitivo provided by The Roman Guy

How to See the Vatican without Battling Other Tourists

It was 7:30 on a chilly winter morning in Rome and we were speed walking to the Vatican Museum entrance. Running slightly late, as always, but we had to stop for quick cappuccinos and croissants. We needed our energy for the next three and a half hours for a complete immersion in the amazing art and history housed in the Vatican Museums.

One of our favorite experiences during our Rome trip was a Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with the Roman Guy . The tour begins at the entrance of the Vatican Museums a full hour before the Vatican opens. Privileged Entrance means that we can enter before the other tours get in! The Vatican sees almost 30,000 visitors daily on average, maybe 20,000 in the winter. Every minute in the hour before everyone else counts!

Our guide, Monica Carosi, wowed us with fun facts about Michelangelo even while we were in line for tickets. She continued to wow us during the tour by bringing us to each and every spot before the crowds hit. Her instincts were uncanny, probably borne out of her two decades of experience.

Monica introduced us to Gianni Crea, the head key-keeper of the Vatican Museums , responsible for opening the doors of the museums. Do you know how many keys he uses every single day? 2797! We also got to see and hold the keys to the Vatican! This was probably my favorite moment of the tour, an experience I would have never had without Monica and the Roman Guy.

We then made our way to the Fontana della Pigna, basically a large pine-cone from the 1st century BC in the middle of a courtyard. I probably don’t need to mention that we were the only group there so we could photograph it and admire it to our hearts content! The modern globe across the courtyard which reflects St Peter’s Dome is a striking juxtaposition of ancient and modern.

After feasting our eyes on the pinecone, we walked from one beautiful room to the other, looking at the Vatican’s collection of statues, paintings, beautiful tapestries and ancient scrolls.

When you are at the Vatican, don’t forget to look up! Often, the most wonderful and intricate paintings are on the ceiling!

We learned that marble statues with extra art painted on them like the spots on this leopard are rare.

We also learned that there is only one statue which actually has eyes. They reused the the glass from the eyes of other statues to make the windows at the Vatican! ‘Reuse’ seemed to be the motto of the Romans, who also took marble from the Colosseum for the Vatican, a door from the Pantheon and scores of other materials from historical places.

Another interesting fun fact was that the ‘modesty fig leaves’ were added quite recently, so as not to offend the visiting Yasser Arafat thirty years ago!

As a travel blogger, I loved the room with the maps the best! Especially this map of the Italy of the past!

The corridor with hanging tapestries was amazing too, especially the particular tapestry of Jesus whose eyes follow you as you walk along. Monica explained that this magic has to do with the shifting perspectives due to the woven silk, wool, silver and gold. It catches the light from all angles!

The Raphael Rooms are also fun. On the walls are frescos by Raphael where he painted a scene with the faces of his buddies. The picture here shows his depiction of Michelangelo, who he seems to have looked up to as a mentor rather than a rival.

Monica also showed us a Jewish star on the tiled flooring. At the time, Jews and Christians lived in harmony in Rome.

The Sistine Chapel left me speechless. Even now, it’s hard for me to find the words to write about it. Complete silence is mandated in the Sistine Chapel. This is an amazing rule! It leaves you free to admire Michelangelo’s art in peace, even though there are thousands of other people there in reality. There are benches lining the sides. I recommend you sit there and just breathe for a few minutes. It’s the perfect meditation!

While you stare at the ceiling, which is Michelangelo’s masterpiece, think of this fun fact. Michaelangelo did not actually paint the underwear covering the private parts. Daniele da Volterra added it in later for modesty. This earned him the nickname of ‘Il Braghettone’ or pants maker!

Please note that you are not allowed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel. Do not disobey the rules, I saw plenty of tourists who tried to sneak in pictures get reprimanded.

The Papal Conclave (election of the new Pope) has been held in the Sistine Chapel since 1870. Monica pointed out to us the door to the Room of Tears. This room earned its name because each new Pope who is led to the room after his election has burst into tears upon entering.

Our tour culminated in St. Peters Basilica. We could enter the Basilica from a private door behind the Sistine Chapel, by-passing the gigantic line outside. Monica showed us the Holy Door which the Pope breaks down and opens every twenty-five years. If you pass through the door, you can be cleansed of all your sins. Unfortunately for us, the Holy Door was not open so we entered through another one. As usual, we got to St. Peter’s statue just before the line started to touch his feet. Notice how his right foot is completely worn down from centuries of pilgrims touching it!

St Peters Basilica is majestic. There are so many beautiful things in this space, that I don’t think I could take them all in even if I spent hours there! However, my favorite was Bernini’s sculpture on the tomb of Pope Alexander VII. The details of the figure of Death with his hourglass and the beautifully folded stone are magnificent!

We regretfully said goodbye to Monica at St Peters. Even her goodbye came with a useful tip that the water from the water fountains all over Rome is completely drinkable! So carry your water bottle around with you and refill to your hearts content.

After the tour, you have the option to climb up St. Peters Basilica, or see other parts of the Vatican. However the 3.5 hours with the Roman Guy were comprehensive enough for us. They say that if you spend 1 minute in front of each art work in the Vatican Museums, it would take you four years to get through it! We were so grateful to have experienced and learned so much in 3.5 hours!

Our eyes, hearts and brains were completely satiated, so we set off to satiate our stomachs! Note that everything immediately around the Vatican is super touristy. According to Monica, some of those restaurants even serve microwaved food! Please save yourself from this disgusting trap, and walk a little further along.

On our way out, we saw the mile long line snaking along the entire courtyard. We felt even more thankful for the Roman Guy’s Privileged Entrance tour after seeing that!

We ate lunch at Pinsa m’ Po recommended by my friend Anja from The Mint Story . It’s a cute little pizza shop on a side street! The bread was probably the most delicious we’ve ever had. They also had fresh chilies to grind on to the pizza, rather than chili flakes. As a connoisseur of red chilies, I can attest that this was the best kick of spice! We shared a coke and reminisced on our favorite parts of the tour.

To summarize, the Privileged Entrance Tour with Sistine Chapel by the Roman Guy is a must-do in Rome because

• You can enter the Vatican one hour before anyone else and hence see most of the rooms crowd free
• The group sizes are small so you get plenty of 1:1 time with your guide
• The guides are amazing, ours was a trained art historian with twenty years of experience leading Vatican Museums tours
• You get to meet people like the key-keeper of the Vatican Museums and hold the keys to the museums!
• The guides share so many interesting tidbits you would otherwise never guess
• You get to skip the giant line to St Peters Basilica by going in through the side entrance right after the Sistine Chapel.

We were guests of the Roman Guy for this tour, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I highly recommend booking the Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel to beat the crowds and get the Vatican rooms to yourself for at least a few minutes!

I’ll post a detailed Rome itinerary soon, but meanwhile check out this guide to the Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia if you want to immerse yourself in more of the history around Rome!

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A guide to the prettiest spring blossoms ….

I’ve been to the Vatican before, but your post is making me think I need to re-visit. Great tips, and those photos — gorgeous! 🙂

Aww thank you!! I really feel so lucky we were able to take this tour – I definitely would not have appreciated the Vatican otherwise!

Great Photographs and write up. Have decided to plan a to visit Rome and Vatican next year! Thanks for the great tips and insights will certainly make sure to take the ” The Roman Guy ‘ Tour.

Yes I highly recommend it!! Best first time visit to the Vatican

We toured the Vatican museums in 2014 and were crushed by the crowds! Going back to Rome this Summer – our hotel terrace has front row view of St Peter’s Square! I will definitely try to book this privileged tour with The Roman Guy. Can never get enough of Rome…

Ah, hope your trip is amazing!! The hotel sounds wonderful, and since you are so close to the Vatican, I’m sure it’ll be easy to get to the Privileged Entrance tour bright and early 🙂 I’m so jealous, wish I had another Rome trip planned!

Vatican City Tours almost always disappoints most of the tourists simply because it remains the most crowded place in the whole of Rome. Therefore, it is essential to prove more into the seasons of Rome in order to avoid too many people.

Yes, that is true. However, we visited in the low season but still the Vatican was totally packed by 8 am. This is why I suggest the early tour which starts before the Vatican even opens to the public!

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Who Is Catherine O'Hara's Husband? All About Bo Welch

Catherine O’Hara has been married to her husband, Bo Welch, since 1992

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Catherine O'Hara has Tim Burton to thank for her thriving marriage.

O'Hara met her husband, production designer Bo Welch, on the set of Burton’s Beetlejuice in 1988. O'Hara thought that Welch was attractive, and Burton helped facilitate their relationship by urging Welch to ask her on a date. He eventually asked O'Hara out, and the rest was history.

O'Hara and Welch got married on April 25, 1992. They welcomed their first son, Matthew, in 1994 and their second son, Luke, in 1997.

A Canada native, O'Hara decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue her relationship with Welch. “I moved to L.A. to be with him,” she told The New Yorker . “Yeah, I moved for love.”

Welch has worked on a number of iconic films including Burton’s 1990 Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp , and the original Men in Black, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith .

So who is Catherine O’Hara’s husband? Here’s everything to know about Bo Welch and his relationship with the Home Alone star.

Welch is an Oscar-nominated production designer

Aliah Anderson/Getty 

Welch is an Oscar- and Emmy-nominated production designer, best known for his work on Edward Scissorhands , Men in Black and A Little Princess . He grew up in Bucks County, Pa., per Below the Line , and had his big break as a production designer in 1985's The Color Purple . His work on the film landed him his first of four Oscar nominations.

Welch made his directorial debut in 2003 with The Cat in the Hat . He also directed five episodes of A Series of Unfortunate Events, the same series that landed him his first Primetime Emmy nomination. He has additionally done production design for Batman Returns , Schmigadoon! and Thor .

“If you have to wake up in the morning to do something, I can’t think of anything better [than production design],” he told Below the Line. “You can do this job for 100 years, and I swear every time you come to this part of production design, picking colors, it’s like you’ve just started this career. It is so difficult.”

They met on the set of Beetlejuice 

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty 

Welch and O'Hara met while she was starring in Beetlejuice as Delia Deetz. Tim Burton hired Welch to work on the production design of the film, which at the time was the second movie he had ever worked on.

“It was just thrilling at that point in my career. Second movie, and this was it. I had never seen anything like it,” Welch told UPROXX . “It didn’t have the pressure of a third episode of a franchise movie. So, all of that was great.”

His memories of working on Beetlejuice are all positive, especially since he met O'Hara during the process.

“My memories of Beetlejuice are very fond, of course,” he added. “Not to mention, I met my wife, who was in it.”

While working on the movie, Burton learned that O'Hara had a crush on Welch. Burton helped the pair get together by arranging a trip to a swap meet with the film's art department, per PEOPLE.

“I was grouching to Tim Burton about how this guy was talking to me all the time and never asking me out,” O'Hara recalled to InStyle in 2018. “We had a break between filming in Los Angeles and on location, and in that time, Tim told Bo that he should ask me out.”

They shot the exteriors of the Beetlejuice house in Vermont, and that was the day that Welch asked O'Hara out, which was admittedly her favorite part of filming the movie.

“Our first day of shooting at the house was the day that Bo finally asked me out, so that’s what I see when I look at the scenes we shot there,” she added. “Matchmaking Tim Burton!”

O'Hara moved to L.A. to be with Welch

Bei/Shutterstock

After meeting Welch on the set of Beetlejuice , O'Hara was smitten. The pair started dating after filming wrapped. O'Hara admitted to The New Yorker in 2019 that she moved to L.A. after Beetlejuice to be with Welch.

“I was in Beetlejuice , and the production designer, Bo Welch, was very attractive, and he finally asked me out,” she said. “We went on location at the end of the movie, and we started dating. I moved to L.A. to be with him. Yeah, I moved for love.”

O'Hara and Welch tied the knot on April 25, 1992.

They share two sons 

Matt Baron/Shutterstock

O'Hara and Welch are parents to two sons together, Matthew and Luke. Two years after they were married, they welcomed Matthew in 1994. Luke was born roughly three years later in 1997. While Matthew and Luke were raised in Canada, they have followed in the footsteps of their parents and have taken on jobs in Hollywood.

During their adolescence, Matthew and Luke were very creative kids.

“Matthew and Luke ... They're very funny, and we encourage it,” O'Hara told the Toronto Star in 2007. “The older one does Warners cartoon bits, really old-fashioned, cheap-ass funny vaudeville stuff. And the little one does word play.”

Matthew and Luke made their way into the entertainment industry, and have worked in set dressing and construction . They additionally worked with O'Hara during her time on Schitt’s Creek .

O'Hara told PEOPLE that she once had her own brief Home Alone moment with her two sons in New York on the subway.

“We were in New York once; I think it was New York. Bo and I got on the subway, we turned around, the doors are closing, and they weren’t on,” she said. “I screamed and people screamed with me. Everybody joined in.”

Luckily, Matthew and Luke made it on the train and weren’t separated from their parents. “It makes me sick to think what could have happened,” O'Hara added.

O'Hara and Welch had a viral moment during the 2021 Golden Globes

Michael Buckner/Golden Globes 2024/Golden Globes 2024/Getty

At the 2021 Golden Globes Awards, O'Hara received the award for best actress in a TV series, musical or comedy for her work in Schitt’s Creek . Because the awards ceremony was held during the height of the pandemic, she gave her acceptance speech virtually with her husband by her side.

As she spoke, Welch played audio of an audience applauding. When she neared the end of her speech, he played music to signal O'Hara to wrap up. “Seriously?” she jokingly said to Welch at the time.

They had an interesting visit to the Vatican as newlyweds

Kayla Oaddams/FilmMagic

After O'Hara and Welch got married, Burton gave them tickets for a private tour of the Vatican .

“It was a very inside kind of deal," O'Hara said on The Kelly Clarkson Show .

During the trip, the priest who was showing them around was scolded.

“Ok, so a priest took us around — he got yelled at at one point,” O'Hara recalled. “I wish I spoke Italian, but he was definitely getting yelled at by another priest because we were in the pope’s closet, like, looking at garments and stuff. It was crazy.”

Everything turned out to be fine for O'Hara and Welch, and they ended their tour in a mini museum where gifts given to the Vatican are held. “And this priest is just letting us open cases, and pretending to put a crown inside Bo’s backpack, taking pictures,” she added.

What to stream this week: Zac Efron, Indigo Girls, 'Dark Matter,' Brooke Shields and Anne Hathaway

This week’s new streaming entertainment releases include a new documentary showing the Indigo Girls’ rise and subsequent marginalization, Joel Edgerton finding himself in an alternate timeline of his character’s life in the limited series “Dark Matter” and a new “Pretty Little Liars” returns Thursday on Max

Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White starring in the family wrestling dynasty in “The Iron Claw” and Brooke Shields playing the unwitting title role in the romantic comedy “Mother of the Bride” on Netflix are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.