Travel Tips
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After reading our article on why and how to visit the Vatican with your children, it is now time to choose the best tours available for your family.
Choosing the right Vatican tour for your family is not easy. You have to make sure the guide is specialized in engaging kids. Here is some tips and a short selection of tours to help you make your choice.
What day and at what time should you visit the Vatican?
Being one of the most crowded indoor attractions in Rome you should plan your visit off the peak hours and days. Avoid going on weekends, Saturday Sundays and Mondays.
The papal audience of Wednesday attracts also plenty of people. It is a good opportunity for your family to participate and see the Pope (by reserveing free tickets in advance) but not to visit the museums. The best days to choose are Tuesdays and Thursdays.
A late afternoon visit is also preferred avoiding the morning chaos of cruise groups and the majority of tourists.
In the hot summer days better to start the tour early morning and late afternoon avoiding the exhausting peak hours between 12 and 3 pm. There is air conditioning but not sufficiently in all the hundreds of rooms so it might get hot in the summer.
In the winter it is preferable to start the tours instead between 10 am and 2 pm to enjoy the warmth of the sun and avoid the cold hours.
How long should the tour be?
Children usually cannot keep attention for more than 2,5 hour. This, except special cases of very interested kids, avoid longer tours
However, after visiting the museums and the church you might want to climb the Dome of Saint Peter Basilica (also in the Vatican). It is a memorable experience to see close one of Michelangelo's masterpieces and reach the top to enjoy a spectacular panorama of the city.
IMPORTANT: there is an access from the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica of Saint Peter that allows you to save time and energy, but you can take it only if accompanied by a licensed guide. If you are not, you have to go back to the entrance of the museums and walk for 15-20 min around to walls to the other entrance of the Basilica of Saint Peter where you will have to stand in line! Very annoying and can ruin your visit. Booking a guided tour might mot save you money, but time and stress for sure.
The best tours of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel for kids according to moms' feedback:
The most popular is the Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour for Kids, offered by many companies. We recommend the following that from our experience and from the comments of our moms community stand out:
Private Tour (only for your family) with an exclusive ki-friendly guide
Skip the Line Private Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour for Kids and Families: https://www.tripadvisor.it/AttractionProductReview-g187791-d11989256-Skip_the_Line_Private_Vatican_and_Sistine_Chapel_Tour_for_Kids_and_Families-Rome_L.html /a> run by Raphael Tours
Combine the Vatican visit with something else after lunch break
Around the Vatican city there are some interesting attractions and areas you might want to visit before and after your Vatican tour. For instance, only few minutes away you can visit Castle Sant'Angelo, a huge fortress that used to be the tomb of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and the Popes' residence. You can climb the top to enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Rome.
Another option is to explore Trionfale Farmers Market, also very close to the entrance of the Vatican Museums. There you can find delicious local food at reasonable price.
If your family is more keen on shopping, Ottaviano and Cola di Rienzo streets are also nearby and offer some of the best stores in Rome.
