Saturday, March 24, 2012

Tips for a visit to the Vatican

Vatican City is the smallest and richest country in the world and a tour of the museums and the St Peter's is definitely a highlight of any visit to Italy. As is the case with any place in Europe, there are way too many tourists visiting in the summer, but the crowds can be maddening even in the so-called off season.

The best way to avoid queues is to book an official tour through the website of the Vatican. A very professional tour guide will go to great pains to explain the smallest of details in a tour that covers the palaces painted by Rafael and of course, Sistine Chapel, whose ceilings were painted by Michaelangelo.
The three-hour walking tour gives you a taste of everything at the Vatican.

On the way to the Vatican from the metro station, there is an army of guides ready to "help" visitors and they come from all over the world. They are probably well-meaning but once you have a tour booked, you can just politely turn them down. I was honestly suprised with the number of Americans on the way offering their services.

And finally, try not to take a backpack to the Vatican Museums tour. Security won't allow it and you'll have to deposit the bags with them and then come back from the St Peter's just to get the bag back.

No comments:

Post a Comment