Ryan Walsh

Review of Musei Vaticani-Dipertimento di...

First off - don t pay the extra 7 for the audio t...

First off - don t pay the extra 7 for the audio tour. The audio tour wand (pictured) is buggy and shuts down randomly. We used a combination of the wand (very infrequently, when it actually worked) and the Rick Steves (free) walking tour. The walking tour is a much better option. It covers quite a bit (but totally skips over other - so, if you have time, make sure to at least walk through the areas.

We got the earliest possible tickets (9am for the day we went) and while it was crowded, I can imagine it being 10x worse during the summer. One tip we received (and followed!) was - get the earliest ticket and make a bee line for the Sistine Chapel. It gets progressively more crowded throughout the day. Go here immediately and then make your way around the other halls.