Are skip-the-line tours of the Vatican legitimate?
If there’s anything worse than waiting in a long line, it’s waiting in long lines when you’re on vacation. Your vacation time is limited, so why spend hours waiting in line and wasting precious time that could be spent exploring other attractions?
If you plan on visiting Rome, you may already be aware of the long lines to expect when visiting popular sites such as the Vatican and the Colosseum, especially if your vacation is planned during the summer holiday season.
Don’t feel like waiting in line? Many companies offer private guided tours that allow you to skip the lines at these popular historic tourist sites, but are skip-the-line tours of the Vatican legitimate? In this quick guide, we’re going to go over everything you need to know about a skip-the-line tour: what it is, what it includes, and if it’s really a legitimate option for your vacation sightseeing. Let’s take a look!
Are skip-the-line tours of the Vatican legitimate?
Yes! Many companies now offer paid skip the line tours, which allow you direct access to the Vatican after a quick security check. Alongside sparing you a long wait, a private Vatican tour also provides you with an enhanced tour experience, as you’ll be assigned your own personal tour guide who will guide you through the Vatican and answer any of your pressing questions.
Benefits of a skip the line tour
While you are free to explore the Vatican alone, here are just some of the benefits of opting for a skip the line tour instead:
Questions, questions, questions
If you love exploring historic sites but hate asking questions when you’re in a large group, a skip the tour line is ideal for you. As you’ll have your own tour guide, you won’t need to worry about holding up the group by asking endless questions or discussing your own historical knowledge with the guide. All skip the line tour guides are experts in Vatican history past and present, and will be able to provide interesting facts, anecdotes and stories as you pass through the historical site together.
Explore at your own pace
There’s nothing worse than feeling rushed through a historic site as part of a large group. Big tours tend to move quickly through the Vatican, as large groups of people take up too much space, and can result in a crowded experience for both group members and other tourists. This isn’t great if you want to explore the site at your own pace, and spend as much time as you want poring over artefacts or reading historical inscriptions. With a skip the line tour, the guide will be happy to spend more time exploring the areas of the Vatican that interest you the most, rather than giving you a brief overview of everything.
Don’t forget that the Vatican museum has nearly 9 full miles of corridors to explore, and finding what interests you the most can be a time-consuming process – especially if you’ve already spent hours on your feet waiting to gain entry. With a tour guide, you’ll be able to go directly to the area of the Vatican that interests you the most, whether it be the Renaissance period or Raphael’s rooms.
You really do get to skip the line
You really do get to skip the line‘Skip the line’ tours are aptly named: it’s not just a marketing tool, you really do get to skip the line when you book one! If you’ve never visited a historic site in Rome, you may not be aware of just how busy they can get, especially during peak tourist seasons. On any given day, you could expect to wait at least 1 hour to gain entry to the Vatican, while a visit during the busy summer months could mean a waiting time of even 2-3 hours.
With skip the line tours Vatican, you’ll be able to jump the line with your group and obtain priority access to the site, saving you from a long, uncomfortable wait in the line outside. Knowing that you have your slot booked means that you’ll be able to efficiently plan the rest of your Rome sightseeing schedule, and optimise your vacation time accordingly. And of course, half of your day won’t be wasted waiting in a crowded tourist line. Win-win!
Book a skip the line tour of the Vatican
So, how do you book a skip the line tour of the Vatican and ensure that you’re able to get a time slot that works for you? It’s simple – book in advance. Skip the line tours are incredibly popular, and many visitors will book their tours months in advance to ensure availability. If you want to explore the Vatican at your own pace and avoid the lengthy waiting times, it’s a good idea to book your tour at the same time you book your hotel.
