St. Peter's Basilica and Papal Tombs Guided Tour

The tour was comprehensive and covered the essentials. The guide had considered how best to explain the Sistine Chapel before the tour of the Vatican Museum which helped. The description of interaction between Michaelangelo and Raphael was interesting, but it would have been helpful to have had an introduction to the Raphael paintings in the same way as she introduced the Sistine Chapel. Explaining the Raphael paintings in the room was difficult because there was a continuous stream of groups and there are occasions when the transmission of the guide broke up due to radio interference. It is a tour that overwhelms the senses and generates much for one to reflect on.

This time - we had problems in the past with Headout meeting places and no one to help - we made it to the spot in time. As the tickets told the exact address and had a location that came up and showed the exact spot. Some tours did not. The spot was well marked. As for the museum tour. The tour guide took us into the Vatican museum and passed us off to the English language tour guide. She was beyond excellent. There was a 20 minute introduction about the generalities of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel and cleaning. Of we went on the tour. This was part was over and hour through many glalries of paintings and sculptures. Our guide was well versed in everyting Vatican. At the end we sat on the benches in the Sistine Chapel for 10 minutes trying to absorb the beauty of it. Well worth the time and $. We also came back and went on the companion St. Peter's Basicila tour later that morning. The church has the most impressive art collection I have ever seen. The Romans were great builders the church was excellent for impressive displays of art in paniting and stone statues. All well worth it.