If you have never been to the Vatican museums, they are big, massive in fact. Our huge array of Vatican tours will surely provide an experience that will perfectly suit you and your family.
If you’re travelling with children and previously thought that the Vatican wouldn’t be suitable, think again. The only thing you need to worry about when packing your bags for a trip to the Vatican is to just plan your time. Know what to expect so your kids won’t be left wandering for hours, tired, grumpy and wanting their bed. Simply read below for the best tips on how to ensure your children become engaged with the beautiful art and sculpture on display here.
Importance of choosing the right tour
You will be the best point of call when deciding what is best for your family or not. However, we do offer a wide variety of tours, ranging from as short as one quick hour to a 10-hour full day journey.
Since you are travelling with your family, we advise you to get an early start. You may be thinking, why put myself through the extra hassle of waking up early? This will pay off in dividends for you and your family as the crowds are much smaller, making everything a lot faster and the temperatures are a lot cooler.
Having said this, I wouldn’t deter you from considering one of our evening tours as well. This is because many of our tours come with escorted immediate entry. We call this “faster than skip the line”.
A longer tour of up to 10 hours could be something that older children may enjoy more than you’d expect. If you think your older children may be interested in seeing the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel and the Pope’s Summer Palace all in one day, look no further than our Complete Papal Experience tour. Remember, there are restaurants and cafes within the Vatican grounds so you wont go hungry during your day of exploration.
Tours designed with children in mind
Although most Vatican tours could be suitable for children, there is also the option to choose a tour that’s been designed specifically with children in mind.
Our Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour for Kids & Families is two hours long and is designed specifically for families with children between 7 and 12 years of age.
Our expert guide will take you and your children on an elaborate tour, filled with storytelling and many additional interactive elements. Your children will be enlightened by the history of the Papacy and some of the most elaborate works of art within the Vatican.
This particular tour also includes a visit to two museums that you may not expect; the Egyptian Museum and the Carriage Museum where the years of Papal carriages are on display.
Experience it all in one day
Maybe you only have a couple of days in the eternal city, or maybe you are using up every ounce of your time wisely. Whatever it may be, we want to help you cram every bit of fun and exploration into your trip that you can.
Our favorite way to do this is taking a combined tour. These tours are full of variety and ever changing, a sure-fire way to hold the attention of younger children and keep them more engaged.
Our Complete Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & Colosseum Tour is nine hours long, introducing two of Rome’s most iconic sites to fresh young minds. You will spend the nine hours under guided supervision as well as a healthy amount of your own free time and exploration. This tour also promises a skip the line access guarantee, so you don’t need to worry about spending 8 of 9 hours queueing up, we’ve taken care of that for you.
Here are a few things to tell your children, getting them riled up and excited about the tour to come. Explain that you will be spending the day where leaders of a world religion reside. That you will see art created by the world’s most renowned artistic minds and that you will be visiting the areas where warriors once fought for sport. This is a sure-fire way to get them buzzed about the trip to come.
Bring the art to life through stories and games
There’s no doubt that a trip to the Vatican can occasionally feel like a school lesson to the younger ones. However, this is an amazing opportunity to learn if done right.
The artwork found in the Vatican is mesmerizing. Make sure you book a tour that understands the best way to reach kids is with stories. Our guides bring many of the pieces here to life, sharing the history behind them and delving into the real-world applications of the work as well as the stories behind the concept and lives of the creators.
Have your children play a game such as “I Spy”, something that will keep the kids visually interested. This will have the kids focus on what they are looking at so they will retain some of the information but also putting it in a relaxed, easy going manner.
Importance of Introducing kids to the Vatican
Visiting the Vatican with children is a great way to form memories that you can have and cherish forever. This makes it so important to take the time to choose the best suited tour for you and your family. You never know, exposing children to this caliber of art, class and beauty at such a young age could spark an artist in them and have them wanting more.
