Marble Details, The Vatican, August 2014
Breakfast At The Vatican
When you only have 3 days in a city like Rome, time can be more valuable than money. I couldn’t imagine wasting 1/2 of my days in line (in August heat no less) to see the highlights. So of course my first priority in tours was special access. While researching options for touring the Vatican, I came across many companies advertising “early entry” to the Museums. My first thought was “if so many companies have ‘early entry’, how much less crowded than normal can it be?” Turns out I was right: the “jump the line” passes just put you in a shorter line with everyone else who bought a pass.
Then I came across the Breakfast at the Vatican Museums Tour by City Wonders. At first it sounded too good to be true, but City Wonders has negotiated a special partnership with the Vatican that grants their tours both a specific physical entrance and the ability to start the breakfast at 7AM…so you get a jump-start on everybody!
Of course this access does not come for free: The breakfast is $135 (current exchange rates), compared to $75 for the standard City Wonders early access tour. I had to know what made up the $60 difference so contacted City Wonders. I was invited to join a breakfast tour so I could see the difference between the two.
Breakfast at the Vatican Tour
At 6:50 in the morning our group (which is capped at 20) met our guide, Michaela. She was personable, friendly and beyond knowledgeable about the topic of Renaissance intrigue. Her passion for the soap opera rivalry between Michelangelo and Raphael was contagious. I had no idea their paths had crossed at all, let alone in such a dramatic fashion! Art is so “up there” (for lack of a better term) but Michaela brought the intrigue to life.
I let City Wonders when I know I was skeptical that any breakfast food was worth $60…and I was right. Not that the breakfast isn’t lovely- it is. The buffet matches that of a 4 star hotel. But no buffet breakfast is worth $60…until you factor in the setting. The Breakfast at the Vatican tour is not about the food:
It’s about this.
I was able to enjoy my breakfast with the above view and take a leisurely stroll around the Pinecone courtyard before the tour even began. And Michaela was able to talk while we strolled the courtyard so we were already prepared for what we were going to see.
The 15 minute jump start makes all the difference
I will say that the other groups caught up quickly once the doors opened as the City Wonders jump-start into the buildings is only 15 minutes. Soon enough flags started popping into view and groups started snaking through at warp speed to reach the Sistine Chapel. Because we had time to prepare, we felt no need to rush and were able to enjoy all the wonder in between.
Like this treasure in the Tapestry room…which most raced by.
Once you get to the Sistine Chapel, crowds bother you a lot less than you think they will because you are looking up. Tours get a solid 20 minutes in there, which I felt was definitely enough time. Again I was so grateful for Michaela’s time at the beginning of the tour as it helped me pick out details I would have never found otherwise…such as the fact that Michelangelo was basically teaching himself how to paint and felt he painted the first scene (which is the last scene chronologically-The Drunkenness of Noah) too small to be seen well from the floor. Tip: I was so grateful to have packed a cheap pair of binoculars!
Only once I exited the Sistine Chapel and we were on our way to the St. Peter’s Cathedral did the full value of the City Wonders tour sink in:
Top: My tour group
Bottom: Two hours later
Worth. Every. Penny.
Did you get comped on the breakfast tour? It sounds that way (…”asked to join a breakfast tour”), and it sounds like it was pretty wonderful. I get that time was at a premium, but I wonder if you would have paid $135 times the number of people in your family or party if you’d be paying the credit card bill at the end of the month. Much as I’d love to have the extra time to soak it all in, if I did this for my family, I’d have lopped $675 off our budget for the trip… which, the way we travel, might have meant two less days in Europe!
Carl, thanks for your comment. I did get a comp on this specific tour, and will clarify it further.
Here’s my thought about bringing kids on this tour: only if they have a strong interest. I saw a couple on whom it was a waste. But, to be fair, I feel that way about most museums and kids.
In the review I really wanted to break down what the extra $60 between the tour and the breakfast got you. I was willing to pay for the tour, but not the breakfast.
Where I saw the value, especially in peak season, was an hour of peace on ground very few get to walk, and a way to visit with much more knowledge, and much less stress.
With value (not just cost) in mind, I would pay $135 for Breakfast at the Vatican. Would I take my 11 and 7 year old? 11, maybe. 7, no.
Hope that helps.
Hey DM,
I didn’t mean to sound like I was attacking you; I wasn’t. My kids are bigger (some people would call them adults…) and they love to soak up the history of the places we visit. We did the Vatican with a tourbook and a ton of notes, and were pretty well satisfied with the experience and what we took away from it. Maybe it helps that it was December, so we did avoid the August crowds. Don’t get me wrong; the tour sound like it was awesome. But as long as I thought some legwork and a bit of patience could give us a great experience, I’d probably still opt to go it alone and on the cheap.
Didn’t take it that way at all! It’s a fair question.
I think it’s also a travel style thing, too. I scrimp on a lot, but tours-especially unique ones-are my splurge.
Will only have 3 days in Rome so this is definitely some great info. I think it would be well worth it.
Glad to hear. The tour operates seasonally as Breakfast is outside and it looks like 2015 dates go up soon.
I did several tours with City Wonders and thought they were great! I’m definitely doing this one next time. Thanks 🙂
They definitely impressed me, too!
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