Is a Small or Large Tour Group Better for the Vatican Museums?

You have decided that you want a guided tour of the Vatican museums. This is a good choice and one that many tourists are now deciding to arrange ahead of their vacation. With the museums housing so many fascinating artifacts, it is almost impossible to see everything. A tour provides an organized way to see the highlights that everyone wants to learn more about. Plus, you have the opportunity to hear stories you are not familiar with along the way.

You want to make sure that you choose your Vatican tour carefully. Namely, something you should think about is whether you want to join a small or large tour group. This is a detail that can directly affect your experience. Let’s take a look at the advantages of both of these options.

Small Tour Groups

First of all, let’s think about small tour groups. There are a number of reasons why tourists like to go down this road and choose a small tour group for the Vatican museums. These can also be referred to as private tours. Let’s take a look.

More Personal Experience

Most people agreed that having a small tour group of people creates a more personal experience. They feel like it is intimate and it is a real opportunity to learn about everything contained within the Vatican museums. What’s more, you are able to hear the tour guide since you are going to be gathered in a small group. This is often a complaint in larger groups. You can end up in the back and not able to see or hear.

Opportunity to Ask Questions

You are going to learn a lot when you are getting a tour of the Vatican museums. There are just so many interesting artifacts to see. Of course, private Vatican tours include guide talks where you can be informed about what you are viewing. The good thing about being in a small group is that you get the opportunity to ask questions. This is something that you do not always get when there are a lot of other people. So, you can confirm any queries you have and make the most of your visit.

Can View Artifacts Better

Let’s keep things simple. When you are in a smaller group, it is going to be easier to see everything on your way. Big groups mean a large crowd, which can mean that you cannot see artifacts you are standing around. This can be frustrating and mean that you miss things you want to see. When there is a smaller group, you can all gather around, and your experience is a lot better. Most people like to pay more money because they get the whole experience.

Large Tour Groups

Next, you are going to have larger tour groups. This could be around 10 to 15 people with a guide. While this can seem like a lot of people, there can be some benefits that you might want to consider.

Cheaper Tickets

Note that you normally pay more for the privilege of having fewer people on your tour. This can be referred to as a private tour of the Vatican. Therefore, you can find that large tour groups are going to cost less money. If you are in a situation where you want to access cheaper tickets for your vacation, this is going to be a better option. You will be able to budget better and not have to spend so much money.

No Interaction

There are some people that like to go on tours and focus on learning about the attraction. Namely, they do not want to have to interact with the guide on a personal level. Simply, they are there for an educational tour. This is when you might want to go in a larger tour group. This means that you are not going to be asked questions or feel like you have to talk with the guide. Instead, you can stand back and let other people do that.

For Friend and Family Groups


Say you want to visit the Vatican with your loved ones. There are a lot of you, which includes the kids. Well, your tour group is no longer going to be small. In fact, you might find that all of your friends and family do not fit into one of the smaller tour groups. So, this is when a larger one is going to work better. You can all enjoy yourselves and be on the same tour together.

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