We arrived 15 minutes earlier at the meeting point. The place was full of tourists and there were other companies, we had difficulty locating the Rome Tour, which was poorly identified. The people in charge of checkin told us to wait because they were drinking coffee. Meanwhile, we watched other groups depart, several tourists following to the X-ray queue, which grew every minute. After the group is complete, our tour began with a walk outside the official queue, as if we had a separate entrance, which would explain the lack of rush of our guides. Although the guide was very attentive, his kindness did not guarantee us early entry, but rather the return to the end of the queue. After passing through security, and finally entering the Basilica, we managed to sit in the last available chairs. Very far and sideways to the Pope. In fact, as a Catholic, the most important thing was to be there at that moment and receive your blessing. However, I felt disappointed, as I could have taken the ride on my own, got in the queue earlier and maybe attended the Mass from a better place. As for the Museum, they gave us the Tickets and we did it on our own. In short: do it yourself!
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are glad that, despite your disappointment, you were able to attend the Papal Audience and receive the Holy Father's blessing, which is truly the heart of this experience. We would, however, like to clarify a few points for future travelers. . Groups proceed toward St. Peter's Square in a specific order to ensure a smooth and safe flow of thousands of visitors. This is why groups do not all depart at the same moment. The meeting point is clearly indicated on your voucher. If guests arrive well before the scheduled meeting time, we kindly ask them to wait while our staff completes the check-in process for all participants. We would also like to clarify that our staff was not delaying the tour to have coffee. If we remember correctly, it was actually you who asked whether you could have a coffee while we were completing the check-in procedures. Regarding the service itself, your booking included the reservation for the Papal Audience and the assistance of a professional guide, who accompanied the group to St. Peter's. Seating at the Papal Audience are not assigned on no operator can guarantee a specific seat or location. Papal Audience itself began at 10:00 AM. There was therefore no delay to the service. On that day, due to extreme heat warnings issued by the authorities, the Vatican adjusted the organization of the event. Groups entered later than usual, and Pope Leo XIV decided to open St. Peter's Basilica to accommodate attendees. As a result, You were seated inside the Basilica, while many other visitors remained outside in St. Peter's Square. As for the Vatican Museums, you booked the option with an audio guide, not a guided tour. I personally accompanied you to the security and to the audioguide desk,with other clients ,where you collected your audio guides and explained the collection procedure. Therefore, it is not accurate to say that we simply handed you the tickets. We are sorry that the experience did not fully meet your expectations, but we believe it is important that future travelers understand exactly what was included in the service and how the Papal Audience is organized by the Vatican. We wish you all the best and thank you again for visiting Rome. Rosa
