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Plans for the afternoon after seeing the Vatican
I'm confused about how to spend our free time in the afternoon between seeing the Vatican and the after-hours tour in the evening. Should we come back to Rome and plan some other activity or stay in the Vatican area until it is time for the after-hours tour?
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I would stay with the group or at least return to the hotel before the group is scheduled to depart for the museums in case the schedule changes.
Does anyone know if the after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine
Chape on Classic Italy includes the "Raphael Rooms"?
The Vatican it's in Rome, once you're done, you could go to the Via Condotti walk around the Blvd and see the Spanish Steps , you could also go to The Roman Forum if it's not in your itinerary. You could see the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, The Borghese Gallery
etc.. plenty to see.
You can always ask the TD and book something with the hotel concierge.
LWilliams - If you have an interest in Jewish heritage, the Jewish ghetto area is a great place to explore. Your tour director will offer other suggestions. As mil mentioned, just wander around at your leisure and enjoy the city. Many times the unplanned activities can be just as rewarding as the planned ones. Enjoy!
According to my photo record we may have seen or passed through at least two of the four "Raphael's rooms in 2016 while on the Small Groups tour. See my first few photos below.
According to the 2024 itinerary you "should" see (nothing is guaranteed wrt the after-hours visit) see the Maps Gallery, Candelabra Gallery, tapestries and the Sistine Chapel. That is exactly what was listed in our itinerary, but like us, you could also be lucky enough to see one or more of the Raphael Rooms.
Unless duplicated elsewhere, I believe I took this poor photo of the "School of Athens" in the The Stanza della Segnatura room:
I believe this one was taken in the Stanza dell’Incendio del Borgo (used as a dining room by the Pope):
The ceiling in the same room:
Tapestries and Maps Corridor. I don't have any photos of Candelabra- like any museum, that room may have been closed during our visit.
We went on a standard tour in 2015 and went to the same rooms that Alan shows which included at least one of the Raphael rooms (School of Athens). We did not spend a lot of time there but it was explained to us who was in that picture.