explore the Vatican without the crowds

Imagine the Vatican without any crowds... The headline says it all. A vivid memory of my last visit to the Vatican — the ever-present crowds. Though we were part of a tour (one way to avoid the L-O-N-G ticket lines), the crowd of visitors took away so much from the visit. The Sistine Chapel, the highlight of our visit, was packed wall-to-wall with people. The corridors were jammed. The experience was one of claustrophobia, not inspiration.

There's a better way! Be part of an exclusive group that enters the Vatican at daybreak. With no more than 20 guests in your group, you and your guide will follow the clavigero (key keeper) as he opens the doors to the Vatican Museums and its galleries. You'll see the Gallery of Maps and Raphael's Room as the lights are turned on for the day. You'll have the Sistine Chapel to yourself. And your group will enjoy breakfast in the Pinecone Courtyard.

The cost — from $527.97 per person

SPECIAL VALUE — book by Oct. 14, travel between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15, 2018

save 30% - price lowered to $362.45 per person

The experience — priceless.

Use this link to book a Vatican tour you'll always remember ...

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website

exclusive access to Europe's attractions

"Chateau Versailles Galerie des Glaces" by Photo: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles looks just like the picture above (if you could visit without the crowds). Having time alone in the chateau would hint at the elegant lifestyle of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. Space and sunlight, gleaming mirrors and soaring ceilings, and tall windows looking out over manicured gardens all speak to the unparalleled luxury enjoyed by the 18th century French aristocracy.

But this isn't how most tourists experience Versailles. For a sense of the more typical visitor experience, click here. How different when you're in a hallway crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists casually dressed in shorts, t-shirts, and sneakers with cameras around their necks. Not the travel experience that many luxury clients desire.

What's the alternative to the thundering herds? If you're looking for an experience you'll always cherish (granting you bragging rights for the rest of your life), we can arrange exclusive access to many Europe's most popular tourist attractions such as Versailles, the Sistine Chapel, the Louvre, and Buckingham Palace. Our Virtuoso tour companies and on-sites can provide the treasured memories you're looking for. Just drop us an email if you'd like to explore the possibilities.

copyright (c) 2015 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.