Visiting the Vatican - Our guide was very informative. Overall it was a good experience. Perhaps the trip to see the Pope should begin a little earlier. Going to the plaza was crazy.

Papal audience - Through our guide Rudy our papal audience was exceptional this was due to the knowledge of a guide Rudy we were so close to his Holiness an experience never to be forgotten

Papel audience on WednesdayS at the Vatican. DON'T MISS IT - Laura with Gray Line got us up very close. We were only feet away when the Pope passed by in the Pope Mobile. The Mass with thousands of people was a truly moving experience. The Pope blessed us and our families back home. Laura from the Pacific Northwest, thank you!

Abandonment - The guide abandoned us at the security point and never made it back to see what was happening. She only focused on telling us through her audio that where we were when we couldn't talk to her and just like that we were looking for her to deliver the terrible audio, that attention on the part of she was almost starting the hearing

“Your guide escorts you... - “Your guide escorts you through the crowd to a prime spot and provides commentary.” - please know there were no reserved spots for us, no chairs to sit on. The tour guide led us inside the gate, through security check, then let us loose. He warned us about our metal water bottles might be confiscated at security - Viator should include this in their information overview so the tourists know ahead of time. The guide would not have mentioned the best spots where we could see the pope if we did not ask him. He told us to be as close to the barricades as possible-which he would not have mentioned if we did not ask him. Good advice. We were only a few feet away from the pope when he passed by. “Learn about the history of the Papacy from your expert guide who will smoothly arrange the whole event for your ease.” - Did no such thing. “Be at the redemption meeting place 25 minutes before the start of the tour (7:30 am).” Their office was not open until much later. It would help if Viator would also add this to their overview, so customers would not wonder if they were at the right place.

Papal Audience - We were asked to be at meeting point at 7am, the representative arrived at 7.30. The tour guide arrived shortly afterwards. There were 5 in the group but she said there may not be seating for all of us. We joined the que and it was bedlam. I had concerns for my safety with the pushing. I got into St Peters Sq at 9.50. I don't see why I paid for a ticket I could have qued from 7am. Did not see the tour guide again. I did not get into seated area. I was delighted to have the opportunity be in the presents of Pope Leo XIV.

Lack of information - They report that you should be 30 minutes early at the meeting point. The date was 7:30am and we were 6:50am. We arrived at the site all those of the group and still did not open the meeting point place.The meeting point place opened until 7:20 in the morning. To find out if I was on the spot, I wrote to the reference location on the page, but never received a response. Nowhere, they report that you cannot access the site with stainless steel water bottles. We had to leave our stainless steel water bottles, before the X-rays there on the street on the floor with other bottles. On the way out, there weren't two of our bottles. We might as well have left those bottles in our lodging department if we had known about this earlier. The guide that led us to the place very well, because it was polyglot and we appreciate it, because in the family we were people with different language preferences. The bad thing is, she didn't get the microphone, and only the ones we were around, we could hear her. I leave you only one Star for the guide, which was very kind and explained as we walked. However, I think I only paid to wait 40 minutes standing still and to lose my stainless steel water bottles.