We took the upgraded tour that started at 8am - which was definitely worth the early wake-up time and the money. We had Angela as our guide and she was fantastic. We happened to have her the day before the Ancient Rome walking tour, and really enjoyed her then. So it was a nice surprise. A native Roman, and very charismatic in her storytelling, she definitely added to the experience. You are constantly surrounded by other groups, so you can hear the good guides from the bad ones. This tour are highly recommended over audio guides and self-guided tours if your depth of knowledge is low. There's jsut so much to see and so much history, it's hard to absorb, but our guide did a great job highlighting the important highlights and pointing out little nuances that we likely wouldn't experience if we just went on our own. We were able to skip the line and then wander around St. Peter's on our own after the tour. Skipping the line is almost worth the amount of money alone. She does have a heavier accent so you must pay attention to what she is saying, and younger adults may have trouble understanding her, but she was fantastic - sense of humour, knowledgeable, tons of energy, and a great storyteller. If you go to the Vatican - do this tour.

Worth the money for skipping the lines and the metro pass alone. Great value.