We are scheduled for the 9:15am Scavi Tour. Was hoping to then visit the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica. I understand that you reach the Scavi Tour office from St. Peter's Square, which means that when finished, you would need to walk all around the outside of the Vatican wall to reach the museums (and Sistine Chapel). Is this correct? If so, if I want to buy my tickets to the Vatican Museum for an 11am entrance, will I be cutting it too close? I suppose we could always go to the basilica first, but I was hoping to use that secret door from the Sistine Chapel that lets you avoid the long security line outside the basilica. Please correct any of my incorrect assertions above, and provide opinions as to how (and for what times) you would plan the itinerary. We have pretty much the whole day to work with, so time is not a big issue. Thanks.
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
One other approach would be to visit the basilica first, before Scavi. I've found my best visits have been when I'm in line with the basilica opens in the morning; it's quiet and uncrowded, and there's still some sense of reverence, compared to later in the day, when many folks tend to forget that it's a place of worship. And FYI, I've always found the security lines to move quickly, although others may have had a different experience. (I've visited in spring, fall, and winter; don't know about summer.) Even if you don't want to climb the dome, I'd suggest going to the roof (stairs and elevator on right side of basilica, outside; ie, opposite side from Scavi entrance; there's a fee). I really enjoyed the views from the roof, as well as the view of the church from the walkway inside the base of the dome. Regarding timing, the scavi tour lasts an hour or a little more, as I recall, so you should have time, provided you don't want to do any other wandering at the end of the tour. Though I've experienced various routings, it often lets you out on the floor below the main floor of the basilica; some of the tombs there are quite beautiful. I'd sequence them basilica, Scavi, roof, and then museums, with timing of museum tickets varying depending on the speed with which you typically tour.
Posted by
TN, USA
2116 posts
Will you be in Rome for two days, so you can split the Vatican experience over two days? If so, I would suggest getting into the Basilica early in the a.m. on one day, then doing the Scavi afterward (maybe request a time right after lunch). Then go the Vatican museum early the next day (and then you would have the back-up day to try the Basilica, should it be unexpectedly closed for a private mass on the first day you try). If you plan to climb to the dome, it's also good to try to do that early, as it can get rather crowded, depending on what time of year you go. With a new pope to be announced and installed this year (with timing not yet known), it is likely the Basilica will be closed for the festivities for a day or two. It actually took me three different attempts (over two different trips to Rome) to actually make it into the Basilica. The first time it was closed
for a private mass, with the line resulting estimated by the guards as a 4-hour wait, once the line started moving. Then the second time was during the beatification of John Paul (which was not planned when we booked our trip), when the Basilica was closed for all those to-dos but was then open when we were back in Rome later that week. So, a little flexibility in your schedule is good, if you can plan that way. Oh, and our Scavi Tour was rescheduled by the Scavi office twice due to the beatification schedule (they will send you an email to reschedule, but you can kindly request a different time block if their rescheduled time is not good for you). And, when we arrived for our Scavi Tour, we were early, so they let us go at an earlier time.