I am helping my mother in law plan her first trip to Italy. It's been since 2005 that I was last there and things at the Vatican have changed a lot (2 popes later no less). Here is where I need help: there is now the Scavi tour and gardens tour. I cannot imagine doing that in addition to the museum tour, St Peters and climbing the dome. Has you done this and was it way too much for one day? If so, how do you book it all? The RS book directions didn't seem to pan out for the Scavi tour (I am thinking Vatican changed the website). And it looks like the museum tickets are only able to be purchased two months beforehand? (We bought at the ticket office the day of way back when). So long story short, what's a good itinerary and how do you line up all the entry times and tickets?
Posted by
Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome
557 posts
Here is what I did and it worked out fine: requested the Scavi Tour by email to the Vatican office that handles it (I don't have the address handy now but try the Ron in Rome website). It took about six weeks for me to hear back from them that I could have an 11:00 a.m. tour on the date I had requested. The tour takes about 1 1/2 hours and I wanted to leave some time for lunch, so I then looked online at a few guided tour websites for the Vatican Museum. Dark Rome tours had a tour beginning at 2:30 p.m. and lasting until 5:30 p.m. So I booked and paid for that online about a month before our trip. The day of our visit we took a taxi from our B & B in Trastevere to Vatican City at about 10 a.m., found the Scavi tour entrance and took that tour from 11 to 12:30, then went to a leisurely lunch a few blocks from the Vatican, and headed back to the Vatican Museum for our 2:30 guided tour. We did not climb the dome but hung out for awhile in St. Peter's after the Dark Rome tour. It was a full day but not exhausting. The key if you want the Scavi tour is to find out first if you can get that, then plan the rest of your day around it. I found the Scavi tour to be the coolest and most moving part of our time there. It is also a very small group--ours was about a dozen people. A good value for what I think was around 13 euro per person. This was in March 2014. Hope it helps.
Cynthia
Posted by
Minnesota
83 posts
I recently booked the Scavi tour for late July. I heard back from them and had it booked within a day. FYI.
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
Amy, you are talking about two different scavi tours. The necropolis/gardens tour is NOT the scavi tour under the basilica. This is a wonderful tour of an ancient cemetery but it is under the parking lot behind the museums.
The scavi tour under the basilica is at the other end of the Vatican and takes you directly under the basilica. This is where they believe the remains of Peter are.
I do think you could do the necropolis tour in conjunction with the museums or gardens but not both. You can also easily visit the basilica afterwards. If you find you have time to climb the dome just hop in line for your tickets.
You can book the necropolis tour online at the official Vatican museums website. You cannot book the scavi tour of St. Peter's online. You must email or fax them your request. This is the only way to book this tour.
Donna
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
388 posts
You didn't say how long you had in Rome. It would be a busy day if you did the Dome, St. Peters, the Vatican and the Scavi tour all in one day. You could break it up into two days if you have to. Otherwise, I think Donna's advice is good.
Posted by
Farmingville, New York, USA
381 posts
I went on the Scavi tour and it was wonderful so see if you can get a reservation. If you can get an early tour go for it. The exit will leave you to an easy entrance to St. Peters and avoid lines. Forget walking up to the dome. I assume when you say mother in law she may be a bit older an that might be too much. Go to the vatican museum in the late afternoon after the church. We took RS advice and just walked in at 3 pm. We pretty much knew in advance what we wanted to see so it worked out very well.
Posted by
OP
Madison, WI, USA
524 posts
Thank you everyone for the help. It sounds like the Scavi tour should be a priority. My mother in law is 60 and she's in great shape. I have sent her a link to email the Vatican to get a (hopefully) morning reservation for that tour, then followed immediately by visiting inside St Peters, break for lunch and have afternoon reservations for the museum ending in the Sistine Chapel. I will advise her to skip the climb to the top of the dome. I recall it being a long, slow tedious line. So that can be the last priority.
Thanks again everyone for the help! Now hopefully I can do this itinerary soon too!