Question regarding tour after Necropolis/Scavi tour

You can book a tour directly through the Vatican website. They have several different tours. I would suggest giving yourself enough time between tours to visit the basilica and also get some lunch. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the basilica to the front of the museums so plan accordingly.

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?weblang=en&do

donna

Hi,

Just a quick clarification - there are now two different tours:

.1. the original 'Scavi' tour, under St. Peter's Basilica

.2. the newly opened Necropolis tour (Via Trumphalis)

With the original Scavi tour, you end up where the Popes' tombs are underneath the Basilica, giving you direct access. With the Necropolis tour, you don't. The key to figuring out which one you will be on are the words "Via Triumphalis" on your reservation.

I just took the Scavi tour last week and it does end in the Basilica so you are free to explore that. However, I also scheduled a tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel with Dark Rome tours, also giving us access to the Basilica later. The Scavi tour was 11:00 to 12:30, then we had a break for lunch nearby, and the other tour was from 2:30 to 5:30. This worked out perfectly for us. The reason I chose Dark Rome is they were the only company to have a tour beginning after 2:00, allowing us plenty of time for a nice lunch. Walks of Italy also does Vatican tours and I used them for the Colosseum and was very satisfied, so with a 9:00 Scavi tour you might want to check their website.
Have fun,
Cynthia

With the scavi tour scheduled for 9am they OP should have no issues with a 2pm tour of the museums. Their scavi tour wil end by 10:30ish and they can spend an hour or so in the basilica. That still gives them an hour and a half to get some lunch and be back in time for their museums tour.

As for the two scavi tours, there really is no way to mix them up. You cannot book the scavi tour online like you can the via triumphalis tour. You must email or fax your request for tickets if wanting to visit the scavi at St. Peter's.

donna

You are quite correct, Donna.

I mentioned the differences between the two because some people that have heard about the "Scavi" tour, may go online to the Vatican website and only find the Necropolis visit bookable there. Not aware that there are two, book that one.

The OP specifically referred to her tour as "our Necropolis/Scavi tour"... Which led me to think that this might have happened here.

'Scavi' is just an Italian word for "excavations", hence easy for someone to confuse the two tours.

That's true and I understand what you're saying but in booking the Via Triumphalis tour it never mentions "scavi" anywhere in the description of what you'll see which is why when people refer to the Scavi tour I assume they mean the tour under the basilica and not the Via Triumphalis tour. Also, when people read the forums about the scavi tour it always tells them that you cannot book online, that you must email or fax a request. I really don't see people confusing the two tours.

donna

I have a similar question and am hoping for some help. We are also booked for a 9AM Scavi tour and then hope to tour the museums and Sistine chapel after we are done. The challenge, however, is we are very pressed for time with a 3:20PM train at Termini going to Florence. We are thinking about checking our luggage at Termini earlier in the morning and taking the train to and from the Vatican. Any suggestions on best strategy for a tour and/or our travel plans? Wish we had more time but are only in Rome for a day and a half before heading to Tuscany. Thanks for the advice- Ben

You should have time to do both. You'll be done with the scavi tour by 10:30ish so you can visit the basilica for an hour or so before heading over to the museums. You should be out of the museums no later than 2:30 to catch a taxi over to the termini. If you're going to drop off luggage in the morning you'll need to allow more time as the lines can get long for collecting luggage.

Donna

Hi,

Donna's really hit the nail on the head with her response, "With the scavi tour scheduled for 9am they OP should have no issues with a 2pm tour of the museums. Their scavi tour wil end by 10:30ish and they can spend an hour or so in the basilica. That still gives them an hour and a half to get some lunch and be back in time for their museums tour."

I would only add that L'Insalata Ricca has great fresh salads and light dishes, top that off with a gelato from Old Bridge gelataria and you've got yourself a perfect plan.

Buon viaggio!

Hello,
Which do you consider the most interesting tour? Scavi or Via Trumphalis? What the difference between them?
Is the Scavi a walk through the excavations but there is no tombs there anymore? Were the tombs taken to the new Via Trumphalis tour place? Where do we actually see the St. Peter's tomb?

Thanks!

vinineves-typically, it is a good idea to write a new post, especially if the post has been dead for awhile.

I have not taken the Via Triumphalis tour so I can't comment. But I did do the Scavi tour and enjoyed it. That is the tour you see St. Peter's tomb-well, you sort of see the room it's in. You can't go right up to it like the other tombs. There are also a lot of other tombs from past popes. I thought it was a great tour.
A lot of people want to see John Paul II's tomb which is now up in St. Peter's so you don't need a special ticket to see that. If you decide you want to do the Scavi tour, you must request tickets way in advance. Good luck!

They are both really great tours and cannot really be compared. The scavi tour under the basilica is where you walk through an ancient cemetery seeing the tombs on ground level. The Via Triumphalis tour takes you "over" a cemetery. You see if by standing on a catwalk. It's very interesting and well lit.

Donna