Scavi Tour

We took it last week - it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. We did have one guy in our group leave about ten minutes in because he was feeling claustrophobic. I found it similar to touring the catacombs - poorly lit with small passages, but I didn't find it felt crowded. I felt much more claustrophobic on the subway in the afternoons than I did on the tour.

I suffer from mild to moderate claustrophobia and the Scavi tour didn't bother me one bit. The ceilings are quite high for most of it, and it really has a pretty open feel to it. There's a virtual tour at the Vatican's website here that can help you get a feel for it. Click on the video and watch until the end, when an interactive virtual tour begins. One thing that's a bit unexpected with the Scavi tour is that it's kept at near 100% humidity and can get pretty warm. That was a bigger issue to me than the claustrophobia. But it was still one of the highlights of our trip in May of 2011.

We went on the tour in October last year and the heat got to me. The tour guide told us no one is allowed to leave the tour- no wandering. You keep moving from room to room, so claustrophobia would not be too bad. The passages are narrow and I don't think photography is allowed. The only souvenirs are in the office where you check in, btw.
It is so interesting- we would not have known about this tour except for you guys on the traveler's helpline- thanks again!

I hate closed in areas, but this tour was so magnificient I completely forgot about it. It really isn't that bad. It is the most magnificient site that I saw in all Italy. From a religious point of view there is nothing more spectacular.

Thanks to everyone