Scavi tour in the Vatican?

Why would you book a tour you're not interested in? If YOU don't feel it's worth the time then you should cancel. No one can tell you if you will like it or find it of value. I can only tell you that I've enjoyed the tour and have learned something new every time I've taken it. Some people are moved by the spirituality of the tour and others are not. It's really a personal thing for each person.

Donna

We did the Scavi tour when we last visited Rome several years ago and found it to be fascinating and well worth the time however, with only one day in Rome a sight that would be higher on our list would be the Borghese Gallery with the wonderful Bernini sculptures. Truly leaves one wondering how one person could possess such incredible talent to create works such as these.
You must book well in advance to reserve a time for the allotted 2 hours in order to avoid lines and to fit it into your schedule.
We will be back in Rome in September and are already planning to go back for a second time.

I can't understand how anyone would consider the Vatican Museum/St. Peters a waste of time. St. Peter's is the most amazing church on earth, and the thing that surprised me most about the Museum were the Pre-Christian artifacts on display. I enjoyed the Borghese Museum also, but would not consider it to be as amazing as the Vatican. This is my opinion, of course. Rome is a big city full of wonders, and I've been at least six times and still haven't seen it all.

Is the Scavi tour worthwhile? Absolutely! Is it worthwhile when you have 24 hours or less? Wow, impossible to say as it depends on you as a person.

IMHO, The Scavi tour is one of the best tours in Rome. It's cheap comparatively with any other paid tour. It's not commercial, as the guides are interns/students of the church. And it offers something you can't get anywhere else in Italy, or the world, for that matter.

Having said that, the value, related to your limited time, depends on what you value. If you are a deeply Christian person, it may be #1 on the list. Where else can you see the bones of someone who talked to Jesus? If you are into history or architecture, there are other things in Rome that would be higher on the list. And if you're into art, the Scavi by itself rates low, but it does provide quick access to St. Peter's.

Good luck with your decision!

I think Lee mentions a key point: since you have a time constraint, it may help you, in making your decision, to consider that although persons of diverse religious backgrounds/beliefs will find the Scavi tour interesting, it may be that persons with a strong Christian faith may find the experience even more meaningful than others.
I only mention this since you have a time constraint and have to decide.

I love the line used in a Let's Go guide (paraphrased): "Rome wasn't built in a day, and you won't see much more than a fraction in a short visit, either."

With only one day, you will have to be ruthlessly selective, and accept up front that not only can't you see "everything," but you can't even see more than a few things, tops. Therefore you should pick your personal must-sees and highest priorities, which may be different from anyone else's. If something doesn't make your own personal A-list, it's out, no matter what anyone else thinks. If you're already looking at the Scavi tour as a "waste of valuable tour time," that sounds like it should be canceled and replaced with something that you will find more valuable.

Now to quote Rick Steves: "Assume you will return" (and since we're talking about Rome, you probably will - it's fantastic).

Donna,

"No one can tell you if you will like it or find it of value."

I just read this forum for the first time and the tone of one of the first replies I read sounded so familiar that I looked at the posters name and recognized it from another forum. I've read a lot of your replies and your knowledge is vast and really helpful to posters asking various questions.
That being said, by the tone of most of your replies, I guess we should shut down this and other amazing forums since it's difficult to assess each individuals specific likes and dislikes.
I can certainly understand that people asking the same vague, generalized questions can become tiresome but the fact that a lot of people do not phrase their questions in the exact way that we would prefer is not, in my opinion, a reason to reply with barely veiled derisiveness.
I'm probably out of line on this but I've been reading so many of your responses for so long that are incredibly helpful and yet so bordering on mocking the posters questions that I wanted to reply.
Brian

Brian, how is it "bordering on mocking the posters" to say that no one can decide for them if they will find value in something? I can't tell you if you'll like a tour, a site, a restaurant or anything else. That's something you and the OP need to decide. I did tell the OP that I liked the tour and found it informational. That certainly doesn't mean the OP will share those opinions. What I would find horrible is to tell someone they "have to visit XXX site because it's amazing" only to have the person come back and say it wasn't something they really enjoyed. That would be a huge waste of their vacation time. Instead, I give my opinions and let the OP know that they are the only one who can make that decision. I know enough to know that we all travel differently and have different opinions of what we like and don't like.

There is no reason to shut down a travel forum and to suggest it is ridiculous, but there is also no need to tell everyone that you have all the answers and that they should just do as you suggest and not to bother making their own decisions. It has nothing to do with the way a question is asked. It has to do with the choices of the OP. Can you honestly sit there and tell me that the OP or I will like the same things you like? You don't even know us. How would you honestly be able to say something like that? I certainly can't tell the OP that he will like or dislike the tour.

The simple fact that the OP stated that he didn't want to "waste two hours of tour time" tells me that he's not sure about the tour. This means that it may not be something he will enjoy or that there are other things he finds more important on this short trip. Telling him he's wrong and that he should do the tour and skip something else is not something I'm prepared to do without knowing him personally. Are you?

Donna

Donna, we thoroughly enjoyed our Scavi tour while in Rome a few years ago. In fact, it was one of the highlights of our visit to the Eternal City. However, if you only have one day in Rome, you will have to decide your priorities based on your interests. There is so much to see and do in Rome! Could you possibly extend your stay in Rome? I don't think you would regret it if you stayed longer.

Donna OP, please do listen to what the other Donna has to say. She's 100% right.

And brianmongeau, when you wrote "I'm probably out of line on this", you should have trusted that instinct. I didn't detect any "barely veiled derisiveness" at all in Donna from PA's response.

Donna,
all valid points and once again I appreciate all the help you provide for people, I guess sometimes I misinterpret the tone of replies and should probably just keep it to myself.
Michael, you're probably right about me misinterpreting the intent and also going with my first instinct.
My point remains that sometimes on this forum and mostly on another large one, some people, not Donna specifically, to whom I apologize again, seem to respond in a somewhat harsh way when questions are too vague or somewhat unanswerable.
Happy travels to all and once again sorry for creating an issue where there isn't one.

Brian

Try to see and enjoy your chosen sites thoroughly, rather than rushing through them, and don't mourn what you may have missed. Then, the purpose of the next visit will be to see something new, without feeling a need to repeat.