Scheduling help needed: Scavi tour and Vatican Museums

Congratulations, Sharon!

Saint Peter's Basilica (Scavi Tour) and the Vatican Museums are two different structures, so you need separate tickets for each. Otherwise you may be in line for quite a while at the Museums. The night openings do not include all the galleries, but some of them are closed on a rotating basis even during the day. Visiting in the evening will free up some time for sights that don't have evening hours.

If your Scavi tour appointment is in the morning, you could visit the rest of the Basilica afterward, have lunch, then visit the Museums in the afternoon (book ahead for an appointment time). Or vice versa. If your hotel is near the Vatican, you could visit each on different days.

Zoe addressed the Vatican/St. Peter's questions so I will address the guide.

A private guide can really help you make the most of your limited time. I recommend Sonia Tavoletta ([email protected]). Not only have I taken a tour with her, many of our visiting friends have as well. She will structure the time you allot to the sites that matter most to you.

Congratulations from me too!

Saint Peter's Basilica (Scavi Tour) and the Vatican Museums are two
different structures, so you need separate tickets for each.

Zoe covered those bases but just in case you're still a little confused, the Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums - you enter it from inside that structure - so you'll be able to see it when you visit the collections.

Two years ago we had a 10:30 AM Scavi tour too. It was wonderful. We chose to arrive at Vatican City by 8:00 AM and we went to St. Peter's Basilica first. It is free but there is a security check which can have long lines. There were no lines at 8:30 and we were able to enjoy St. Peter's without the crowds. Then we did our Scavi tour which ends in the crypt of St. Peter's. We strolled through again but there were lots of large tour groups by then. We had a 1:30 PM reservation for skip the line tickets at the Vatican Museums (which is where the Sistine Chapel is) We grabbed a quick bite to eat on the 20 minute or so walk over to the Vatican Museums . The museums and Sistine Chapel were crowded but we thoroughly enjoyed them. We are returning this year and are planning to do an early morning tour of the Sistine Chapel and then on our own for the rest of the Vatican museums. We are hoping for a more peaceful and less crowded Sistine Chapel experience. I will let you know how it goes after October 10th.

Thanks everyone for your help. I think we will go early and hit the museums after lunch. One last question...what shoes should I wear? As for the Scavi tour open flat sandals or closed toe? I'm assuming uneven dirt walkways, I'm a bit of a klutz. I hate to leave my heels back in the states but I know I will not break an ankle while on vacation. : )

Thanks again, Sharon

In general, for Rome, I would not recommend open toe shoes for women or men, and that would include the Scavi tour. I too like the idea of hitting the Basilica first thing in the morning, before the crowds, then show up for your Scavi Tour. At the end of the Scavi tour, you are let out in the Crypt under the Basilica, that is worth a look to see the tombs of the Popes. That leaves the Museum and Sistine Chapel after lunch, the only other thing would be climbing the Dome, which is yet another line and ticket.

We did the Scavi tour in June one year.
It was great, but you should wear flat shoes or sandals, as it is a bit narrow and uneven down there.
The one thing we thought was that it would be cool down there.......wrong!
The more underground we got, the hotter and more humid it became ; so much so that it was nearly unbearable.
I'm feeling sticky just remembering that feeling...ick.
Wear very light clothing, take a big bottle of water, and a small fan.
I carry a tiny spray bottle of water now when I'm in warm countries, to spray on my face and arms; it's a godsend.
The tour itself was great, and the guide was an American Seminary student doing some study in Rome.
I seem to remember at the end of the tour you come up directly into the Basilica.
Enjoy your trip!