Hi folks
We hope to book the Vatican Scavi tour in September. For anyone who has done the tour does it allow you to skip the lines when you finish and head straight in to St. Peter’s? I am assuming you have a separate entrance when you arrive for the tour. How did you find being able to see St. Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel afterwards?
Thanks so much
JoAnn
Vernon, BC
Canada
Posted by
Wilmington, DE, USA
1046 posts
The Scavi tour is a very powerful experience. At the end you enter St. Peter's through a 'back door' (in fact, where you enter is actually roped off from everyone else in St. Peter's). There is no entrance to the Sistine - that is only via the Vatican Museums.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15849 posts
There is no entrance to the Sistine - that is only via the Vatican
Museums.
Right. The Sistine is located at a far end of the Vatican Museums, which are separate from the basilica. While tours of the museums+Sistine+ St Peter's access the basilica from an inside passage at the back of the chapel, it can't be done in reverse: no access to the Sistine/museums from St Peter's.
For tickets to/tours of the museums/Sistine and/or other parts of the Vatican open to the public, this is the Vatican's website:
http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en.html
Editing to add: JoAnn, I see you visited Rome back in 2014? Just curious if you skipped the Vatican on that trip?
Posted by
TN, USA
2115 posts
The only caveat I would add to the info posted above is:
If there is a private mass (or other celebration) going on in St.Peters the day you go on the Scavi tour, there is a good chance you will NOT be allowed to enter St.Peters. That happened to us.
In fact, the very first time we tried to go into St.Peter's (years prior when we were in Italy on the Rick Steves Heart of Italy Tour, there was a private mass happening, and the lines outside were estimated to be about 4 hours of a wait (we did not wait). Then the second time (when we did the Scavi tour), we were not allowed entry because the Beatification of John Paul (which was scheduled after we booked our Tauck Tour months prior) was happening (which was an interesting people-watching experience on the plaza). It was when we finally returned to Rome later that same week (day prior to our flight home), we were able to FINALLY see inside St. Peters (and climb the dome, etc.).
So, do plan on entering after your Scavi tour; but like with all things travel, have a back-up plan, just in case.
Posted by
Northern Rockies, British Columbia, Canada
533 posts
Just a reminder that the same restrictions on clothing or lack thereof which apply above ground also apply for the Scavi tour. Shoulders and legs covered. We completely forgot about this in 2014 and had to make some last minute arrangements. And don't forget to bring your passport. They will want to see it.
Posted by
30 posts
We are also hoping to do the tour in September. How far in advance would you send your request?