St. Peter's Necropolis Tour/seeing rest of Basilica afterward

Yes you can do this Margaret. You will have to go through security and stand in line before you go to the Scavi, though, so allow plenty of time. It works like this: - go through security screening - check any daybags/backpacks on the RIGHT side of the entry stairs - cross over to the other side of the Basilica and check in with the Swiss Guards posted there (show them your confirmation) - the Swiss Guards will let you past their checkpoint exactly 15 minutes before your appointed time
- after the tour (it is hot in the Scavi area, BTW, very hot) you will exit into the tombs of the the more modern popes where you can self-tour as desired and then you exit into the Basilica. I was glad to get back to the Basilca this way. We visited early in the day at the end of a museum tour and it was half blocked off for a special event and we didn't get to see it all. After our afternoon Scavi tour, it was all back open to the public. BTW, it is not only hot down there (90 degrees), it is humid. And the space is very "close." Some people on our tour were very uncomfortable.... It is amazing and fascinating, so be prepared for discomfort and yet to be awed by the history. We are not Catholic but we were quite taken with the history.

Laurel, HUGE thanks. It really helps to know what to expect. Hopefully the security line will not be too bad. We have a 9:30 tour, so we will plan to be in the security line early that morning. (I had incorrectly assumed a separate security process for the Necropolis, so I appreciate your guidance.)
Margaret

i thought that would be the case, and we were only about 60 minutes out from our tour time. The line was at least quite long and the security people were not interested in my story. :-) They just pointed to the line.
Luckily checking my husband's back pack was a quick process and we ended up having time to spare. We hit the line about 2:30 on an October weekday. I have no idea what it might be like in the morning. Maybe someone else can comment. I guess if you get there too early and get through the line, you can always see the Basilica before yoru Scavi tour.

We did the 9:30 tour in March. We really didn't have any lines to wait in at all, and ended up with extra time to enjoy the square before our check in time. Of course, I'm sure that varies depending on the season you're traveling. Laurel explains the process beautifully. It is breathtaking to end your tour by going up the stairs right into the middle of the vast basilica. The only thing that was different for us is that it didn't seem nearly so hot as it was for Laurel. The first room we went into was quite warm and humid; I took off my jacket but went through the rest of the tour comfortably in a sweater. It can be a bit close, but my husband is claustrophobic, and made it through without any problem. It was one of our favorite experiences, enjoy!

My experience has been that you need only check all your bags and show up at the Swiss guards to the left of the basilica. I have never had to wait in the security line before doing the scavi tour and this included my most recent trip last month. You'll easily be able to visit the basilica after the tour without waiting in the security line, unless you go to get your bags beforehand. Then you'll have to wait in the line. If you are going to see the museums you can always see the basilica after that. Donna

Michelle & Donna, thank you for sharing your experiences, too. Luckily, we will have no bags with us, so that should help. We won't be going to the Vatican Museum on the same day (we thoroughly enjoyed that on a Rick Steves' Heart of Italy Tour previously), but we missed seeing inside the Basilica, because it was closed for a private mass/event that day. Our guide checked and the wait was estimated at 3-4 hours (once it started moving, which could have been another hour or so). It was unbelievable. This time we will be on a tour (mostly Amalfi Coast) whose Rome portion will include a private, after-hours tour of the Vatican Museum (truly once-in-a-lifetime) and a "stop" at St. Peter's as the last item the previous day. But, we plan to visit St. Peter's on our early fly-in day, just so we don't chance missing it again for some unforeseen reason (we may never get back to Rome again).
The insights and guidance of fellow travelers is so valuable, and I appreciate each of you who has shared your experience :)

We're also going on the Scavi tour in May and it sure seems to me from their instructions that it involves two steps: 1. Check your bags to the right of the basilica. (Check them all, since you don't know how strict the guards will be.)
2. Then go to the Swiss Guards' entrance to the left of the basilica with your printed confirmation receipt in hand. There's no standing in line involved unless there's a line to check your bags. Does anyone know whether that's ever a problem?

We did the Scavi Tour and then went though St. Peter's. We finished by going up to the dome of St. Peter's. It was moving to see it from the very depths to the very top. We saved the museum for the next day. I think our tour was around 10am. The line to get into St. Peter's was enormous, and I was glad to by pass all that by having the Scavi Tour first. We arrived early, so were directed to the gift shop/Vatican Post office. We used the toilets by there and then went back to the Swiss Guards and were admitted in for our tour.

Michael, you're right, there isn't any standing in line for the Scavi tour. You do have to go through the same security that leads into the basilica get to the bag check, though, and lines could possibly get backed up there.

Michael, unless you need to check a bag there is no line to stand in. As you face the basilica you'll see a guard shack to the left of the steps. Just go there and show them your reservation. At the proper time they'll let you into the office. I would suggest just carrying a small or no bag at all. This will save you the time to check it. Donna

Clarification: We had to stand in the security line because we had a daybag. Otherwise, we could have gone directly to the Ufficio Scavi. You cannot (at least could not the day we were there in October) go to the bag check without passing through security.

This is so exciting to hear about the Scavi Tour. What is the website to schedule this? We will be in Rome in March and were planning on returning to St. Peter's. My husband wants to tour the dome. I read that it is "close". Can anyone describe what it is like? Sometimes I get claustrophobic, but I have gone up my share of twisty Gothic cathedral staircases with no trouble. Thanks!

If you get claustrophobic then the scavi tour is not for your. You are enclosed in very tight walkways with low ceilings. It is very humid inside and you are shut in. The email for making a request is: [email protected] You need to let them know how many in your group (no one under 15 is admitted) The name of everyone in your group. Language of choice The dates you're available for the tour
an email where you can be reached. This is a very hard tour to get on as they only take about 250 people a day. Give them as many dates as possible to better your chances. You are not allowed to take medium or large bags with you into the tour and there is no photography allowed. Again, if you are claustrophobic this is probably not the tour for you. Donna

From the postings I've seen, it appears to depend on the level of claustrophobia that you have. There are degrees, after all. We're looking forward to our tour.

Thanks, everyone! It surely seems like an amazing tour.

Regarding claustrophobia, as Michael said, there are certainly degrees, but here's our experience. I searched a few forums to see what people had to say about that before we went on our tour, since my husband is claustrophobic (and I am sometimes on his behalf!). The consensus seemed to be that it was sometimes a little tight, but people made it through just fine, and loved the tour. We decided to count on that. My husband said he did have a moment right at the beginning as we walked into the first warm, humid room that he thought he might be uncomfortable...but as we began to walk through, he was completely fine, and the tour is one of our favorite memories. I would have hated to have missed it over what turned out to be a non-issue for us. There's a great virtual tour of the necropolis that can give some idea of what the space is like. I felt like the ceilings were high enough to not feel closed in, and the walkways were not as tight as I thought they'd be. http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/necropoli/scavi_english.html

Someone posted this website previously that I found helpful: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/rome/scavi_tour.htm. Have fun!

And I would have expected the Scavi tour to be chilly...and perhaps a bit dank. I'll go prepared for any and all conditions...someday...(sigh)... Thanks VERY MUCH for the heads-up 8^)