Vatican in one day?

What time is Mass? Does the Sistine Chapel tour also cover the Vatican Museum? The museum is huge, and even just hitting the highlights, which is what most tours do evidently, will take a fair amount of time.

I suspect it's doable, but will be exhausting.

Last year we booked the breakfast at the Vatican tour, simply because we had only one day to see it, and we wanted to get in early. Breakfast itself was basically American and forgettable, but the early access was wonderful. We did a full day unguided, and surely could have spent two more, but we did see quite a lot. We took an easy metro from Termini to the Vatican stop, and it couldn't have been easier. Enjoy!

Just a thought...On October 23 the weekly Papal Audience is at 10 am in St Peters Square...when are you thinking of attending Mass? Wouldn’t you want to go to the Audience, possibly once in a lifetime experience ?

In December, a week before Christmas, we entered the Vatican Museum the moment it opened, passing through a long but empty roped waiting maze (giving an idea of how backed up the entrance must get at times), paid our entry for self-guided admission (we used Rick Steves’ guidebook and audiotours) for guidance as we went along), hit the restrooms, and then launched into the magnificent museum. We were among the very first visitors that day, but it got palpably busier and more crowded by the minute. We wrapped up at the Sistene Chapel at the end, then proceeded down stairs and a long hallway to St. Peter’s basilica. After going through the massive basilica, we just got to the Dome Climb entry about 10 minutes before it closed for the day, and made the ascent. Did a walkabout in the square in front of the basilica as we left. Long day, and it didn’t include attending Mass or a Papal audience, but we did it all in that one day.

I have requested to go to Mass on Wed Oct 23

The problem here is the word "mass" if this relates to the Vatican. The Papal Calendar lists a general audience on the 23rd of October and not a mass.

http://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/en/udienze_en.html

Audiences start about 10:00 AM and last about 1.5 - 2 hours.

http://www.papalaudience.org

St. Peters and the Sistine are in sort of different places, although connected to each other internally IF taking a tour. But I'd say no, you don't have time to do them if you have a scavi tour at 3:00. The basilica and museum together are, at a minimum, a 3-hour tour not including time to get there from St Peter's Square, and then you have to add the time to get to your scavi tour meeting point...

And there would be zero time to eat in the middle of all this. Too much for one day.

Thank you all for the feedback. I think we will book a tour or the museums and Sistine Chapel on Tuesday and plan on the general audience at 930-10am on Wed then do the Scavi tour. I thought the Wed morning was a mass but it sounds like I am wrong. Appreciate it!

Kathy has already clarified this, but I’ll chime in to second. We attended a Wednesday morning papal audience with JPII. Be sure to arrive early enough to go through security. There definitely wasn’t time after the audience to do the Vatican justice. We wandered inside St. Peter’s for a bit and then had a late lunch. We went elsewhere for the late afternoon and returned to the Vatican a day or two later for the museum and Sistine Chapel. Your plan for the scavi tour that afternoon sounds good.

A little more info on Papal audiences:

http://www.papalaudience.org/information

Also remember that Pope Francis rides around the piazza in the Popemobile prior to the start of the audience. In addition to time to get through security, allow time to get to your seats before then. I would plan to be at your seats no later than a half hour before the audience is scheduled to begin, much earlier to get the best seats.