I've booked a trip to Italy in March, and I'm trying to plan tours and sightseeing. I submitted a request for the Vatican necropolis tour in December. When do they typically send out the notification for the tour? I'd like to book other tours and stuff but I'm worried they'll only give me one option that conflicts with something else.
Posted by
2 posts
Wife and I are also going in March, and am seeking an answer to the same question. I will share what I have experienced so far.
First, I sent an email on 23 November to the Scavi office email in Rick's guidebook. I got an immediate automated reply stating that the tours are shut down for renovations through 15 January 2025. Afraid that this would mean all email requests would be ignored until then, I submitted a request via the Scavi form on 25 November. I did not receive a reply to that one either, so did it again this morning.
I have read in earlier forums that folks have gotten a response from next day to 30 days later. Perhaps the whole system is shut down due to the tours being suspended for restorations. If I do not hear back by 15 January I will try again then.
I understand your angst perfectly. The necropolis is very high on our list of things to do, and we are holding off on booking other items until we know if we can do this one. But time is running out...
If I learn anything else I will update. Best of luck! If you run into us in Rome, please say hello...
Posted by
Maryland
4 posts
We did the necropolis tour in 2024 - it was excellent !! Just a note - photography is not allowed once the tour starts. I requested tickets March 28th, got an automated acknowledgment the following day and then heard nothing until April 24th when I was told that my request was accepted for May 2nd and given payment information. Since we were leaving for Rome April 28th I was happy to get the reply. If I were doing it again I would try to apply AT LEAST 3 months in advance.
Posted by
1 posts
The Scavi is closed now for renovations until Jan 15. Has not been sending anything out other the the confirmation they received your request. Was supposed to re-open Nov 3rd but they extended it. Hoping they start confirming reservations after Jan 15th.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
7 posts
I have not been able to go on the Vatican Scavi tour yet, but when I did email them with an inquiry in the fall, they responded the same day. I was just reviewing Rick's book today in preparation of my own upcoming trip and he does say "No response means they are booked" (pg. 873). On the other hand, it is possible that due to ongoing religious celebrations (tomorrow is Epiphany), their responses are delayed.
If it were me, I would go ahead and start making inquiries if you plan to do something like hire a private guide or go on a tour that may fill up. Other things like group tours and attraction tickets can probably wait a bit. If you don't hear back within a week or so from the excavations office, I would take that to mean they unfortunately don't have space.
Posted by
16 posts
I have a request in for a May Scavi tour, but I'm going ahead and book other tours while I wait. (Or try to -- Borghese tours don't look available yet.) If there is a conflict I will try to reschedule or just skip the other tour that is not Scavi. I got to do the Scavi once before and it was incredible!
Pro tip: Avoid the regular very long security lines and keep going to the left, to the left, to the left, as far as you can go in Vatican Square, past all the regular lines. Then there will be a special security check just for Scavi people, with NO line! We almost missed our tour in April waiting in the regular line until someone warned us that we were in the wrong place.