Whoop! Got my confirmation for the Vatican Scavi Tour

We are going in November for our first time too!! We are so excited!

i wish you could take a camera, anybody managed it? maybe the rules are stricter than the tour guides themselves?

The scavi tour is wonderful. I've done it twice. You won't be able to take any photos while inside. You must also leave all medium to large bags at the baggage check area or you won't be allowed on the tour. The ruins are very fragile and they don't want anything that can brush up against the walls and damage them. Donna

Donna, I'm doing the Scavi tour in October. I will be carrying a medium size messenger bag. In your experience, would you say that's something I need to check? And have you had any experience actually checking something at St. Peter's? Is the location where you check bags at a far distance from the entrance for the Scavi tour and/or is it hard to find? This is a big worry for me. Thanks for your input!

Unless it's a very small bag, you'll have to check it. The baggage storage area is about 5 minutes from the entrance but give yourself enough time to check the bag and be back for your tour. The line can get very long for baggage check so give yourself at least a half hour. If there is any way you can do a smaller bag or no bag that day you might want to consider it. Donna

I found it a wonderful tour. We did it 2 years ago. You cannot take pictures, but I had my camera in my purse and took pictures afterwards when we went into St. Peter's itself. We finished by going up to the dome. In one day we saw St. Peter's from the bottom to the top. I you liked the Catacombs in Paris, you might also want visit the Capuchin Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception, located on Via Veneto, near Barbarini Square.

that's on the list as well!

Re taking photos inside the Vatican necropolis on the Scavi tour, the official website says: "Photography, with or without flash, is not permitted in the excavations." It's a small area, considered very holy by the guide that will lead your small group. Photos have been sneaked (they're on the web), but I'm sure you'll want to follow the rules.

We did the Scavi Tour two weeks ago and I HIGHLY recommend it!!! I carried a medium-sized messenger bag along with my camera (which I did not use), and did not have to check anything. The office was very easy to find; we went from the Sistine Chapel over to St Peter's Basilica, and the Swiss Guard are at the lower left hand corner (if you are facing St Peters) where they will check your confirmation....then it is maybe a 3 minute walk to the Scavi office.

I will be visiting the Scavi 23 October. You can do a "virtual tour". From all sources I have spoken to it is well worth the visit.

Just be aware that if you do need to check your bag, the baggage check area is located to the right of St. Peters and is only accessable after you have gone through security. That can sometimes be a long, slow line. You do not have to go through security to access the Scavi Tour.

How far ahead of time did you request your Scavi tour? And how long does it take to get a confirmation?

I was able to take my medium size bag with camera. Most interesting tour and one you should enjoy very much. We had a young guide from Sweden who spoke decent English but every now and then I had a little trouble understanding everything he said. Overall though it was great.

i'm going in december of this year and put my request in right before i started this thread. they got back to me the next day.

I requested it about 2 1/2 months in advance. I got first an automated email confirming they had received my email, and the next day I got a response. I sent the payment info and 2 days later I got the confrmation email. It was all pretty fast.

It was one of the coolest things I saw in Italy. Right up there with Pompeii. I had to check my very small over the shoulder bag and only had a few minutes to do it. Thankfully the line up for bag check was small. I wouldn't just assume you can take a purse/bag just because some people here say they took theirs.

The scavi tour baggage policy is enforced a lot like the St. Peter's dress code. It depends on the guards and staff. Some are more strict than others. Just plan to check any and all bags and if the staff tell you don't have to you'll be fine. If you have to you'll need at least an extra 15 minutes to do it so get there early. The tour won't wait for you so be a little early. Donna