Vatican Museum/Scavi tour

We are visiting Rome for the second time this August, on board Celebrity Silhouette, and would like to visit the Vatican City (we did Colosseum,Trevi fountain, Spanish steps etc. last time). We dock at 7 a.m. and leave at 7 p.m. and intend travelling by train. I have managed to secure tickets for the Scavi tour at 12 noon. What time should I book for the Vatican museums/Sistine chapel? We would also like to look in the Basilica and maybe climb the dome. Is there a logical route to follow? We have 2 teenage boys so don't intend spending hours in any one place - we find it works best to keep the pace going. Also, for those who have booked the scavi tour previously how did you pay? I'm not sure I like the idea of putting my full credit card details in an email. Thanks

We did the Scavi tour last November, the morning before we embarked on our cruise. It was really amazing probably the best value for our $ !!!!!!

You really don't have a choice. Pay up front to the Vatican via email. Just watch your cc account.

I have done this many many times........ so far so good. I always try to use the same credit card when booking multiple tours overseas and then I watch the account for a bit afterwards.

You will find this tour fascinating even if you are not Catholic as it is more about the history of the site going back further than the church.

I would try to do the museums first thing. Then the Scavi and then the Basilica if the line isn't too long.

You also need reservations for the Vatican Museums to avoid the lines there. If you make them for 9:30, that will give you a couple of hours in the museums, probably as much as your boys can handle. Try and exit through the group tours exit into the basilica if you can, from there to the Scavi office is quite close.

The Scavi tour ends in the grotto underneath the basilica, so you'll have plenty of time after the tour to visit the basilca. Your sons might like climbing to the top of the dome if there is time, it isn't too hot, and the line isn't too long.

Vatican museums tickets: http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking

I agree with the others; do the museum first, exit from the Sistine Chapel via the "tour group" exit to the Basilica (but don't visit it yet). Instead, walk through to the Basilica entrance, go outside, and walk around to the left-hand side where the Scavi office is. If a guard tries to give you a hard time taking the Sistine exit, show them your Scavi reservation.

After the Scavi tour, you end up in the Basilica, so that's the time to see it. If you have time (and it's not too crowded) you can climb the dome after.

Regarding payment -- there is no other alternative that I know of! Many of us here have done it with no problems.

Remember to allow yourself time to go through security first.

Hmmmmm. We DID NOT end up in the grotto or the basilica at the end. They took us out the same way we came in. This was the door just past the Scavi office on the far left of the Basilica. We did go into the area under the Basilica where all the Popes are buried but again, we came out the same door we entered.

also, as a side note: to reach the scavi office to check in for your tour, you will go thru a separate security check with xray etc. Remember no large bags allowed. So allow a bit of extra time for that too. As well as checkin requires 15 minutes ahead of tour time. They will leave you if not on time too. We left a guy who had to go check a backpack at the basilica security. the tours start every 15 minutes so they keep them on time......but the one after yours may not be in English so don't count on just taking the next one......it might be booked even if it is English......

Just some extra tips......:D

Hmmmmm. We DID NOT end up in the grotto or the basilica at the end. They took us out the same way we came in. This was the door just past the Scavi office on the far left of the Basilica. We did go into the area under the Basilica where all the Popes are buried but again, we came out the same door we entered.

 

What happened with our group is that we also visited the Popes' burial area, but after our guide told us some info about the Popes, he pointed out some stairs that led up into the Basilica and told us we could exit that we if we wanted. I'm not sure if all the group exited that way, but I know several of us did.

So if the OP is interested, you might mention it to your guide at the start of the tour -- probably would not be a problem.

Our scavi tour also ended in the Pope's burial area.

If you are able to go from the Sistine Chapel through the group exit into the basilica and from there to the scavi office, you won't need to go through security a second time.

I guess it depends on the guide where you "end" the tour. We saw those stairs but there was a closed gate between us and them. We also saw numerous priests on the other side....so maybe there was some type of meeting or something going on. It was a Monday morning.

Wow - thanks everyone for the great advice. Looking forward to our day in Rome!

We were also there in November, when we exited the scavi tour so we were right between where you enter the dome or St. Peter's. We were told that if we entered St. Peter's after the Scavi Tour we would then need to go back through security to get to he dome. So we opted for the dome first then when we came back down from the dome, we were still at the point to enter St. Peter's, so we were able to complete a visit to all 3 with only 1 trip through security. However, this did make us short on time inside St. Peter's as we had a set time for our visit to the Vatican.

We spent time before & after our cruise in Rome, so we came back to St. Peter's after the cruise and also went to Castle Sant' Angelo.

We really enjoyed the Savi Tour and the going to the top of the dome, so if you are able to fit it in, I recommend.

We were also there in November, when we exited the scavi tour so we were right between where you enter the dome or St. Peter's. We were told that if we entered St. Peter's after the Scavi Tour we would then need to go back through security to get to he dome. So we opted for the dome first then when we came back down from the dome, we were still at the point to enter St. Peter's, so we were able to complete a visit to all 3 with only 1 trip through security. However, this did make us short on time inside St. Peter's as we had a set time for our visit to the Vatican.

 

We spent time before & after our cruise in Rome, so we came back to St. Peter's after the cruise and also went to Castle Sant' Angelo.

 

We really enjoyed the Savi Tour and the going to the top of the dome, so if you are able to fit it in, I recommend.

Thanks for the tip. We already have reservations for the Scavi tour this June and we want to go up the dome and spend more time in St. Peter's. We'll definitely do the dome right after the tour.

Thanks for the tip. We already have reservations for the Scavi tour this June and we want to go up the dome and spend more time in St. Peter's. We'll definitely do the dome right after the tour.

Plan to wait in a long slow moving line to go up in the dome.

We visited the Scavi in June. Below is a link for more info and history on this fascinating area under St. Peters.

For Scavi tour/info:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1436502

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 59.670 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

This is the dramatic front view of St. Peters and the Square with the beautiful sky over this historic setting on June 10 during our visit and doing the Scavi tour.:

Inside St. Peters, this is a portion of the main floor area where the body of the late Pope John Paul II has been moved. On May 3, 2011, he was give this new resting place in the marble altar in Pier Paolo Cristofari's Chapel of St. Sebastian. This prominent location is next to the Chapel of the Pieta. They completed this change as he was elevated and moves towards Sainthood. Crowds were big and busy inside this huge Cathedral, the world's largest.:

After our private tour of the super historic Scavi under the Basilica and its lower grotto, we saw some of the crypts and this chapel below the main area.:

The art work in and around St. Peter’s is spectacular. Here might be the most famous, the Pieta, by Michelangelo. I first saw this in 1970 here, but now it is protected behind a large glass surface. The detail and beauty are impossible to describe or show.:

I booked the Scavi tour during our pre-cruise stay in Rome this May. The confirmation e-mail I received said I could send credit card info by e-mail, fax, or phone. I chose to do the latter.

We did the Scavi tour last November, the morning before we embarked on our cruise. It was really amazing probably the best value for our $ !!!!!!

 

You really don't have a choice. Pay up front to the Vatican via email. Just watch your cc account.

 

I have done this many many times........ so far so good. I always try to use the same credit card when booking multiple tours overseas and then I watch the account for a bit afterwards.

 

You will find this tour fascinating even if you are not Catholic as it is more about the history of the site going back further than the church.

 

I would try to do the museums first thing. Then the Scavi and then the Basilica if the line isn't too long.

I just received a confirmation via email but I can't figure out how to pay. It said do not reply to this email. Can anyone help?? Thanks

I just received a confirmation via email but I can't figure out how to pay. It said do not reply to this email. Can anyone help?? Thanks

See my post above yours!

We did the Scavi tour last November...

You really don't have a choice. Pay up front to the Vatican via email. Just watch your cc account... I have done this many many times........ so far so good. I always try to use the same credit card when booking multiple tours overseas and then I watch the account for a bit afterwards.

I just finished purchasing my Scavi tickets and I have some reassuring news for anyone concerned about charging online Vatican tickets. In contrast to texancruzer, we did not include our credit card number in an email message. Instead, we were given an idReqest number and a Protocol number to use accessing a https, a secure, web site.

In fact, there is yet another layer of protection for access: I had to put in a pop-up number which combined upper and lower case letters and numbers. I don't know whether there are problems with the web site, but I had to input my access codes five times before things moved successfully to the next page.

We had taken precautions by selecting a little used charge card (to spot fraudulent activity easily) from a company that has good fraud protection. Happily, with a secure web site, the opportunity for problems has gone way down. Buying our Scavi tickets was no different from buying from any online retailer using a secure web site (e.g. Ticketmaster, Amazon, etc).

I'd go to the Vatican museum first too. Note: don't stand in the security line that is outside the Basilica, instead head around to the right to the museum. The day we were there the security line into the museum was non-existant.

We had tickets and a certain time to be at the Vatican, but, on that day, at least, it was probably not necessary. I'd get them anyway, though.

With teenage boys a couple of hours in the museum might be enough, depending on their tolerance for history and art. If possible, exit through the far doors of the Sistine Chapel because then you won't have to go through the loooong security lines for the Basilica. (except later if you climb the dome)

Leave yourself a little time before the Scavi tour and be sure to check any bags or backpacks much larger than a purse as you can't take them into the underground area. The area to check bags is kind of below the Sistine Chapel exit and the Basilica.

The Scavi tour is around to the left. I enjoyed it a lot, my husband less so as he felt somewhat claustrophobic. I didn't help that we had a very slow group ahead of us so we spent some time waiting after each area for them to clear. Even our guide didn't quite know what to do with the extra time.

We were able to go directly into the Basilica, which was ideal for us, but it sounds like if you want to climb the dome you have to exit, go through the security line, climb the dome and then see the Basilica.

Be warned it will probably be very hot and very crowded. It was steaming when we were there (about 90) and that was late April! Also be prepared for long lines, of course, and wear proper dress.

Here is a great link to the Vatican necropolis. http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/necropoli/scavi_english.html

This site has 360 degree pictures of the necropolis and it is a very well done site.