tribi

Hello everyone I am having trouble trying to decide how to work out my days in Rome, I am arriving on a sunday afternoon and have a 3:00 Scavi Tour appointment on monday, I will be leaving Rome on wednesday. My question is should I do St. Peters's, The Vatican, and Scavi tour on the same day? from your experience is it better to do it in 2 days.

thank you so much for your advice

tribi

Made a mistake I am really arriving on Saturday

kybourbon

You could book an early morning tour (10:30) of the museum for Monday (they are only two hours long), have lunch in the museum cafeteria, exit through the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's (bypasses security line) and still be on time for your 3:00 Scavi tour. If you want to spend more time in the museum, then you can tour St. Peter's after your Scavi tour. I think I would do it all in one day and leave your other days open to other parts of Rome.

I just saw your Saturday post. You might also consider going to St. Peters on Sunday to see the Pope (Sunday Blessing)and tour St. Peter's then.

bratsandbeer

We did all 3 on the same day. We had lunch in the cafeteria at the Vatican.

The Scavi Tour is great - if I remember right we had to check in our belongings on the opposite side of St Peters from where you must meet for the tour. Allow plenty of time to be ready to go with the tour as they stay on schedule. Even our umbrellas and purses had to be checked in. It was raining a little that day. We had to stand outside until we were let in for the tour.

tribi

Thank you all for your responses.
kybourbon, I am booking my vatican tour directly with them I just want to know if they cover every area of the museum and the sistine chapel or just a few rooms?

bratsandbeer:
My husband an son will be doing the scavi tour, do you know where can I wait for them while they are there.

bratsandbeer

Just inside St Peters there are stone/marble benches. We sat there for a break. That would work - fun to watch the people coming and going. Can't remember how long the tour was but didn't seem that long.
Too bad you aren't going on the Scave Tour also. It is one of the highlights of all my travel in Europe.

Vttraveler

It seems like a lot to fit all three into one day but it is hard to tell without knowing what else you want to see in Rome and where you will be staying

We toured the Vatican museums on our own for about 4 hours then went up to the top of the Janiculum for the view of Rome and walked downhill into Trastevere, stopping to see Bramante's Tempietto at San Pietro in Montorio and Santa Maria in Trastevere. It was nice to be outdoors after the museums and to have a break from the crowds.

You certainly won't see everything in a 2 hour tour of the Vatican museums--the collection is huge. We saw the Sistine chapel, Raphael rooms, the library, some of the modern art collection, some highlights of the Pinacoteca

We actually went to the Vatican three times during a 7 day stay (a second time to tour St. Peter's and a third time to meet friends for dinner) It really did not take long to get there (by bus along the Tiber) from the apartment we were renting in the ghetto neighborhood

sarge56

I agree with kybourbon. You have plenty of time to do the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's before your Scavi. Just get there early.

We took a Context Rome tour through the Vatican Musuems. It was just the highlights, but it was perfect for us and we absolutely loved the tour guide! She was so animated and full of information, you would have thought that she knew all the artists personally! I highly recommend them!

The Scavi tour was wonderful. If you want to wait, there is a little restaurant just off the south side of St. Peter's Square. It is called the Colonnade. They had the best gelato we ate in all of Italy! We also ate lunch there. They have small buffet line. We had spaghetti and salad and both were very good. You could get some gelato there and walk around the little stores in the area.

kybourbon

tribi - There is no way the tour can cover all the museum in two hours. I don't know of any tours that cover all of the museum. They will likely take you on a route to hit the highlights (maybe a few rooms that the general tours don't go to) and end in the Sistine Chapel which is what most tours do. It doesn't mean you have to leave the museum at the end of the tour if there is something else you wanted to see.

MelJ

Just chiming in because I received confirmation for our Scavi tour in early November and I am EXCITED!

Been to the Vatican twice before, but have never done this. My DH has not been to Rome and I also planned to work in a tour the same day as our 3:00 Scavi tour. Sounds like the best plan is to arrange a mid-morning tour, lunch in the cafeteria and wander until 3:00.

Thanks!

TDudette

My 2 cents also! If you are not taking an organized Vatican Museum tour, get there just before opening time. I have seen dauntingly long lines. Tour groups were ushered in first when we were there some years ago. I say take entire morning for Vatican Museum-it is so vast; take lunch, then go to St. Peters and walk around before the Scavi tour. Or, reverse Scavi/St. Peters if you linger at lunch.

daveesl

If you want a real treat, and can afford a substantial cost, do the after-hours Vatican Museum tour through Italy with Us. 250 euros each, but it is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event. You are virtually alone (like 30 other people) through the museums and the Sistine.

When you see the normal mob of people that visit the museums, you'll understand why this is so special.

www.italywithus.com

dave

WebVisionItaly

I would get in line for the Vatican Museum first thing in the morning.

Do not be turned off by the long line - it really moves fast. Once inside the museum it is so big you'll be surprised by the amount of space you will find among the masses. The further you walk into the museum the less people you will find, especially in the AM.

If you still have energy, after the morning in the Vatican Musuem, I'd go directly into St Peter's to see the Pieta, the Berninis, and some of the other great sculpture.

The I'd have a light snack before muy 3P tour.

I'd plan 3 hours for Vatican Musuem. 1 hour for St Peter's. The eyes eat so much in this time I always become full.

Some times when we are in Rome we will spend two full days at the Vatican, but we are art lovers and jsut cannot get enough!

lvillinois

Bookmark...we also have a 3pm Scavi tour and were wondering how best to allot our time, thanks for answering our questions before we asked them!