I got a reservation for a Saturday morning and I have to confirm within a few days with payment, however I am not sure if I should do this tour after all. Also I am not sure if I will have time to see the Vatican Museum afterwards if lineups are long, as it closes early on Saturdays.

1. The Vatican Museums close at the same time on Saturday as on every other day: at 6:00 pm, with last entry at 4:00 pm.

2. You can book a timed entry to the Vatican Museums and avoid waiting in line at all.

If you can do the Scavi tour, I would highly recommend it. It is a fantastic experience that you will remember for a long time. For me, it was like taking a journey back in time as you head underground and see and actually be able to walk these streets of Rome as they were centuries ago. It was magnificent.

I agree with Tiggy. It is not something I would pass up. It was the highlight of my Rome visit. (I was raised Catholic, but I don't think you need to be a Catholic, or even a Christian, to appreciate the history found here.)

It does not take that long, AND when you come out, you can walk right into the Basilica without having to stand in line.

I believe our tour took 45 mts. FYI.

Have a wonderful time.

Book the Scavi tour (it's only an hour or so) and book an admission ticket to the museum for later in the day. Then you don't have to stand in line.
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do

Yep... totally agree. Book the Scavi tour... only about 150 people are allowed in each day so consider yourself lucky if you get on a tour! You will see what many millions of tourists to Rome have never even heard of! Obviously, I thought it was completely worth it!

As kybourbon says, book you museum tour later in the same day. If you're not doing the Wednesday audience with the Pope, you can do the Scavi tour, the Musuem/Sistene Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica all in the same day.

Oops... sorry... just re-read your message that you have a Saturday tour. No problem with the Wednesday audience then!

joanna... should clarify that there are no Scavi tours on Wednesdays when the Pope holds audience, due to security. (We found this out on our last trip.) FYI.

Sarge56... FYI, I took the Scavi tour on a Wednesday this past October at 3:15PM after attending the General Audience that morning.

I booked the Vatican Museum tour on Thursday because I was afraid I couldn't do the entire Vatican in one day.

Hmmm.. maybe they changed the policy. We were told no tours that day. Perhaps there was a communication issue and they said no morning tours. But pretty sure they said none that day.

Sorry for any misinfo- reckon' if you're going, you should check with the Excavations office.

thanks, joannyc

It would be cool to be on the Scavi tour while the Pope has the Wednesday audience. When I was on the tour there was a mass above in St. Peter's and you could hear the sound trickling down.

<i><font color=blue>"I am not sure if I should do this tour after all."</font></i>

Why not?

<i><font color=blue>"Also I am not sure if I will have time to see the Vatican Museum afterwards if lineups are long"</font></i>

Sounds like you are worrying needlessly. Your visit isn't on a "free" Sunday, when the line can last two hours. You don't say when you are going. In the afternoon in winter, I've walked into the Vatican with no line.

After many trips to Rome, the Scavi tour is one of the things that is the most memorable...do not miss it as others have urged.

Sarge... maybe the misunderstanding was with the guards. I asked them when leaving the General Audience at what time St. Peter's would be open. They told me that it would not be open that day (Wednesday), that it would reopen the following day (all was spoken in English). So, I left and did another site and a quick lunch before the Scavi tour. St. Peter's Basilica was open that afternoon when I returned!

Hate to think that the guards at the Vatican were lying to me!!! I will assume that it was a miscommunication in our English!

The Scavi Tour is one of the highlights of all of my travels. If you have the opportunity do not pass it up.

we just booked a scavi tour for February [sent my e-mail with possible dates one day, got a reply offering a tour the next!]

in the e-mail they sent me, they gave the following info:

<<On the following dates the Excavations will be closed during 2010: January 1 and 6, February 11, March 19, April 1-6 (Easter), May 1 and 13, June 3 and 29, August 14-16, November 1-2, December 8 and 24-27 (Christmas) and 31 december 2010>>

no mention of closures on any particular day of the week.

Everything I have read, here and elsewhere, suggests that it's really worth doing. i only found out about it because of this forum, so we didn't do it the first time we went.

annhig, I too thought it was a new record! I mailed off yesterday for a tour at end of April and- lo and behold- received a reply today!

We are scheduled for a 3:15pm tour in English on Friday, April 30th.

Methinks the Vatican has come into the 21st century AND hired someone new in the Excavations office!

Again, Scavi tour should NOT be missed. Price is a measly 12E per person.

Buon viaggio!

Bookmarking - Useful information for our future trip!

Methinks the Vatican has come into the 21st century AND hired someone new in the Excavations office>>

yes sarge - I stupidly missed my credit card no off my confirmation e-mail and almost immediately got back a message to tell me so. very impressive after reading so many posts about how slow they are. no longer it would appear.

and the office opens saturdays - I just got my confirmation e-mail. it took 2 days, which includes a delay because I forgot a vital detail.