Scavi (excavations) St. Peter's Tomb and St. Peters Basilica
Description
Pre-tour introduction covering the history of the Vatican and the highlights of St. Peter’s Basilica, helping you better understand the significance of the sites you’ll visit. The exclusive Scavi Tour beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, where you’ll explore ancient burial sites and visit the traditional tomb of Saint Peter — one of the Vatican’s most unique areas, normally closed to the public. Skip-the-line access to St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing you to enter the world-famous church without the long wait. Inside, admire masterpieces by Michelangelo and Bernini, including the iconic Pietà. Optional Dome climb for panoramic views over Vatican City and Rome, plus a closer look at the basilica’s mosaics and architecture.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet our staff at St. Peter's Square within splendid Bernini's Colonnade and stop for a photo by the Bronze Doors, the ceremonial Vatican entrance, guarded by the Swiss Guards
Re-enter St. Peter's Basilica to continue with the guided tour. See the highlights of the church including Bernini's “Baldacchino” and Michelangelo's “Pietà” Your guided tour will end inside St. Peter's and you may stay on for your further private exploration
Enter St. Peter's Basilica with skip line pass and walk through the lower level of St. Peter's Basilica lined with tombs of Pope's
Visit ancient Roman cemetery with tombs and preserved decorations from the 1st century AD. Learn why St. Peter was martyred at Nero's Circus in 64 AD and why he was buried at the Roman cemetery on the slope of the Vatican hill, later covered by the construction of the first Vatican basilica at the time of emperor Constantine. Pay respect at St. Peter's Tomb excavated together with the necropolis over 80 years ago under Pope Pius XII. This is the most exclusive Vatican tour with fewer than 100 permits granted per day.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour is no available for children under 15
Reviews(189)
We met Elizabeth outside the St. Peter's Square. She took us to the square and really gave us a nice briefing on the history of the Vatican itself. It was very detailed and we understood her perfectly. She was patient, kind, and we could see she had Christ in her. She took us to the Scavi office where a Vatican employee took us underground for the last part of the tour. It was a little underwhelming at first, but the last part of the tour was worth it. To see the burial sites of so many different pipes was very overwhelming.
Very unique experience and amazing guides.
It costs an additional 25. euros when you get there which is ridiculous. Recent 45 minutes in the Sun listening to a preview which was not needed, then taken to the site and waited another 15 minutes outside Dow a different guide . It’s kind of cool inside but definitely not worth 150 euros. Find something better . Oh and there was no one at the first place for tickets and you did not need to redeem your voucher another 40 minutes of wasted time.
It was a special experience: You can experience the basilica from a completely different angle. We received a lot of information. With a group of 12 people, it was ideal. So beautiful. Never seen anything like it!
This was a great tour but as with anything with the Vatican they can change it at the last minute and rune you plans.
There were 4 of us on this tour. the Viator tour guide gave us 45 minutes of history of the Vatican in the square and handed us over to the local tour company. We continued to the site and It was unfortunate that a power outage at the excavation site caused us not to be able to complete the tour. At that point the person who took us to the site said we would receive an email if the site were available the next day. No such email was received and I went to the Tour Company two days later and asked for a refund of the 100 euros paid to enter the excavations. since none of that cash was given to the Scavi location, I expected a refund. we then needed to contact the Viator tour Guide who spoke with the local Tour company and we were able, after a good deal of back and forth, able to join a Scavi tour late that day. We were not able to use the head phones in the basilica since it was too late once we exited the excavations. the $500 I paid for the four of us for this tour was not worth it since none of that money was paid to the Scavi Tour guide. and the 45 minute Vatican lesson was hardly worth $500. you can get tickets to the excavation (scavi) tour directly from the Vatican and only pay $20 per person. I've used Viator before and been happy with the cost vs the service. not this time. I would like a substantial refund of the $500 since since the 100 Euros was paid, at least most of it, to the Scavi Tour. thank you, Ignacio Delgado
Dear Visitor Thank you for your comments. We are sorry that you experienced such an unusual obstacle during your Scavi Tour visit. A power cut in St. Peter’s Basilica is indeed a rare occurrence. We are glad that your on-site host was able to reschedule your visit for the same day, as access to the Scavi is notoriously limited and often sold out well in advance. Regarding the price of the tour, please note that it is in line with other accredited operators. The amount you mentioned refers only to the admission ticket, not the full cost of the guided tour. Additionally, same-day purchases are only possible if there is a cancellation. We are also sorry that you were unable to collect the headphones with the pre-recorded tour, as your second Scavi visit ended rather late in the evening. We therefore feel obliged to offer a refund of €25 per person, totaling €100. We hope that, despite these inconveniences, your visit was a deep and moving experience, and that it remains one of the most memorable sites you visited during your stay in Rome. With warmest regards, Francesca Conti
This was a great experience to go underground and see the tomb of St. Peter. We started the tour with our first guide Silvia. She talked to us for about 45 minutes on the history of the Basilica. I had taken a tour 2 years ago that talked mostly about the work inside the Basilica and this one was almost all new information to me which was great. She then took us to the office. There was some kind of problem with our tickets but Silvia got it solved for us. Then she and someone from the office took us to the next area (skip the line) which was fantastic. This is where Silvia left us with the other lady. She walked us to our check in and then told us we had to wait 45 minutes for the tour and then just left. We thought this was strange and we're skeptical. But then Silvia showed up out of no where and was shocked at what had happened. She stayed with us to make sure we got on the next tour which ended up only being a 30 minute wait and not 45. However once we got on the tour there was 20 people, which is way bigger than what they say is supposed to be on it. And once you get inside you can see why they stick to 12-15 people. These are the 2 reasons I gave this a 4 star and not a 5 star. Our guide inside for the underground was fantastic. She navigated the big group underground and made sure everyone had time to see everything. I know it is difficult to see St. Peters tomb without setting it up this way so over all I was OK with the price and some of the wait in order to see St. Peters tomb. If you want to make sure you can see his tomb and cant get it through the vatican, then this is the way to do it.
Agnes was very helpful and nice. Very informative and handy. Bring cash because they dont take credit cards
Informative and easy to arrange. Agnes was very knowledgeable. Slight hiccup with timing of Scavi tour but otherwise great !
Sylvia was the kindest, most gracious Vatican group host!! Both of our guides were incredibly knowledgeable - very descriptive histories of all we saw were covered in detail. The Scavi tour is a very special treat for any Pilgrim 🙏🏼