*👉🏻 Best Tours & Experiences in Rome:* ✝ St. Peter's Basilica and Papal Tombs Guided Tour - gyg.me/tYlQyamd ✝ Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Tour - gyg.me/eYqChsRM ✝ VIP Key Master's Tour: Open The Sistine Chapel - tinyurl.com/4dk737nw 🏛 Colosseum Underground, Arena & Forum Tour - gyg.me/aB8MWKKy 🛌 FIND ACCOMMODATIONS NEAR THE VATICAN booking.stay22.com/romewise/kNHQQJnq5X
I was informed by a nun that I could visit the site. She saw me sitting outside the basilica. I will never forget that experience. Especially kneeling in front of the bones. Truly amazing
You are the best source of practical Rome info. I wish we had found you before our trip to Rome in March. The weather was excellent and we survived the crowds, but couldn't keep up with the younger tour guides. Neverthe less, we had a great time both in Rome and in Florence. Keep up the good work.
Another excellent video!! Thank you! You summed up the whole experience really well. We went on a tour in February and it was great. We are not religious but really appreciated the layers of Rome history and of the Roman Catholic Church. 😊
That's why I wanted to describe the tour it's for anyone, even non-religious people, because it's a fascinating archeological site and so special to visit it. I'm glad you enjoyed the tour and especially glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks so much for your comments!
There are so many video/vlogs out there about rome giving advice etc. Yours howeverr is the only one i subscribed to as you really give practical, well explained straightforward tips and guidance. My family and i will be there in mid Nov, and we are using your videos and website to plan our 5 days. 1000 thank you's for the greatjob you doing.
This was a fantastic video, thank you so much for making it! I emailed the Vatican immediately after watching and received confirmation within 10 days that I have 3 tickets in English for September. As always, you provide the very best information related to Rome. I have a question that I'm sure you will have the answer to: What is the best way to get tickets to climb St. Perer's dome since we will already be inside - without having to wait in a long line? Is it necessary to hook beforehand or can you just get them once inside? Thanks again for making truly helpful videos!
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I am really happy that watching my video helped you get tickets for your September visit! I am also so grateful for your comments about my videos. It's truly a pleasure to create these when I know they are helpful. To climb Saint Peter's dome - once you are inside the basilica after you finish your scavi tour, just go buy tickets for the dome and up you go. There really is not much of a wait if any to purchase tickets. You should be fine just buying them inside. The only way to buy them in advance is to book and pay for a tour which I think is unnecessary. Hope you have a great time! I'd love to hear how it goes - if you think of it, please come back and let us know here in the comments!
Another great video Elyssa with wonderful insight and advice. We are arriving in Rome on Wednesday 12 July and we will be doing so many things you have recommended including climbing the Dome of St Peter's. Thanks and ciao Roma.
Thank you so much for all your kind comments and support. I hope you have a wonderful visit to Rome this month. I'd love to hear how it goes. Please come back and let us know here in the comments if you get a chance! Buon viaggio!
Thank you so much for your kind words! A viewer asked for this video and I understand why there are not a lot of videos about this site - no photos or video allowed. But I was hoping that my explanation would be enough to give the sense of it. I am grateful you think I did just that!
Many thanks Elyssa for these excellent explanations. We have just booked our visit to St Peter's tomb during our stay in Rome at the beginning of September. Another fantastic visit booked thanks to your invaluable advice. You're the best!!! Gracie mille!!! Ciao
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you find my videos helpful and happy to hear you were able to book your scavi tour. I hope you have a wonderful time! Thanks again for your kind comments.
That's great! I've done the tour quite a few times and it's slightly different each time, which makes it even more interesting! Have a wonderful visit this winter!
I toured the Necropolis 4 years ago. Visiting St. Peter’s tomb was very humbling. We came up through the grotto and walked past Pope St. Paul VI’s tomb before exiting. We are coming back at the end of September-October. Will get to celebrate Mass there this time and take the Vatican train to the Pope’s summer palace for lunch. Cannot wait.
It's a very special thing indeed to visit Saint Peter's tomb, and I agree, visiting the grotto afterward is also wonderful although people mention it less. I think you will love the Pope's summer garden at Castel Gandolfo. I did a video about it: th-cam.com/video/VkvaSneHbWU/w-d-xo.html I hope you have a wonderful visit this fall!
Hello lovely lady! Back in February after watching this video, I wrote to scavi office, I was not optimistic because we plan to go during busy weekend in April. To my biggest surprise today I received positive answer! So happy, and this is because your valuable information... Thank you so much!😁
Wonderful! So glad it worked out for you! I hope you have an amazing visit this spring. Please come back and let me know here in the comments how you liked the scavi visit!
Just arrived back from a short stay in Rome - our first visit. Thanks to this video, we managed to apply for and get tickets for the St Peter's Tomb tour. SO THANK YOU for this tip. This was definitely one of our fave experiences (and prob one of the least expensive 'activities' we did during our 3 days, at just €13 per person). It was a fascinating experience - not to mention the exciting entrance that felt like we were going through 'staff-only areas' of Vatican City. And then, at the end, going straight into the Basilica, this is definitely a SECRET 'activity' that people should apply for. Also, Your 'Scavi' confirmation letter gives you further discounts for a Basilica Audio guide and the Dome if you want to use it (we did for the Dome, and if you show your letter at the Dome ticket booth inside the Basilica, you get a few Euros off for the Elevator to the Dome). Thank you.
I am so glad you got to do this visit! I agree, I think it's one of the most special things you can do in Rome. Thank you for letting me know that you got this tip from me. I'm also happy to hear you were able to get the most out of your visit and also get the audio guide to the basilica and climb the dome! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Any other tips on obtainiing a resvervation, I've tried to fax for several days and fax just keeps redialing , I've even emailed with no response . Thanks for any ideas
@@JoeAIdar When is your trip? It may be too early. I've found that most people do receive a response but sometimes it can take a while, especially if your trip is months away.
You are very welcome. We are hearing that temps in Rome are very high. A suggestion from my wife for a future video: Advice to older people (like us) who can't walk as fast as some of the younger tour guides. Thanks again and stay cool!
Yes the heat is really intense these days. Best to stay inside during the day! Actually, your wife's suggestion is a very good one, and something I've been asked to comment on more than once! I think there is a real need here for some slower-paced tours! BTW I highly recommend a golf-cart tour - perfect for people who don't want to or can't walk as much, and definitely perfect for this heat!
@@Romewise Thank you. We saw golf cart tours being popular. We also were thinking next time we should just buy admission tickets and download one of the many audio tours online, such as Rick Steves Audio Europe app. But finding and buying admission tickets versus tours is confusing. On tours, you are herded through with thousands of other people. We also took a nighttime tour of Rome which was great (a totally different vib) and with fewer people at the popular sites. BTW, thanks for those "Rome in xxx month" videos. Very useful in determining options for when to travel.
@@OhioCircuitRider Agree, sometimes the tour options can be dizzying. Also agree that visiting Rome at night is wonderful. Thanks again for your kind comments - I'm really glad you find my videos helpful!
I'm so glad I could help! I also find many people don't realize they can do this visit and often think it's the same as visiting the Vatican grottoes. I hope you will go - and please come back and let us know here in the comments how you liked it!
Hi Elyssa! First of all, thanks to this video we acknowledged the Scavi even existed. We tried to book and today got an answer, it's scheduled to 10 in the morning, but we got tickets to the Vatican Museums at 9. We don't want to miss this opportunity since it's our first trip to Europe. The only thing i can think of, is to arrive as early as possible to the VM to maybe get inside way before 9 (we can make it to 8 am), see the Sistine Chapel and leave to the Scavi. It hurts, but that is the only option i can think of, outside of obviously cancel the Scavi. Any input about this would be much appreciated! :')
Thanks so much for watching and for letting me know you were able to get a scavi ticket - congratulations! They can be hard to come by. First of all, I'd write them back and let them know you have 9am VM tickets and ask if it's possible to move the scavi date/time. Then if it is not possible, I personally would just eat the cost of the VM tickets and purchase them again at a different date/time. It's much harder to get scavi tickets than VM tickets. If you purchased your VM tickets through a reseller, then you may be able to get a refund, but if you booked through the official site, they are non-changeable and non-refundable, so as I said, if you can't change your scavi tickets, then you have to choose between them. It is completely impossible to visit the Vatican Museums and still make it to a 10Am scavi visit.
Hi Elyysa, just back from our week in Rome and we did the climb to the top of St Peter's Dome which we booked via a link on your great RomeWise site. We did the climb without the elevator and wow the climb was hard bur was so worth it a bucket list item to be crossed off. Once again everyone Elyssa'a expertise is perfect, listen to this lady and you will have a great visit to Rome. Thanks Elyssa.
Thank you so much Peter! I am so grateful for all your support and glad you found my tips helpful. It is indeed a challenge to climb that dome but what a reward! Thank you again for all your kind words and comments.
This is extremely helpful. Thank you for making this! I sent an email request for several dates months from now about a day ago, but I haven’t heard back. Should I follow up with them?
Thank you! You should hear back from them fairly quickly. Maybe if you don't hear by the end of this week, follow up. Please let me know here in the comments - I hope it goes smoothly for you!
@@Romewise I was able to give them a follow-up call and learned I have a reservation (yay!), but they are delayed in sending confirmation mail/payment requests. Thank you again for your advice. I really appreciate it!
Very clear. When we went in 2016, which we booked on the day... we were the only people on the tour, and they took us inside the cellas and we could see the sarcophagus of Peter very close. Quite astonishing. Just suggesting that people go to Ostia to see an existing OUTDOOR necropolis, it makes the Vatican scavi more understandable. I also have photos. Also, make sure you look on the pavement under the obelisk to see how it functions as a gnomon (like S. Maaria deglia angeli). Your videos are very good - tx from Canada.
Thanks so much for taking the time to post these helpful comments! Yes, I think this tour is really interesting and worth trying to get tickets for. Good point about seeing the necropolis at Ostia. And it's a fairly easy trip, too. Also a good top about the obelisk. Thanks again for your kind comments!
Thanks so much! Gosh I'm sorry I don't know which music we used. We once used a music company called MusicBed and it was from there but now we use a different one.
Very well done and informative video, thank you! (P.S., I kinda expected to see Dwight Schrute with you as you remind me of Angela from The Office lol)
Thank you! I'm glad you find the video interesting. You are not the first person to tell me I remind them of Angela - although she had some quirky traits, she is a cat lady and so am I, so I will take it as a compliment! :)
Just received my confirmation notification from the Vatican for our tickets this morning. We are going in April so it is true that you need to book early if you want to visit this amazing site. Have been to the Vatican many times in the past, but this will be the first time visiting the tomb.
I paid the Sistiana chapel guide like 50 euros to skip the line and go directly into saint peter's basiclla. It was the best 50 euro i ever spend since it was pouring that day and they weren't allowing many people inside the main church.
For those wanting to go in the fall of 2024, this is from the email I just received: "Dear visitors, due to maintenance work in the archaeological area under St. Peter, guided tours of the necropolis and tomb of St. Peter will be suspended from 17 August 2024 to 3 November 2024. We apologize for the inconvenience caused. "
Yes, I had heard this. I had already updated the description of this video with that news at the very top. It's unfortunate for those coming these next few months, but they are doing a lot of preparations all over Rome and at the Vatican for the 2025 Jubilee. Sorry if you are one of the people whose plans were disappointed by this news!
Hello Elyssa! Congratulations on all your videos, they are a lot of help for us who are planning to visit Rome! I booked a Guided Tour to the Vatican Museum at 11h30, which should last around 2 hours and we have booked the guided tour to the Necropolis under the Basilica of St. Peter and the tomb of the Apostle Peter, at 14h15. I know time will be tight between tours, but do you think we can make it? Is it better to walk or take a taxi from the Vatican museum exit to the Ufficio Scavi? In our case, are there any tips or recommendations? I imagine that just two hours at the Vatican Museum is a short time. Is there any possibility of returning later, or even of entering the museum before tour time to start the visit, then at tour time we can meet up with the group? Thank you in advanced.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Well yes, it's going to be tight but it's manageable. Your tour will end around 13:45. From the exit of the VM to the entrance to the scavi, it's about a 15-20 minute walk if you know where you're going and if you hustle. You must be punctual for that tour as they do not let you in if you are late. I know I myself could walk it. If I were you, I'd map out the walk and make sure to know exactly where you are going. Give yourself a little leeway. And if your tour is taking longer than you want, you can always peel off and leave it, knowing you need to be standing outside the VM by no later than 13:45. No, there is no re-entry to the museums, and no, you can't enter before your booking time. So your only options are: 1. Just visit them in the 2 hrs you have and decide that's fine. 2. Change your VM tour to a different day so you can be more relaxed. 3. Visit the VM with this tour for a once-over and if you want to go back, book a second visit without a guide so you can visit what you want. You may find this helpful, should you decide to book a second visit: th-cam.com/video/5ac7cvBH0iY/w-d-xo.html Hope that helps!
@@Romewise Thank you so much for your reply! Very complete! Would it be possible to change the date/hour of the VM Tour? I thought it wouldn't be possible.
No, unfortunately, it's not possible to change the date/time of your VM visit if you purchased on the official site. If you booked through a tour agency, you should check with them for their terms and conditions. Some agencies may allow it if they have not yet purchased the tickets on your behalf. @@fabioadaly
Viewing your directional guides could result into “ tour priorities diarrhea”...information overload. But all are outstanding videos. No doubt abou it. Watching your videos are enough satisfaction as if one has been actually in the Vatican!🙏🏻🌹😆🇵🇭
FYI: Just received this. Dear visitors, due to maintenance work in the archaeological area under St. Peter, guided tours of the necropolis and tomb of St. Peter will be suspended from 17 August 2024 to 3 November 2024.
Yes, I just found out about this. Yesterday I updated my description of this video with that news. I am assuming it's due to preparations for the Jubilee. I'm sorry if your visit was cancelled.
September is peak season, but you should be able to get a spot! I'd love to hear how it goes for you...if you have time, please come back and let us know here in the comments!
This tour only includes a tour of the Necropolis underneath Saint Peter's Basilica. At the end, you will have access to Saint Peter's Basilica but there is no tour included with that. Visiting the Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel is a completely different thing. They are in a different area of Vatican City and must be booked separately. www.romewise.com/visiting-the-vatican.html
I have a flight landing in ROME at 12:05pm August 26 and my hotel is Hotel Hoxton. My vacation in Italy is part of a 10 day NCL cruise. I’m guessing that I will get checked in at the hotel around 1:00pm-1:30pm. Check-out will be the next day that an NCL shuttle will take me to the port before the ship sails possibly around 4 or 6. Because my time is short in Rome, what would you recommend? I don’t mind night tours. My wish list is as follows:Sistine Chappel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Colosseum, and Trivi Fountain. Wish you were my tour guide😄😄😄Thank you!
enjoy, make sure you hit the Roman Forum(its on the way from Vatican to Colesseum), Pantheon(near Trevi) and Elyssa has many great suggestions. Make sure no shorts and shoulders covered
WOW! Your time is short in Rome. You'll need to choose whether you want quantity or quality in your site selection. Once you have been to Rome, you will want to go back, for a longer visit, and see more sites with more time for each. Nonetheless, good luck to you and enjoy your cruise!!!
Hmmm you have a very short time in Rome and it sounds a bit difficult to see all these things! If you land in Rome at noon, you will be at your hotel around 2pm. You could then quickly freshen up and go back out. If you have the energy and can stay up (if you don't suffer too much from jet lag), you could visit the Trevi Fountain and then I'd suggest just a walk down the via dei Fori Imperiali to see the Colosseum from the outside. Maybe climb Campidoglio so you can see the view of the Roman Forum. The next day, maybe book a morning tour of the Vatican as long as it will give you time to get back to your hotel to catch the shuttle. I don't think this is going to be easy as it allows almost no down time but I hope you will enjoy the short time you have!
No, the tour you are taking includes the Vatican Grottoes, also known as the Papal tombs, where many popes are buried. It's accessible right from inside Saint Peter's Basilica. The tomb of Saint Peter is BELOW THAT and requires a separate, special ticket, as I've outlined in the video.
Just print out the email and pass it to them (or show it on your phone), the office prints your tickets right before the tour (after the security ect.) the Swiss guards also wanted to see the confirmation email before letting us through 😀
Hi! I booked my ticket for the Vatican Museums at 10am and I want to visit St Peters Basilica before (arriving at opening time), is there a way to book my way up to the dome or is it only possible to buy it when I'm there? I wanna make sure I get to see the basilica and the dome in time to go to the museums
I would strongly advise against this. You can arrive when Saint Peter's basilica opens at 6:50am, although lately there are lines now even at that hour. But they should move quickly. Then once you go in, you can climb the dome. Just know that climbing the dome takes about an hour or more less, which includes going up, walking around and taking photos, and coming back down. Then presumably you might want to visit the basilica itself. That's at least another hour although you could see it in less time if you just walked around quickly. For your 10Am Vatican Museums ticket, you need to arrive by 9:45 so give yourself time to go through security. There is 15 minutes' leeway on either side of your ticket, so you could arrive as late as say 10am. Just know it is about a 15-20 minute walk from Saint Peter's square to the entrance of the Vatican Museums. So you would need to leave the basilica by about 9, 9:15 at latest. While you maybe be able to visit the basilica and climb the dome, it's going to be rushed and exhausting. I would not advise this if you can do it another way. I'd suggest you visit the basilica and climb the dome after the museums, so you don't have the time crunch hanging over you. I'd even advise you visit the basilica and climb the dome on a separate day if you can, as both visits are tiring. Bottom line, you can do it if you go right when it opens. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to get to the Museums. And just know it's going to be quite tiring.
We're currently in rome and my daughter wants to visit a necropolis. Which one would you recommend if you could only do one? We already have tickets for Vatican museum on monday. Is there any other necropolis as fascinating thats not in the Vatican city? Thanks for all your help in planning our vacation
Have you tried this one: th-cam.com/video/Z-fP9C5Fo8A/w-d-xo.html or this: th-cam.com/video/sVAY223K0DA/w-d-xo.html Here are some of the webpages with my best tips for visiting underground sites: www.romewise.com/rome-underground.html www.romewise.com/catacombs-of-rome.html
In answer to your question, if I could do only one underground visit, it would be the Domus Aurea. If I could visit only one necropolis or catacomb, it would be Santa Priscilla.
@Romewise on 2nd thought, we don't mind doing the Vatican city on multiple days. So would you still recommend Santa Priscilla over the via trimphalis? . She's 14 so I guess the scavi is out of question. Thanks again
@@abipopoola2390 They are just very different. The Via Triumphalis is a real necropolis. It's easy to see from all the walkways above. Santa Priscilla is a catacomb, also a city of the dead, but a different kind of visit. They are both excellent experiences.
Thank you so much for your always prompt and concise responses. We did the via triumphalis and enjoyed it. I was secretly hoping we would be let out into the Vatican city center afterwards 😂😂 but we'll be back at the museum and basilica tomorrow anyway. Thank you again for all your help.
At this time, there are no outside companies offering tours of Saint Peter's tomb. There have been in the past but right now, there are none. Maybe they will come back considering we expect large numbers of visitors in 2024 and 2025. Your best bet is to check Viator and GetYourGuide and keep checking back.
He Elisa thanks a lot for the video and all your help to us planning visits to rome! I wrote to vatican more than a month ago and didnt get an answer... i dont think ill get The tickets... Can you tell me if th entrence from inside the basilica can give any acsses to st peters tumb? Thanks a lot!!
Sorry you did not get a response. You could try again. No, there is no way to get to St. Peter's tomb from inside St. Peter's Basilica. From there, you can visit the grottoes where many popes are buried, but access to Saint Peter's tomb and the necropolis are only accessible from the outside.
I sent an email request on Aug 6 for an English Scavi tour for the first week of January. Didn't receive an email confirming that they received my email so kept my fingers crossed and they replied on Oct 23 with a date and a tour time of 3 PM. We're going to try and visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel first and then walk all the way around to go through security again and then go to St. Peter's Basilica (hopefully we won't have to wait 2 hours!) before the Scavi tour. It's probably better to book tours to save time and sanity but my husband disapproves of tours 😞Hope everything works out!
Please don't stand in line to visit the basilica. In my video, I explain that at the end of your scavi tour, you come out into Saint Peter's Basilica. So there is NO NEED to go in from the front. You will have already gone through security to visit the scavi, so this is a huge bonus that you get to just pop right into the basilica after your tour. Enjoy!
@@Romewise Oh yes, I did see that. Thanks for the reminder. We were thinking of going to Castel Sant'Angelo after the scavi, that's why we were going to go to the basilica before the scavi but I don't think we'll have the energy and time to go to Castel Sant'Angelo so we'll follow your advice and see the basilica after the scavi. Thank you!
I think you are wise to try Castel Sant'Angelo a different day. Visiting the Vatican takes a lot of energy, no matter which visit you do! Have a great time! @@StS-ny8sb
Thanks Elyssa, the video is so helpful! My husband and I will be in Rome in early December and I definitely want to try and get Scavi tickets. Am I correct in reading that you have to fax your reservation request, or can you email it?
Also, how do we find out when the Metros are on strike? We got to the station only to find they're on strike. Almost missed out tour. We have tickets to go to Naples tomorrow and wanna know if the strike will still be on.
You can bookmark this page: www.atac.roma.it/en/real-time-updates/accessibility-and-services Also on the day of or the day prior, you can query "Rome transport strike on DATE" substituting the date for whatever date you are concerned about. Many local and even national news outlets report on them in English.
“Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam” translates to English as "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church" This phrase is from the Bible, specifically Matthew 16:18-192. In this passage, Jesus is speaking to Simon Peter, giving him a new name, “Peter” (which means “Rocky”). The phrase signifies that Peter, as the rock, will be the foundation of the Church. The future tense verbs in the phrase point to Christ’s Church-building as a future activity, as if pointing to all later Church history1. It’s a significant statement in Christian theology, symbolizing the establishment and continuity of the Church.
Yes and no. Some people refer to the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle with all of these terms. But to be precise: The Papal tombs (plural) usually refer to the grottoes underneath the main floor of Saint Peter's Basilica where many popes are buried. You can visit this without reserving in advance. It's free and part of your visit to the basilica. But from here you cannot see St. Peter's tomb. The word "scavi" is Italian for "excavations" and so can refer to any number of excavations, but it is one of the words used to describe the visit to St. Peter's tomb because the site is indeed an excavated site. A "necropolis" is a city of the dead. Until recently, there was really only one Vatican Necropolis you could visit, and that was the one where you could see, among many other tombs, the resting place of St. Peter. However, the Vatican has recently (re-)opened another Necropolis, the one at the via Triumphalis: th-cam.com/video/Z-fP9C5Fo8A/w-d-xo.html I hope that helps clarify!
Thank you for taking the time to reply to me. For the Scavi link page, can I just contact them through the website or do I need to find a fax machine as requested ?
No, it's impossible to access the scavi from the grottoes. The scavi have a totally different entrance, and the visit is an archeological visit far underground. Once you finish, you come UP into the grottoes. You can visit the grottoes for free from inside Saint Peter's Basilica but to see the scavi, you'll need to follow the steps I outline in this video.
Well, it never hurts to try! I hope you will get tickets. Please come back and let us know in the comments! Have a wonderful visit to Rome, whether you visit this site or not.
No you don't. Also because you don't return to where you enter. But please note that 1) there is no cell phone reception because the site is far underground and 2) they are very strict about the no-photos policy.
No, they also have an email address as you've seen and tried. Many people report it can takes months before you get an answer. When are you going and when did you send the request? It may have been too early.
Yes at 03:30 I specifically talk about this. They are very serious about it which is why in my entire video, I do not share any photos of Saint Peter's tomb.
Yes, there are some changes coming to the Vatican Museums, mostly in 2024 (January). But they are also just now (November) opening the Necropolis along the Via Triumphalis. This is part of the larger Necropolis, but it's a different visit from the one that takes you to Saint Peter's Tomb. I am taking this tour soon and will make a video about it so you can check back here to see more details and descriptions about what it's like and what it includes. In answer to your question about whether this will also end inside Saint Peter's Basilica like the scavi visit, I don't know yet. But I will definitely include that information when I do my video about this visit!
Actually I already found out some of the answers to your questions: 1. The Via Triumphalis is completely separate from and different from the Scavi tour. 2. The entrance and exit is on Piazza Risorgimento 3. This visit does not go near Saint peter's Basilica 4. This visit is unrelated to the Vatican Museums although it is possible to purchase a combo ticket that includes this site and the museums 5. Photos are allowed (I've been told) @@RedGermRedGerm
Do you mean for Saint Peter's Basilica? There is no queue to visit Saint Peter's tomb. Yes, the basilica has long queues, which are basically to go through security. I have a separate video about how to skip the line to Saint Peter's Basilica: th-cam.com/video/JfBlqsU91Pc/w-d-xo.html
Yes, I had imagined you meant the basilica. Saint Peter's tomb, the topic of this video, does not have a queue as you have to book in advance. The basilica always has a line for security. And lately, the lines have been longer than ever. Surprised they only had to security gates open! @@authentic1997
That's correct! I've taken the tour several times and since the person giving you the tour works for the Vatican, most of the time, they present the information with the presumption that it definitely is Saint Peter. Once, the guide did say several times during the tour that they are not sure it's him. We don't actually have any proof that Peter was ever in Rome. We DO have proof that Paul was in Rome, because he was a Roman citizen and it's recorded in a census. In the case of Peter, it is a matter of faith, so each person visiting should decide for themself. Either way, the tour is fascinating as it's actually mostly about ancient Greek tombs.
Too bad she doesn't describe what you see when you're supposedly at his tomb. I've seen many tombs from ancient days, and many are different, sometimes unique, tho most of them are bare-bones run-of-the-mill. How is Peter's different?? No clue from this video.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment on my video. I'm sorry that the descriptions I gave were not enough to give you an idea what to expect. Besides what I described - the slightly claustrophobic entry, the fact that most of the tour is of Greek tombs that were once above-ground, the fact that they close you in each room as you move between them, and the fact that at the end, your guide will show you where the bones are and how to see them, and that they are quite hidden but that each person does get a chance to see them, perhaps I could have added further descriptions. If there is something besides my descriptions that you were hoping to find out, can you please let me know? I'll be glad to answer you here. I appreciate your providing constructive criticism, as it will help me improve my future videos.
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*👉🏻 Best Tours & Experiences in Rome:*
✝ St. Peter's Basilica and Papal Tombs Guided Tour - gyg.me/tYlQyamd
✝ Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Tour - gyg.me/eYqChsRM
✝ VIP Key Master's Tour: Open The Sistine Chapel - tinyurl.com/4dk737nw
🏛 Colosseum Underground, Arena & Forum Tour - gyg.me/aB8MWKKy
🛌 FIND ACCOMMODATIONS NEAR THE VATICAN
booking.stay22.com/romewise/kNHQQJnq5X
Sometimes, the simplest and most informative videos are the ones we need
Wow, thank you! I appreciate your kind comments and am so glad you enjoy my videos!
I was informed by a nun that I could visit the site. She saw me sitting outside the basilica. I will never forget that experience. Especially kneeling in front of the bones. Truly amazing
Oh that's wonderful! So glad you found out you could do it. It's definitely a moving experience!
I am impressed on how informative and accurate this video is! Thank you so much for it!!!
Thanks so much! I'm glad it was helpful!
You are the best source of practical Rome info. I wish we had found you before our trip to Rome in March. The weather was excellent and we survived the crowds, but couldn't keep up with the younger tour guides. Neverthe less, we had a great time both in Rome and in Florence. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for your lovely comments! I'm so glad you enjoy my channel. I hope you had a wonderful visit.
Heading to Rome in October and we have Scavi tickets! This video was very helpful in orienting us to our coming visit.
Glad it was helpful! I'd love to hear how you like the tour. Please come back here and let us know in the comments once you've taken it!
We will also be there in October and have tickets. Thanks for the info.
I visited the scavi in 2016....trust me, you're going to love every minute of a truly unforgettable experience. ➕
How did you get tickets please? The website says by fax or in person. Who has a fax!
@@WildIslandStudio Yes please! I have the same question!
Very well done Elyssa, always love how you share much-needed information that makes touring so much easier.
My pleasure! Thank you for your kind comments! I'm glad you enjoy my videos.
Another excellent video!! Thank you! You summed up the whole experience really well. We went on a tour in February and it was great. We are not religious but really appreciated the layers of Rome history and of the Roman Catholic Church. 😊
That's why I wanted to describe the tour it's for anyone, even non-religious people, because it's a fascinating archeological site and so special to visit it. I'm glad you enjoyed the tour and especially glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks so much for your comments!
I have been to Rome a million times but I always learn something new of these vids
Thank you so much for your kind comments!
This tour was a highlight of our week in Rome. It is a must imo
So glad you were able to get tickets. It's an amazing visit, I agree!
I will add this to my next trip. Always looking for things I haven't done before. Great information.
Thank you so much!
There are so many video/vlogs out there about rome giving advice etc. Yours howeverr is the only one i subscribed to as you really give practical, well explained straightforward tips and guidance. My family and i will be there in mid Nov, and we are using your videos and website to plan our 5 days. 1000 thank you's for the greatjob you doing.
Wow, thank you! What a lovely thing to say. I'm grateful to you for subscribing - it means a lot. Thanks again!!!
This was a fantastic video, thank you so much for making it! I emailed the Vatican immediately after watching and received confirmation within 10 days that I have 3 tickets in English for September. As always, you provide the very best information related to Rome. I have a question that I'm sure you will have the answer to: What is the best way to get tickets to climb St. Perer's dome since we will already be inside - without having to wait in a long line? Is it necessary to hook beforehand or can you just get them once inside? Thanks again for making truly helpful videos!
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I am really happy that watching my video helped you get tickets for your September visit! I am also so grateful for your comments about my videos. It's truly a pleasure to create these when I know they are helpful.
To climb Saint Peter's dome - once you are inside the basilica after you finish your scavi tour, just go buy tickets for the dome and up you go. There really is not much of a wait if any to purchase tickets. You should be fine just buying them inside. The only way to buy them in advance is to book and pay for a tour which I think is unnecessary.
Hope you have a great time! I'd love to hear how it goes - if you think of it, please come back and let us know here in the comments!
Another great video Elyssa with wonderful insight and advice. We are arriving in Rome on Wednesday 12 July and we will be doing so many things you have recommended including climbing the Dome of St Peter's. Thanks and ciao Roma.
Thank you so much for all your kind comments and support. I hope you have a wonderful visit to Rome this month. I'd love to hear how it goes. Please come back and let us know here in the comments if you get a chance! Buon viaggio!
I did exactly this tour back in 2010. This overview is a great explanation. Good Job!
Thank you so much for your kind words! A viewer asked for this video and I understand why there are not a lot of videos about this site - no photos or video allowed. But I was hoping that my explanation would be enough to give the sense of it. I am grateful you think I did just that!
Many thanks Elyssa for these excellent explanations. We have just booked our visit to St Peter's tomb during our stay in Rome at the beginning of September. Another fantastic visit booked thanks to your invaluable advice. You're the best!!! Gracie mille!!! Ciao
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you find my videos helpful and happy to hear you were able to book your scavi tour. I hope you have a wonderful time! Thanks again for your kind comments.
Hi !
I just completed this tour and would like to thank you for all the info provided ✅
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
We visited here last time I was in Rome and will in December with a different group.
It was among the highlights of our trip.
That's great! I've done the tour quite a few times and it's slightly different each time, which makes it even more interesting! Have a wonderful visit this winter!
I love your channel! Thank you so much for sharing all you know about Rome and Italy.❤
Thank you for your very kind words!
I toured the Necropolis 4 years ago. Visiting St. Peter’s tomb was very humbling. We came up through the grotto and walked past Pope St. Paul VI’s tomb before exiting. We are coming back at the end of September-October. Will get to celebrate Mass there this time and take the Vatican train to the Pope’s summer palace for lunch. Cannot wait.
It's a very special thing indeed to visit Saint Peter's tomb, and I agree, visiting the grotto afterward is also wonderful although people mention it less. I think you will love the Pope's summer garden at Castel Gandolfo. I did a video about it:
th-cam.com/video/VkvaSneHbWU/w-d-xo.html
I hope you have a wonderful visit this fall!
Hello lovely lady! Back in February after watching this video, I wrote to scavi office, I was not optimistic because we plan to go during busy weekend in April. To my biggest surprise today I received positive answer! So happy, and this is because your valuable information... Thank you so much!😁
Wonderful! So glad it worked out for you! I hope you have an amazing visit this spring. Please come back and let me know here in the comments how you liked the scavi visit!
Great channel with many helpful tips!
Thanks so much!! @@ericyardley9348
Having had the pleasure of doing the Scavi tour in November past this is very sound advice. It realy is awesome.
So glad for you! It's a wonderful tour!
How the weather in Nov??
Just arrived back from a short stay in Rome - our first visit. Thanks to this video, we managed to apply for and get tickets for the St Peter's Tomb tour. SO THANK YOU for this tip. This was definitely one of our fave experiences (and prob one of the least expensive 'activities' we did during our 3 days, at just €13 per person). It was a fascinating experience - not to mention the exciting entrance that felt like we were going through 'staff-only areas' of Vatican City. And then, at the end, going straight into the Basilica, this is definitely a SECRET 'activity' that people should apply for. Also, Your 'Scavi' confirmation letter gives you further discounts for a Basilica Audio guide and the Dome if you want to use it (we did for the Dome, and if you show your letter at the Dome ticket booth inside the Basilica, you get a few Euros off for the Elevator to the Dome). Thank you.
I am so glad you got to do this visit! I agree, I think it's one of the most special things you can do in Rome. Thank you for letting me know that you got this tip from me. I'm also happy to hear you were able to get the most out of your visit and also get the audio guide to the basilica and climb the dome! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Any other tips on obtainiing a resvervation, I've tried to fax for several days and fax just keeps redialing , I've even emailed with no response . Thanks for any ideas
@@JoeAIdar When is your trip? It may be too early. I've found that most people do receive a response but sometimes it can take a while, especially if your trip is months away.
Your videos are rather helpful, thank you for the tips😉
Happy to hear that! Thanks for commenting!
You are very welcome. We are hearing that temps in Rome are very high. A suggestion from my wife for a future video: Advice to older people (like us) who can't walk as fast as some of the younger tour guides. Thanks again and stay cool!
Yes the heat is really intense these days. Best to stay inside during the day! Actually, your wife's suggestion is a very good one, and something I've been asked to comment on more than once! I think there is a real need here for some slower-paced tours! BTW I highly recommend a golf-cart tour - perfect for people who don't want to or can't walk as much, and definitely perfect for this heat!
@@Romewise Thank you. We saw golf cart tours being popular. We also were thinking next time we should just buy admission tickets and download one of the many audio tours online, such as Rick Steves Audio Europe app. But finding and buying admission tickets versus tours is confusing. On tours, you are herded through with thousands of other people. We also took a nighttime tour of Rome which was great (a totally different vib) and with fewer people at the popular sites. BTW, thanks for those "Rome in xxx month" videos. Very useful in determining options for when to travel.
@@OhioCircuitRider Agree, sometimes the tour options can be dizzying. Also agree that visiting Rome at night is wonderful. Thanks again for your kind comments - I'm really glad you find my videos helpful!
We Will be there next week. Thanks for your info.
Thanks for watching! Hope you have a wonderful visit!
You are THE BEST! Thank you so much. Your video will be my guide to the visit 😍
Thanks so much, I'm glad you find it helpful! Have a great trip!
I had no idea you could actually visit the Tomb of St. Peter! Next time I visit Rome, I will try to book a spot on the tour. Thank you for this.
I'm so glad I could help! I also find many people don't realize they can do this visit and often think it's the same as visiting the Vatican grottoes. I hope you will go - and please come back and let us know here in the comments how you liked it!
Thank you for the precious information. I will definitely visit Saint Peter's tomb on my next trip to Rome.
That's great! I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you!@@Romewise
Great information once again.Thanks Elyssa.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for your comments!
Hi Elyssa! First of all, thanks to this video we acknowledged the Scavi even existed. We tried to book and today got an answer, it's scheduled to 10 in the morning, but we got tickets to the Vatican Museums at 9. We don't want to miss this opportunity since it's our first trip to Europe. The only thing i can think of, is to arrive as early as possible to the VM to maybe get inside way before 9 (we can make it to 8 am), see the Sistine Chapel and leave to the Scavi. It hurts, but that is the only option i can think of, outside of obviously cancel the Scavi. Any input about this would be much appreciated! :')
Thanks so much for watching and for letting me know you were able to get a scavi ticket - congratulations! They can be hard to come by.
First of all, I'd write them back and let them know you have 9am VM tickets and ask if it's possible to move the scavi date/time.
Then if it is not possible, I personally would just eat the cost of the VM tickets and purchase them again at a different date/time. It's much harder to get scavi tickets than VM tickets.
If you purchased your VM tickets through a reseller, then you may be able to get a refund, but if you booked through the official site, they are non-changeable and non-refundable, so as I said, if you can't change your scavi tickets, then you have to choose between them. It is completely impossible to visit the Vatican Museums and still make it to a 10Am scavi visit.
Hi Elyysa, just back from our week in Rome and we did the climb to the top of St Peter's Dome which we booked via a link on your great RomeWise site. We did the climb without the elevator and wow the climb was hard bur was so worth it a bucket list item to be crossed off. Once again everyone Elyssa'a expertise is perfect, listen to this lady and you will have a great visit to Rome. Thanks Elyssa.
Thank you so much Peter! I am so grateful for all your support and glad you found my tips helpful. It is indeed a challenge to climb that dome but what a reward! Thank you again for all your kind words and comments.
This is extremely helpful. Thank you for making this! I sent an email request for several dates months from now about a day ago, but I haven’t heard back. Should I follow up with them?
Thank you! You should hear back from them fairly quickly. Maybe if you don't hear by the end of this week, follow up. Please let me know here in the comments - I hope it goes smoothly for you!
@@Romewise I was able to give them a follow-up call and learned I have a reservation (yay!), but they are delayed in sending confirmation mail/payment requests. Thank you again for your advice. I really appreciate it!
@@TheChloishExplorer That's great! Glad it worked out!
Very clear. When we went in 2016, which we booked on the day... we were the only people on the tour, and they took us inside the cellas and we could see the sarcophagus of Peter very close. Quite astonishing. Just suggesting that people go to Ostia to see an existing OUTDOOR necropolis, it makes the Vatican scavi more understandable. I also have photos. Also, make sure you look on the pavement under the obelisk to see how it functions as a gnomon (like S. Maaria deglia angeli). Your videos are very good - tx from Canada.
Thanks so much for taking the time to post these helpful comments! Yes, I think this tour is really interesting and worth trying to get tickets for. Good point about seeing the necropolis at Ostia. And it's a fairly easy trip, too. Also a good top about the obelisk. Thanks again for your kind comments!
Thank you for another informative video. A must when in Italy
Thanks so much for your kind support always!
Thanks to your videos I was able to get my ticket.
Glad I could help! I hope you have a wonderful visit!
Great video as always
Thanks again!
I did the Scavi tour in 2017. Highly recommend.
It's wonderful, isn't it?
great video, what music is in background?
Thanks so much! Gosh I'm sorry I don't know which music we used. We once used a music company called MusicBed and it was from there but now we use a different one.
Very well done and informative video, thank you! (P.S., I kinda expected to see Dwight Schrute with you as you remind me of Angela from The Office lol)
Thank you! I'm glad you find the video interesting. You are not the first person to tell me I remind them of Angela - although she had some quirky traits, she is a cat lady and so am I, so I will take it as a compliment! :)
Just received my confirmation notification from the Vatican for our tickets this morning. We are going in April so it is true that you need to book early if you want to visit this amazing site. Have been to the Vatican many times in the past, but this will be the first time visiting the tomb.
That's fantastic news! You will love this tour! Please come back here and let us know in the comments what you think. Have a great time next spring!
How long did it take to get a reply and how far in advance did you send your request?
@@janicemosso7887 I emailed my request on July 9, 2023, received an answer on October 16, 2023. This is for a tour on April 25, 2024.
Thankyou .you video are so helpful .❤️👋👏
You’re welcome 😊
I paid the Sistiana chapel guide like 50 euros to skip the line and go directly into saint peter's basiclla. It was the best 50 euro i ever spend since it was pouring that day and they weren't allowing many people inside the main church.
Wow that's great that you were able to do that.
For those wanting to go in the fall of 2024, this is from the email I just received: "Dear visitors, due to maintenance work in the archaeological area under St. Peter, guided tours of the necropolis and tomb of St. Peter will be suspended from 17 August 2024 to 3 November 2024. We apologize for the inconvenience caused. "
Yes, I had heard this. I had already updated the description of this video with that news at the very top. It's unfortunate for those coming these next few months, but they are doing a lot of preparations all over Rome and at the Vatican for the 2025 Jubilee. Sorry if you are one of the people whose plans were disappointed by this news!
Hello Elyssa! Congratulations on all your videos, they are a lot of help for us who are planning to visit Rome! I booked a Guided Tour to the Vatican Museum at 11h30, which should last around 2 hours and we have booked the guided tour to the Necropolis under the Basilica of St. Peter and the tomb of the Apostle Peter, at 14h15. I know time will be tight between tours, but do you think we can make it? Is it better to walk or take a taxi from the Vatican museum exit to the Ufficio Scavi? In our case, are there any tips or recommendations? I imagine that just two hours at the Vatican Museum is a short time. Is there any possibility of returning later, or even of entering the museum before tour time to start the visit, then at tour time we can meet up with the group? Thank you in advanced.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Well yes, it's going to be tight but it's manageable. Your tour will end around 13:45. From the exit of the VM to the entrance to the scavi, it's about a 15-20 minute walk if you know where you're going and if you hustle. You must be punctual for that tour as they do not let you in if you are late.
I know I myself could walk it. If I were you, I'd map out the walk and make sure to know exactly where you are going. Give yourself a little leeway. And if your tour is taking longer than you want, you can always peel off and leave it, knowing you need to be standing outside the VM by no later than 13:45.
No, there is no re-entry to the museums, and no, you can't enter before your booking time. So your only options are:
1. Just visit them in the 2 hrs you have and decide that's fine.
2. Change your VM tour to a different day so you can be more relaxed.
3. Visit the VM with this tour for a once-over and if you want to go back, book a second visit without a guide so you can visit what you want.
You may find this helpful, should you decide to book a second visit:
th-cam.com/video/5ac7cvBH0iY/w-d-xo.html
Hope that helps!
@@Romewise Thank you so much for your reply! Very complete! Would it be possible to change the date/hour of the VM Tour? I thought it wouldn't be possible.
No, unfortunately, it's not possible to change the date/time of your VM visit if you purchased on the official site. If you booked through a tour agency, you should check with them for their terms and conditions. Some agencies may allow it if they have not yet purchased the tickets on your behalf. @@fabioadaly
Viewing your directional guides could result into “ tour priorities diarrhea”...information overload. But all are outstanding videos. No doubt abou it. Watching your videos are enough satisfaction as if one has been actually in the Vatican!🙏🏻🌹😆🇵🇭
I am not sure but I think you have paid me a compliment, so thank you! I'm glad you think my videos are outstanding and helpful!
FYI: Just received this. Dear visitors,
due to maintenance work in the archaeological area under St. Peter, guided tours of the necropolis and tomb of St. Peter will be suspended from 17 August 2024 to 3 November 2024.
Yes, I just found out about this. Yesterday I updated my description of this video with that news. I am assuming it's due to preparations for the Jubilee. I'm sorry if your visit was cancelled.
Great video thank you!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching and letting me know!
Yes! We are applying a bit late for Sept but fingers crossed
September is peak season, but you should be able to get a spot! I'd love to hear how it goes for you...if you have time, please come back and let us know here in the comments!
Did this tour also include Vatican City museums, St. Peter's Basilica and Sistine Chapel?
This tour only includes a tour of the Necropolis underneath Saint Peter's Basilica. At the end, you will have access to Saint Peter's Basilica but there is no tour included with that.
Visiting the Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel is a completely different thing. They are in a different area of Vatican City and must be booked separately.
www.romewise.com/visiting-the-vatican.html
Thank you for the information. I emailed them a couple months back and I received an email today that we were booked for a tour in 2024. So excited!
That's so awesome!!! Enjoy! @@ams0530
I have a flight landing in ROME at 12:05pm August 26 and my hotel is Hotel Hoxton. My vacation in Italy is part of a 10 day NCL cruise. I’m guessing that I will get checked in at the hotel around 1:00pm-1:30pm. Check-out will be the next day that an NCL shuttle will take me to the port before the ship sails possibly around 4 or 6. Because my time is short in Rome, what would you recommend? I don’t mind night tours. My wish list is as follows:Sistine Chappel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Colosseum, and Trivi Fountain. Wish you were my tour guide😄😄😄Thank you!
enjoy, make sure you hit the Roman Forum(its on the way from Vatican to Colesseum), Pantheon(near Trevi) and Elyssa has many great suggestions. Make sure no shorts and shoulders covered
WOW! Your time is short in Rome. You'll need to choose whether you want quantity or quality in your site selection. Once you have been to Rome, you will want to go back, for a longer visit, and see more sites with more time for each. Nonetheless, good luck to you and enjoy your cruise!!!
Hmmm you have a very short time in Rome and it sounds a bit difficult to see all these things! If you land in Rome at noon, you will be at your hotel around 2pm. You could then quickly freshen up and go back out. If you have the energy and can stay up (if you don't suffer too much from jet lag), you could visit the Trevi Fountain and then I'd suggest just a walk down the via dei Fori Imperiali to see the Colosseum from the outside. Maybe climb Campidoglio so you can see the view of the Roman Forum. The next day, maybe book a morning tour of the Vatican as long as it will give you time to get back to your hotel to catch the shuttle. I don't think this is going to be easy as it allows almost no down time but I hope you will enjoy the short time you have!
Thank you very much Ms.Bernard. Wish me luck!
@@abramoutlaw4279 Wishing you luck!
I just purchased through walks the top to bottom of St. Peter’s basilica including the crypt, does that include the tomb of St. Peter?
No, the tour you are taking includes the Vatican Grottoes, also known as the Papal tombs, where many popes are buried. It's accessible right from inside Saint Peter's Basilica. The tomb of Saint Peter is BELOW THAT and requires a separate, special ticket, as I've outlined in the video.
@@Romewise thank you so much♥️
“upon this rock, i will build my church”
Hi Elyssa, thanks for this informative video. Where do we pick up our tickets after receiving the confirmation of visit from the Office of the Scavi?
Just print out the email and pass it to them (or show it on your phone), the office prints your tickets right before the tour (after the security ect.) the Swiss guards also wanted to see the confirmation email before letting us through 😀
@@simontm_nz Thanks so much! Very helpful!
I was going to answer but it looks like you've gotten the correct responses already! Yes, it's quite easy. Have a wonderful visit!
Will open 15 Dec....too late for my 1st trip. I'll be back❤
Yes, it was due to reopen in late November, but the date got pushed back. Sorry you will miss it!
Hi! I booked my ticket for the Vatican Museums at 10am and I want to visit St Peters Basilica before (arriving at opening time), is there a way to book my way up to the dome or is it only possible to buy it when I'm there? I wanna make sure I get to see the basilica and the dome in time to go to the museums
I would strongly advise against this. You can arrive when Saint Peter's basilica opens at 6:50am, although lately there are lines now even at that hour. But they should move quickly. Then once you go in, you can climb the dome. Just know that climbing the dome takes about an hour or more less, which includes going up, walking around and taking photos, and coming back down. Then presumably you might want to visit the basilica itself. That's at least another hour although you could see it in less time if you just walked around quickly.
For your 10Am Vatican Museums ticket, you need to arrive by 9:45 so give yourself time to go through security. There is 15 minutes' leeway on either side of your ticket, so you could arrive as late as say 10am.
Just know it is about a 15-20 minute walk from Saint Peter's square to the entrance of the Vatican Museums. So you would need to leave the basilica by about 9, 9:15 at latest.
While you maybe be able to visit the basilica and climb the dome, it's going to be rushed and exhausting. I would not advise this if you can do it another way. I'd suggest you visit the basilica and climb the dome after the museums, so you don't have the time crunch hanging over you. I'd even advise you visit the basilica and climb the dome on a separate day if you can, as both visits are tiring.
Bottom line, you can do it if you go right when it opens. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to get to the Museums. And just know it's going to be quite tiring.
We're currently in rome and my daughter wants to visit a necropolis. Which one would you recommend if you could only do one?
We already have tickets for Vatican museum on monday.
Is there any other necropolis as fascinating thats not in the Vatican city? Thanks for all your help in planning our vacation
Have you tried this one:
th-cam.com/video/Z-fP9C5Fo8A/w-d-xo.html
or this:
th-cam.com/video/sVAY223K0DA/w-d-xo.html
Here are some of the webpages with my best tips for visiting underground sites:
www.romewise.com/rome-underground.html
www.romewise.com/catacombs-of-rome.html
In answer to your question, if I could do only one underground visit, it would be the Domus Aurea. If I could visit only one necropolis or catacomb, it would be Santa Priscilla.
@Romewise on 2nd thought, we don't mind doing the Vatican city on multiple days. So would you still recommend Santa Priscilla over the via trimphalis? .
She's 14 so I guess the scavi is out of question. Thanks again
@@abipopoola2390 They are just very different. The Via Triumphalis is a real necropolis. It's easy to see from all the walkways above. Santa Priscilla is a catacomb, also a city of the dead, but a different kind of visit. They are both excellent experiences.
Thank you so much for your always prompt and concise responses. We did the via triumphalis and enjoyed it.
I was secretly hoping we would be let out into the Vatican city center afterwards 😂😂 but we'll be back at the museum and basilica tomorrow anyway.
Thank you again for all your help.
Can you recommend an outside tour company that you believe does a good job for the Scavi tour?
At this time, there are no outside companies offering tours of Saint Peter's tomb. There have been in the past but right now, there are none. Maybe they will come back considering we expect large numbers of visitors in 2024 and 2025. Your best bet is to check Viator and GetYourGuide and keep checking back.
He Elisa thanks a lot for the video and all your help to us planning visits to rome!
I wrote to vatican more than a month ago and didnt get an answer... i dont think ill get The tickets...
Can you tell me if th entrence from inside the basilica can give any acsses to st peters tumb? Thanks a lot!!
Sorry you did not get a response. You could try again.
No, there is no way to get to St. Peter's tomb from inside St. Peter's Basilica. From there, you can visit the grottoes where many popes are buried, but access to Saint Peter's tomb and the necropolis are only accessible from the outside.
Hi Elisa! After a while they answerd me! And I've got the tickets!! Thank you ver much for your tips !!!
@@vivianepiccin7351 That's fantastic! I hope you have a wonderful time!
This is helpful informative
I get the idea you are the best information to get ready and prepare the visit.
Thank you so much!
Thank you for such a lovely comment! I am very grateful!
I sent an email request on Aug 6 for an English Scavi tour for the first week of January. Didn't receive an email confirming that they received my email so kept my fingers crossed and they replied on Oct 23 with a date and a tour time of 3 PM. We're going to try and visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel first and then walk all the way around to go through security again and then go to St. Peter's Basilica (hopefully we won't have to wait 2 hours!) before the Scavi tour. It's probably better to book tours to save time and sanity but my husband disapproves of tours 😞Hope everything works out!
Please don't stand in line to visit the basilica. In my video, I explain that at the end of your scavi tour, you come out into Saint Peter's Basilica. So there is NO NEED to go in from the front. You will have already gone through security to visit the scavi, so this is a huge bonus that you get to just pop right into the basilica after your tour.
Enjoy!
@@Romewise Oh yes, I did see that. Thanks for the reminder. We were thinking of going to Castel Sant'Angelo after the scavi, that's why we were going to go to the basilica before the scavi but I don't think we'll have the energy and time to go to Castel Sant'Angelo so we'll follow your advice and see the basilica after the scavi. Thank you!
I think you are wise to try Castel Sant'Angelo a different day. Visiting the Vatican takes a lot of energy, no matter which visit you do! Have a great time! @@StS-ny8sb
Thanks Elyssa! I really appreciate your comments.@@Romewise
My pleasure! @@StS-ny8sb
Thanks Elyssa, the video is so helpful! My husband and I will be in Rome in early December and I definitely want to try and get Scavi tickets. Am I correct in reading that you have to fax your reservation request, or can you email it?
I emailed them and they sent me the link to buy the ticket.
They respond very quickly to email. I emailed all the necessary information and received a response for tickets the next day.
@@robm9345 thanks!
@@JL-ly7me thanks!
Yes it looks like they only accept a fax but in fact, you can e-mail them, as others have said. Thank goodness!
Also, how do we find out when the Metros are on strike?
We got to the station only to find they're on strike. Almost missed out tour.
We have tickets to go to Naples tomorrow and wanna know if the strike will still be on.
You can bookmark this page:
www.atac.roma.it/en/real-time-updates/accessibility-and-services
Also on the day of or the day prior, you can query "Rome transport strike on DATE" substituting the date for whatever date you are concerned about. Many local and even national news outlets report on them in English.
Thank you.
“Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam” translates to English as "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church" This phrase is from the Bible, specifically Matthew 16:18-192.
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to Simon Peter, giving him a new name, “Peter” (which means “Rocky”). The phrase signifies that Peter, as the rock, will be the foundation of the Church. The future tense verbs in the phrase point to Christ’s Church-building as a future activity, as if pointing to all later Church history1. It’s a significant statement in Christian theology, symbolizing the establishment and continuity of the Church.
Thank you for the detailed clarification!
Thank you !!! You have GREAT info. I'm with the Face Museum in the USA & would love to speak w/ you.
Thanks that's so nice of you. My contact info is in the description.
Thank you
Is the Papal Tombs, Scavi and Vatican Necropolis the same thing?
Yes and no. Some people refer to the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle with all of these terms.
But to be precise:
The Papal tombs (plural) usually refer to the grottoes underneath the main floor of Saint Peter's Basilica where many popes are buried. You can visit this without reserving in advance. It's free and part of your visit to the basilica. But from here you cannot see St. Peter's tomb.
The word "scavi" is Italian for "excavations" and so can refer to any number of excavations, but it is one of the words used to describe the visit to St. Peter's tomb because the site is indeed an excavated site.
A "necropolis" is a city of the dead. Until recently, there was really only one Vatican Necropolis you could visit, and that was the one where you could see, among many other tombs, the resting place of St. Peter.
However, the Vatican has recently (re-)opened another Necropolis, the one at the via Triumphalis:
th-cam.com/video/Z-fP9C5Fo8A/w-d-xo.html
I hope that helps clarify!
Thank you for taking the time to reply to me. For the Scavi link page, can I just contact them through the website or do I need to find a fax machine as requested ?
Of course, it's my pleasure! You can actually email them. There is an email address on that page. @@WildIslandStudio
@@Romewise I got tickets! Woo. Thank you
@@WildIslandStudio Great!!! Have a wonderful visit!
I see you said I can access the grottoes from the scavi.. but can i access the scavi from the grottoes? I'm going october 31st
No, it's impossible to access the scavi from the grottoes. The scavi have a totally different entrance, and the visit is an archeological visit far underground. Once you finish, you come UP into the grottoes.
You can visit the grottoes for free from inside Saint Peter's Basilica but to see the scavi, you'll need to follow the steps I outline in this video.
@@Romewise Thank you so much
Thank you.
If it works, we'll be there in 4 months.
Our planning meeting is late July. Not "6 months 😢"
Well, it never hurts to try! I hope you will get tickets. Please come back and let us know in the comments! Have a wonderful visit to Rome, whether you visit this site or not.
Did you have to check and leave mobile phone with security?
No you don't. Also because you don't return to where you enter. But please note that 1) there is no cell phone reception because the site is far underground and 2) they are very strict about the no-photos policy.
@@Romewisethank you so much for your reply. I been watching your videos in preparation for my trip in two weeks.
Have a great trip! @@missfluffs2000
This is awesome
Thanks! 🙏
Great.
Question: Does it have to be a fax? really? in 2024? I tried sending my data via email but never received an answer. Help please!
No, they also have an email address as you've seen and tried. Many people report it can takes months before you get an answer. When are you going and when did you send the request? It may have been too early.
Thank you! I requested a tour for Oct 1 (in five months) about two weeks ago. So I think the timing was alright. Maybe. 🤷🏻♀️ but I received no reply.
@@acmejia Well you still have time. I have a feeling you will get an answer soon!. Just be patient...
@@Romewise You're the best! I've been binge watching your videos in anticipation/preparation for my trip :)
@@acmejia Thanks so much!
I wasn't told no photos 😮
Yes at 03:30 I specifically talk about this. They are very serious about it which is why in my entire video, I do not share any photos of Saint Peter's tomb.
Sent you an email question about possible recent changes…. Thanks!
Yes, there are some changes coming to the Vatican Museums, mostly in 2024 (January). But they are also just now (November) opening the Necropolis along the Via Triumphalis.
This is part of the larger Necropolis, but it's a different visit from the one that takes you to Saint Peter's Tomb.
I am taking this tour soon and will make a video about it so you can check back here to see more details and descriptions about what it's like and what it includes.
In answer to your question about whether this will also end inside Saint Peter's Basilica like the scavi visit, I don't know yet.
But I will definitely include that information when I do my video about this visit!
Thanks!
Actually I already found out some of the answers to your questions:
1. The Via Triumphalis is completely separate from and different from the Scavi tour.
2. The entrance and exit is on Piazza Risorgimento
3. This visit does not go near Saint peter's Basilica
4. This visit is unrelated to the Vatican Museums although it is possible to purchase a combo ticket that includes this site and the museums
5. Photos are allowed (I've been told)
@@RedGermRedGerm
I was just there a few days ago. It’s too hot to walk around 😭
Yes, the past two days it has gotten really hot in Rome. Best to walk around early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
I spent 2 hours in cue yesterday
Do you mean for Saint Peter's Basilica? There is no queue to visit Saint Peter's tomb. Yes, the basilica has long queues, which are basically to go through security. I have a separate video about how to skip the line to Saint Peter's Basilica:
th-cam.com/video/JfBlqsU91Pc/w-d-xo.html
@@Romewise Basilica, only two gates were open.
Yes, I had imagined you meant the basilica. Saint Peter's tomb, the topic of this video, does not have a queue as you have to book in advance. The basilica always has a line for security. And lately, the lines have been longer than ever. Surprised they only had to security gates open! @@authentic1997
They don't know if that is Peter or not... 😊
That's correct! I've taken the tour several times and since the person giving you the tour works for the Vatican, most of the time, they present the information with the presumption that it definitely is Saint Peter. Once, the guide did say several times during the tour that they are not sure it's him.
We don't actually have any proof that Peter was ever in Rome. We DO have proof that Paul was in Rome, because he was a Roman citizen and it's recorded in a census.
In the case of Peter, it is a matter of faith, so each person visiting should decide for themself. Either way, the tour is fascinating as it's actually mostly about ancient Greek tombs.
False. It's absolutely been proven. Seriously look into it.
Worst circus ever
So true!
Got the tickets already!!!
Great!! You will love this tour!
Too bad she doesn't describe what you see when you're supposedly at his tomb. I've seen many tombs from ancient days, and many are different, sometimes unique, tho most of them are bare-bones run-of-the-mill. How is Peter's different?? No clue from this video.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment on my video. I'm sorry that the descriptions I gave were not enough to give you an idea what to expect. Besides what I described - the slightly claustrophobic entry, the fact that most of the tour is of Greek tombs that were once above-ground, the fact that they close you in each room as you move between them, and the fact that at the end, your guide will show you where the bones are and how to see them, and that they are quite hidden but that each person does get a chance to see them, perhaps I could have added further descriptions. If there is something besides my descriptions that you were hoping to find out, can you please let me know? I'll be glad to answer you here. I appreciate your providing constructive criticism, as it will help me improve my future videos.
Your videos are so helpful.
Glad you like them! Thank you!