The Best Scavi Tour Vatican 2023
Vatican Dome & Crypt Tour
About Vatican Underground Tour
From the top of the St. Peter’s Basilica Dome to the underground of St. Peter’s Square, explore the centuries of art and history accompanied by an expert guide on your Vatican underground tour.
DESCRIPTION
Dome & Underground Vatican Tour
Your Dome and Vatican Underground tour will start with a climb to the top of the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Enjoy the breathtaking view extending from the Vatican Dome to the entirety of Vatican City and Rome.
From this fantastic panoramic view, you’ll also be able to spot the Pantheon and Colosseum, as well as other iconic landmarks of Rome.
After returning to the ground floor, you will be able to avoid the long queue and directly go inside St. Peter’s Basilica. There you will be able to admire its impressive interior with the colorful marble, intricate mosaics, and golden ceilings. You’ll also learn something new about the renowned works of Renaissance and Neoclassical artists that are kept here.
On this tour, you’ll also be able to visit the Basilica’s historic grottoes and the Tomb of St Peter on the underground floor. The Tomb is believed to be the final resting place of Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. Only 250 people per day are granted the opportunity to enter and explore this remarkable burial site and preserved decorations dating back to the 1st century AD. Your Vatican Dome and Underground tour will end at St Peter’s Square.
- Professional guide
- Entry fees to the top of the Dome
- Sterilized headsets to hear your guide better
- Use of hand sanitizer during the tour
- One mask per person, if required
- Full on-site assistance
- Hotel pick-up
- English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese
Meeting point
Meet your guide at Largo del Colonnato 5, by the first columns of the Colonnade. Look for a yellow label with the local partner’s logo on it.
Admire the Basilica’s array of impressive marble, ceilings, and mosaics
Climb to the top of the Dome to admire panoramic views of Rome and Vatican City
Visit St. Peter’s Tomb and touch the original 4th-century Basilica walls.
Explore Vatican Scavi and underground grottoes while marveling at the ancient frescoes
Make your visit to Vatican City unforgettable
Good to know before you go
- The entrance tickets are timed, which means that late arrivals can not be granted access.
- Entrance to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel is only permitted to visitors dressed appropriately. Be sure to follow the dress code.
- No photography or filming is permitted inside the Sistine Chapel
- It is obligatory to deposit suitcases, large backpacks and umbrellas in the cloakroom
- Students aged 18-25 must have their international student cards and ID cards as a proof of age with them on the day of the visit
- Children under 18 years must have their documents with them as a proof of age on the day of the visit
- On arrival at The Vatican, please follow the signs for the Groups Entrance with Online Reservations. There may be a wait at this entrance of up to 10 minutes. All visitors must pass through airport-style security. During high season the wait at security may be up to 30 minutes.
Want to tour Colosseum Underground too?
Check out the best Colosseum underground tour
FAQ – Vatican Underground Tour
Can you tour under the Vatican?
You can visit Vatican Scavi as a part of an organized Vatican underground tour. The visit to the Vatican Necropolis is only possible by following permission. According to a schedule made by the excavations office, the Vatican Necropolis entrance is also located there. It’s organized that way because the excavations office aims to preserve and protect this exceptional archeological site. The safest way to visit the Vatican Necropolis is by going on a guided tour.How long is the Vatican catacombs tour?
The Vatican underground tour takes about an hour and a half. And every Scavi tour ticket is organized in small groups.Is the Vatican underground?
Underneath the Vatican City lies the Vatican Necropolis, at depths ranging between 5–12 meters. It’s located right below St Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican necropolis was not originally one of the ancient Roman Catacombs but an open-air cemetery with papal tombs and mausolea.Can you walk around the Vatican for free?
You can walk inside the Vatican City for free and stroll around St Peter’s Square. Entry to the Saint Peter Basilica is also completely free, but we recommend avoiding long lines and booking a guided tour of St Peter’s Basilica. Also, you need to purchase tickets if you want to visit Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel, but we do recommend booking a Vatican Museums Tour as the best deal for your money.Uncover the secrets of Vatican Underground!
Easy & Fast booking process
This tour is selling fast! Why wait and miss your spot?
So good you forget about the time
Our guide was very knowledgeable and detail-oriented. Got to learn more about the symbolism inside of the dome, look at the major works inside (+great explanation), walk up the stairs to the top, and have a full overview of the city skyline, as well as the underground floor. The whole tour took 3 hours, however, if you are booking multiple Vatican tours for the same day, make sure to have 1.5-2 hours between the sessions, it might get a bit overwhelming. 🙂
Excellent tour
This Vatican Scavi tour is an excellent way to see all of the must-visit attractions of the Vatican without wondering where exactly to go. This tour takes you to the Vatican underground area, but you'll not be able to go to the deepest level where apostle Peter and the first Pope are buried. That level is only possible to visit via the Vatican itself. The great thing is that this is a small group tour, so you can talk to your tour guide and ask them whatever you want. For me, the highlight of this exclusive tour was the Vatican Necropolis. All in all, it was an incredible experience, and our entertaining guide told us a remarkable story and made it a more exciting visit.
Book your Dome & Vatican Underground Tour Now!
- Small group or private tours are available
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance