How to Book the Official Vatican Scavi Tour

Step by step: how to request the Scavi tour

1. Know what you’re booking.
The Scavi is a 2nd–4th-century pagan-and-Christian mausoleum street buried beneath the basilica floor, ending at what the Vatican holds to be Peter’s grave. It is not sold by GetYourGuide or any reseller. The Excavations Office (Ufficio Scavi) handles all bookings in-house. Groups of roughly 12 people, about 90 minutes underground, roughly €13 per person.

2. Prepare your request.
Gather the names and ages of everyone in your group. The minimum age is 15. The office will ask for your preferred dates, and you should provide 3–4 options in case the first choice is full. Note that the office limits visits to 250 people per day across all time slots.

3. Email or fax the Ufficio Scavi.
The official contact is the Ufficio Scavi (Excavations Office) at the Vatican. You send a formal request giving your group size, dates, and language preference (English-speaking groups are available). They respond with confirmation and payment details. Allow at least 2 weeks for their reply; popular dates in spring or autumn may require months of notice.

4. Confirm and pay.
Once they confirm your date, you will transfer payment (usually by bank transfer). The office provides details. Payment is typically due within a set window. Cancellation policies are strict; check directly with the office.

Why book so far ahead?

The Scavi is not a large tour operator’s product. It is run by the Vatican’s conservation and archaeology staff. It caps at 250 visitors per day, runs only Monday through Saturday, and the half-dozen time slots fill with researchers, pilgrims, and history travellers months in advance. A request in March for a June date is routine. April for July is safer. If you are booking in peak season (May through September), expect to put in a request 2–3 months ahead.

If you can’t book the Scavi

The Via Triumphalis necropolis, at €50, is the only true “Vatican necropolis” you can book through a reseller. It is a separate Roman cemetery on the Vatican hillside, entered from Piazza del Risorgimento, with a separate guide and limited days. Click here to see which necropolis tour runs when.

If neither works, the €33 basilica dome and underground tour includes the grottoes (papal-tomb level) and the closest public access to the Scavi area, though not the ancient mausoleum street itself.

Frequently asked questions