The Scavi tour to the Tomb of St Peter

Why it is on the list

Under the central nave of St Peter's lies a Roman cemetery of the first to fourth century AD, 5 to 12 metres down, uncovered in the excavations of 1940–1949; the Tomb of the Julii is among its mausolea.¹² The route follows the ancient way to Saint Peter's tomb, in the foundations of Constantine's basilica.² The Fabbrica di San Pietro admits about 250 people a day for the site's conservation, in groups of about 12 sorted by language, each with one of its own guides.³

It is the wrong visit for anyone under 10, who is not admitted, or for anyone troubled by closed spaces: the air below is warm and humid.³ For the church above rather than beneath it, the Fabbrica runs guided tours of the Basilica itself.²

How to get it

Request a date on the Fabbrica's booking page: choose the language and the number of people, and name every participant.³ The date and time you ask for are a preference; the Visits Office confirms a slot by email, and payment follows only after that, by credit card alone.³ The full ticket is € 20.00 and € 14.00 from 10 to 17, guide included.³ Visits run Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:30 (last at 16:15) and Saturday from 9:00 to 13:00 (last at 12:15); the necropolis is closed on Sundays and Vatican holidays, and the Visits Office may move or cancel a visit around extraordinary events.³ Questions about guided tours go to visiteguidate@fsp.va.⁴

Discretion

Numbers are held to about 250 a day, in groups of about 12, each with its own guide.³ Every participant is named on the request before the office confirms it.³