Here is a step by step guide to getting permission via email to view the archaeological excavations beneath the Vatican Basilica, where St Peters tomb may have been. Tours last an hour and a half and cost 10 Euros (5 for children).
Send an email to uff.scavi@fabricsp.va with the following information in the language you'd like the tour to be conducted in:
- The number of visitors in your group
- The names of each visitor (if you are leading a group, give your name and address).
- The language you'd like the tour to be conducted in.
- The time period you'd like to visit (give them some slack to fit you in--the office will determine the exact time you can visit).
Here's what is likely to happen next, according to Betsy Malloy, guide to Western US for Visitors:
"I got an autoresponder immediately, and email confirmation about 2 days later. The autoresponder says they won't contact you again if they can't reserve a tour for you. The tickets cost 9 euro each, which we can pay when we arrive. I also had to email back to them to confirm the reservation. They say they will cancel if you don't confirm by email or fax within 15 days of your tour, but you can also do it immediately."
When You Arrive at the Vatican
Before going to the Excavations Office, you'll need to check any purses or bags (including cameras) at the baggage check to the right of the Basilica.
You must be "dressed in a way befitting entrance to a holy place." This usually means no shorts or short skirts, and tank tops are pretty much frowned upon.
