Guided Tours

St. Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour with Dome Access

Name: St. Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour with Dome Access
Start: 2025-01-09T08:30:00
End: 2025-01-09T10:30:00
Location: Rome

St. Peter’s Basilica Dome view from the rooftop in Rome during a guided tour.

Statues on the St. Peter’s Basilica Terrace

Visitors on St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Terrace in Rome, Italy, overlooking cityscape.

View from St. Peter’s Basilica Dome overlooking Vatican City rooftops and Rome skyline.

Climb to the very top of Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Basilica dome, and bask in unparalleled views of the rolling green Castelli Romani hills, the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the opulent Vatican!

Highlights

An expert guide takes you on a journey through the world's largest church and beacon of the Vatican.
Get breathtaking views of the hills all around from your unique vantage point at the crest of the St. Peter’s Basilica's Dome, the highest point in Rome.
Discover the Papal Tombs and artistic wonders housed in the Basilica, like Michelangelo's Pieta sculpture.
Fuel up for the adventure ahead! Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast with an upgraded English or French guided tour.
Fun fact: Bernini designed the square so St. Peter's Basilica stays the focal point. Look closely, every line leads to the basilica!

Inclusions

Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and Dome with entry
Expert English, Spanish, French, German or Italian-speaking guide
Access by elevator to the base and stairs to the top
Breakfast (for French and English options, if selected)

Exclusions

Entry to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Entry to the Necropolis / St. Peter’s Tomb / Scavi

Cancellation policy

These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

Reviews

4.2

3.2K ratings

5/5

4/5

554

3/5

137

2/5

162

1/5

328

Billot

4/5

Jan, 2025

The guided tour was perfect. Note that admission to St Peter's is free, and that you only have to pay to go up to the Dome and visit the crypt. The real advantage of this ticket for us was the guided tour, but it's not a real cut above the rest. Very good guide.

View original review in French

Gautier

5/5

Jan, 2025

We were lucky to be in a very small group (4). We had a top-notch guide, Federico. We didn't have to wait very long to get into the Vatican, the Basilica, the grotto... Access to the panoramic view of Rome from the Duomo.

View original review in French

Marta

5/5

Jan, 2025

We loved the Basilica and the Dome ! Our guide , Ms Alexandra was very professional , attentive and has great knowledge of the tour ! We had a very nice day ! Thank you very much

View original review in Spanish

Rafael

5/5

Jan, 2025

Fantastic person, you can tell he loves his job, excellent guide. Very happy with the treatment and very professional R. Bartolome

View original review in Spanish

Pasqualin

5/5

Jan, 2025

Well organized tour. Excellent time management. Our guide Valentina was very welcoming, pleasant company; she was able to enrich the experience by also answering all our curiosities. Recommended experience!

View original review in Italian

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Your experience

Ascend to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica

Avoid the crowds and get an intimate glimpse of the treasures of the Vatican on this early-morning guided tour. The tour begins with an exciting climb that involves both a staircase and an elevator to the highest point of Rome’s iconic St. Peter’s Basilica. The view from here is simply breathtaking. The city of Rome, a striking and glorious confluence of the ancient and the modern, stretches past the wetlands and forests of the Riserva Naturale, and all the way to the Tyrrhenian Sea in the southwest. You will see the Vatican and some of Rome’s most famous landmarks bordered by the Castelli Romani hills. Your guide will point out all the attractions and tell you more about these fascinating places in Rome.

Explore St. Peter’s Basilica and the Holy Papal Tombs

Walk back down to terra firma and enter the Basilica after a short break near the entrance. An artistic and architectural marvel designed by geniuses of the Renaissance like Donato Bramante, Lorenzo Bernini, and Michelangelo, St. Peter’s Basilica has become one of the world’s most ostentatious symbols of Christianity. Your guide will tell you all about the beliefs that surround the real location of the tombs of St. Peter and the first Bishop of Rome. Explore Piazza Risorgimento and Piazza San Pietro areas. Admire some of the artistic masterpieces of Bernini and Michelangelo before heading to see the Papal Sarcophagi of the Basilica.

Know before you go

What to bring

Comfortable shoes are recommended.

What's not allowed

Strict dress code: knees and shoulders must be covered for all guests.
Mobile phones must remain in silent mode inside the Basilica.

Accessibility

This experience is not accessible by wheelchair and pram/strollers.
The climb to the Dome's top involves a substantial number of steps and requires a decent level of physical fitness. It is not recommended for people with heart/back conditions, mobility issues, or late-stage pregnancy.

Additional information

Expect a considerable wait at security, especially during peak times. Patience is key, it could take over 2 hours!
Around religious holidays at the Vatican, parts of the tour such as the Papal Tombs may not be open. In this case, the tour of the Basilica itself will be extended.

My tickets

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.
Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.
Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.