St Peter's Basilica Tour: Dome, Crypt, and Art

Immerse yourself in the history, architecture, and lore of St. Peter’s Basilica with this all-access tour. Avoid long lines and climb up into the titanic dome for amazing views of Rome.

Duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • St. Peter’s Square - Meet the guide just outside the entrance to St. Peter’s Square and bypass the crowds to enter the magnificent Renaissance-era basilica. An elevator takes you to the dome’s first terrace, where you are surrounded by stunning artwork, and then 231 steps lead you to one of the most breathtaking views of Rome—from the square below…
What's Included
  • Pre-reserved tickets to climb St Peter’s Basilica Dome with elevator access
  • Groups of max 20 people
  • Expert English local guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Additional Information

Maximize your visit to St. Peter’s Basilica with an all-access tour that includes priority entry, a dome climb, and a visit to the papal crypt. By starting early, you can enjoy St. Peter’s Square without the usual daytime crowds. Ascend to the top of the dome for breathtaking views of the capital. Explore the basilica to appreciate Michelangelo’s ‘La…

Location
Piazza della Città Leonina
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets at Caffè Leonina, Piazza della Città Leonina, 5. The closest metro stop is Ottaviano.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(316 Ratings)
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Karin_m
Oct 4, 2025
Great tour! - Our guide was wonderful! Very knowledgeable! The climb to the dome was a little strenuous but worth it! Beautiful views! The crypt was amazing! Much more to see than I expected!
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Lisa_r
Sep 24, 2025
Experience of a lifetime - Excellent tour from start to finish - communication was great, information given on meeting point etc was clear and concise, the tour guide was well organised and very experienced and knowledgeable and she was very interesting to listen to, thoroughly enjoyable
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Gary_w
Sep 6, 2025
Very knowledgeable and... - Very knowledgeable and took and answered many new questions for us. Timing worked very well for the entire group
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Sharon_a
Sep 5, 2025
Our tour guide was... - Our tour guide was excellent. The headset was easy to use and hear the guide. We enjoyed our tour to the Vatican very much.
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Christine_g
Aug 16, 2025
Highly Recommend - Our guide, Maria Grazie, was wonderful and also funny! We had a great visit. We visited with our children, 11 and 12, and they really enjoyed the visit and stayed very interested. The walk the remaining steps were fun and our kids loved it. The view from the top is amazing. We even were able to enter through the Holy Doors, which was one of the 4 we were here to see. Thank you, MG!!
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Denise_r
Aug 9, 2025
Best way to see the Basilica. - Fabulous tour. Lots of information. M.G. Is a great guide. Views from the top were amazing. The tour added greatly to our appreciation of this inspiring location
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Annette_l
Aug 8, 2025
A most blessed experience at Saint Peter’s - I wholeheartedly recommend this guided tour! There was absolutely no waiting in line and our group was small. Our tour guide was absolutely amazing. She had tons of experience and was so knowledgeable about everything. I went to Saint Peter’s totally in awe and moved to tears with the beauty and God‘s presence.
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Tara_m
Jul 23, 2025
Wonderful! Our tour guide... - Wonderful! Our tour guide was witty, funny and full of knowledge. The trip to the dome was many stairs, but worth the view of St Peter’s square.
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Sai_k
Aug 30, 2025
Detailed tour of Vatican... - Detailed tour of Vatican Basilica. Can go on top to see view of Rome. Good for English speaking people.
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Karan_d
Jul 24, 2025
Fast and Quick Tour - A good tour in terms of time saving. The guide knew the best places to go in and out fast. Did not have to queue a lot. Went to the Crypt, Dome and Bascilla. We saw the respected Pope's house and office as well (from outside). I wish the guide (Gloria) had given more interesting information about the Bascilla itself as compared to the information rgearding the Pope's have been buried there. A lot of Catholic terminology used which not everyone in the tour would understand immediately.
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From $86
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).