Vatican: Dome First, Basilica & Papal Grottoes Full Pass
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts.
- Access to the roof terrace and the dome lantern
- Entry to the Vatican Grottoes (Papal Tombs)
- Host assistance and ticket handover at the meeting point
- Official St. Peter's Dome entry ticket
- Self-guided access to St. Peter's Basilica
- Audio commentary app in 13 languages
- Digital map with key stops marked
- Food and drinks
- Headphones (please bring your own)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Live tour guide
- Access to the roof terrace and the dome lantern
- Entry to the Vatican Grottoes (Papal Tombs)
- Host assistance and ticket handover at the meeting point
- Official St. Peter's Dome entry ticket
- Self-guided access to St. Peter's Basilica
- Audio commentary app in 13 languages
- Digital map with key stops marked
- Food and drinks
- Headphones (please bring your own)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Live tour guide
Meet your host at piazza citta leonina 2 , just outside the of the shop, where they will be waiting with a white flag. Your host greets travellers in several languages, hands over your entry ticket, and points you to the shortest security line before you head into St. Peter's Square.
This pass is built in reverse. Most visitors enter the Basilica first and climb the dome afterwards, tired and in the heat of the afternoon. You start at the top instead. Take the lift to the roof terrace, then continue up the final stretch of narrow, curving steps between the inner and outer shells of Michelangelo's dome. From the lantern you look out over the Vatican Gardens, the rooftops of Rome and the long line of Via della Conciliazione.
On the way back down you stop at the inner balcony, where you can look straight down into the nave and across at the mosaics that most visitors only see from below. From there you descend into the Basilica itself, arriving with the climb already behind you.
Inside, your audio commentary guides you at your own speed. Stand in front of Michelangelo's Pietà, carved when he was twenty-four. Walk the length of the nave to Bernini's bronze baldachin above the Papal Altar. Then step down into the Vatican Grottoes, the low vaulted level beneath the church floor where popes have been buried for centuries.
The commentary runs on our own application in 9 languages, so you can pause it, repeat a chapter, or skip ahead. There is no group to keep up with and no fixed finishing time.
- Climb to the dome first, then explore the Basilica downhill and unhurried
- Commentary in 13 languages on our own app, with no rental desk to queue at
- Descend to the Papal Grottoes, the resting place of dozens of popes
- Look down into the nave from the inner balcony, 53 metres above the floor
The meeting point may vary. Always check the tickets we sent you to confirm the final details before the activity.
Not suitable for
- People over 95 years
What to bring
- Passport or ID card
Not allowed
- Alcohol and drugs
- Luggage or large bags
- Shorts
- Weapons or sharp objects
Know before you go
- All visitors pass through airport-style security
- Guaranteed Refund if the Basilica Is Closed: If the Basilica is unexpectedly closed and this essential part of the booked experience cannot be provided, customers are guaranteed a full refund.
- Not recommended for anyone with heart conditions, claustrophobia, vertigo or reduced mobility
- Strict dress code: shoulders and knees covered for all visitors
- The Basilica may close without notice for papal ceremonies
- The dome involves 320 steps after the lift, or 551 steps on foot; the passage is narrow and there is no way to turn back partway
