Rome: St. Peter's Basilica Guided Tour with Dome Access
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts.
- Access to the Vatican Grottoes (papal tombs)
- Dome access with lift to the first level
- Entry to St. Peter's Basilica
- Private live guide in English, Italian, Spanish, French or German
- Your group only — no other travellers join
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- Vatican Necropolis / Scavi (separate booking with the Vatican required)
- Access to the Vatican Grottoes (papal tombs)
- Dome access with lift to the first level
- Entry to St. Peter's Basilica
- Private live guide in English, Italian, Spanish, French or German
- Your group only — no other travellers join
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- Vatican Necropolis / Scavi (separate booking with the Vatican required)
Most visitors see one St. Peter's Basilica. On this guided tour you see three levels of it.
You start below ground in the Vatican Grottoes, where popes have been laid to rest for centuries beneath the church above. Your local guide explains who lies here, and how a quiet Roman hillside cemetery became the heart of the Catholic world.
Back at floor level, the scale changes completely. Your guide leads you through the nave, past Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze Baldachin, connecting the gold and marble above to the tombs you have just seen below.
Then you go up. A lift takes you to the interior gallery, where mosaics that look small from the floor turn out to be metres wide and the whole basilica opens beneath you. The staircase then narrows with the curve of the dome until it releases you onto the cupola terrace — St. Peter's Square directly below, the Vatican gardens on one side and the rooftops of Rome on the other.
Your guide meets you at Piazza della Città Leonina holding a white flag, helps you through the mandatory security check, and keeps the group to no more than 30 so there is room for questions. The tour ends on the terrace, where you can stay as long as you like before making your own way down.
Below, inside and above — one route, one building, three worlds.
- Lift and stair climb to the cupola terrace above St. Peter's Square
- Live guide throughout, in a group of no more than 15 travellers
- Michelangelo's Pieta and Bernini's Baldachin explained inside the nave
- See three levels of St. Peter's: the papal tombs, the nave and the dome
- Start underground in the Vatican Grottoes, where popes are buried
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
- Charged Smartphone
- Passport or ID card
- Water
Not allowed
- Alcohol and drugs
- Luggage or large bags
- Pets
- Shorts
- Weapons or sharp objects
Know before you go
- After the lift, around 320 steps lead to the top of the dome through a narrow, sloping passage. Not suitable for guests with reduced mobility, heart or breathing conditions, or claustrophobia.
- Airport-style security. Large bags, backpacks, tripods and glass bottles are not permitted; no cloakroom before security.
- Dress code enforced: shoulders and knees covered for all visitors. Shorts, short skirts and sleeveless tops are not admitted.
- Photography permitted; no flash or tripods.
- The Basilica, Grottoes and Dome are an active place of worship and may close at short notice for papal audiences, services or security. If an included area cannot be visited, you are guaranteed a full refund of your booking.
- The guided portion ends on the dome terrace; guests descend at their own pace.
