Rome: The Original Entire Vatican Tour & St. Peter's Dome Climb

Badge of ExcellenceRome, Italy

2 in 1 Entire Vatican Tour and Terrace of Saint Peter

4 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Begin your Vatican experience a little differently with a climb up the dome of St. Peter's Basilica with a guide. After getting sweeping views of Vatican City and Rome beyond, proceed inside for a guided tour of the church itself, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel. This half-day tour takes place in the morning, before much of the crowds arrive at the Vatican.

Save time with skip-the-line Vatican tickets
Sweeping views of Rome from St. Peter's Basilica dome
Comprehensive tour of the basilica, Vatican Museums, and Sistine Chapel
Art historian guide provides in-depth commentary

What's Included

St. Peter's Dome Climb to the top of Michelangelo's Cupola for truly amazing views of Rome!
Get into the Vatican Museums fast with our no lines priority access ticket and a local expert guide
Catch all the classic and ancient sculptures inside world famous chambers, halls and galleries
Immersive Sistine Chapel inside experience and a panel-by-panel tour of Michelangelo's ceiling
Full tour of entire St. Peter's Basilica covering all the major works of art and sculpture therein
Tour of little-known Papal Sarcophagi beneath St. Peter's Basilica which we call "Vatacombs"

Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Largo del Colonnato, 1, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
Meet at 7:45 AM for 8:00 AM departure by the Tiare fountain (Fontana delle Tiare), just beneath Largo del Colonnato and in front of the pillars which run around Saint Peter's Square. Your guide will be holding an ItaliaTours signboard. Google maps

Start time

08:00 AM

End point

Piazza Papa Pio XII, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
The tour concludes on St. Peter's Square beside St. Peter's Basilica.

What To Expect

Meet your guide at the Tiare Fountain (Fontana delle Tiare) on the edge of St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro), where your expedition begins. Together, head to the bottom of St. Peter's Basilica Dome, to catch an elevator that will take you almost a third of the way up. Then, climb 380 steps up to the cupola to take in views of the city and see works by Michelangelo.

Next, head to the Vatican Museum, where you'll get priority access that will allow you to avoid waiting in long lines. Spend the next couple of hours touring the Vatican with your guide, seeing highlights such as the Sistine Chapel and the lesser-known Papal Sarcophagi situated below St. Peter's Basilica, sometimes nicknamed the "Vatacombs."

St. Peter's Square

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. Peter's Basilica

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Basilica

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Vatican Museums

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
On days immediately surrounding religious holidays at the Vatican, alterations to tours may become necessary due to partial closings of areas normally included in this tour. In the event that the Papal tombs beneath St. Peter's Basilica are closed, the tour of the Basilica itself will be extended and no refunds made
Near public transportation

Infant seats available
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Maximum 20 travelers on this tour
Due to the route covered and/or the means of transportation used, it is not possible to participate in this tour using a wheelchair, scooter, or other aid. Please contact us to inquire about customized tour options for guests with mobility challenges
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

1,544 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 1,544 reviews

Wonderful experience

Tracy_D, Apr 2024

Sandra, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. She answered all questions and explained exactly how the day was going to pan out.

Great tour, but crowded!

Ruby_M, Apr 2024

Our tour guide was great, but the crowds were horrible. This is not a two part tour, just one very long tour with no time to catch a breath. Our group was exhausted and needed some rest time. We were expecting a break in between parts as it clearly states on the ad.

Dome climb and Vatican Museum

Kevin_K, Apr 2024

An amazing trip to the Vatican City . The dome climb was well worth it. The views on this sunny day were spectacular. Our guide, Mariana, was a great teacher. She was also very patient when questions were repeated. She made this tour exceptional.

Paulo is the best tour guide!!

Gayeta_P, Apr 2024

Our tour guide Paulo was fantastic and so well-versed in the history of the Vatican and Rome. Rather than just viewing the Sistine Chaple, through his stories, including those of Michelangelo, he brought to life the creation of the paintings, statues and church. The details that we learned about the evolution of the ruling parties, and major players made the Vatican City come to life for us!!

Must have tour when you visit Rome.

Sandeep_Z, Apr 2024

One of the MUST have tour when visiting Rome. The guide Georgia was excellent and She gave very good tour.

Do it but wear good shoes!

Jennifer_H, Apr 2024

Our guide was Marianna and she was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. The view at the top of the Dome was incredible. Worth the steps up!

Exceptional!

Larissa_H, Apr 2024

Chiara Antonelli was our tour guide and she was exceptional! I learned so much from her. She filled the time with fascinating stories and she had a terrific sense of humor. Thank you Chiara for an unforgettable experience!

Best tour guide! Thanks Chiara!

Sean_C, Apr 2024

Chiara was the best tour guide I could have ever asked for. She took the time to explain things clearly, keep the tour light hearted and fun, and made sure there was a nice coffee break. Super knowledgeable!

Best tour guide (Chiara) I’ve ever had.

Laura_D, Apr 2024

Chiara, our tour guide, was energetic, kind, and a wealth of information. Worth the money to have a tour guide.

Great 1/2 day Vatican tour.

Jennifer_S, Apr 2024

Chiara Antonelli was our guide- she was AMAZING! Her humour kept us interested even though it was very early and we had teen girls with us. She was really knowledgeable and we learned a lot. The basilica part of the tour ended up being at the end, it was a shame as it would have been nice to do first thing like it was advertised. We all found the middle part of the basilica (halfway up) was much more striking than the way top- the actual top was a little bit underwhelming. And there wasn’t much time in the Sistine Chapel- I would have loved another 30 min. If I could repeat it I would have brought an ‘map’ of the Sistine chapel paintings so I could know exactly what I was seeing as it was a ton to take in. Otherwise it was perfect!

St. Peter’s was unbelievable!

Troy_B, Apr 2024

Maria was awesome. She was very informative and believed in everything she was telling us. You can tell she knew her facts very well. We learned so much and she went above and beyond what she needed to do as to provide us the best experience.

Excellent Guide, Vatican Audio Issues

Todd_E, Apr 2024

Our tour guide was outstanding, and the overall tour was great. First, be prepared for an early morning to avoid the massive afternoon crowds. The early wake-up and entry time are well worth it! The only issue we had was with the audio devices issued by the Vatican. Our tour guide had to exchange several of them. My wife missed over half of what was being said because of this issue. Again, this was not the guides fault. She was outstanding. If you’re even halfway in shape, the 500 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica is a must-do!

Amazing Guide

Louise_E, Apr 2024

We thought the tour was fantastic especially because of our guide Chiara who was very knowledgeable and very passionate, she kept us all very informed and also kept us laughing.

Incredible!!!

Marie_P, Apr 2024

We had Fabio as our tour guide he was so knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Climbing to the top of St Peters basilica was one of the most adventurous thing to do.

Fantastic tour

Clair_T, Apr 2024

Fantastic tour led by Mariana, who was very knowledgeable and friendly throughout. She made lots of effort to include our two young children, which kept them engaged for the whole time. Would definitely recommend this tour and especially the dome climb.

Excellent Tout of Vatican

Meena_J, Apr 2024

Chiara Antonelli was amazing - from great content to compassion for the slower members of the group to jokes - she kept us thrilled for 6 hours. I really appreciated her getting to connect with the diverse members of the group and make us all a part of her Tour Italia family. She had answers to most questions - the 12 apostles of Jesus had to be figured out by her. She was witty, thorough and cognizant of the group - 11 year olds to 70 plus - she made it special for all of us. 2 Thumbs up - Great Job Chiara (Clare) Meena Jayant and Jay

Exceptional tour guide

Cindy_S, Mar 2024

Our tour guide Mariana was GREAT! She was so friendly and knowledgeable it was wonderful to have her during our tour. The tour itself was impressive, I definitely would recommend this tour.

Fantastic Service, Maybe Spend More Time in Museums Than Climbing Steps

Larry_S, Mar 2024

Everything was just as advertised, and more! Our tour guide, Nadia, was absolutely outstanding! Her enthusiasm, love of her job, love of her city, and love of people shone through. My wife had an issue finishing the stairs and Nadia climbed them all, again, to give aide. I would recommend using this company for anything. I'm not sure I would highly recommend this specific tour. Climbing the steps was a great adventure, but took extra time that might be better spent touring more of the basilica, or the Vatican Museums. The view from the dome is magnificent, but there are other places in Rome with nice views as well.

Amazing Experience

Mark_T, Mar 2024

Our tour guide Nadia was a wealth of knowledge and so sweet and patient with us. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour.

Best guide ever!!

Michelle_R, Mar 2024

The guide was absolutely amazing! She shared her knowledge is a very interesting way. St Peters and the climb to the top of the dome, amazing! Do not do this if you are at all claustrophobic or afraid of heights!

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