Rome
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Tour of St Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb and Grottoes in a Small Group

Badge of ExcellenceRome, Italy
Tour of St Peters Basilica with Dome Climb and Grottoes in a Small Group

From $53.22

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Enjoy a rare bird’s-eye view over Rome with this tour of St. Peter’s Basilica that includes a climb to the top of its dome. Visit St. Peter’s Square and church with an art historian guide to marvel at its Renaissance art and architecture. Then head underground to see the grottoes and St. Peter's tomb before climbing the dome to admire the church interiors and the surrounding city from above.
  • A complete St. Peter’s Basilica tour from underground grottoes to dome top
  • A guide for insights into the art and architecture of the square and church
  • Tickets to the top of the dome included
  • Headsets to follow the guide’s commentary inside and outside the basilica

What's Included

  • Professional art-historian guide
  • Entry fees to the top of the Dome
  • Guided tour of St. Peter Dome
  • Thorough guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica
  • Sterilized headsets to hear clearly your guide
  • Full on-site assistance
  • The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are not part of this tour
  • This tour does not skip the line (neither the security checks one nor the dome's elevator one)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Largo del Colonnato, 5, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

    Meet your guide at Largo del Colonnato, 5, by the first columns of the Colonnade. Look for a yellow label with TOURIKS written on it. Please be at the meeting point 20 minutes before the starting time. The meeting point is outside the Basilica before entering St. Peter's square.

End point

  • Saint Peter's Square
    Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

What To Expect

With this tour, you can benefit from the knowledge of an art historian guide, who brings an expert’s point of view to majestic St Peter’s Basilica. You also get a comprehensive tour of the famous church, from the underground grottoes to the dome up top.

Meet your guide at the colonnade in front of St. Peter’s Square 20 minutes before the scheduled start time, and start with a short lesson on the architecture and visual effects of the square, designed by Bernini.
Follow your guide into the basilica and through the masterpieces of Renaissance and neoclassical art inside. See the 100-foot (30 meters) canopy and Michelangelo’s “Pietà.”

Descend underground into the grottoes and visit St. Peter’s tomb. Then, with your ticket in hand, climb to the top of the cupola, all the way to the top balcony with spectacular views of Rome. Finish the tour back at St. Peter’s Square.

St. Peter's Square

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. Peter's Basilica

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Vatican Grottoes

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cupola di San Pietro

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Vatican City (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • The dome's terrace might not be accessible during bad weather conditions. In that case, you can either ask for a partial refund and visit the Basilica and the grottoes or decide to cancel the tour for a full refund
  • An appropriate dress-code is required in order to enter the churches: knees and shoulders should be covered
  • Please take into consideration that the lines to clear security checks at the entrance of the square might take 15-120 minutes
  • We recommend to wear comfortable walking shoes
  • Please note that you will be required to pass through metal detectors at the entrance of the square
  • The meeting point is outside the Basilica before entering St. Peter's square and the security checks
  • The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are not part of this tour
  • The Vatican Necropoli is not part of this tour
  • We might not be able to accommodate, refund or reschedule late arrivals
  • Strollers are not allowed in the Basilica. There is a luggage deposit at the entrance of the basilica where you can leave the stroller
  • Please note that this is not a skip-the-line tour
  • Not recommended for travellers with claustrophobia
  • Not recommended for travellers with vertigo
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 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 good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Reviews

4.5
1,682 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 1,682 reviews
St. Peter
Cathy_K, Apr 2024
The in-depth knowledge of our tour guide made the tour great. She gave enough historical information to keep everyone on the tour engaged
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback! We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
Great Basilica experience
Suzette_M, Apr 2024
Frederica was a superb guide. So friendly, knowledgeable and really worked with our group to take snd answer questions of all kinds. the security line was ling but went quickly and we learned so much significant history just while waiting in line. Worth the cost and she helps the group with picture spots, lift lines, or for stair climbers sets great expectations! Definitely suggest this tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in such detail. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience with Federica and hope to see you again on one of our other tour in Rome :) We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome! Thank you
Fulfilling time in the Basilica
Jose_G, Apr 2024
Beautiful church. The tour guide was Italian so the English tour was good. There were a couple of things she said that were off due to the language barrier. The tour was fulfilling though.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback! We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
Great way to learn about St Peter’s Basilica!
Julie_V, Apr 2024
Our guide was very knowledgeable and had very interesting points about St Peter’s Basilica. The information she provided while we stood in line helped make that time worthwhile and pass quickly!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience with us :) We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome!
Good Value
RONY_F, Apr 2024
Very informative tour. All that I expected . Would not recommend climbing to top of dome. View is very restricted by steel bars. Climb is very tight and over 300 steps.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your review! We are glad you enjoyed the overall experience.
Rome in April
Joseph_m, Apr 2024
Tour guide was brilliant. Very informative to cater to a wide audience (young/old). Trip to the top of the dome well worth all the steps
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. We are glad you enjoyed this experience :)
Ting, the guide, was...
Jaison_J, Apr 2024
Ting, the guide, was amazing. She is very knowledgeable and engaging. And she had a nice style of story telling.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback! We are glad you enjoyed this experience with Ting. We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
Very good and worth the Dome climb
Belinda_D, Apr 2024
Our guide Ilenia (sorry if that is spelt incorrectly) was very good and shared so much information. The queue to get in was about 45mins but this didn’t seem long as the queue was moving and Ilenia talking to us all the time. A fascinating afternoon. If you can, it’s worth making the effort to go up to the Dome for the view. Our only negative was that it was hard to find the meeting point as it’s so busy, someone standing there with a clipboard does not stand out. But overall, very good.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your constructive feedback. We are glad you enjoyed the overall experience with Ilenia. We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome. Thank you!
Marvelous
Brenda_Z, Apr 2024
Marvelous guide tour. The guide tourist explained every detail about St Peter’s Basilica and the impressive view by the Dome was a unique experience.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience with us and hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
A fantastic experience with a fantastic guide
CLIVE_B, Apr 2024
Sara was the most brilliant guide - despite the massive lines we had to wait in, her wealth of information and her passion for St Peter’s Basilica and its history made the time pass quickly. Thank you for a truly wonderful tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your thoughts. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience with Sara and hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
Interesting tour!!
Isabelle_G, Apr 2024
I would recommend this tour! Our tour guide Francesca was very knowledgeable and a great guide. Even though the line to get in was about 1 hour she made the time fly by because she had some great stories about the Vatican as well as the history in Rome!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience with Francesca :)
A majestic sight indeed !
michele_R, Apr 2024
Excellent tour + guide of such a beautiful sight! MUST SEE to appreciate the beauty of this Bacilica! The climb up gives u a breathtaking view of the city
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience with us :)
Not worth tour
Derrick_S, Apr 2024
Waited in que for 90 minutes tour guide skimmed over bacilicia inside. Had to get tickets for inside and crips and done climb. Waited every time. Not worth the money. Go early yourself. But own tickets
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Good morning, We apologize for any inconvenience caused by queuing in the non-skippable security line for a long time which was beyond our control and tend to get very long in the days around the Easter (and other) holidays. However, we need to point out that we clearly highlight the waiting time and that the security line can not be skipped, before booking the tour in our tour description under the section (Important Information): (“Please be aware that the lines to clear security checks at the entrance of the square might take 15 to 90 minutes.”) Please feel free to contact us at info@touriks.com if you would like to discuss your issue further. Thank you
Sara S was amazing!
Maria_V, Apr 2024
Sara S was incredible and I highly recommend this tour! Be aware you have to wait in the security line to enter the church. This tour took many hours and was longer than we expected so plan accordingly! Sara S was wonderful and knowledgeable- she made the experience unforgettable.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience with Sara and hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
Excellent Tour and Amazing Guide!
Sanket_A, Mar 2024
We had a good guide who clearly was knowledgeable and went extra step to ensure our tour is comfortable.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback! We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
No skip the line with this tour
Sally_J, Mar 2024
The guide was good. We didn’t know that the tour was 1.5 hours but the wait time in line was 1 hour. Then there was a 40 minute wait line just to get your ticket to walk the stairs and another 40 minutes to get to the start of the stairs. We left as didn’t want to wait an additional 80 minutes. No skip the lines.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Good morning, We apologize for any inconvenience caused by queuing in the non-skippable security line for a long time which is beyond our control and tend to get very long in the days around the Easter (and other) holidays. However, we need to point out that we NEVER advertised the tour as "skip the line" and we clearly highlight the waiting time before booking the tour in our tour description under the section (Important Information): (“Please be aware that the lines to clear security checks at the entrance of the square might take 15 to 90 minutes.”) Please feel free to contact us at info@touriks.com if you would like to discuss your issue further. Thank you
The best in Rome
Margaret_A, Mar 2024
The guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, & attentive guide-Arturo. His delivery of the history was very enjoyable, adding bits of humor. He was a wealth of practical information, suggestions, & practical info. I would book with Arturo for any & all tours he does. You are very lucky to have him on staff. Great job!!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in such detail. We are so glad you enjoyed this experience, and we agree, it's always great having Arturo on board! We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome!
Basilica with Dome climb
Elizabeth_J, Mar 2024
We have a very good experience, the time for the tour was perfect with good facts and details, we will recommend it for friends and family
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback! We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
Lorenzo was an amazing...
Priscilla_S, Mar 2024
Lorenzo was an amazing guide! Very knowledgeable and kept us engaged and fascinated the entire time.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback! We hope to see you again on one of our other tours in Rome :)
Paradiso
Aleksandra_L, Mar 2024
Tour guide was professional but no passionate about it. The place is definitely worth a visit and it’s best to go with a tour group . Very crowdy and long ques but it’s definitely worth a wait.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. We are glad you enjoyed the overall experience. Regarding the guide's performance, your detailed feedback will be much appreciated as it will allow us to improve our guide selection process and provide the best experiences for our clients in the future. Therefore, we kindly ask you to contact us at info@touriks.com or call our team on +39 06 3105 4174 to provide us with the day and time of your tour or the name of the guide if you remember it to investigate your feedback further. Thank you
...

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