Vatican Full Tour and St. Peter's Dome Climb: Exclusive Experience with Panoramic View of Rome
4.8
1,579 Ratings
Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale
Experience an exclusive full tour of the Vatican, including a climb to the top of St. Peter's Dome for a panoramic view of Rome. Fast track access to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel included.
Duration:
4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- St. Peter’s Square - Meet your expert Vatican tour guide on the threshold of St. Peter’s Square and make your way across marble paving to the steps which wind up and around the dome. There are 551 in total so of course this is too much exertion for most. We take the elevator part of the way which cuts the step count by a sizable 171, leaving 380.
What's Included
- Comprehensive tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and its masterpieces
- Exclusive St. Peter’s Dome climb with panoramic views of Rome
- In-depth Sistine Chapel visit, exploring Michelangelo’s frescoes
- Skip-the-line entry to the Vatican Museums with an expert guide
- Access to the rarely-seen Papal Sarcophagi, known as ‘Vatacombs’
- Explore renowned sculptures in the famous halls of the Vatican
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Additional Information
A surprisingly small number, less than 1%, of guests visiting the Vatican, make the climb to the top of St. Peter’s Dome. Recognizing this unique spectacle, we offer an exclusive tour, starting with a meeting with our experienced Vatican guide at St. Peter’s Square. Holy stairways, along with a lift, transport you to St. Peter’s Terrace, presenting a captivating view of the entire Rome and even extending to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Once back on ground level, we will take you around the majestic St. Peter’s Basilica. After a leisure time, we regroup for the second segment of your immersion into Vatican City, including a visit to the Sistine Chapel. Experience swift entry to view the awe-inspiring works on display in the Vatican Museums, a not-to-be-missed attraction while in Rome.
- 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
- 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
Location
Largo del Colonnato, 1
Largo del Colonnato
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
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(1579 Ratings)
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Barbara_g
May 30, 2024
Awesome experience with terrific guide!! - The beautiful church and history was amazing Our guide Chiara made this trip memorable. She was so knowledgeable and presented the history in a professional manner but made it fun and interesting. Wish we had her for all the tours we took!
Review provided by Viator
Marci_p
May 30, 2024
Excellent Tour - This was a fantastic tour. Our guide Paolo was knowledgeable, organized, friendly & just a really nice guy!! He skillfully led us through the throngs of tours/tourists & took time to answer questions when our group of 10 total people had them. He adjusted the schedule as needed for breaks & time to take pictures & look around. Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel are incredible but St. Peter’s Basilica & climbing the dome are just amazing. (The stairway narrows & the walls/overhead are angled/curved towards the top so maybe not for the very tall, large, or highly claustrophobic!) Take the steps & skip the LONG elevator line in the lower portion of St. Peter’s. A memorable lifetime experience. Great tour all-around!
Review provided by Viator
Kelly_w
May 29, 2024
Vatican with Dome Climb!! - Chaira was AMAZING!!! 10 Stars!!! The day was long and a lot of walking but our guide made sure we knew all the best ways to avoid the crowds, see all the highlights, and keep it entertaining!! She was very attentive to the many needs and abilities of our group! She went above and beyond to give directions if we wanted to see something on our own or come back to something for more time! The tour was very fun and informative! Highly recommend!!
Review provided by Viator
Sandra_m
May 28, 2024
Excellent value for money. Very well organised. Pay to skip the cues, they were soooo long. - We did the entire Vatican tour. Our Guide Nadia was fantastic, so knowledgable and well organised. She gave us clear instructions and provided so much interesting information. Well worth the cost of the ticket.
Review provided by Viator
Mike_s
May 28, 2024
Great tour of the entire Vatican - Natia was a great guide. She was very knowledgeable gave us a very detailed tour of the entire Vatican including the underground Papal tombs, the Dome and the Vatican museum.
Review provided by Viator
Jeanette
May 25, 2024
Excellent tour and guide - Our guide Francesca was amazing. She was friendly funny and knowledgeable. The top of the dome, and tombs, and Sistine chapel were do not miss visits for any Christian as well as those who love history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anonymous
May 24, 2024
Great Vatican experience - We had a great tour with Georgia. She was extremely knowledgeable and could understand her quite well. The other lines were extremely long and she streamed blinded the whole process. I doubt I would’ve done it by myself. Highly recommend her tour.
Review provided by Viator
Danique_v
May 24, 2024
Must do - Georgia was most kind, well informative and guided us through the busy crowd with ease. We loved the full tour, with a climb to the dome (amazing view over the city of Rome!) and going down to the crypts. Thank you so much Georgia!
Review provided by Viator
Susan_c
May 22, 2024
Great overall with room for improvement - The tour was very thorough. Nadia was very knowledgeable and explained everything as she went. We skipped the line for the museums but not the Vatican. The schedule said we would have a hour break between the Vatican and the museums but we didn’t. We were rushed over from the Vatican to the museums trying to keep up with group while battling crowds in a high traffic area. I was very disappointed that there was no free time in the Vatican. We were rushed through with no time to let the experience sink in and no time for souvenirs or to discuss as a family before leaving that location. I still feel overall the experience was good which is why I am still giving 5 stars but I was disappointed with having to leave the Vatican so abruptly. The other tours I have been on have always given some free time and that was not the case here.
Review provided by Viator
Ja8vv8
May 22, 2024
Chiara is wonderful! The dome climb is challenging but an experience! - Chiara (Claire) was wonderful and full of fun, information and energy! The tour is a full half day tour, you may want to have a relaxing schedule after it is complete. The climb to the top of the dome is quite time consuming, however it is a once in a lifetime activity! St Peters is beautiful and deserves its own tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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