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St. Peter's Basilica Tour: Early Access and Dome Climb
4.8
158 Ratings
Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale
Climb to the top of St. Peter’s Dome for breathtaking views of Rome and discover hidden treasures in the Vatican. Beat the crowds and explore the papal crypts and grottoes with an expert guide.
Climb to the top of St. Peter’s Dome for breathtaking views of Rome and discover hidden treasures in the Vatican. Beat the crowds and explore the papal crypts and grottoes with an expert guide.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
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….
- 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.
- St. Peter’s Basilica - From St. Peter’s Square, enter the passageways which lead up to the top of Michelangelo’s magnificent dome for superb views of the Vatican City and Rome.
- St. Peter’s Basilica - A fully guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica follows your dome climb. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and it will leave a profound impression upon your soul.
What's Included
- Exclusive early access to St. Peter’s, avoiding the crowds
- Expert Vatican tour guidance to the peak of St. Peter’s Dome
- Breathtaking panoramic views of Rome from the summit
- Exploration of remarkable art and architecture
- Exclusive early access to St. Peter’s, avoiding the crowds
- Expert Vatican tour guidance to the peak of St. Peter’s Dome
- Breathtaking panoramic views of Rome from the summit
- Exploration of remarkable art and architecture
What's Not Included
- Food and drink
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Necropolis (scavi)
- Food and drink
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Necropolis (scavi)
Additional Information
Avoid the masses at the start of the day at St. Peter’s Basilica. Ride the elevator halfway up, then climb the rest of the way by foot—the spectacular view at the top is worth the effort.
Join your knowledgeable Vatican guide near St. Peter’s Square as you depart from Rome, crossing into the Vatican City and gaining early entry into St. Peter’s Basilica….
Avoid the masses at the start of the day at St. Peter’s Basilica. Ride the elevator halfway up, then climb the rest of the way by foot—the spectacular view at the top is worth the effort.
Join your knowledgeable Vatican guide near St. Peter’s Square as you depart from Rome, crossing into the Vatican City and gaining early entry into St. Peter’s Basilica.
On reaching the terrace level, you can either unwind and appreciate the scenery or continue the climb of the remaining 320 steps to the top. From there, experience the awe-inspiring view of Rome and its surroundings. Your well-versed guide will illuminate the most significant historical sights in every direction, whether they are located in Vatican City, the broader city of Rome, or even farther away.
What rises must descend, so join us as we descend into the basilica’s lower level to explore the ‘Vatacombs,’ a network of caves housing papal tombs and statues created by the most famous artists over the centuries.
- 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
- Dome climb is a moderate+ exertion activity undertaken in a short space of time. Please be aware of this before you book
- Bring a small bottle of water with you for dome climb
- 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 link: https://goo.gl/maps/vZvCNgmmozFLnzT3A
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(158 Ratings)
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Brianms7157gi
Sep 27, 2024
Wonderful! - Met at the fountain and easy to find there. Wonderful tour and the guide was informative and easily able to understand. The stairs were many and tiring so this is a extensive hike. If you can't walk the stairs, you can take the elevator to the main dome, but the walkway up top you will need to climb 10 minutes of stairs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maria
Jul 21, 2024
Very good experience with Italy Tours - Excellent experience with this agency, our Guide was Mariana and was excellent, explaining in the right detail, super concerned x the group, and very friendly. The group size was great (we were 11) and we loved the visit
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_w
Jun 24, 2024
Climbing the highest peak in Rome. - The tour was very well organized, and our guide definitely knew her stuff.
Although a group of 20 we all had an earpiece which worked very well at a reasonable distance.
The Vatican is a lovely place and we had decided to take on the Dome challenge.
551 steps was a big ask for an old guy but the end result was an awesome view across Rome.
Review provided by Viator
912naimas
Jun 11, 2024
Excellent Guides - Visit of Rome of happiness. Excellent excursion thanks to our adorable George and Sandro. Thank you very much 👍
To recommend
N.SOUISSI
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jadi_t
May 31, 2024
Amazing views and beautiful view inside the church! - So much history! We loved this tour and the dome climb! My only regret is we didn’t book the longer tour that included the Vatican Museum too- it would have been a five hour tour and totally worth it! Chiara was so knowledgeable and entertaining. Loved this tour!
Review provided by Viator
E3436vjthomass
Apr 30, 2024
Excellent Vatican City Tour - My wife and I went with a guide from Italia Tours named Chiara Antonelli. She is from Rome and has a degree in Art History. She is also a licensed guide. The tour was "skip the line admission", which is important given the large number of people visiting St Peter's and the Vatican Museum with the Sistine Chapel. We enjoyed her tour tremendously. She kept the group moving and kept us on time. Her knowledge of the art and key points was impressive. She had a book of pictures to help her explain many facts. She seemed very passionate about the things she would talk about and I believe she answered all questions asked of her. We recommend this tour by Italia Tours and the tour guide, Chiara Antonelli.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tgb26z9mnj
Apr 28, 2024
Climb the Dome, the view is sublime🤩 - We enjoyed our tour St. Peter’s Basilica, the Dome climb, and the Vatacombs — Our guide was Paulo, and he was knowledgeable, friendly, and answered all questions with patience. We would recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Adventure638387
Mar 12, 2024
Thank you so much. Great visit and great contact - Great guide, great organization! The whole team is very friendly and competent. We had an excellent visit to this remarkable monument
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marco_c
Nov 22, 2023
“Must Do” Tour - Nadia was our tour guide, she spoke perfect English, she was engaging, and was extremely knowledgeable. The trek to the dome via all stairs is grueling, but the view from the dome is breathtaking and worth every step. One recommendation for those with extra weight and out of shape: take the elevator, and climb the rest.
This is a definite “must do” tour at St Peter’s.
Review provided by Viator
Thekegler
Jun 26, 2024
Static earphones were an issue throughout your. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and kept a lookout for the tour group. - Check in point was easy to find and guides were easy to spot. Our biggest issue was we paid for two couples but only one name was listed so we had to buy a second tour, but there were no tickets for the Museum portion so we sacrificed our tickets to the other couple. In reality we paid twice and got half a tour. Not sure what happened with the other set of tickets. Felt we really overpaid considering the poor audio quality of the tour. We did see the Vatican highlights that were well covered. Unfortunately Rome is getting ready for a Jubilee and a few main attractions in the Vatican were covered with tarps and scaffolding obscuring views. Shame to pay the price and not see it all. Of course that is not the faithful the tour company just poor timing on our part. Tour was well coordinated overall, just make sure if you book they get it right with the tickets
Review provided by Tripadvisor
