Tour of St Peter's Basilica: Guided Dome Climb and Grottoes Exploration in Small Groups

Experience a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, including a climb to the top of the dome for breathtaking views of Rome. Explore the art and architecture of the Renaissance in small groups.

Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • St. Peter’s Square - Begin your tour at St. Peter’s Square and take in the grandeur of its majestic architecture. Discover the visual effects crafted by its designer, Bernini, and locate the two “special” spots within the square.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica - Next, proceed to the Basilica to be awestruck by its splendor. Learn why it took 150 years…
What's Included
  • Professional art-historian guide
  • Thorough guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Sterilized headsets to hear clearly your guide
  • Guided tour of St. Peter Dome
  • Entry fees to the top of the Dome
  • Full on-site assistance
What's Not Included
  • 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)
Additional Information

Embark on an extraordinary journey commencing at St. Peter’s Square, where the architectural brilliance of Bernini unfolds.
Then enter the awe-inspiring St. Peter’s Basilica, a realm adorned with golden ceilings, vibrant marbles, and masterpieces like Michelangelo’s Pietà. Delve into the Papal grottoes underground, touching ancient walls and visiting St….

Location
Largo del Colonnato, 5
Largo del Colonnato
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 5 minutes before the starting time. The meeting point is outside the Basilica before entering St. Peter's square.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(2025 Ratings)
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Ana_r
Oct 5, 2024
Great - Great trip! We really enjoy it ! Our guide was very enthusiastic, this was our first trip in the Vatican and we want to see more …
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_m
Oct 2, 2024
Incredible - Incredible tour and our tour guide Sylvia was great and very informative. So glad we did this, would highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Fawk
Sep 30, 2024
Grazie mille! - This tour was a highlight. The guide was very competent and has felt greatly shortened the waiting time in front of the security check and the entrance to the dome due to the knowledge transfer. I was there with my 11-year-old child. In the Cathedral of San Pietro itself a lot of detailed and exciting information, quite different from walking around “just” without a plan. We finally climbed to the dome on foot to avoid queuing up any more. It was absolutely worth it. Make sure to allow much more (two to three times as much) time, as the waiting time is simply unpredictable. Thank you so much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_b
Sep 29, 2024
Amazing tour // Highly recommend - We had an amazing experience. The wait time was lengthy to get into the St Peters however our tour guide Tom had a ton of history to tell us during our wait in line. He walked us through the Basilica and stopped to tell us about each sculpture/art. I have to say I was very impressed with his knowledge and the time he took to really explain everything around us. I saw many tours passing and I can say with confidence I am happy I chose this tour. Take your tour with Tom, you will NOT regret it!
Review provided by Viator
Sarakb3746nr
Sep 28, 2024
Great experience - Silvia was an excellent guide for the St Peter Basilica tour, plus done tour. She was very knowledgeable and friendly, and definitely added to the experience. As a group we queued for about 45 mins to get through security into the church (Sat afternoon in Sept) but Silvia made this pass quickly with continued information about Vatican and the Square. We then had about 100 minutes once inside the Basilica with lots of information and things to see. She provided info on the Dome and Caves but we were then about to complete these on our own at the end of the tour at our own pace (tickets and queue jump provided for the dome).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amador
Sep 28, 2024
St Peters Basilica Tour - Silvia was so sweet and informative! Great guide we recommend her! My husband and I did the Basilica tour with Silvia. Made it worth the fee.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emily_m
Sep 28, 2024
Worth it! - So much climbing to the top! With panoramic views you could see the whole city and country side. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable and fun!
Review provided by Viator
Veronica_t
Sep 30, 2024
Great time - The tour guide....he was great. Very informative, good sense of humor, had visual aids, kept is informed of expectations of wait times. He seemed to enjoy his job.
Review provided by Viator
Speesh
Oct 4, 2024
Missed the Tour - Our most memorable part was that it did not happen. We arrived at the Basillica 15 minutes before the tour time. The description of the meeting place was to go to the first column and look for a yellow sign. There are probably 30 or more columns in front of the Basilica. We could not find our group. Tried to ask other guides for help but no luck. I messaged the tour guide twice but got no response. So we missed the tour and the line to get new tickets was probably a couple hours long. In the rain. Granted, we were supposed to be at the meeting place 20 minutes before the tour began and we got there 15 minutes before. I requested a refund and was told we would get $22 refunded of the $110 we actually paid. We were only in Rome for a day and a half and were so very disappointed about missing the Basilica. My advice is to make sure you know exactly where to meet before going to the Basilica. I showed our taxi driver the directions we received from Viator so I feel that we were in the correct place. Good luck! There are thousands of people there waiting to go inside.
Review provided by Viator
Joyce_h
Sep 30, 2024
THEY STOLE OUR MONEY! - This was a ripoff. We changed the reservation and they claimed they couldn’t find it. They would not allow us access.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
November 2024
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