Vatican City Tour: Art and Architecture Highlights

Uncover the art and architecture of Vatican City with an early morning tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and Underground Grottoes. Explore the stunning interiors, climb to the summit of the Dome for panoramic views, and discover the historic tombs of Popes and dignitaries.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • St. Peter’s Square - Enjoy an early morning tour with our local guide starting from the statuesque St. Peter’s Square all the way through the famous Basilica.
  • Cupola di San Pietro - Set foot on the summit of the majestic St. Peter’s Dome and get a 360 degree view of the city centre and its main archeological attactions such as the Colosseum…
What's Included
  • Guided Tour to the St. Peter’s Dome
  • Small groups of 15 person
  • Expert English speaking guide
  • Visit to the Papal Tombs
  • Access to St Peter’s Basilica and Square (no skip-the-line for the Basilica)
What's Not Included
  • Food and beverage
  • Hotel Pick up and Drop off
  • Gratuities
  • Skip-the-line access to Basilica and Dome
Additional Information

Embark on a journey through the striking art and structures of Vatican City. Explore famed locations such as St. Peter’s Square and Basilica early in the day to escape the flocks of visitors. Join your guide in Piazza della Città Leonina to delve deeper into the remarkable history of Vatican City. Marvel at the grandeur of the columns and stately…

Location
Piazza della Città Leonina, 5
Piazza della Città Leonina
• Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the activity starts • Our staff will be meeting you holding a “Loving Rome” flag and will be stationed at the “black tables” of Caffè Leonina (front row), situated beyond the white tables of the kiosk.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.1
(18 Ratings)
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Lia_l
Jul 1, 2024
Packed full of history info and overall great experience - We had an amazing tour! From start to finish just taking everything in and learning about the history of these places was such a great experience.
Review provided by Viator
Vera_k
Apr 5, 2024
Beautiful early morning experience! - Fantastic guide, very knowledgeable, although we had to wait for security checks, it went fast due to him pointing out interesting facts. A lovely experience to get up early in Rome, walk the streets and then being captivated by this amazingly beautiful historical site. The group was 10, which is also great. Can highly recommend this. And again, the guide was very good. Thx a million!
Review provided by Viator
Sara_r
Sep 19, 2023
Wonderful tour guide! - Our tour guide, Virginia, was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and her sense of humor made the tour even better.
Review provided by Viator
Edgeli_a
Sep 6, 2023
Taking the elevator + 320... - Taking the elevator + 320 steps to get to the top of the dome was all worth it. We got to see the bird’s eye view of St. Peter’s Basilica square. The tour guide was great. She was very knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Melissa
Aug 11, 2023
Dome climb and basilica access - Our tour started at 0730 and was perfect to beat the crowds. Our guide was very informative. The length of time was perfect and glad we did it early morning to avoid the hot sun. There are over 300 stairs that wind and tilt which we found fun but I would make sure you take plenty of water and comfortable shoes. But the view is amazing! So worth it. After the done climb the tour ended and we had as long as we wanted to explore the basilica and papal tombs. As we went on Sunday we were able to be present for mass also. Highly recommend this tour for the dome climb and access to the basilica.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tina_g
May 19, 2024
Go early and be ready for lots of history! - Very memorable trip! GO EARLY! Without a skip the line ticket even with a guide, the line would have been unbearable at we not done the 7:30. Our guide gave interesting facts. I’d recommend looking things up before you go if you like history. There is so much information coming at you (which is so great for the best understanding) but had i known some things before i could have connected dots easier. Overall a must especially if you have a love for Peter! To visit where he died was emotional. To think about his declaration of Jesus to the end was just awe inspiring.
Review provided by Viator
Utdo
Apr 13, 2024
St. Peter's Basilica, dome ascent and papal tombs - Everything went well. The meeting point was easy to find. The tour guide told us a lot about the history of St. Peter's Basilica. Quick access to St. Peter's Basilica is relative...it can take some time at the security check. Once you were through that, things moved along more quickly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer06947403414
Sep 1, 2023
GOOD VISIT, CONTROVERSIAL GUIDE - Overall, the visit was good. The only negative thing was that the guide Giny did not take into account that she was visiting the most important site for Catholics - including those of us who were on the tour - and made offensive comments about the Church and the Catholic religion. I do not intend to restrict your freedom of expression, but if you want to follow that line of discourse you should let us know so that those of us who do not agree can book another tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pepeulloaflores
Aug 22, 2023
Unpleasant experience - The guide named Virginia made anti-Catholic jokes and encouraged non-Catholic visitors to mock the belief and rituals. It was unpleasant for us who are believers (we are far from being very Catholic) I imagine that for someone Catholic the experience would be horrible.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christy9002mg
Jul 24, 2023
Tour was cancelled last minute: - The dome was closed as we arrived to the Vatican steps so we were unable to do much of anything that morning. The basilica was occupied by mass. We were unable to see anything but the exterior and the interior briefly as mass was starting. We missed the dome, la pieta, really everything we were looking forward too. Was told to email the company for a partial refund.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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