Vatican Tour: St. Peter's Dome, Basilica, and Sistine Chapel
4.8
1,771 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: 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….
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
  • 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…

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
(1771 Ratings)
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Bosco_d
Sep 12, 2025
Great tour to see Saint Peter Square, Saint Peter’s Basilica, the tower and Sistine Chapel - The tour guide was very pleasant and gave just the right amount of information. Logistically, she carried out the plan to perfection Right with the entrance at Saint Peter Square to the Basilica allowing us time to go to the tower and then from there onto the sistine Chapel the only thing that was missing was a little more information in both the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel while inside. But I guess that may be just enough for time. A tour worth the price!
Review provided by Viator
Maria_r
Sep 2, 2025
Amazing experience - The tour was an exceptional experience, meeting all our expectations. It commenced punctually and was meticulously organized. Our guide, Rosella, possessed an impressive knowledge base and effectively captivated our attention throughout the journey. The tour encompassed the most remarkable sites within the Vatican, affording us ample time to delve deeper into their significance. We highly recommend visiting the Sistine Chapel and the Duomo, as they offer an unparalleled opportunity to appreciate the paintings from a close proximity. However, the Map Room and the Grotto remain our personal favorites.
Review provided by Viator
Collin_b
Aug 30, 2025
Solid tour - worth the trip - The tour was a very cool experience that showed a lot of the Vatican. Nadya was our guide and she was great. If you want to know about the history, the architecture, the stories - I would highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Ashley_p
Aug 29, 2025
Excellent comprehensive tour!! - This was a fantastic comprehensive tour of St. Peter’s Basilica & The Vatican Museums!! Doing the early tour made all the difference in climbing the dome, as it wasn’t so hot! Also going early in the day, we got fantastic pictures with minimal people!! Our guide was wonderful!! He went above and beyond!! Excellent tour!!
Review provided by Viator
Katy_b
Aug 22, 2025
Excellent Excursion not be missed. - It was an early start but it was worth it. We met at the office meeting point where we were welcomed at reception. We were informed that Paulo would be our guide and he was brilliant. Throughout the whole trip he was a great communicator and very knowledgeable. We started in the Vatican Museum and worked our way through the Vatican garden, halls and rooms and entered the Sistine Chapel - what a sight this was and unbelievable how the ceiling was painted. We went into St Peters which all you can do is stand and take in the beautiful structure and history it holds. We crossed the through the holy doors and learnt of more mischief Michelangelo caused. We then took the elevator up to the first floor of St Peters dome, their Paulo left us and we could either climb the rest of the way to the top of St Peters or make our way down - we climbed the rest of the way and the sights were amazing. You can see the whole Vatican City and the rest of Rome. Well organised and great communication from Viator.
Review provided by Viator
Anne_p
Aug 22, 2025
Compact way to see a lot - This was a great tour! Our guide Nadia was funny, very informative, and catered to our group. It was definitely a long tour but a great way to see it all. The break after the climb and Basilica tour was much needed. The Vatican museum tour was quick, but we were getting tired by then and were ready to see the Chapel and be done. It was also warm which made us tire quicker. But Nadia was very in tune to when we needed breaks and water. Highly recommend this company and Nadia for the tour!
Review provided by Viator
Ben_t
Aug 13, 2025
St Peter & Vatican Museum Tours - Chiara A. was a great tour guide very energetic and knowledgeable on this tour. She made a long morning tours went like a champ in the summer heat. Will hire Chiara as private tour guide in the future.
Review provided by Viator
Longlisttodo
Aug 10, 2025
Great Tour! - Chiara was an awesome guide. So enthusiastic and entertaining. Also very informative. Both teens enjoyed the tour because of her. Glad this tour had the dome climb first while we had the energy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Matheus_o
Aug 5, 2025
Amazing! Our guide... - Amazing! Our guide Nadya took us everywhere always very cheerful, willing, telling us everything. It was an amazing tour all over the Vatican and with a lot of well-told history! Too sensational! Nadya was very top!
Review provided by Viator
Nicole_k
Aug 9, 2025
This was a great tour. We... - This was a great tour. We happened to attend during the jubilee event, so things were very crowded. Our guide, Nadia, was amazing.
Review provided by Viator
From $159
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).