St. Peter's Basilica draws massive crowds, and without a plan, you'll spend precious vacation time stuck in security lines. This guided tour gives you an allocated time slot for entry through a separate security line, taking you straight to the highlights. Descend into the Papal Crypts to see where popes are buried, then explore the basilica's greatest masterpieces, including Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's towering canopy. It's the quickest and best way to experience St. Peter’s Basilica.
See art that shaped Christianity
Expert English-speaking guide
Allocated time slot entry through separate security line
Papal Crypts access
Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini masterpieces
Free time to explore after
Guide tips
Your tour begins at Fontana delle Tiare
You'll meet your guide in front of the Fontana delle Tiare, located next to St. Peter's Square. Your guide will introduce the deep history of St. Peter's Basilica and explain how this grand church was built over St. Peter's burial site, setting the stage for your journey below and above ground.
Papal Crypts
Descend beneath St. Peter's Basilica into the sacred Papal Crypts, where centuries of popes have been laid to rest. Walk through intricately carved tombs, medieval inscriptions, and ancient chapels while learning about the most influential popes who shaped Vatican history.
Enter St. Peter's Basilica
Use your allocated time slot to enter the main basilica. This reserved entry time means your group has a designated window to enter through a dedicated security line, though you may still encounter security lines during busy periods. Once inside, your guide helps you grasp the sheer scale of this Renaissance masterpiece and explains how it became the spiritual center of Christianity.
Michelangelo's Pietà
Stand face-to-face with Michelangelo's Pietà, one of the most breathtaking sculptures in the world. Carved from a single block of Carrara marble, this Renaissance masterpiece captures Mary cradling Christ. Hear the incredible story behind its creation and restoration.
Bernini's Baldachin and the High Altar
Next, you'll walk toward the High Altar and stand beneath Bernini's immense bronze canopy that soars above St. Peter's Tomb. Discover the bold symbolism behind its twisted Solomonic columns and learn how Bernini designed this masterpiece to visually link Heaven and Earth.
For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!
Wed, 28 Jan 2026
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Colin M.
Verified Review
January 24, 2026
Your review
Dorothy R.
Verified Review
January 21, 2026
Let me start by saying that our tour guide Marzy was excellent. However, our original time of 10.30 was put back by an hour, just a few days before. Because of the lack of ticket checks by The Tour Guy representative before the tour started, our start was then further delayed. We had to leave before Marzy had finished, as we had another tour booked for 1.00. I feel that better ticket checks before the official start time would be beneficial.
Parfait
Dominique M.
Verified Review
January 20, 2026
Rien à dire Tout était parfait
Je recommande
Terrible! The tour guide left us and there was no guided tour!
Lauren N.
Verified Review
January 19, 2026
The line for “Skip the line “ tickets took an hour to get through.. our tour guide left us to “explore on our own” after we made it past security.. please contact me as I want a refund for failure to have a tour!
Marisea U.
Verified Review
January 18, 2026
queue is too long
Maro K.
Verified Review
January 13, 2026
Wonderful tour! Enjoyed Marco
Lorraine W.
Verified Review
January 10, 2026
We had a last-minute visit to the Vatican and were delighted with our tour guide, Marco, who was funny and so very interesting and passionate about the Vatican. We were especially grateful that, due to an error on our part, we were a few minutes late and appreciated the communications to help get us there to catch up with the group. This was the third of our The Roman Guy tours for this trip to Italy and we loved all of them. All the tour guides and knowledgeable and personable.
Mary T.
Verified Review
January 05, 2026
Julie M.
Verified Review
December 25, 2025
Debra S.
Verified Review
December 23, 2025
Marie G.
Verified Review
December 21, 2025
Collynn H.
Verified Review
December 17, 2025
Tim K.
Verified Review
December 07, 2025
Telling a story with your eyes
Don B.
Verified Review
November 30, 2025
Tatiana was a passionate guide on our tour of St Peter’s. She could tell a story with just her eyes. Pictures don’t do justice to the beauty of St Peter’s. She was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English.
Vincent W.
Verified Review
November 26, 2025
Dissapointing
Adam C.
Verified Review
November 13, 2025
Much of the issue was outside the control of the guide but it was very frustrating to be in line for over an hour when the metal detectors went down. We had to leave the tour early because it got so delayed. Some of that time could have been used to give some history and explanation of things we would get to see later on the tour but a lot of it was just standing around and being told this was going to be faster than everyone standing in the general admission line (which was not true on this day because they had lots of metal detectors working and we only had one) so we were frustrated to keep getting told that while watching hundreds of people in regular line walk ahead and on into the Basilica. Long story short-despite circumstances being outside the control of our guide, I didn't think the situation was managed well despite the issue.
Susan R.
Verified Review
November 13, 2025
Fabulous and fun! Our guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. It was fantastic!!
Great tour Very thorough
Robert M.
Verified Review
November 12, 2025
Marco did a great job even with all the craziness of losing power he was a professional great tour
Andrew W.
Verified Review
November 02, 2025
Michael M.
Verified Review
October 31, 2025
Great tour
William C.
Verified Review
October 30, 2025
Our guide was very helpful in explaining everything and the crypts were quite an experience!
